Google Cloud Storage vs. Google Drive

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Google Cloud Storage
Score 8.4 out of 10
N/A
Google Cloud Storage is unified object storage for developers and enterprises.N/A
Google Drive
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
Google Drive is a cloud file storage, synchronization, and collaboration platform and service, that features Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides for document editing and presentation.
$6
per month
Pricing
Google Cloud StorageGoogle Drive
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Basic
$6.00
per month
Business
$12.00
per month
Enterprise
Contact Vendor for Quote
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Google Cloud StorageGoogle Drive
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsDiscounts are available for students, educators, and non profit organizations.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Google Cloud StorageGoogle Drive
Considered Both Products
Google Cloud Storage
Chose Google Cloud Storage
Google Cloud Storage effectively outweighs Google Drive's limited capabilities. This software, being a paid version, allows for much room for extra storage space, faster loading times from my experience, and easy sharing features. Compared to Google Drive, Google Cloud Storage …
Chose Google Cloud Storage
Google had the easiest and most secure file sharing abilities, and was a more trusted name for our clients to be assured that their files would remain private.
Chose Google Cloud Storage
Google Cloud Storage compares very similar to Dropbox. The difference of using Googe Cloud Storage is that it is part of a big bundle of products that you are probably already using. If you are a big Google user then it would make sense to get Google Cloud Storage. This way you …
Chose Google Cloud Storage
Dropbox is best for media files (videos, pictures) as it seems more structured for that capability. OneDrive is okay, but is tougher to navigate versus Google Cloud Storage. I also prefer the other products in the Google suite versus the Microsoft suite, so I would always pick …
Google Drive

No answer on this topic

Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Google Cloud StorageGoogle Drive
File Sharing & Management
Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Product A and Product B
Google Cloud Storage
-
Ratings
Google Drive
8.6
202 Ratings
2% above category average
Versioning00 Ratings8.3178 Ratings
Video files00 Ratings8.0171 Ratings
Audio files00 Ratings8.1165 Ratings
Document collaboration00 Ratings9.2199 Ratings
Access control00 Ratings8.9197 Ratings
File search00 Ratings8.9201 Ratings
Device sync00 Ratings9.0188 Ratings
Cloud Storage Security & Administration
Comparison of Cloud Storage Security & Administration features of Product A and Product B
Google Cloud Storage
-
Ratings
Google Drive
8.3
196 Ratings
4% below category average
User and role management00 Ratings8.3185 Ratings
File organization00 Ratings7.9195 Ratings
Device management00 Ratings8.799 Ratings
Cloud Storage Platform
Comparison of Cloud Storage Platform features of Product A and Product B
Google Cloud Storage
-
Ratings
Google Drive
8.7
196 Ratings
3% above category average
Performance00 Ratings8.7194 Ratings
Reliability00 Ratings9.1196 Ratings
Storage Reports00 Ratings8.587 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Google Cloud StorageGoogle Drive
Small Businesses
Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage
Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage
Score 9.7 out of 10
SugarSync
SugarSync
Score 10.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Azure Blob Storage
Azure Blob Storage
Score 8.7 out of 10
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Score 9.6 out of 10
Enterprises
Azure Blob Storage
Azure Blob Storage
Score 8.7 out of 10
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Score 9.6 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Google Cloud StorageGoogle Drive
Likelihood to Recommend
9.1
(35 ratings)
8.8
(203 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(2 ratings)
9.9
(5 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(13 ratings)
8.7
(36 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
9.0
(10 ratings)
9.0
(7 ratings)
Support Rating
7.8
(13 ratings)
7.7
(48 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.0
(1 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
6.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
5.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Google Cloud StorageGoogle Drive
Likelihood to Recommend
Google
[Google Cloud Storage is] great for storing and playing large video files, and even sharing them securely with others, whether or not they are part of your organization. No need to download video files before watching, and can also be used to store any other kinds of files.
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Google
It is possible to share files and folders with up to 200 email addresses, as well as with persons outside the company.Use the drop-down arrow to select who may see, comment on, or change the file or folder before sending out an invitation.I am very much impressed with this feature
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Pros
Google
  • Perhaps the strongest advantage of Google Cloud Storage is that they seem to update files quicker than competing cloud storage providers. The software rarely runs into sharing violations or access issues.
  • Google Cloud Storage has a unified API, which is nice when authorizing others to access data.
  • The software rarely fails and handles large volumes of data well.
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Google
  • Any user with access can store a file using different platforms like Android, IOS, Windows, or Ubuntu (Desktop version)
  • You can share files with any number of different users with different access rights or you can even keep it public by providing the access link and assign different rights for public access
  • You can open Excel/Word files using google software Sheets/Docs in the browser environment without having to install software like Microsoft Office etc on your Windows OS
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Cons
Google
  • Currently can't delete folders which means there are cluttered folders on my cloud.
  • Easier upload options would be nice. The ability to upload and store other file types with an easier interface.
  • Managing files and storage could be improved a little for easier access and editing.
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Google
  • Having a little bit more control and clarity over what is shared and how it is shared would be a useful improvement.
  • Could be more robust and flexible as far as assigning restrictions.
  • Google Sheets could be enhanced because Excel really is not there yet as a product with equal capabilities as there are still quite a few limitations to the functionality.
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Likelihood to Renew
Google
after all of the investment made in the tool and considering how many teams use it I think we would not be likely to move away from this tool. A lot of our information including historical is already here and we are happy with the capabilities of the tool currently
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Google
For its compatibility, easiness, quick responses, user interface, storage capacity, files management and file listings. These are some of the reasons for giving higher ratings and Google Drive has become an integral part of my professional life. We use this software on daily basis and most of the time saving lot of time.
Read full review
Usability
Google
Very easy to use. I love having my data backed up. I love that Google Cloud Storage provides me with the peace of mind that I no longer need to worry about my data being lost. I can now sleep better at night. Google Cloud Storage is very easy to use. Overall, you save time and have less stress by using Google Cloud Storage.
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Google
It's easy enough to use for computer users of all ages and skill levels. I am an advanced user, and I think the hardest part might be showing someone how to download and set up the app on their device if they weren't too familiar with computers, but overall it is very easy to understand.
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Reliability and Availability
Google
No answers on this topic
Google
Always available
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Performance
Google
Excellent upload and download performance, excellent UI and a robust set of tools make GCS a must-have tool in our overall technical stack. Since we use so many data processes, GCS is a clutch player to help us orchestrate both input, intermediate storage, and output of all of these data processes. Because it's one tool for all of these processes, our applications get the benefit of having to need only one SDK to work against.
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Google
The documents load fairly quickly and also update in real time, especially given the fact that multiple people can be using it at once. The "Offline" feature works great to allow the user to make edits and access the document without access to the internet, and then sync changes later once they're back.
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Support Rating
Google
We have never used official support from Google for our Google Cloud Storage, but there is plenty of documentation in place already. With a small amount of work, anybody should be able to get started. Once needs get more complicated, there is still documentation from Google, but also plenty of community support for common use cases around the internet.
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Google
It takes a few days for customer support to get back to you. Although, I have not had to use support too often. Once you get an email back, they are very thorough and work hard to fix the problem quickly. It is a really great resource and a great way to get the help you need if you're stuck. A phone call also works quickly but you have to call during specific times.
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In-Person Training
Google
No answers on this topic
Google
The effective google workspace using training that my organization received and was conducted by me (as a team lead of the ICT team) was mind-blowing and as a result, our staff is performing well in terms of using the application for their daily jobs than before. Now, in my institution, all teachers and all the administrative personnel are very much interested in cloud storage facilities, in previous my institution was afraid of losing all important documents in the cloud storage. But, after having received the training they are now realized that if anyone has only one google account then he or she can use 15GB of cloud storage freely and they are now happy because now it is not necessary for anyone to carry the traditional pen drive.
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Implementation Rating
Google
overall I was not directly involved but hears the teams were satisfied with the implementation. the teams that used the tool did not encounter major issues, it was as expected with minor issues and bugs that were resolved later. The more significant learning curve was actually starting to use the tool
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Google
It's an extremely easy software to implement, once you sign up for a google account you automatically have access to google drive with a set amount of storage space. The business or Google Suite accounts have more storage space than a regular free account, but setting up and accessing google drive is very easy in both cases
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Alternatives Considered
Google
We prefer Google Cloud Storage over Amazon Web Services because of the tools and code integration offered by Google Cloud Storage. We found the Google Cloud Storage toolset to be highly usable and give us the fine-grained control we need for managing digital assets. Ultimately, we chose Google Cloud Storage because we found the API and suitability for code integration with our Java codebase to be impeccable and because we had excellent direct support from the Google Cloud Storage team
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Google
In short, Google Drive is better for independent users who store a normal amount of stuff. OneDrive makes more sense for businesses and teams that are doing heavy-duty storage or large-scale syncing. Realistically, though, most users will fall somewhere in between the two, where either platform would meet their needs.
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Scalability
Google
No answers on this topic
Google
I have always been able to access
Read full review
Return on Investment
Google
  • It has assisted greatly with our ability to share documents/information cross functionally. Especially within our advertising team, we store a large amount of information to assist new hires and refresh current employees.
  • Something that could improve is employees' understanding of how to best utilize Google Cloud Storage. This could improve by implementing a potential training video or tutorial.
  • Overall, Google Storage has been great. I have not used a similar storage product that had the same enterprise level capabilities.
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Google
  • It has given our operation remote capabilities
  • Easier to access and understand client's need through collaborative enviroment
  • availability to digital resources fast and easy
  • saved our operation hundreds of dollars in physical storage (both investment and maintenance)
  • our operation became easier for new staff to get onboard: small learning curve to use it
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ScreenShots

Google Drive Screenshots

Screenshot of Google Drive PriorityScreenshot of Comment on Microsoft Files in Google DriveScreenshot of Shared drives