Google Drive vs. Skype (discontinued)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Google Drive
Score 8.6 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
Skype (discontinued)
Score 7.0 out of 10
N/A
Skype (the personal edition or Skype free) was a web meeting, video conferencing, and VoIP software, now superseded by Microsoft Teams' free edition and unsupported from May 2025.
$2.99
per month
Pricing
Google DriveSkype (discontinued)
Editions & Modules
Basic
$6.00
per month
Business
$12.00
per month
Enterprise
Contact Vendor for Quote
per month
United States Subscription
$2.99
per month
North America Subscription
$6.99
per month
India Subscription
$7.99
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Google DriveSkype (discontinued)
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
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 DriveSkype (discontinued)
Considered Both Products
Google Drive
Chose Google Drive
I am using Apple iCloud also, but that is available for Apple devices only. For other devices, I use Google Drive. Both software are very good, but Google Drive has much more features than iCloud. I prefer it for my office related work since it is very well synced with …
Chose Google Drive
i have been using google drive from 2012 and found the ease of use of it better than others. Even though I use Dropbox and OneDrive for work on some aspects mostly I prefer google drive for my work and personal.
Chose Google Drive
Very similar to Dropbox. Our company used Dropbox more, but for no reason in particular. We have also used Microsoft OneDrive, which has similar functionality to Google Drive. However, I've struggled feeling comfortable with Microsoft's product. Google seems slicker to work with.
Chose Google Drive
DropBox we have used for file sharing. Dropbox at my current company we ran out of storage fairly quickly.
Skype (discontinued)
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype works better than Google Hangouts simply because everyone in the organization has a skype address that comes from being an employee here. Not everyone has a google account, so it's hard to meet or use Google tools.
The university has also worked with Zoom so that we can …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
I selected to review Skype because I use it most often. However, I have participated in meetings via Zoom, and I find them to be better in terms of video and audio quality. These Zoom meetings were conducted with the paid version of Zoom, which may have been the reason for the …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Even though Google has a very big brand name and wide presence among users, Skype still has many advantages over Google Hangouts. The audio and video quality provided by Skype is far ahead of its competitors. It works smoothly at low bandwidth also, and its screen sharing …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
They are quite similar in terms of the possibility of speaking in real time with anyone, but basically I chose Skype because it is more popular with the people with whom I interact, besides that when Hotmail MSN disappeared Skype was the smartest option to use.
Features
Google DriveSkype (discontinued)
File Sharing & Management
Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Product A and Product B
Google Drive
8.0
219 Ratings
4% below category average
Skype (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Versioning8.3193 Ratings00 Ratings
Video files7.2188 Ratings00 Ratings
Audio files7.8182 Ratings00 Ratings
Document collaboration8.8216 Ratings00 Ratings
Access control7.6214 Ratings00 Ratings
File search7.5218 Ratings00 Ratings
Device sync8.9204 Ratings00 Ratings
Cloud Storage Security & Administration
Comparison of Cloud Storage Security & Administration features of Product A and Product B
Google Drive
8.3
213 Ratings
4% below category average
Skype (discontinued)
-
Ratings
User and role management8.6200 Ratings00 Ratings
File organization7.5211 Ratings00 Ratings
Device management8.799 Ratings00 Ratings
Cloud Storage Platform
Comparison of Cloud Storage Platform features of Product A and Product B
Google Drive
8.7
212 Ratings
1% above category average
Skype (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Performance8.9210 Ratings00 Ratings
Reliability8.8212 Ratings00 Ratings
Storage Reports8.587 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software
Comparison of Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software features of Product A and Product B
Google Drive
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
6.8
138 Ratings
15% below category average
High quality audio00 Ratings7.3135 Ratings
High quality video00 Ratings7.6133 Ratings
Low bandwidth requirements00 Ratings6.1130 Ratings
Mobile support00 Ratings6.1118 Ratings
Screen Sharing
Comparison of Screen Sharing features of Product A and Product B
Google Drive
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
6.4
119 Ratings
21% below category average
Desktop sharing00 Ratings6.3118 Ratings
Whiteboards00 Ratings6.660 Ratings
Online Meetings / Events
Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Product A and Product B
Google Drive
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
6.3
118 Ratings
26% below category average
Calendar integration00 Ratings6.385 Ratings
Meeting initiation00 Ratings6.8106 Ratings
Integrates with social media00 Ratings5.065 Ratings
Record meetings / events00 Ratings7.077 Ratings
Slideshows00 Ratings6.668 Ratings
Online Events Collaboration
Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Google Drive
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
5.9
111 Ratings
31% below category average
Live chat00 Ratings6.2110 Ratings
Audience polling00 Ratings5.864 Ratings
Q&A00 Ratings5.862 Ratings
Online Events Security
Comparison of Online Events Security features of Product A and Product B
Google Drive
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
7.5
101 Ratings
7% below category average
User authentication00 Ratings8.888 Ratings
Participant roles & permissions00 Ratings7.183 Ratings
Confidential attendee list00 Ratings6.660 Ratings
VoIP system collaboration
Comparison of VoIP system collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Google Drive
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
6.9
4 Ratings
9% below category average
Video conferencing00 Ratings6.54 Ratings
Audio conferencing00 Ratings7.34 Ratings
Video screen sharing00 Ratings6.34 Ratings
Instant messaging00 Ratings7.74 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Google DriveSkype (discontinued)
Small Businesses
SugarSync
SugarSync
Score 4.1 out of 10
Intermedia AnyMeeting Pro
Intermedia AnyMeeting Pro
Score 7.2 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Druva Security Cloud
Druva Security Cloud
Score 9.4 out of 10
JioMeet
JioMeet
Score 9.8 out of 10
Enterprises
Druva Security Cloud
Druva Security Cloud
Score 9.4 out of 10
Webex Meetings
Webex Meetings
Score 8.6 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Google DriveSkype (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
8.4
(222 ratings)
8.3
(140 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(6 ratings)
10.0
(5 ratings)
Usability
8.5
(52 ratings)
6.0
(4 ratings)
Availability
10.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
9.0
(7 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
1.2
(49 ratings)
10.0
(42 ratings)
In-Person Training
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.0
(3 ratings)
10.0
(3 ratings)
Configurability
6.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
5.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
10.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Professional Services
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Google DriveSkype (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
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
Read full review
Discontinued Products
Having interacted with a new replacement tool, Microsoft Teams, it is challenging to recommend Skype, as it lacks some essential features, such as being less equipped with the latest updates, and it is not platform-independent, causing issues on PCs and phones, as well as during calls that might hinder work.
Read full review
Pros
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
Read full review
Discontinued Products
  • The instant chat function is great. Very straightforward, easy to use, easy to learn, no technical issues.
  • Video calls are pretty easy also, user friendly and a mostly stable connection with no issues.
  • Voice calls are easy also, eliminates the need for an external landline or the need to use your cell phone. Clear connections, not really any dropped calls.
Read full review
Cons
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.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
  • Skype is a RESOURCE hog. People who have limited bandwidth will have poor call quality.
  • It is hard to figure out how to use emojis and upload images in the chat.
  • The background images do not fool anybody....it is clearly not your real background.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Google
It's perfect for me. It keeps things saved and is easy to remove items if needed. Also, I very much enjoy the formatting options. Along with the integrations it has for SSO. Overall, this is the most user friendly system I have ever come across.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
I have given this rating as this need to give more than that as it's very helpful for us and makes our work more efficient and fast.
Read full review
Usability
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.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
Skype is not as good as Facetime in terms of ease to glance at it and figure out how it works. I think that's a result of Skype trying to be too many things at once. A lot of the menu and UI could be streamlined, and I would jettison some of the additional functions that have been tacked on over the years to simplify. That being said, while some options are slightly hard to find, they all work flawlessly once found.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Google
Always available
Read full review
Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Performance
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.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
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.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
I am not aware of the current support level for Skype for business, as I have never used even though I have the product. However, the support for Skype's personal paid users is not where it could be. Users who pay for Skype features do not have a clear path to reach out to support. So, rating 6, can be better as soon as I need to use Skype for business support and get a good experience. I will say that I will renew Skype for Business subscription, which is a significant inconsistency on my end. The explanation is that Skype for Business comes bundled with Office for Business, with no additional cost, so why not.
Read full review
In-Person Training
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.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
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
Read full review
Discontinued Products
It can be used on the phone via mobile application as well as on the desktop by logging in to the website. Easily installed and ready to use.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
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.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
We use Skype in combination with Grasshopper. While Grasshopper acts as a routing toll free number with extensions, if we are making calls directly, we do it through Skype. Skype's desktop and mobile apps are easier to use, and provide unlimited local calls at a flat, affordable rate. Allowing our team to use their existing mobile or desktop devices without additional hardware for business office phone calls is important, and Skype makes that possible
Read full review
Scalability
Google
I have always been able to access
Read full review
Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Professional Services
Google
No answers on this topic
Discontinued Products
The service provided is up to date, as discussed before buying.
Read full review
Return on Investment
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
Read full review
Discontinued Products
  • Skype made keeping in touch with an advisor in Mexico very easy. The initiative there resulted in 5 new partnerships.
  • Skype has helped me with account management for at least 3 customers in LATAM--usually it's a fast way to answer a question about a support renewal.
  • For about 9 months Skype helped me stay in touch with a colleague in Prague. We would meet once a week to go over sales activities.
Read full review
ScreenShots

Google Drive Screenshots

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