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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Google Drive

    Score8.7 out of 10
    N/AGoogle 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

    Windows Server

    Score8.6 out of 10
    N/AN/AN/A
    Pricing
    Google DriveWindows Server
    Editions & Modules
    Basic
    $6.00
    per month
    Business
    $12.00
    per month
    Enterprise
    Contact Vendor for Quote
    per month
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Google DriveWindows Server
    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 DriveWindows Server
    Considered Both Products
    Google
    No answer on this topic
    Microsoft
    Chose Windows Server
    Windows Server allows much more control and flexibility than online file storage solutions. Windows is also much faster than cloud file storage and does not require the Internet. Greater flexibility and control means more time managing user that includes upgrading servers and …
    Incentivized
    Chose Windows Server
    We have utilized Windows Server for over a decade and have not had a reason to look at any other server environment. Our vendors also specify that their applications will run best on a Windows Server environment and they have not been wrong with the ease of use it provides. …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    99%
    Would buy again
    120 Answers
    98%
    Would buy again
    44 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    99%
    Delivers good value for the price
    114 Answers
    95%
    Delivers good value for the price
    42 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    117 Answers
    98%
    Happy with the feature set
    44 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    95%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    81 Answers
    93%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    38 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    99%
    Implementation went as expected
    93 Answers
    93%
    Implementation went as expected
    42 Answers
    Features
    Google DriveWindows Server
    File Sharing & Management
    Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Google Drive and Windows Server
    Feature
    Google Drive
    8.4
    221 Ratings
    0% above category average
    Windows Server
    -
    Ratings
    Versioning8.7195 Ratings00 Ratings
    Video files7.8190 Ratings00 Ratings
    Audio files8.3184 Ratings00 Ratings
    Document collaboration9.0218 Ratings00 Ratings
    Access control8.0216 Ratings00 Ratings
    File search8.1220 Ratings00 Ratings
    Device sync8.9205 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cloud Storage Security & Administration
    Comparison of Cloud Storage Security & Administration features of Google Drive and Windows Server
    Feature
    Google Drive
    8.6
    215 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Windows Server
    -
    Ratings
    User and role management9.0202 Ratings00 Ratings
    File organization8.0213 Ratings00 Ratings
    Device management8.799 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cloud Storage Platform
    Comparison of Cloud Storage Platform features of Google Drive and Windows Server
    Feature
    Google Drive
    8.9
    214 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Windows Server
    -
    Ratings
    Performance9.2212 Ratings00 Ratings
    Reliability9.0214 Ratings00 Ratings
    Storage Reports8.587 Ratings00 Ratings
    Operating System
    Comparison of Operating System features of Google Drive and Windows Server
    Feature
    Google Drive
    -
    Ratings
    Windows Server
    7.8
    5 Ratings
    11% below category average
    File Management00 Ratings9.05 Ratings
    Software Application Management00 Ratings8.05 Ratings
    System Update Frequency00 Ratings6.65 Ratings
    Operating System Security00 Ratings7.65 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Google DriveWindows Server
    Small Businesses
    IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2
    Score9.1 out of 10
    CentOS Linux
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Apple iCloud
    Score8.4 out of 10
    IBM AIX
    Score9.4 out of 10
    Enterprises
    ownCloud
    Score9.2 out of 10
    Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
    Score9.1 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Google DriveWindows Server
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.5
    (224 ratings)
    9.2
    (68 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    10.0
    (6 ratings)
    9.0
    (7 ratings)
    Usability
    8.8
    (54 ratings)
    9.2
    (12 ratings)
    Availability
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    9.0
    (7 ratings)
    5.5
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    1.0
    (49 ratings)
    6.4
    (19 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.0
    (3 ratings)
    9.1
    (4 ratings)
    Configurability
    6.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    -
    (0 ratings)
    4.5
    (1 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    5.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    Professional Services
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Google DriveWindows Server
    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
    Microsoft
    Windows Server and Active Directory is very robust and stable, it has been a staple in every IT environment I have worked in during my career. Junior to Intermediate admins can learn Windows Server easily, the user interfaces make administration tasks very easy as well as the documentation available through a vast amount of resources. There are other Operating Systems available with no GUI which has a smaller attack surface, faster update installation and reboot time. Windows Server does have the ability to remove the desktop experience, however it is not something I have had experience with and I believe most administrators choose not to remove it.
    Incentivized
    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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Backup of workstations & itself - reliably, consistently, with Bare-Metal Restore and deduplication
    • File management and Security on a per file/folder/user basis is simple and fully done through an easy GUI
    • DNS, DHCP server functions are easy to configure using the built-in GUI
    Incentivized
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Microsoft needs to minimize the update frequency by making the product more secure. It can become very exhausting trying to keep updated if you don't have a dedicated support team. It can become challenging where the business is unable to allow downtime for reboots as part of the update process.
    • Prone to security and audit vulnerabilities.
    • The operating system needs more CPU and memory resources compared to other options such as Linux.
    • Understanding the licensing model can be abit confusing.
    • Comes with a standard firewall, but not the most secured one available. Would suggest using a more secured firewall as part of your antivirus software.
    • Due to the number of vulnerabilities and the operating system being a target for hackers, anti-virus software is a must.
    Incentivized
    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
    Microsoft
    I've carefully reviewed the servers and services currently running on Windows Server 2012, and given the opportunity would renew them as is going forward. There are two systems I currently have in place, one is a very large Linux implementation for a large ecommerce site, and one is a very large backup solution front ended by FTP servers running Linux. Neither are well suited for Windows, but the overall network infrastructure is and will be Windows Server for the foreseeable future.
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Anyone new to IT could easily use the familiar Desktop Experience (GUI) version because we all know how to use Windows, whether a client or server version. Once an IT user is more comfortable with the operating system, they can move on to the Core version, which is the way to go in almost all situations.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Google
    Always available
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    some times server hungs and user sessions were busy to connect
    Read full review
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    need to improve the performance more
    Read full review
    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
    Microsoft
    Microsoft's support is hugely wide-ranging from articles online to having to contact them directly for the more serious issues. In recent years when I have contacted them directly, I have found the support o be excellent as I have found myself connected to very knowledgeable people in the field in which I needed the support. The online support available is vast and I tend to find most of the time that there is always someone out there who has had the same issue as me in the past and knows something about how to resolve it! This is the advantage of using industry standard and long-established systems such as Windows Server.
    Incentivized
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    it was my senior who trained Windows Server features and i was satisfied
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Google
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    it was recorded session and useful
    Read full review
    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
    Microsoft
    Make sure that you have detailed processes in place for every server instance you plan to install/upgrade, if possible get the base OS loaded and Windows Updates applied ahead of time, and if using a VM take a snapshot prior to installing each role, as well as along the way.
    Incentivized
    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
    Microsoft
    They are different experiences, and while the other solutions offer enterprise-grade stability and, in some cases, address Windows server shortcomings (such as patching), they all do the trick, but the other solutions require a deeper technical background/configuration of items at the command line, which some people are not fully comfortable with.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    Google
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    need to reduce a lot
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Google
    I have always been able to access
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    yes i completely agree multi deployment
    Read full review
    Professional Services
    Google
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    i like the professional service but need to improve
    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
    Microsoft
    • Ability to keep all files in one place and give access to users makes file management easy to control.
    • VPN Access to off-site users is a plus.
    • Secure access to on-site SQL data from our accounting and estimating data is a plus.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Google Drive Screenshots

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