Dropbox vs. Microsoft 365

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Dropbox
Score 8.1 out of 10
N/A
Dropbox is a cloud storage solution, equipped with features that help users to save time, improve productivity, and collaborate with others. Users can edit PDFs, share videos, sign documents, and collaborate with stakeholders without leaving Dropbox.
$9.99
per month
Microsoft 365
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) is a Microsoft Cloud subscription service that includes Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, and Access). The software can be installed across multiple devices and ensures that users always have the most up-to-date version of the included Office applications.
$5
Per User Per Month
Pricing
DropboxMicrosoft 365
Editions & Modules
Plus
$9.99
per month
Essentials
$18
per month
Business
$20
per month per user
Business Plus
$26
per month per user
Basic
Free
Business Basic
$5.00
Per User Per Month
Individual
$5.84
*Per Month
Business - Apps
$8.25
Per User Per Month
Enterprise - F3
$10.00
Per User Per Month
Business Standard
$12.50
Per User Per Month
Business Premium
$20.00
Per User Per Month
Enterprise - E3
$32.00
Per User Per Month
Enterprise - E5
$57.00
Per User Per Month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
DropboxMicrosoft 365
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details*When billed annually.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
DropboxMicrosoft 365
Considered Both Products
Dropbox
Chose Dropbox
I've not considered others, but I find that Dropbox is so versatile that I have not considered another platform. Dropbox makes it so easy for what I need to do. It allows me to store lots of related information tougher and to easily search for it. It allows me to share it too.
Chose Dropbox
I like the ease of sharing links from Dropbox to point someone directly to a file. There are virtually no steps to locating a file, whereas from our main server we have to connect through CiscoWeb and then login to the server.
Chose Dropbox
OneDrive appears to be tied to a single user account, limiting file sharing abilities.
Chose Dropbox
I don't really use OneDrive because I have limited data for internet access. OneDrive always wants to upload everything I have on my computer, which uses way too much data. Dropbox allows me to choose what I upload easily. Google doesn't have the storage space Dropbox provides.
Chose Dropbox
The filing system that Teams is based on is confusing when outside of Teams which then forces you to use only Teams to look for a collaboration. It is tough to search for things in Teams, but their keyword search does work well, however, you really need to know part of the …
Chose Dropbox
Dropbox is all-encompassing and is available regardless of operating system.
Chose Dropbox
My organisation provided access to Dropbox and hence I started with this
Chose Dropbox
DropBox can't hold a candle to NetDocuments. Their search function is much better and detailed. You can also version-up on documents.
Chose Dropbox
Dropbox was more flexible and doesn't tie you into Microsoft ecosystem. SharePoint is also more complicated as you can create websites as well as share files and resources.
There's talk of migrating to SharePoint at some point, but we're so used to working in Dropbox no one …
Chose Dropbox
Dropbox blows them out of the water. Google Drive is so bad in every way, the only time we use it is when we have to with a client. idrive does not give the same usability and is more of a in the background backup. Box is clunky and not user friendly.
Chose Dropbox
Our last product caused problems when we had a major power outage we lost some vital documents that we were unable to retrieve.
Chose Dropbox
Dropbox is by far more superior than FileZilla.
Chose Dropbox
Dropbox has always been my top choice. I choose Dropbox over Google Drive as it is much more user-friendly.
Chose Dropbox
Dropbox was in use here when I was hired to bring our IT department in-house. We evaluated Virtru, which we also use for email encryption, but with the low cost of Dropbox and its suitability for our needs, we found it did not make sense to switch.
Chose Dropbox
Storage is greater with higher quality with Dropbox
Chose Dropbox
I much perfer the way files are organized and presented in Dropbox than Google Drive. I hate using Google docs and google tables.
Chose Dropbox
We prefer Dropbox over Box because we feel Dropbox has better collaboration tools and a better Sync protocol.
Chose Dropbox
The one thing I like about Google Drive is the ability for folks to work on ONE version of the document. Other than that, I don't like Google Drive. It's difficult to keep the formatting. Inevitably SOMETHING gets all messed up and you almost have to start over to fix things. …
Chose Dropbox
Box is too nerdy for my clients. Dropbox has a cooler personality.
Box sounds like someone with a pocket protector. Dropbox is someone who rarely uses paper, unless they are drawing on it.
Chose Dropbox
We do not use 360 for the same features so Dropbox is preferred.
Chose Dropbox
Easier to use. Quicker to access and keep files in the cloud or synced to devices.
Chose Dropbox
Easier to use Dropbox than G-drive. Less costly on a per size and user basis.
Microsoft 365
Chose Microsoft 365
Office 365 does what it does very well -- and nothing more. It is simple to implement across an organization and then share files and results, as well as organizing contacts and calendars.

However, Google Drive, iCloud Drive and Dropbox all also offer seamless cloud file-sharing …
Chose Microsoft 365
Basically, Planner is nowhere as good and has nowhere as much functionality as Airtable, but Planner is included with MS 365 and good enough for us with no additional cost. Dropbox is actually really good and integrates well with MS 365. We actually use both Dropbox and …
Chose Microsoft 365
I have used a few other products similar to Microsoft 365. I used to use Dropbox as a file storage, cloud based solution for storing documents and data. I was introduced to Microsoft 365 a few years after using Dropbox, and I prefer Microsoft because of the entire suite that …
Chose Microsoft 365
Both Google and Dropbox have programs for creating content. They can get the job done but there is a reason Microsft 365 is an industry standard. You can pull together a bunch of different apps and try to get them to communicate together if you want. But it will be a headache. …
Chose Microsoft 365
It's all about the network effect. Since everyone else at my school using Microsoft 365, eventually I had to bite the bullet and join the crowd. Using the officially supported file syncing and sharing solution solves a large number of problems right out of the box. Other …
Chose Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 provides a complete suite of tools, which none of the competition can match. Others can just offer piecemeal solutions, whereas Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) covers everything ranging from email management to office editing software to cloud storage to …
Chose Microsoft 365
Stability, high security, unique capabilities, speed of execution, cloud storage space, and compatibility and integration with other software has made this Microsoft product one of the best in the competitive market.
Chose Microsoft 365
The main point was the integration of the tools: backup + email + text editors, all in one tool; Employees had greater difficulty creating presentations on their competitors' tools, as well as more advanced use of data sheets.
Chose Microsoft 365
Microsoft Office 365 is more complete than Microsoft Office 2016. It is cloud-based, and this is a great advantage. Furthermore, now updates and upgrades are automatic and can be scheduled or accepted, really saving time compared to Office 2016.
Chose Microsoft 365
Microsoft Office 365 is the easiest to access on the go and is always up to date. It is also affordable given all of the features it offers. Being able to use most of Microsoft's products for one price is convenient and allows our organization to store and sort information over …
Chose Microsoft 365
Microsoft Office 365 was selected likely because most people at our company still find it to be more trustworthy than Google Drive. I personally would likely not have selected it, but do understand that it's the industry standard for most people. It's also a far lower cost for …
Chose Microsoft 365
Having all of the offerings and services in one easy to use administrative interface makes administration of our Microsoft suite of applications much easier. We are not able to get that same integration with separated applications. Gmail is not very intuitive if you're coming …
Chose Microsoft 365
Office remains the leader in the business productivity market. Apple's alternatives (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote) are nowhere near as powerful and Microsoft incorporates any good ideas they have very quickly (keynote's presentation mode). Google Docs/Sheets are convenient for …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
DropboxMicrosoft 365
File Sharing & Management
Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Product A and Product B
Dropbox
7.6
584 Ratings
10% below category average
Microsoft 365
-
Ratings
Versioning7.2446 Ratings00 Ratings
Video files7.9453 Ratings00 Ratings
Audio files8.4402 Ratings00 Ratings
Document collaboration7.6508 Ratings00 Ratings
Access control7.5545 Ratings00 Ratings
File search7.0566 Ratings00 Ratings
Device sync7.5536 Ratings00 Ratings
Cloud Storage Security & Administration
Comparison of Cloud Storage Security & Administration features of Product A and Product B
Dropbox
7.3
561 Ratings
17% below category average
Microsoft 365
-
Ratings
User and role management7.1507 Ratings00 Ratings
File organization7.8552 Ratings00 Ratings
Device management7.1471 Ratings00 Ratings
Cloud Storage Platform
Comparison of Cloud Storage Platform features of Product A and Product B
Dropbox
7.6
557 Ratings
11% below category average
Microsoft 365
-
Ratings
Performance7.6554 Ratings00 Ratings
Reliability8.0556 Ratings00 Ratings
Storage Reports7.1422 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
DropboxMicrosoft 365
Small Businesses
SugarSync
SugarSync
Score 10.0 out of 10
Google Workspace
Google Workspace
Score 9.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Score 9.6 out of 10
Google Workspace
Google Workspace
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Score 9.6 out of 10
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Score 8.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
DropboxMicrosoft 365
Likelihood to Recommend
7.3
(606 ratings)
8.7
(238 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
5.9
(27 ratings)
9.5
(6 ratings)
Usability
8.5
(26 ratings)
8.4
(6 ratings)
Availability
9.1
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
7.3
(6 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
5.1
(33 ratings)
8.9
(54 ratings)
Online Training
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.1
(3 ratings)
9.0
(2 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.1
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
DropboxMicrosoft 365
Likelihood to Recommend
Dropbox
Dropbox is well-suited for file sharing within our organization. We have employees who do not work out of a traditional office and need to access files from a variety of locations: at home, in client meetings, and while traveling. Dropbox allows us to continue to work from anywhere and collaborate with each other by sharing our files.
Read full review
Microsoft
Microsoft 365 is well-suited for:Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs): Microsoft 365 offers a cost-effective solution for SMBs to access a suite of essential productivity tools without the need for extensive IT infrastructure. It provides a wide range of applications, allowing teams to collaborate, communicate, and manage documents efficiently.Remote Work and Collaboration: Microsoft 365's cloud-based nature makes it ideal for remote work scenarios. With tools like Microsoft Teams, employees can easily communicate, hold video conferences, and collaborate on projects in real-time, regardless of their location.Microsoft 365 may be less appropriate for:Organizations with Specific Software Requirements: Some organizations may have specialized software needs that are not met by Microsoft 365. In such cases, they may require industry-specific software or custom solutions.Limited Internet Connectivity: Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based platform, which means a stable internet connection is essential for optimal functionality. Organizations with poor internet connectivity might face challenges using the cloud-based applications effectively.
Read full review
Pros
Dropbox
  • Dropbox's real-time collaboration features, including simultaneous editing and commenting, have revolutionized the way our teams work together.
  • On multiple occasions, we've accidentally overwritten important documents or needed to retrieve deleted files. With Dropbox, we can easily revert to previous versions or recover deleted files, preventing data loss and minimizing disruptions.
  • Dropbox excels in making file sharing a breeze. With just a few clicks, we can generate shareable links or invite colleagues to shared folders.
Read full review
Microsoft
  • keeps me extremely organized. It is so easy to link calendars, emails, and documents.
  • keeps me well connected. It is so easy to send a quick message on teams or send an email to a group (for example, my particular team within the company).
  • easy to use. Everything is straightforward, making it easy to find an answer to a question. There is even a search option to figure out how to do something within Microsoft.
Read full review
Cons
Dropbox
  • Change the name of the root folder, the "()" can cause problems sometimes with some tools trying to find paths inside of the root folder.
  • The upload queue becomes slow trying to upload files that have more than ~500mb of file size, even if I have 1 Gbit of speed, Dropbox gets stuck uploading single files with that rule.
  • Sometimes we can't move a shared folder from root location.
  • LAN sync seems not to be working in my experience.
Read full review
Microsoft
  • Microsoft 365 really needs to work on protection part. In complex environment it is not reliable as compared to its competitors like Proofpoint. There are many instances where it fails to perform effectively.
  • In SharePoint Online the versioning feature of the document needs to be improved by Microsoft. Sometimes when we have to roll back to the previous version it does not work as expected.
  • In Teams messaging and app permission policies can be improved. There are some settings where we have to add a lot of things manually.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Dropbox
Dropbox is a user-friendly, easy tool which requires little to no skill and they offer a free version with a good amount of storage available. There are other file sharing tools available however at a cost. Dropbox free version I have used for years and it serves every purpose I need.
Read full review
Microsoft
There are many features of Office that we cannot replicate in any other tool. Plus people know it already. It's not going away anytime soon.
Read full review
Usability
Dropbox
[Its] functionality and usability are very good, however[,] on every computer that I have ever installed the app on, Dropbox assumes I want it to update the files every time I start the system up. That's not always true, but the app assumes it is. I can switch that function off, but I would rather that function default to "Off" and then I can decide to turn it on as needed.
Read full review
Microsoft
The interface of the different tools (this suite has MANY different tools) is usually simple to use and intuitive, and you can always re-arrange and add or remove the task you use most frequently from the menus and task bars.
Each tool / product includes a lot of features that may require a more intensive learning, but usually Office 365 tools are simple to learn from scratch, adding more knowledge as you required more advanced features
Read full review
Performance
Dropbox
Dropbox is really useful, you can access any file from anywhere and you can upload and even edit files online, but, sometimes it can be slow. Downloading, uploading, and syncing is a bit slow, it can take several minutes. Furthermore, the search engine for large amounts of data can be slow too and it is not powerful.
Read full review
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Dropbox
Our experience with support has been limited which is a good thing. We haven't experienced any major issues with the service and most of our service interactions have been useability questions which we were able to find answers for within their knowledge base. For the few times we have reached out to support, the responses were on point, quick, and our issue was resolved in one interaction. I appreciate not being routed to a chatbot or offshored support.
Read full review
Microsoft
Over the past 8 years of using Microsoft 365, I have noticed that they change vendors often. This always leads to a poor experience in the beginning, then levels out after some time for the company to get things worked out. As a customer, it is really frustrating because I don't have time when something isn't working to have them "look into my issue" and get back with me. They have even closed a ticket I specifically told them to keep open. Your applications are only as good as the support.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
Dropbox
I needed to stay current in improving my daily operations. Dropbox
was suggested to me by a former colleague two-years ago and I've been using it just fine ever since.
Read full review
Microsoft
Everything works and I use it all the time.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Dropbox
Dropbox gives more visual control over the success of uploading. WeTransfer uploads and then sends a link to the recipient. If something goes wrong during the upload, there doesn't appear to be a way to begin again from the dropping point. With Dropbox, I can watch as it uploads. If I lose a connection, it will continue uploading where it left off when I get a new connection. This is vital in transferring large files. If WeTransfer offers that, I was never able to figure it out.
Read full review
Microsoft
Google Sheets is better for sharing and collaborative editing. Versioning of the same file is also one of Google Sheets strong points.
Microsoft 365 is better for working with local files. It is much easier to store the file in multiple places and backup multiple versions in multiple places.
LibreOffice is free but the usage is much counter intuitive than Microsoft Office. OpenOffice is worse when it comes to UI.
Microsoft Excel's performance with larger files is much better. When opening huge files, excel loads it asynchronously and I can start working right away.
Read full review
Return on Investment
Dropbox
  • Helped us to streamline boxes of papers into electronic folders.
  • Enables a more solid backup of necessary files, not dependent on one specific computer or one specific box of papers.
  • Enabled a quicker search to locate specific files than the previously used operations.
Read full review
Microsoft
  • Positively, it has increased productivity and efficiency in creating templates and being able to systemize some of the protocols we are working on putting into place.
  • It has been a positive as well as most individuals and companies that we associate with also use MicroSoft 365 and therefore there is no need to have formats change in our documents when they open them up using another type of program.
  • Getting work done quickly.... One and Done!!!
Read full review
ScreenShots

Dropbox Screenshots

Screenshot of the action bar, that sits across the browser page can be used to record the screen, edit PDFs, upload files, create folders, get signatures, or send and track documents.Screenshot of Dropbox Replay, that lets collaborators leave frame-accurate feedback and markups directly on project files.Screenshot of Dropbox Capture, which can be used to take screen recordings, screenshots, and GIFs with one click and share them with a link.Screenshot of the interface where Dropbox lets users upload, edit, send, and sign PDFs in one place.