As more businesses move their data storage into cloud services, it’s important that people are able to differentiate all the available options to choose from. Google Workspace, OneDrive for Business, and Dropbox Business are all valid options. Whether it’s Dropbox Vs OneDrive or Dropbox VS Google, we’ve made the comparisons ourselves. Dropbox Business and OneDrive for Business both have their pros and cons. (Some of you may already know that we at Web Imp use Dropbox Business.) It’s difficult to say which is 100% better, as different businesses will be able to use one more effectively over the other. Let’s dive into what both of these options do well, and what they might not do so well when compared to each other. And also don't forget that you have the opportunity to order SaaS product development services.
Dropbox VS OneDrive Comparison
What is OneDrive?
Microsoft OneDrive is a file hosting service and synchronization service operated by Microsoft as part of its web version of Office.
What is Dropbox Business?
Dropbox Business is a cloud storage service aimed at businesses, and it’s a smart workspace where your tools, content, and collaborators are accessible from the same place
1. OneDrive VS Dropbox in Cloud Storage
In case you didn’t know, cloud storage refers to data that is stored on the internet through cloud-based servers, which eliminate the need for businesses to maintain their own physical data servers.
In other words, outsourcing storage requirements to third-party cloud storage companies can save businesses the time and money it would take to set up those same storage capacities themselves.
(Related read: How Reveres reduced IT costs by switching to Dropbox Business)
Both Dropbox Business and OneDrive for Business offer stellar cloud storage options. They both offer up to unlimited data storage, meaning no matter how much files your company needs to be backed up or raw data you need to be stored, both companies can handle as much as you can throw at them.
No complaints here regarding cloud storage.
One thing to take into consideration is the operating system your company uses to manage its data and IT operations.
OneDrive is a Microsoft product, which means it syncs up with Microsoft operating systems seamlessly. However, if your business uses Apple or Linux software for its digital endeavors, then OneDrive can have a harder time syncing up with these systems.
Another thing to take into consideration is the file-syncing capabilities.
Dropbox Smart Sync lets you access all files from the desktop without using local storage space. This means the bulk of your data is hosted on the cloud without taking up precious space on your local device. Use it with Team Folders to access everything, all with the right permissions, on any platform.
On the other hand, OneDrive On-Demand Sync only supports Windows 10.
Basically, if your business already uses Microsoft products, then OneDrive for Business will probably be a clean and easy fit into your data setup. If you don’t, or you use a mix of tech products to get your work done, then you might want to go with the more versatile Dropbox Business.
2. OneDrive VS Dropbox as Document Management Systems
Document management systems might sound like a fancy term for a folder you set up to hold all your homework in, a true DMS does much more than that. A complete system automatically processes your files, categorizing them and storing them in the appropriate locations, and tagging them for future use.
Document managing systems make files much easier to differentiate from one another and locate when you need them. Both OneDrive for Business and Dropbox offer these systems, but which one comes out on top?
OneDrive for Business
OneDrive for Business offers a very accessible form of document management which will allow users to identify who they’re allowing to access documents and where files are going, but for very complicated operations that require a large amount of document management, it isn’t necessarily the best tool on the market.
For example, businesses that need strictly recorded paper trails for every document leaving their office (think hospitals and law firms) probably shouldn’t rely on OneDrive’s default document management capabilities, which are fairly basic and limited when examined closely. However, small businesses and companies that don’t have an inordinate amount of documents to wade through will probably be able to get by on OneDrive’s capabilities with ease.
Dropbox Business
Dropbox Business shares a lot of similarities in this regard to OneDrive for Business. It too, offers all the basics that you’d expect from a document management system.
You can easily share documents and work on them from multiple user accounts, and users can access their Dropbox accounts from any PC they wish.
One advantage the Dropbox Business has over OneDrive, is that you can use Dropbox to access Google documents and Microsoft Office files. However, if you use OneDrive, you cannot use it to access Dropbox Paper and Google documents.
For us, both OneDrive and Dropbox do the basics of document management, and in fact, we have subscriptions to both. However, we do end up using Dropbox Business more, and you’ll want to go with a true enterprise-level DMS if this is of great importance to your business.
3. OneDrive VS Dropbox for File Sharing
File sharing tools allow users to easily send their files to other people. Users can set permissions that determine whether the recipients can only view the files, or edit and download them. Advanced file sharing tools allow users to automatically share completed files to intended recipients, and allow for easy categorization and recording of who gets files when needed.
Filing sharing tools can also perform basic functions like file storage, and also offer some collaboration elements – we’ll get into collaboration tools in the next section.
For now, let’s focus on the file sharing tools that OneDrive for Business and Dropbox Business bring to the table.
OneDrive for Business
OneDrive offers a range of file sharing options that allow users to freely share their work with their colleagues. Users can grant permission to each other to work on the same documents at the same time, and share their updated work immediately. OneDrive basically has all the file-sharing capabilities you could ask for.
Dropbox Business
That being said, the same goes for Dropbox, and we might even give a slight edge to Dropbox here in this regard. File sharing, multiple users working on items, immediate updates – it’s all essentially the same for Dropbox, but a bit better, as files of any size and type can be shared instantly straight from the Dropbox website.
That means there’s no clunky upload processes or wait times for files to copy over to a new place. If it’s stored in your Dropbox, it shares almost instantly, and with very little complications. You can also set passwords for sensitive files, or even send links that expire after a period of time.
There’s very few differences between the two here, so we are only going to give a slight edge to Dropbox. At the end of the day, however, it could really just depend on which interface you prefer.
4. OneDrive VS Dropbox as Collaboration Tools
Collaboration tools allow users to set up the ability to have multiple people managing individual folders, files, and sections of data storage.
What this means is if you need multiple people working on the same document, you can set that up smoothly with an effective collaboration tool, which will allow you to secure who has access to what files and what they can do to those files.
A collaboration tool will allow you to make a wide variety of changes to documents, including manipulating the media and text inside them, as well as the very natures of the files themselves.
Let’s examine what collaboration tools OneDrive and Dropbox Business have to offer.
OneDrive for Business
Since OneDrive is so seamlessly paired up with Microsoft Excel, Word, and other Microsoft software products, it makes collaborating between Microsoft users very simple.
Users can instantly collaborate with one another in real time across several platforms, and do so from wherever, whether they’re working from the home office or abroad somewhere.
The downside of the collaboration abilities, of course, come into play when a business has users working on different machines. Apple and Linux users will have a tough time collaborating as seamlessly with their OneDrive constituents. Microsoft does provide desktop apps for Apple computers, but not so easily for Linux.
If you work with external vendors and clients that prefer other collaboration software like Google documents, using only OneDrive might pose a challenge.
Dropbox Business
Dropbox for Business has collaboration tools as well: mainly, Dropbox Paper. It is a co-editing tool that brings the team together. It’s like a digital whiteboard, except that you can embed media files and even code for developers to work with.
From the admin console, administrators for any project can easily remove or add team members, form different project groups, add permissions for specific tasks and functions, and more. Activity reports can also be drummed up, which will set schedules and tasks for specific groups and teams that have been created, and also record the results of those teams.
Dropbox Business is an excellent collaborative tool for your team if you don’t require serious document creation or spreadsheet software. It’s also easier to collaborate on ideas with external vendors or clients that aren’t used to working with tech-y products.
However, if your team and your external collaborators already use Microsoft Office tools heavily, OneDrive might be a better choice.
Dropbox VS OneDrive: Which is for your business?
At the end of the day, it really comes down to your business’s needs when deciding between these two products, as well as your overall preference.
We hope this explanation of what these two storage giants have to offer was helpful in making your decision.