Dropbox vs Google Drive vs OneDrive (2026)
Two more corrections this pass: Dropbox Advanced is $30/user/month, not $24, and a previously-missing Dropbox Family tier ($19.99/mo, 6 users, 2TB pooled) is now included. Also, both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 business tiers were stale here too — both rose from $6/$12(.50) to $7/$14 per user/month, matching corrections already confirmed on other pages this cycle.
Find yourself first
Individuals choosing their first paid cloud storage plan
Weighing standalone cost against a productivity suite you may already pay for.
Microsoft 365 subscribers evaluating whether OneDrive is enough
M365's business tiers rose in price this pass — worth re-checking your bill.
Google Workspace users comparing Drive storage vs Dropbox
Workspace's tiers also rose — the "included" storage got pricier alongside it.
Teams budgeting per-seat cloud storage costs
Dropbox's Advanced tier is meaningfully pricier than previously stated.
Creators syncing large media files across devices
Dropbox remains the sync-reliability leader.
Families comparing shared storage plans
A newly-added Dropbox Family tier gives a third option beyond M365 Family.
Dropbox Advanced is $30, not $24
The 10-second answer
Dropbox
Plus $11.99/mo (2TB), re-confirmed unchanged. Standard $18/user, Advanced $30/user (corrected, was $24). New: Family tier $19.99/mo for 6 users, 2TB pooled — not previously mentioned. Not bundled with any productivity suite.
$11.99 → $18-$30/userGoogle Drive
Free 15GB. 100GB $1.99/mo · 2TB $9.99/mo — both re-confirmed unchanged. Workspace Starter now $7/user/mo (corrected, was $6), Standard $14/user/mo (corrected, was $12).
Free 15GB → $7/user (corrected)OneDrive
Personal $6.99/mo gets 1TB + Office, re-confirmed unchanged. M365 Business Basic now $7/user/mo (corrected, was $6), Standard $14/user/mo (corrected, was $12.50).
$6.99/mo Personal → $7/user (corrected)Match your situation
| Your situation | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Already pay for Microsoft 365 | OneDrive | 1TB included — stop paying for Dropbox or extra Google storage. |
| Already use Google Workspace / Gmail | Google Drive | Drive is included; Google One upgrades start at $1.99/mo for 100GB. |
| Most free storage (no paid plan) | Google Drive | 15GB free — OneDrive 5GB, Dropbox 2GB. |
| Cross-platform teams (Mac + Windows + Linux) | Dropbox | Best sync reliability across operating systems and devices. |
| Family wanting shared storage, no productivity suite needed | Dropbox Family ($19.99/mo, new) | 6 users, 2TB pooled, $2.83/person effective — a genuine third option now on this page. |
| Family wanting shared storage + full Office apps | OneDrive via M365 Family | $9.99/mo for 6 people × 1TB each + Office apps. |
| Team on Dropbox Advanced — budgeting per seat | Re-verify at $30/user (corrected) | Was previously stated as $24/user — a real $6/seat/month difference. |
| Team on Google Workspace or M365 Business — budgeting | Re-verify at $7-14/user (corrected) | Both suites rose from the $6/$12(.50) figures previously stated here. |
What will your team actually cost?
Select a plan tier for each platform to compare monthly cost at your team size — figures reflect this pass's corrections to Dropbox Advanced and both Workspace/M365 business tiers.
⚠️ Dropbox Standard/Advanced require a minimum of 3 users. Google and Microsoft per-user rates shown reflect the corrected, current tiers ($7/$14) — not the stale $6/$12(.50) figures previously on this page.
The numbers that matter
was stated as $24/user/month
6 users, 2TB pooled, $2.83/person effective
was $6 — matches other pages' corrections this cycle
was $6 — effective July 1, 2026
most generous — vs OneDrive 5GB, Dropbox 2GB
raised from $99.99 in Feb 2025
Three platforms, three ecosystems
Dropbox — Best Sync and Team Features, Advanced Tier Corrected
$11.99/mo (Plus, 2TB, annual)Dropbox's individual pricing (Plus $11.99/month, Professional $19.99/month) and Standard business tier ($18/user/month) were all re-verified and confirmed accurate. The correction this pass: Advanced (formerly Business Plus) costs $30/user/month, not $24 as previously stated — confirmed via buyer-data-based pricing sources. Also newly added: a Dropbox Family tier at $19.99/month, sharing 2TB pooled storage across up to 6 users — an effective $2.83/month per person at full utilization, Dropbox's lowest per-user rate, though without team admin features.
- Best-in-class file sync reliability across Mac, Windows, Linux
- Smart Sync — access all files without storing locally
- New: Family tier ($19.99/mo, 6 users, 2TB pooled) offers a genuine budget family option
- 700+ third-party app integrations
- Only 2GB free — far less than Google (15GB) or OneDrive (5GB)
- Advanced tier is $30/user/month (corrected) — pricier than previously stated for admin-heavy teams
- Not bundled with any productivity suite — standalone cost
- Monthly-billing rate for Plus may be $19.99 rather than $16.99 — sources conflict, verify directly
Google Drive — Best Free Tier and Ecosystem Value, Workspace Pricing Corrected
Free (15GB)Google Drive's consumer pricing (Free 15GB, Google One 100GB $1.99/mo, 2TB $9.99/mo) was re-verified and confirmed accurate — no change. The correction this pass concerns Google Workspace: Starter rose from $6 to $7/user/month, and Standard rose from $12 to $14/user/month — the exact same increases already confirmed on other StackCoast pages this research cycle. This means the "included" Drive storage that comes with a Workspace subscription now costs more per seat than this page previously stated.
- 15GB free — most generous free tier by far, confirmed unchanged
- Google Docs, Sheets, Slides built in — no install needed
- 2TB Google One ($9.99/mo) same price as Dropbox Plus with Docs included, confirmed unchanged
- Deep Gmail integration — email attachments auto-save to Drive
- 15GB shared with Gmail and Photos — fills faster than it sounds
- Workspace's per-seat cost rose to $7 (Starter) / $14 (Standard) — corrected upward this pass
- Drive for Desktop less reliable than Dropbox for large file sync
- No upgrade between 200GB ($2.99) and 2TB ($9.99) — big price jump
OneDrive — Best Value if You Use Microsoft 365, Business Tiers Corrected
Free (5GB)OneDrive's consumer pricing (M365 Personal $6.99/mo for 1TB + Office, M365 Family $9.99/mo or $129.99/yr for 6×1TB) was re-verified and confirmed accurate — no change. The correction this pass concerns M365 Business: Business Basic rose from $6 to $7/user/month, and Business Standard rose from $12.50 to $14/user/month, effective July 1, 2026 — matching the exact corrections already confirmed on other StackCoast pages this cycle.
- M365 Personal at $6.99/mo: 1TB + Word + Excel + PowerPoint + Outlook, confirmed unchanged
- Best real-time Office co-authoring — native Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- M365 Family ($9.99/mo): up to 6 people × 1TB + Office, confirmed unchanged
- Personal Vault for sensitive files with extra security layer
- 5GB free tier smaller than Google's 15GB
- M365 Business Basic/Standard rose to $7/$14 per user/month — corrected upward this pass
- Historically less reliable sync than Dropbox (improved in recent years)
- M365 Family annual price raised to $129.99/yr (was $99.99) in Feb 2025, re-confirmed unchanged
Strengths at a glance
| Criteria | Dropbox | Google Drive | OneDrive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sync reliability | Best in class | Good | Good (improving) |
| Free storage | 2GB (worst) | 15GB — best | 5GB (mid) |
| 2TB individual price | $11.99/mo (most) | $9.99/mo — cheapest | N/A standalone; M365 Personal = 1TB at $6.99 |
| Business tier accuracy (this page) | Advanced corrected — was $6/seat too low | Both tiers corrected — were $1-2/seat too low | Both tiers corrected — were $1-1.50/seat too low |
| Family plan value | New: $19.99/mo, 6 users, 2TB pooled | Not a distinct family tier | Best — 6×1TB + Office, $9.99/mo |
| Video review | Replay — best | None | None |
🟢 STRONG · 🟠 ACCEPTABLE WITH CAVEATS · 🔴 WEAK / WATCH OUT
Feature by feature
| Feature | Dropbox | Google Drive | OneDrive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free storage | 2GB | ✓ 15GB (best) | 5GB |
| 100GB paid plan | N/A (starts at 2TB for $11.99/mo) | $1.99/mo (Google One) | $1.99/mo (M365 Basic) |
| 2TB individual plan | $11.99/mo (Plus, annual) | $9.99/mo (cheapest) | N/A standalone; M365 Personal = 1TB at $6.99 |
| Family/shared plan | Family $19.99/mo, 6 users, 2TB pooled (new, added) | Not offered as distinct tier | ✓ M365 Family $9.99/mo, 6×1TB + Office |
| Business entry tier | Standard $18/user/mo (3+ users) | Workspace Starter $7/user/mo (corrected, was $6) | M365 Business Basic $7/user/mo (corrected, was $6) |
| Business mid tier | Advanced $30/user/mo (corrected, was $24) | Workspace Standard $14/user/mo (corrected, was $12) | M365 Business Standard $14/user/mo (corrected, was $12.50) |
| Office / Doc editing built in | ⚡ Via integrations (not native) | ✓ Google Docs, Sheets, Slides | ✓ Word, Excel, PowerPoint (best native) |
| Video review | ✓ Dropbox Replay (Pro+) | ✗ No | ✗ No |
Every plan, verified
Key corrections this pass: Dropbox Advanced ($24→$30/user/month), a missing Dropbox Family tier now added, and both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365's business tiers corrected upward to match increases already confirmed elsewhere this cycle.
| Plan | Dropbox | Google Drive / One | OneDrive / Microsoft 365 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Basic — 2GB | ✓ 15GB (most generous) | 5GB |
| ~$2/mo entry paid | N/A — entry is Plus at $11.99/mo | Google One 100GB — $1.99/mo ($19.99/yr) | M365 Basic 100GB — $1.99/mo ($19.99/yr) |
| Individual storage plan | Plus: $11.99/mo annual (2TB) | Google One 2TB: $9.99/mo ($99.99/yr) | M365 Personal: $6.99/mo ($69.99/yr) — 1TB + Office |
| Family/shared plan | Family: $19.99/mo (6 users, 2TB pooled) — new, added | N/A — no distinct family tier | M365 Family: $9.99/mo ($129.99/yr) — 6×1TB + Office |
| Team plan entry (per user, annual) | Standard: $18/user/mo (3+ users, 9TB pooled) | Workspace Starter: $7/user/mo (corrected, was $6) | M365 Business Basic: $7/user/mo (corrected, was $6) |
| Advanced team tier | Advanced: $30/user/mo (corrected, was $24) | Workspace Business Standard: $14/user/mo (corrected, was $12) | M365 Business Standard: $14/user/mo (corrected, was $12.50) |
| Watch out for | Minimum 3 users on Standard/Advanced. Plus monthly-billing rate may be $19.99, not $16.99 — sources conflict. | 15GB shared with Gmail + Photos. Business tier prices corrected upward. | M365 Family annual raised to $129.99/yr in Feb 2025. Business tier prices corrected upward. |
Choose by fit
🔵 Choose Dropbox if…
- Cross-platform sync reliability is the top priority (Mac + Windows + Linux)
- Your team works with large media files (video, design, architecture)
- You need Dropbox Replay for video review and client approval
- You want the new Family tier ($19.99/mo) for shared storage without a productivity suite
- You've budgeted Advanced at its corrected $30/user/month rate, not $24
🟢 Choose Google Drive if…
- You want the most free storage (15GB) without paying anything
- You use Gmail, Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, or Meet daily
- You're on Android or Chromebook
- You want the cheapest 2TB individual plan ($9.99/mo with Docs included)
- You've budgeted Workspace at its corrected $7-14/user/month rates
🔵 Choose OneDrive if…
- You already pay for Microsoft 365 Personal or Family — storage is included
- Office co-authoring (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) is your primary workflow
- You need the best value for a family: M365 Family = 6 people × 1TB + Office
- You've budgeted M365 Business at its corrected $7-14/user/month rates
- You use Windows as your primary operating system
Match the tool to your need
Microsoft 365 subscriber
OneDrive (already included)Stop paying for extra storage — you already have 1TB.
Google Workspace user
Google Drive (already included)Drive storage included in Workspace — no extra cost needed.
Just want free storage
Google Drive15GB free — 7.5× Dropbox (2GB) and 3× OneDrive (5GB).
Video/creative team
DropboxBest sync for large files + Replay for video review workflows.
Family without a productivity suite need
Dropbox Family (new)$19.99/mo for 6 users, 2TB pooled — genuine budget option.
Family wanting Office apps too
OneDrive via M365 Family$9.99/mo for 6×1TB + Office — unbeatable combined value.
Cross-platform team (mixed OS)
DropboxMost reliable sync across Mac, Windows, and Linux.
Office document workflows
OneDriveNative Word/Excel/PowerPoint co-authoring — best in category.
What vendors won't lead with
💰 Dropbox Advanced costs $30/user/month, not $24
If you budgeted a team's Advanced-tier costs using the previously stated $24/user/month, you were understating the real cost by $6/seat/month — $360/year at 5 users, $720/year at 10 users. Verify this directly with Dropbox before finalizing a business plan comparison.
👨👩👧👦 Dropbox has a Family tier that's easy to miss
At $19.99/month for up to 6 users sharing 2TB pooled storage, Dropbox Family offers an effective $2.83/person/month rate — Dropbox's cheapest per-user option, though without team admin controls. This tier wasn't previously mentioned on this page at all.
📈 Both Workspace and M365 business tiers rose — re-check any older cost comparison
Google Workspace Starter ($6→$7) and Standard ($12→$14), plus Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($6→$7) and Standard ($12.50→$14), all rose per user per month. Since Drive and OneDrive storage ride along with these subscriptions, any "included storage is basically free" comparison built on the old prices understates the real bundled cost.
🔍 Dropbox Plus's monthly-billing rate has conflicting sources
Some sources state $16.99/month for monthly billing, while a buyer-data-based source states $19.99/month. This page uses $19.99 based on the more authoritative source, but if you're quoted a different monthly rate, confirm directly with Dropbox rather than assuming either figure is definitively correct.
📅 M365 Family's annual price increase remains easy to miss
Microsoft raised the Microsoft 365 Family annual price from $99.99 to $129.99 in February 2025, re-confirmed unchanged this pass. Many comparisons still quote the old price — check your actual renewal invoice rather than assuming the older, lower figure applies.
📦 15GB Google free storage is shared across three products
Gmail, Google Photos, and Google Drive all draw from the same 15GB free allocation, confirmed unchanged. Heavy email users or people with extensive Google Photos libraries will find this fills faster than the headline number suggests — OneDrive's 5GB free tier, by contrast, is files-only.
Quick answers
Dropbox Advanced (formerly Business Plus) costs $30/user/month, not $24/user/month as some guides previously stated — confirmed via buyer-data-based pricing sources. It requires a minimum of 3 users and includes unlimited storage plus advanced admin controls, audit logs, and enhanced security features beyond Standard.
Yes — Dropbox Family costs $19.99/month and shares 2TB of pooled storage across up to 6 users, working out to an effective $2.83/month per person at full utilization, Dropbox's lowest per-user rate. It doesn't include team admin features, unlike the business tiers, but it's a genuine option for households wanting shared cloud storage without a full productivity suite.
Yes, both rose. Google Workspace Starter went from $6 to $7/user/month and Standard from $12 to $14/user/month. Microsoft 365 Business Basic went from $6 to $7/user/month and Business Standard from $12.50 to $14/user/month, effective July 1, 2026. Since Google Drive and OneDrive storage are bundled into these subscriptions, the effective cost of "included" storage rose alongside these changes.
Google Drive gives 15GB free — by far the most of the three, confirmed unchanged. OneDrive gives 5GB free. Dropbox gives only 2GB free. One nuance: the Google 15GB is shared across Gmail, Google Photos, and Google Drive, so heavy email or photo users will find it fills faster than the number suggests.
Yes — Microsoft 365 Personal ($6.99/month or $69.99/year, confirmed unchanged) includes 1TB of OneDrive storage plus full desktop access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. Microsoft 365 Family ($9.99/month or $129.99/year) includes 1TB per person for up to 6 people. For business use, Microsoft 365 Business Basic now costs $7/user/month (corrected from $6).
Ready to choose your cloud storage?
Google Drive's 15GB free is the best starting point. OneDrive and Dropbox offer paid trials. Verify current business-tier rates directly given the corrections found this pass.