OneDrive vs Dropbox: 2025 Cloud Storage Space, Pricing & Features Comparison

Dropbox offers more features and flexibility with its tools than OneDrive, so we think it is a better overall option and recommend it for a wider range of consumers. With OneDrive, you can access the Microsoft 365 suite of apps. However, even with a free Dropbox account, you have Word, PowerPoint and Excel integrations. Dropbox may be pricier, but you get more storage.

• Microsoft 365: Microsoft apps like Word, Excel and PowerPoint are integrated into OneDrive accounts, offering a seamless experience between cloud storage and productivity applications.
• Downloadable apps: You can download apps for your desktop or mobile device with Mac, Windows, iOS and Android support. 
• Backup support: OneDrive has added support for backing up your folders and files. This service is available through the desktop app and is subject to your overall storage capacity.
• Admin console: Specific to business plans, the admin console lets you manage team members and includes many settings and security features. 

• Sync features: Dropbox has excellent sync features, including block-level sync and selective sync.
• Third-party apps: Dropbox has connections to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace apps, and other apps like Slack and Zoom.
• Dropbox backup: Dropbox has a dedicated backup tool.
• Native apps: Dropbox-built apps such as Dropbox Paper, a web-based word processor, are included with your account. 

OneDrive has three paid storage plans focused on personal or home use. The family plan is the most expensive, costing $129.99 per year for 6TB of shared storage capacity for up to six people. The Microsoft 365 Personal plan costs $99.99 and has 1TB of cloud storage.

OneDrive has three plans for businesses. OneDrive for business costs $5 per month and provides 1TB of storage per user; it is essentially only cloud storage. Microsoft 365 Business Basic costs $6 per user per month and offers 1TB of space per user. 

Microsoft 365 Business Standard costs $12.50 per user per month. It does not increase the storage capacity but adds more features, like the desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Dropbox has several plans that cover a wider range of customer types. Personal users can get the Plus plan, which includes price id=”8763-1-1-gb”] of storage space. It costs $9.99 per month when billed annually; otherwise, it is $11.99 per month.

Individuals also have two professional plans to choose from, with little difference between the two except for price. The Professional plan costs per month on an annual cycle and has of storage.

The Essentials plan costs $16.58 per month annually and also has 3TB of space. Essentials comes with extra features, like unlimited signature requests and better PDF editing.

Businesses and teams have four plan options: Standard, Advanced, Business or Business Plus. For business plans with shared storage, the capacity increases with respect to the number of licenses. For example, if you add a fourth license to the Business plan, you’ll get an additional 3TB of shared storage added to the original .

Here’s a quick table highlighting some of the features of each plan:

	Standard	Business	Business Plus	Advanced
Cost	$15 per month (one-year plan)	$15 per month (one-year plan)	$30 per month (one-month plan)	$30 per month (one-month plan)
Users	3+	3+	3+	3+
Storage Space	5TB			15TB
Signature Requests	3 per month	Unlimited	Unlimited	3 per month
Version History	180 days	180 days	365 days	365 days
File Size Limit	Upto 50GB	Upto 100GB	Upto 250GB	Upto 100GB

OneDrive and Dropbox both supports block-level sync (which Dropbox calls “smart sync” and OneDrive calls “differential sync”) and selective sync.

However, there’s an important distinction: OneDrive historically limited this feature to Microsoft Office files, but now supports it for all file types — but only on business plans. Dropbox’s implementation works across all file types regardless of plan, giving it an edge in sync efficiency for non-business users.

With block-level and differential sync technology, only the modified portions of files are uploaded during changes, significantly reducing sync time for large files compared to re-uploading entire documents. Selective sync lets you choose the folders to update on your account. 

Dropbox’s smart sync feature allows users to see and access their files from their desktop without consuming local hard drive space, making it particularly useful for users with limited storage capacity on their devices.

OneDrive’s “files on demand” feature is Microsoft’s answer to smart sync, allowing users to access cloud files through File Explorer without downloading them to their device until needed, helping conserve local storage space.

OneDrive Sync now automatically trims trailing spaces in file and folder names to improve upload reliability, helping prevent common sync errors that can occur with improperly formatted file names.

For Mac users, OneDrive also now supports syncing files and folders with special characters like <>/|?*”: in the name. These characters are automatically HTML-encoded when accessed from non-Mac devices or in the browser, improving cross-platform compatibility.

You can easily share folders and files with Dropbox and OneDrive by selecting the content you want to share and clicking on the “share” icon. You can share directly using an email address or create a link that you can copy/paste and share.

With paid accounts, you gain access to password protection for shared links, ensuring only intended recipients with the correct password can access shared content, even if the link is accidentally forwarded.

Both OneDrive and Dropbox paid plans also allow users to set expiration dates on shared links, automatically revoking access after a specified period — perfect for time-sensitive collaborations or temporary access requirements.

However, Dropbox offers more granular control over shared content permissions, including the ability to disable downloads entirely — a feature that privacy-conscious users will appreciate.

OneDrive and Dropbox use AES 256-bit encryption and TLS/SSL encryption protocols to protect data at rest on remote servers and when you transfer content from your devices. AES 256-bit encryption protects against brute-force attacks that try to access your account. TLS/SSL protects against man-in-the-middle attacks that try to intercept your data.

Both platforms support multi-factor authentication, requiring users to verify their identity through multiple methods such as an app, SMS or email confirmation, significantly enhancing account security beyond just password protection.

Microsoft is gradually implementing passwordless access to OneDrive accounts, which could eventually replace traditional passwords and two-factor authentication. This system would allow users to login with a unique code each time they access their account rather than remembering a password that could potentially be compromised.

This forward-looking security approach could give OneDrive an edge in account security, though its real-world effectiveness remains to be seen.

Both OneDrive and Dropbox offer excellent cross-platform compatibility, ensuring a consistent experience whether you’re using MacOS, Windows, iOS or Android, or accessing files through a web browser.

OneDrive and Dropbox also offer offline access to files through their mobile and desktop applications, allowing users to mark specific files or folders for offline availability when an internet connection isn’t available.

Both services feature deep File Explorer integration on Windows, with OneDrive being natively built into the operating system, while Dropbox adds itself as a location within the file management interface.

Both services also offer seamless desktop synchronization in the form of a sync folder, allowing users to work with local copies of files that automatically update to the cloud when changes are made.

The mobile applications for both services offer automatic photo and video backup, helping users preserve memories and free up space on their mobile devices while making media easily accessible across all platforms. The mobile apps also offer support to sync your images.

	1st attempt:	2nd attempt:	Average:
Upload	0:08:10	0:07:51	0:08:00
Download	0:07:45	0:07:40	0:07:42

	1st attempt:	2nd attempt:	Average:
Upload	00:07:10	00:07:27	0:07:19
Download	00:07:17	00:07:21	0:07:19

Both OneDrive and Dropbox have fast upload and download speeds. In our independent speed tests, OneDrive averaged 7 minutes, 19 seconds for both uploads and downloads. Dropbox had very similar speeds, averaging 7 minutes, 18 seconds for uploads and 7 minutes, 22 seconds for downloads.

This puts both services near the top of the list of the fastest cloud storage providers, a position they’ve held for the three years we’ve been conducting our standardized tests.

Note that both services offer bandwidth throttling options, allowing users to limit upload and download speeds to prevent the cloud service from consuming all available network resources.

Both services now offer backup capabilities, though their implementations differ. OneDrive has added support for backing up designated folders and files automatically through its desktop app, similar to Dropbox’s backup functionality.

This feature is particularly useful for ensuring your most important files are always protected, though the backup is subject to your overall storage capacity.

Both services provide robust file recovery and version history features, allowing users to restore previous versions of documents or recover accidentally deleted files within a specific retention period — 30 days for basic plans and up to 180 days for premium plans.

When compared side-by-side, it’s easy to see that Dropbox has more visual appeal than Microsoft OneDrive. Beyond aesthetics, Dropbox and OneDrive have a similar layout, with a left-hand sidebar for account navigation and a divided main screen to display your files and the items the service thinks you want to see. 

Dropbox doesn’t feel shackled by the Microsoft layout and color scheme. However, since OneDrive is entrenched in the Microsoft ecosystem, it offers a seamless user experience for PC users, as your folders and files mirror File Explorer’s look and functionality.

OneDrive has even improved its integration with Windows 10 File Explorer by adding a dedicated tab in the ribbon that displays sync status, quota information and settings. This provides easier access to OneDrive functions directly within the familiar File Explorer interface, further cementing OneDrive’s seamless experience for Windows users.

This is even enhanced for those who prefer a traditional file management approach, as OneDrive can be mapped as a network drive in File Explorer.

Navigation is where Dropbox separates itself from OneDrive. Both have a settings option, and each has a mini-menu that expands to show additional apps and tools. Dropbox’s settings menu has a logical flow, and it’s easy to find what you are looking for. It has more options within the settings than OneDrive, including security-based settings.

You’ll always feel like you’re in control of managing and setting up your Dropbox account the way you want it to be. The same can’t be said for OneDrive.

Any business plan you purchase with OneDrive or Dropbox includes access to an admin console. The admin console is a singular hub where business users can go to manage all aspects of a business account. An admin console includes data for analytics, settings to manage users and security features to protect data and accounts, to name just a few.

Similar to the previous section, Dropbox’s admin console does a good job of explaining what each tab does and how to use the new tools and features. It’s inherently intuitive and makes managing user accounts and altering settings a simplified experience. 

Where OneDrive excels is in the sheer number of settings and options available. When you purchase a business account, you get a subscription to Microsoft 365, which is more than just cloud storage. Like everything else, the admin console is baked into the larger Microsoft ecosystem, so it offers far more than just cloud storage management.

OneDrive’s admin console provides more features and functionality than Drobpox’s. If anything, it can feel overwhelming at first.

However, OneDrive has added support for colored folders in Windows File Explorer, allowing users to personalize and manage folder colors for better content visibility and organization. This visual feature helps users categorize their content more effectively, especially for those who manage numerous folders.

OneDrive’s admin console includes advanced capabilities like data loss prevention policies, information rights management and compliance features that help organizations maintain control over sensitive information across the enterprise. Microsoft adds in items like Defender, a robust security and protection app, and Microsoft Purview, which is mainly for data governance.

OneDrive also offers a unique “personal vault” feature that provides an extra layer of security for your most sensitive files, requiring additional authentication methods like fingerprint, face or PIN, or a code sent via email or SMS. Free users can store up to three files in their personal vault, while paid subscribers can store as many files as their storage capacity allows.

Plus, while both services implement data loss prevention features, OneDrive’s enterprise-grade DLP policies are more robust, offering automated content scanning and policy enforcement across organizational data.

We briefly touched on this above, but with a Dropbox account you get access to more features and tools than with OneDrive. This is true even when accounting for OneDrive’s integration into the larger Microsoft 365 platform. 

With a paid OneDrive account, you can access many different Microsoft apps beyond just the most widely used ones. These include Microsoft Access for business plans and Editor for personal plans. However, Microsoft integration is the main reason why Dropbox edges past OneDrive. 

Word, Excel and PowerPoint are the core productivity apps, and with a Dropbox account, you can use the web versions of these apps at no additional cost. Additionally, Dropbox supports Google Workspace apps like Docs, Sheets and Slides. For obvious reasons, OneDrive does not include support for Google productivity apps.

Dropbox adds more value to your account by including its homegrown apps for you to use. Dropbox Paper, a collaborative document editing tool, provides real-time editing capabilities with a clean interface that’s particularly appreciated by creative teams for brainstorming and project planning.

Additional apps include Dropbox DocSend, which provides a secure way to send and receive digitally signed documents, and Capture, which lets you create screen recordings.

Dropbox also offers limited eSignature capabilities through Dropbox Sign (formerly HelloSign), allowing users to request and add legally binding signatures to documents, though free accounts are limited to three signature requests per month.

While both services support real-time collaboration on documents, Dropbox excels with its robust real-time collaboration tools that work across various file types and third-party applications, allowing multiple users to edit documents simultaneously with visible cursor positions and changes.

Dropbox also has a broader appeal to a bigger audience — particularly those who consider themselves creatives. Dropbox makes productivity and collaboration easy for all types of users, as you can collaborate in real time with many of Dropbox’s apps or third-party connections. OneDrive also supports collaboration, but only with Microsoft apps.

A good example for how creatives can make the most of Dropbox is Dropbox Replay, a built-in music player that allows users to clip, edit and share audio content.

This collaborative video review tool is designed to foster quick and easy communications, making Dropbox particularly appealing for creative professionals working with multimedia content who need to quickly preview or share their work.

A new AI-powered tool called Dropbox Dash, a centralized content manager with an advanced search feature for videos and images, can locate your content, launch meetings and organize work and email items in stacks.

With Dash, users can find content hidden inside media that traditional search can’t reach. You can search using natural language queries like “scanned release forms from our customer event” and locate relevant content instantly, even without remembering exact file names.

Dash also offers AI-powered content creation tools that can gather relevant information from existing content. Users can ask questions like “What were the key takeaways from our customer research last month?” and Dash will analyze reports, meeting notes and communications to provide comprehensive summaries, saving hours of manual work.

Third-party integrations are another area where Dropbox appeals to a wider audience. Dropbox offers Microsoft Teams integration, allowing users to share and access Dropbox content directly in Teams conversations and channels.

You can also include popular apps like Zoom, Slack, Canva and Jira with Dropbox Dash. These enhanced connections enable users to search across platforms and retrieve information from various sources without switching between apps.

However, if Microsoft is your chosen productivity suite, OneDrive is the clear choice due to its natural integration. Outside of Microsoft apps, though, collaborating with OneDrive is a less robust experience than it is with Dropbox.

OneDrive does have some useful collaboration features, though. Its “open in app” feature allows users working in a browser or in Teams to open files directly in their native applications. Changes are saved in the cloud automatically, creating a more seamless workflow between web and desktop environments.

Another benefit OneDrive offers users is a new safety feature that displays a confirmation dialog when users attempt to delete shared files from File Explorer. This helps prevent accidental deletion of files that others may be accessing or collaborating on.

Note that Dropbox and OneDrive differ significantly in their file size limits for sharing. Dropbox allows transfers of up to 100MB on free accounts, 2GB on Plus/Family/Standard plans, and up to 250GB on Business Plus plans. OneDrive’s limits are more modest, which could be a deciding factor for users who regularly share large files.