OneDrive vs. Amazon Drive
Cloud storage allows you to store your data on someone else’s hard drive, in data centres around the world. You don’t have to worry about losing your data, and you can access it from anywhere.
Cloud Storage was first developed in 2007 when DropBox’s CEO Drew Houston got sick and tired of losing his USB flash drive. He then invented the first cloud storage solution. Fast forward to today and there are many different cloud storage solutions to choose from in today’s market.
But how do you choose which one is right for your business? You could simply pick the cheapest, but that’s only part of the story. A cloud storage service’s real value comes from how well it works for you and your business. In this article, we will look at juggernauts Microsoft’s OneDrive and Amazon Drive’s cloud storage solutions.
OneDrive
OneDrive is Microsoft’s cloud storage solution and provides an easy set up for Windows and MS Office users. It integrates perfectly with Microsoft Office programs so you can collaborate documents and spreadsheets in real-time. So, if you share an Office document with colleagues or stakeholders, you can all work on it simultaneously. You’ll see who else is working on the file, as well as any changes they make in real-time, with all changes automatically saved in your OneDrive account. Microsoft 365 also gives you access to Microsoft Teams. This opens up all kinds of opportunities for collaboration, using OneDrive’s integration with Office 365 within the Teams communication platform.
If you’re already a Microsoft 365 user, this is a no-brainer. OneDrive is perfect for anyone who uses Windows and Microsoft Office every day.
However, even if you’re a Mac user it’s a great choice, with OneDrive desktop app for Mac it syncs and collaborates perfectly with other users as well as boasting apps for Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and Xbox. Yes, Xbox.
Pricing
Business users who get full online versions of MS Office can buy additional storage for just $1.99 a month.
Google Drive’s Top 5 features
- Fully integrated for Windows and MS Office
- No setup for Windows 10 users
- Very cheap for most users
- Part of Microsoft’s framework to work seamlessly
- Extremely secure architecture
Overall OneDrive Pros & Cons
| Microsoft OneDrive Pros | Microsoft OneDrive Cons |
|---|---|
| Fully integrated for Windows and MS Office | Less free storage than some competitors |
| Fast, efficient and easy setup | Only allows syncing of specific folders |
| Strong online photo presentation and file management | Not such great value if you don’t use Microsoft Office |
| Integrates with a wide range of platforms: Android, iOS, Mac | macOS client app could use some work |
Amazon Drive
Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers a complete range of cloud services for you to store, access and analyse your data to reduce costs, increase agility, and accelerate innovation. From object storage, file storage, or block storage services to data backups and migration options to build the foundation of your cloud IT environment.
In this article, we will look at its cloud storage option, Amazon Drive. Amazon Drive has generally lagged behind its Microsoft counterpart, but it is in a much better position than it used to be. Amazon has improved a lot and uses the same sync-folder model as Dropbox as well as using block-level file copying when synchronising content. This method of file copying produces faster syncs because it only copies the parts of files that changed rather than replicating the entire file. It’s the only cloud storage service we know of besides Dropbox and Egnyte that does this. It even has smartphone apps for Android and iOS.
However, the main problem Amazon Drive has is that it doesn’t include any work productivity integrations like Office Online and Google Docs. More bizarrely, the service doesn’t yet perform file versioning, which will detract some users. Two other big misses are no at-rest encryption and no password protection for links.
Pricing
From just $5pm for 1TB and 13 storage plans available, making it the most flexible subscription cloud storage option.
iDrive’s Top 5 features
- Nice user experience
- 24×7 chat and email support
- Easily manage multiple locations
- Same sync-folder model as Dropbox
- Apps for iOS and Android
Overall Amazon Drive Pros & Cons
| Amazon Drive Pros | Amazon Drive Cons |
|---|---|
| Great subscription options | No at-rest encryption |
| Unlimited photo storage | No link passwords |
| Fast file syncing | No file versioning |
| Selective sync | Support not knowledgeable |
OneDrive vs. Amazon Drive: Summary
When it comes to software, Microsoft is the champion, and its cloud storage solution boasts automated synchronisation and real time online collaborations in the cloud. Combined with MS Teams, it offers Unified Communications at its finest.
Amazon Drive has become a viable cloud storage option in many ways. It’s priced extremely competitively and is probably the best cloud storage solution to manage file synching. However, file sharing could be made more secure with encryption and password protection and we’d like to see Office Online, Google Docs or even a native notes application added for work productivity. Without those things, sync capabilities are of limited use. While Amazon Drive has some great features, it’s clear there’s still much work to be done.
If you are looking into leveraging OneDrive or Amazon Drive to host your cloud environment, please feel free to get in touch with us on 0330 202 0220. We offer various ‘do-it-for-you’ and ‘do-it-with-you’ options, and with more than a decade of experience in building cloud environments, Venom IT is the logical choice to help you get started.
Check out our resources and dig deeper on the best support for cloud computing for your business.
- Infographic: What are the main service points of cloud computing?
- Infographic: The business case for cloud computing
- Brand Battle: iDrive vs Google Drive