Box vs Google Drive

Box

• Companies that need unlimited storage priced per user
• Teams that send documents for signature from where they are stored
• Organizations connecting storage to Microsoft 365, Salesforce or Slack

Google Drive

• People who already use Gmail, Google Docs and Google Photos
• Teams that co-edit documents, spreadsheets and slides in the browser
• Organizations standardizing on Google Workspace

Box

• Business and Enterprise plans require a minimum of 3 users.
• File upload size is capped by plan: 250 MB on the free plan, 2 GB on Business Starter, 5 GB on Business and 15 GB on Business Plus.
• Enterprise Plus is sold on annual billing only, and Enterprise Advanced is priced through sales.
• The downloads page lists Box Drive for Mac and Windows only, with no Linux app.

Google Drive

• The free 15 GB is shared with Gmail and Google Photos, so mail and photo backups count against it.
• There is no Drive for desktop app for Linux; Google directs Linux users to Drive on the web.
• Shared drives, client-side encryption and third-party app integrations are premium features of some Workspace Business and Enterprise plans.
• Business plans are sold separately through Google Workspace, with pooled storage of 30 GB per user on Starter and 2 TB per user on Standard.

Box

Box Drive

A desktop app for Mac and Windows that opens Box files from the computer without taking up much local disk space.

Box Sign

E-signatures are built in: 5 signature requests a month on the free plan, 10 on Business Starter, and unlimited from the Business plan up.

Box AI

Box AI is included from the Business plan. Enterprise adds 1,000 AI Units a month and Box Hubs, and Enterprise Plus raises the allowance to 2,000.

External collaboration

The Business plan charges for each external collaborator, while Business Plus and the Enterprise plans allow an unlimited number.

File version history

The free Individual plan keeps 1 version of each file, Personal Pro keeps 10 and Business Starter keeps 25.

Integrations and API

Box lists more than 1,500 apps and AI agents that connect to it, and paid business plans include a monthly allowance of API calls.

Google Drive

Drive for desktop

A desktop app for Windows and macOS keeps Drive files up to date on the computer. Google's help center says there is no desktop version for Linux and points to the web app instead.

Editing Docs, Office files and PDFs

Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, Microsoft Office files and PDFs can be edited and organized in place, and Google says more than 100 other file types can be opened.

Sharing permissions

Files are shared with edit, comment or view permissions. Owners can also block certain actions and set an expiration date on access.

Shared drives

Team-owned spaces for storing and managing files together. Google marks shared drives as a premium feature of some Workspace Business and Enterprise plans.

Gemini in Drive

AI Overviews return cited answers from stored files, and Ask Gemini draws on Drive, Gmail, Calendar and Chat. On Workspace, Gemini in Drive starts at the Standard plan.

Security and admin controls

Ransomware detection in Drive for desktop, client-side encryption, Vault and data loss prevention policies are offered on some Workspace Business and Enterprise plans.

Box

• Individual$0

  Single user with 10 GB of storage, a 250 MB file upload limit and 5 Box Sign signature requests per month.

• Business Starter$5

  per user / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly)

  Minimum of 3 users: 100 GB of storage, 2 GB file uploads, 25 file versions and 10 Box Sign requests per month.

• Business$15

  per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)

  Minimum of 3 users: unlimited storage, 5 GB file uploads, Box AI, unlimited e-signatures and 50,000 API calls per month.

• Business Plus$25

  per user / month, billed annually ($33 billed monthly)

  Minimum of 3 users: unlimited storage, 15 GB file uploads and unlimited external collaborators.

• Enterprise$35

  per user / month, billed annually ($47 billed monthly)

  Minimum of 3 users: 50 GB file uploads, 1,000 AI Units per month, Box Hubs and 100,000 API calls per month.

• Enterprise Plus$50

  per user / month, annual billing only

  Minimum of 3 users: 150 GB file uploads, 2,000 AI Units per month and support with 24-hour coverage.

Google Drive

• 15 GB$0

  Included with every Google account. The 15 GB is shared across Drive, Gmail and Google Photos.

• Basic (100 GB)$1.99

  per month (price on the US App Store listing)

  100 GB across Drive, Gmail and Google Photos, with the option to share storage with up to 5 other people.

• 200 GB$2.99

  per month (price on the US App Store listing)

  200 GB of storage, listed as an in-app purchase on the Google Drive listing in the US App Store.

• Google AI Plus (2 TB)$9.99

  per month (price on the US App Store listing)

  2 TB of storage bundled with Google AI Plus, which adds higher Gemini app limits and Gemini in Gmail.

Box

• Annual discount

  About 25% lower with annual billing

  Box's pricing page has a monthly or annual toggle that advertises a saving for paying annually. The listed prices put Business at $15 per user annually against $20 monthly.

Google Drive

• Annual discount

  Save up to 16% with annual billing

  Google One's plans page offers a monthly or annual toggle and states a saving of up to 16% on annual billing. Workspace lists a 16% saving for a one-year commitment.

• Nonprofit

  Free Workspace edition for verified nonprofits

  Google Workspace for Nonprofits costs $0 per user with 100 TB shared across all users. Business Standard is discounted to $3.50 per user / month on a one-year commitment.

• Education

  Free Workspace edition for qualifying schools

  Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals is available at no cost to qualifying institutions and includes 100 TB of pooled storage shared by the organization.