Google Drive vs Microsoft SharePoint

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

Microsoft SharePoint

• Organizations on Microsoft 365 that need an intranet and team sites
• Document management with version history and item-level permissions
• Companies organizing internal content for Microsoft 365 Copilot

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.

Microsoft SharePoint

• SharePoint's plans page lists only Microsoft 365 business bundles; no standalone SharePoint subscription is shown.
• The business plans cover 1 to 300 users; larger organizations are pointed to Microsoft 365 enterprise plans.
• Work-grounded Copilot is built into Standard and Premium only; on Business Basic it is an add-on with a regular price of $21.00 per user / month, paid yearly.
• SharePoint runs in a browser, with mobile apps for Android and iOS; Microsoft lists no dedicated desktop app.

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.

Microsoft SharePoint

Team and communication sites

Sites for individual teams and for organization-wide news, resources and campaigns, built from templates with flexible layouts and drag-and-drop editing.

Document libraries

Libraries keep version history and access control for every file. Documents can be edited by several people in real time, and files and folders can be kept offline.

Microsoft Lists

Lists share, organize and track structured information next to a site's pages and files, and are included in every business plan.

Granular permissions

Administrators control access at the site, list and item level and can apply policies that govern how files are shared.

Copilot in SharePoint

Drafts pages and sites from a natural-language description or from an existing Word or PowerPoint file. Copilot is built into Standard and Premium and an add-on for Basic.

Customization and automation

Sites can be extended with site designs, web parts, Power Apps and Power Automate, or with custom development on the SharePoint Framework (SPFx).

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.

Microsoft SharePoint

• Business Basic (no Teams)$5.40

  per user / month, paid yearly ($7.00 with Teams)

  SharePoint team and communication sites, document libraries and Microsoft Lists, with 1 TB of cloud storage per user and web and mobile Office apps.

• Business Standard with Copilot$23.50

  per user / month, paid yearly ($20.30 without Teams)

  The same SharePoint features plus desktop Office apps and work-grounded Copilot, which is an add-on to Business Basic.

• Business Premium with Copilot$32.00

  per user / month, paid yearly ($28.80 without Teams)

  Everything in Standard plus Intune device management, Defender for Business and Purview Information Protection.

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.

Microsoft SharePoint

• Nonprofit

  Nonprofit grant and staff pricing

  Eligible nonprofits get Microsoft 365 Business Basic as a grant, free for up to 300 users, with Business Standard at $3.50 and Business Premium at $5.50 per user / month, paid yearly.

• Other savings

  Copilot Business add-on at $18.00 until Dec 31, 2026

  The Microsoft 365 Copilot Business add-on is listed from $18.00 instead of $21.00 per user / month between July 1 and December 31, 2026. It needs an annual commitment and covers the first year only.