Google Drive vs SugarSync (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Google Drive: it is first in our ranking of file storage and sync services, and it grades higher too, 3.6 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Google Drive grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Google Drive
Cloud storage tied to Google Docs, Gmail and Photos
SugarSync
Folder sync and cloud storage with personal and team plans
Which one is for you
Pick Google Drive if
- Fits if you already use Gmail and Google Docs, since your files sit next to them
- Works for two or three people who need to edit the same spreadsheet at once
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if Gmail and Google Photos already fill most of your 15 GB, since a full account can hold up your email
- Not for you if you're on Linux and want a folder that syncs, as there's no desktop app
- Skip it if you need shared drives, client-side encryption or expiring links, which need certain work or school plans
- Watch out: 2 TB comes bundled as Google AI Plus at $9.99 with Gemini extras, and deleted files are gone after 30 days
- Not for you if you'd rather not have email, photos and files all hanging on one account
Pick SugarSync if
- Fits if you want chosen folders synced instead of moving everything into one
- Works for a small team on the 3-user 1 TB business plan
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as the only free route is a 30-day trial
- Tight if you need lots of space: personal plans stop at 500 GB
- Pricey if you want 500 GB, at $18.95 a month
- Watch out: extra business users are not priced on the page, and a discount sticker has no percentage
How we grade them
| 3.6GPAGoogle DriveExcellent | 2.2GPASugarSyncFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$1.99 a month for 100 GB, where the lowest quarter of this category starts at $3.99 and the middle is $5. You can split that 100 GB with five other people. Then it's $2.99 for 200 GB and $9.99 for 2 TB, which comes bundled with Gemini extras whether you want them or not. | C$7.49 a month for 100 GB, $9.99 for 250 GB and $18.95 for 500 GB, around the middle of file storage, which is $7. No yearly price is shown. |
| Free plan and trial | B15 GB with every Google account, three times what OneDrive or iCloud hand out, and Docs, Sheets and Slides come with it. Gmail and Google Photos eat from the same 15 GB, so a big inbox shrinks your Drive, and a full account can hold up your email. | D30-day trial that takes a card; cancel before it ends to avoid the charge. No free plan. |
| Features | BStorage, link sharing, editing Docs, Office files and PDFs where they sit, and scanning paper from the phone app. Shared drives and client-side encryption are premium Workspace features, and expiring access needs a work or school account. | CSyncs any folder, shares files, remote wipe and encryption. The plans are small against what cloud storage now offers. |
| Ease of use | A4.78 from about 7.8 million App Store ratings, the top of this category at any volume. Got a Google account? You're already signed up. Drop a file in, send a link, pick view, comment or edit. | BNo store rating on record. It installs on a computer and syncs the folders you pick. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, a documented API that many other apps save into, and hook-ups with Slack, Zoom, Salesforce and Atlassian. There's no Linux desktop app: Linux gets the website only. | BWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android. No API or integrations are listed. |
| Best for | files you share and edit with other people | syncing any folder across computers and phones |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Google Drive and SugarSync. How we grade
Price against what you get
Google Drive starts at $1.99 a month and scores 3.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SugarSync starts at $7.49 a month and scores 2.7.
Google Drive scores higher and starts $5.50 a month lower. Of the other file storage and sync services on the chart, none scores higher than Google Drive for less, and 11 score higher than SugarSync for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Google Drive also covers AI search.
- SugarSync also covers file management.
At a glance
| Google Drive | SugarSync | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $1.99 per month for 100 GB (US App Store price) | $7.49 per month (100 GB) |
| Free plan | 15 GB of storage with every Google account, shared across Google Drive, Gmail and Google Photos. | None |
| Free trial | Google Workspace business plans can be tried at no cost for 14 days | 30-day free trial with all features; cancel before it ends and the card is not charged |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | IPVanish, Inc. | |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | www1.sugarsync.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
SugarSync
- Pricing is monthly in the figures shown; the page gives no yearly price for personal plans.
- The business plan starts at 3 users and 1 TB; extra users are not priced on the page.
- A limited-time discount sticker appears on the pricing page without a stated percentage.
Key features
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. Setting an expiration date on someone's access is limited to eligible work or school accounts.
- 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.
SugarSync
- Sync any folder
- Right-click any folder to add it to SugarSync and changes apply across all your devices.
- Sharing
- Share links to files and folders, including view-only files, and manage shared content.
- Remote wipe
- Remove synced files from a lost or stolen PC or Mac while the data stays in the cloud.
- Mobile apps
- iOS and Android apps for access, sharing and automatic video uploads.
- Encryption
- The vendor says files are protected with AES-256.
Plans
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 (400 GB)$4.99
per month (price on Google's US Gemini plans page)
Google AI Plus at its smaller storage level: 400 GB with twice the Gemini app limits of a free account and Gemini in Gmail.
Google AI Plus (2 TB)$9.99
per month (price on the US App Store listing)
The same Google AI Plus plan with 2 TB of storage. Google's help page says Plus is sold with either 400 GB or 2 TB.
Google AI Pro (5 TB)$19.99
per month (price on Google's US Gemini plans page)
5 TB of storage with four times the Gemini app limits of a free account, Gemini in Gmail and Docs, and YouTube Premium Lite.
SugarSync
100 GB$7.49
per month
Personal plan with 100 GB of storage; the pricing page shows a limited-time discount sticker.
250 GB$9.99
per month
Personal plan with 250 GB of storage, marked Most Popular.
500 GB$18.95
per month
Personal plan with 500 GB of storage.
Business 1 TB$55
per month for the base plan of 3 users, or $550 per year
Base team plan with 3 users, 1 TB of storage, admin control and premium support.
Ways to pay less
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.
- By country
Lower price shown to buyers in India
On 9 October 2026 Google One's plans page showed Basic (100 GB) at ₹130 a month to a reader in India. A copy of the US page from 5 October lists that plan at $1.99 a month.
SugarSync
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Google Drive or SugarSync?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Google Drive is cheaper to start with: $1.99 a month, against $7.49 a month for SugarSync. Google Drive starts at $1.99 per month for 100 GB (US App Store price), and SugarSync starts at $7.49 per month (100 GB).
Which has a free plan, Google Drive or SugarSync?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Google Drive has a free plan. SugarSync does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.