Google Drive vs WeTransfer

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

WeTransfer

• Sending large files to clients who should not need an account
• Freelancers and studios that want branded delivery pages
• Occasional personal transfers within the free monthly allowance

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.

WeTransfer

• The Free plan is for non-commercial use only and is capped at 3 GB and 10 transfers a month.
• Starter is limited to 300 GB of transfers a month; removing the size limit needs Ultimate at $23 a month.
• An account stores up to 2 TB of transfers by default on any plan, and WeTransfer says it does not offer unlimited storage.
• Teams needs at least 2 users, and single sign-on and end-to-end encryption are listed only for Enterprise.

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.

WeTransfer

Transfers by email or link

Files are sent to recipients by email or shared as a download link. Anyone can download them without logging in or signing up.

Passwords and expiry dates

A transfer can be protected with a password and given an expiry date. Free transfers expire after up to 3 days; Ultimate allows unlimited expiry.

File requests

A request link lets other people upload files to the account holder, who can then track and manage what has been received.

Download tracking

Senders can see download counts and status for each transfer and manage, forward or delete sent transfers from the account's Transfers panel.

Branding and personal page

Ultimate adds custom branding per transfer, and an account can have its own WeTransfer page with a custom URL, wallpapers and social links.

Mac and mobile apps

The Mac app sends files from the menu bar or by right-clicking in Finder. iOS and Android apps send, receive and manage transfers from a phone.

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.

WeTransfer

• Free$0

  Individual, non-commercial use: share and receive up to 3 GB a month, 10 transfers a month and expiry of up to 3 days.

• Starter$8

  per month, billed monthly

  Individual use: share and receive up to 300 GB a month.

• Ultimate$23

  per month, billed monthly

  Individual use: no transfer size limit, unlimited transfers and expiry, custom branding, malware scanning and recovery of expired transfers.

• Teams$19

  per user / month, billed monthly (minimum 2 users)

  Everything in Ultimate plus team creation, up to 50 members and centralized billing.

• EnterpriseCustom

  For 50+ members: unlimited members, custom transfer rules, single sign-on, usage and security logs, and end-to-end encryption.

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.

WeTransfer

No public discounts listed.