Microsoft OneDrive vs SugarSync (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Microsoft OneDrive: it is third in our ranking of file storage and sync services, and it grades higher too, 3.4 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Microsoft OneDrive 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.
Microsoft OneDrive
Microsoft's cloud storage, bundled with Microsoft 365 plans
SugarSync
Folder sync and cloud storage with personal and team plans
Which one is for you
Pick Microsoft OneDrive if
- Fits if you already pay for Microsoft 365, since the storage comes with Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- Works for work teams on Teams and SharePoint, which OneDrive ties into
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Linux, as Microsoft lists no Linux client
- Tight if you're staying free, because 5 GB is all you get
- Pricey if you need a bit more than 100 GB, since the next step is 1 TB at $9.99 a month
- Watch out: Family and Premium plans started from October 8, 2026 share 2 TB between everyone, not 1 TB each
- Watch out: the one-month trial needs a card, and Copilot on Family and Premium works for the owner only
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
| 3.4GPAMicrosoft OneDriveVery good | 2.2GPASugarSyncFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | ABasic is $1.99 a month, or $19.99 for the year, for 100 GB, well under the $3.99 where this category's cheapest quarter starts. Personal at $9.99 is dearer, but that money also buys desktop Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, which no other storage plan here throws in. | 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 | C5 GB with a free Microsoft account, which your phone's camera roll will see off in a month or two. The way to try the bigger plans is a one-month trial of Personal, Family or Premium, and that asks for a credit card. | D30-day trial that takes a card; cancel before it ends to avoid the charge. No free plan. |
| Features | BIt covers the whole job: sync with offline files, Windows and camera roll backup, links with passwords and expiry dates, version history, ransomware detection and restore, and several people editing one Word or Excel file at once. Nothing core is missing, and nothing here is unique to it either. | CSyncs any folder, shares files, remote wipe and encryption. The plans are small against what cloud storage now offers. |
| Ease of use | A4.7 from about 488,000 App Store ratings, top of this category at that sort of volume. Sign in with a Microsoft account and the phone app backs up photos and videos by itself, with OneDrive already sitting in Explorer on Windows. | BNo store rating on record. It installs on a computer and syncs the folders you pick. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, wired into Teams, SharePoint, Outlook and the Office apps, with a public API behind it. Microsoft's own system requirements list no Linux client, which is the one hole. | BWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android. No API or integrations are listed. |
| Best for | storage that comes with Word and Excel | 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: Microsoft OneDrive and SugarSync. How we grade
Price against what you get
Microsoft OneDrive starts at $1.67 a month when paid by the year 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.
Microsoft OneDrive scores higher and starts $5.82 a month lower. Of the other file storage and sync services on the chart, none scores higher than Microsoft OneDrive 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
- SugarSync also covers file management.
At a glance
| Microsoft OneDrive | SugarSync | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year | $7.49 per month (100 GB) |
| Free plan | 5 GB of free cloud storage with a Microsoft account. | None |
| Free trial | One-month free trial of Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium; a credit card is required | 30-day free trial with all features; cancel before it ends and the card is not charged |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Microsoft | IPVanish, Inc. |
| Price read from | microsoft.com | www1.sugarsync.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Microsoft OneDrive
- The free allowance is 5 GB. Family and Premium subscriptions started from October 7, 2026 share 2 TB between all members, where each person used to get 1 TB.
- Home plans jump from 100 GB on Basic ($1.99 a month) to 1 TB on Personal ($9.99 a month), with no tier in between.
- Microsoft's system requirements list Windows, macOS, iOS and Android apps but no Linux client.
- Copilot features in the Family and Premium plans apply to the subscription owner only and cannot be shared.
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
Microsoft OneDrive
- Sync and offline files
- The plan comparison lists advanced sync between PC, Mac and the cloud, along with files and folders that can be kept available offline.
- Windows and camera roll backup
- Windows backup and camera roll backup are listed as key features, and the mobile app can automatically back up a phone's photos and videos.
- Co-editing in Microsoft 365 apps
- Files stored in OneDrive can be edited from anywhere with real-time collaboration in Word, Excel and PowerPoint on the web, desktop and mobile.
- Sharing links
- Files and folders are shared by link, and the plan comparison lists password-protected and expiring link settings among the OneDrive features.
- Version history and ransomware recovery
- Version history plus ransomware detection and file restore appear in the plan comparison, and Microsoft 365 Basic names OneDrive ransomware protection as an inclusion.
- Copilot in OneDrive
- On the business page, Copilot can summarize or compare files and turn them into audio overviews from inside OneDrive. Work accounts can also upload files of up to 100 GB.
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
Microsoft OneDrive
Free$0
5 GB of cloud storage with a free Microsoft account.
Microsoft 365 Basic$1.99
per month, or $19.99 per year
For 1 person: 100 GB of cloud storage, ad-free Outlook email and OneDrive ransomware protection.
Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99
per month, or $99.99 per year
For 1 person: 1 TB of cloud storage and the desktop Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook apps with Copilot, on up to 5 devices at once.
Microsoft 365 Family$12.99
per month, or $129.99 per year
For 1 to 6 people: 2 TB of cloud storage shared between them, plus everything in Personal.
Microsoft 365 Premium$19.99
per month, or $199.99 per year
For up to 6 people sharing 2 TB of storage: everything in Family plus extensive Copilot usage and agentic AI features for the subscription owner.
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
Microsoft OneDrive
- Annual discount
About 16% lower with yearly billing
Paying yearly costs $19.99 for Basic, $99.99 for Personal, $129.99 for Family and $199.99 for Premium, against $1.99, $9.99, $12.99 and $19.99 a month.
SugarSync
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Microsoft OneDrive or SugarSync?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Microsoft OneDrive is cheaper to start with: $1.67 a month when paid by the year, against $7.49 a month for SugarSync. Microsoft OneDrive starts at $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year, and SugarSync starts at $7.49 per month (100 GB).
Which has a free plan, Microsoft OneDrive or SugarSync?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Microsoft OneDrive 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.