Bethany Walsh
Oct 12, 2022
Microsoft's OneDrive (opens in new tab) was a little behind competitors like Dropbox and Google Drive when it came to catching up to their capabilities. Now, however, it has a cloud storage system that is competitive with the best offerings from the industry's most well-known companies; updates and additions of new features are released regularly.
OneDrive is not just a component of the Windows 10 operating system (opens in new tab), but it is also included in the Microsoft 365 (opens in new tab) subscription service, which also includes the Office applications. Individual client tools are available for many systems, including macOS, Android, and iOS. You also have access to your synchronised files through the web, which is another advantage of using this service.
Dropbox, Google Drive, and iCloud Drive are just some of the well-known consumer cloud storage choices that operate in a manner that is comparable to that of Microsoft OneDrive. You select the folders and files you wish to have backed up, and then those files and folders are automatically synchronised with copies stored in the cloud and the other computers and devices on which you have OneDrive installed. Given that Microsoft is the firm that developed both Windows and OneDrive, it should not come as a surprise that Windows professionals make the greatest use of OneDrive. In the same way that iCloud Drive is deeply integrated into the macOS experience, OneDrive provides a fluid performance for users operating their computers with the Windows operating system.
When you store your Microsoft Office files (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) in OneDrive for sharing, additional features become available to you. These include autosaving, which ensures that you never lose any of your work, and advanced collaboration tools, which enable you to work on files concurrently with other individuals, directly within the desktop applications or on the web.
When version Of windows, OneDrive will appear in the main window alongside Document and the Desktop, as well as everything else. This allows you to swiftly right-click on files and folders and either upload them to the cloud or ensure that you have local copies accessible. It is user-friendly and sleek all at the same time. Conversely, the online interface, which can be downloaded from any computer using your Windows ID, does not have the degree of sophistication that its rivals, Google Drive and Facebook, have. It does not have the same level of simplicity and elegance as its competitors. It performs what it's supposed to, such as showing your media, sharing your files, and allowing you to move things around, but it doesn't exactly exude flair.
Perhaps OneDrive's most impressive feature is how well it works on mobile devices. The applications available for Android and iOS are sophisticated and easy to use. Users can navigate between directories and files using a combination of swipes and touches. They are especially effective when synchronising and presenting images and videos taken on a smartphone; however, OneDrive has plenty of competitors in this area, not the least of which comes from Photo Library and iCloud Photos.
Two-factor authentication (also known as 2FA) is a comforting security measure that may be enabled for OneDrive when the Microsoft account and the Microsoft 365 subscription are both active. This means that even if someone discovers your login and password, they won't be able to access your data or account since they won't be able to log in. Access to the Personal Vault, which still needs another degree of verification (such as a fingerprint or a PIN), is also a feature that is included with the product.
Similar to Apple's iCloud Drive, Microsoft OneDrive provides individual users with 5 GB of free storage space to recruit more consumers to the company's ecosystem. A storage package with 100 GB of space costs $1.99 (£1.99) per month and provides relatively little more space.
It is also important to note that, similar to Google Drive, the free plan does provide access to online-only versions of Word and other applications. Pages, Numbers, and Keynote can be downloaded for free on macOS and iOS regardless of the membership tier, putting iCloud Drive one step ahead of Microsoft OneDrive in this respect. iCloud Drive also offers online features.
OneDrive is a cloud-based extension that can be added to other Microsoft products. If you are a serious Windows user or frequently use the Office 365 suite, then you should examine OneDrive in its proper context. On the other hand, as an add-on for macOS, Android, or iOS, it does not strike us as particularly striking or helpful.