Here is a comparison between Google Drive and SkyDrive. Both cloud storage services are quite good. So, we decided to compare their features, so that you can decide which service works for you.
SkyDrive is a cloud storage service offered by Microsoft and Google Drive, obviously offered by Google. This Google Drive vs. SkyDrive comparison will help you choose the right cloud storage service which suits your interest.
Here, is the comparison Between Google Drive And SkyDrive:
1. Registration Process:
- Google Drive: Free registration for any person. Creation of account just takes few minutes and is very easy and simple. If you have Gmail account you will be able access the Google drive by logging into the Gmail account.
- SkyDrive: Registration in SkyDrive is free like many other cloud storage.
Conclusion: Personally I felt that both the cloud storage service registration is like creating an email account. You need to fill up the form and you are done with it.
2. Storage Space:
- Google Drive: If you already have a Gmail account you can log in and see that by default Google will provide you with 5GB of space. It also provides you with 10GB of Gmail space and 1GB space for Picasa. If you want extra space you can easily upgrade your account, which means that after paying extra money you will get extra space. For example, with $2.49 per month you will get 25GB extra storage space for Google Drive and Picasa and additional space which constitutes up to 25GB of Gmail space. With $4.99 per month you will get 100GB space for Drive and Picasa and the Gmail account is upgraded to 25GB of precious space. Believe me it is not the end; you can easily get between 200GB to 16Tb of space, but it will cost extra.
- SkyDrive: Unlike the Google Drive, SkyDrive offers you with 7GB of space which is 2GB more than the Google drive. If you are able to get extra 2GB for nothing there is nothing wrong for you to opt for it. If you want extra space you can pay a little extra money. With $10 per annum you can get extra 20GB of space and with $50 per year you can get 100GB of extra space. Click here to read more on Skydrive.
Conclusion: SkyDrive is the winner here, as it offers more free space out of the box. So, if you are a free user, SkyDrive would be the preferred choice here. For paid users, though, you might want to closely compare costs of both the services based on your storage needs.
3. Integration:
- Google Drive: As we all know that Google has lots of great features such as Google Docs, Picasa, and many more. With Google drive you can save the files on the Drive from various places directly to the Drive. The various services from Google are used by lots of us and thats what makes the Drive so special. If you are an Android user you can save the files on the move. Google provides you this service free of cost. Read more on Google Drive here.
- SkyDrive: SkyDrive has many services but they can’t compete with Google because of the services they provide. Many of us have a Gmail account but how many of us really have a Live account.
Conclusion: Google Drive is the winner here, because it is neatly integrated with many of the services that Google offers.
4. Desktop Application
- Google Drive: At the launch of Google Drive, Google came out with a nice desktop app that can backup your folders in real time, and sync them with other computers.
- SkyDrive: Microsoft followed closely on the heels of Google Drive launch, and introduced their own SkyDrive desktop application.
Conclusion: Earlier Microsoft did not have a desktop application, and that made using SkyDrive a real pain. However, now that Microsoft also has a desktop app, I believe both the services are tied in this area.
5. File SIze Limitation
Google Drive: Google Drive allows file size upload of up to 10 GB. That is of course possible if you have a paid account. With a free account, you can upload file of up to 5GB in size.
SkyDrive: SkyDrive limits the file upload to 2GB via desktop application, and 300 MB via browser.
Conclusion: Google Drive is the clear winner here. If you are trying to upload a very large file, that is easily possible in Google Drive. In case of SkyDrive, you will need to break that file into multiple parts before uploading.
5. Search for Files
- Google Drive: Google is the undisputed king of search, so they added lot of their search magic to file search in Google Drive. To start with, you can search for any file by its name. As a more advanced option, you can even search for text within the files. And the most advanced option is, you can even search for text and objects in the images and scanned documents!
- SkyDrive: Microsoft SkyDrive also lets you search by file name or text in the files, but it does not have advanced OCR option that Google Drive provides.
Conclusion: Google Drive is the clear winner in this arena, which was expected.
6. File Version History
- Google Drive: Google Drive has an interesting feature of maintaining different versions of your documents for 30 days. Even if you delete a file, you can recovert it within 30 days. That’s a very nice feature in case you accidentally delete a file.
- SkyDrive: Unfortunately, SkyDrive does not provides any such feature right now.
Conclusion: Google Drive is again the winner here. I do hope Microsoft also decides to add this feature to take Google Drive head-on.
7. Security
- Google Drive: Google Drive comes with Google’s 2-step login feature, which provides additional security out of the box. This is especially required in case of this type of service, as you might be storing your important documents online, and don’t want password theft to compromise that.
- SkyDrive: SkyDrive authentication is limited to normal login id and password. So, if someone gets hold of them via a keylogger, you can bid your important documents good bye.
Conclusion: Google Drive wins here by leaps and bounds because of the 2-step authentication feature.
8. Mobile Apps
- Google Drive: Google Drive launched with mobile app for Android only, but it says that iPad and iPhone apps are on the way soon.
- SkyDrive: Microsoft takes a lead here as it already has apps for ios devices, as well as Windows Phone 7. However, it does not have an app for Android yet, even though it is widely popular.
Conclusion: For the time being, Microsoft scores here, because of its apps for iOS. However, Google will soon be out with its apps as well. I hope Microsoft is also working on SkyDrive app for Android.
9. Supported File Formats:
- Google Drive: Google Drive has been natively integrated with Google Docs, and as a result it supports lot of file formats. Over 30 file formats are supported, including advanced ones like PSD, and DWG.
- SkyDrive: Microsoft SkyDrive also supports lot of file formats, but not as many as Google Drive.
Conclusion: Google Drive is again the winner here, because of advanced file formats that it supports. That enables you to view all popular files directly in your browser, without a need to have different file viewer software installed on your PC.
10. Terms of Service:
Google Drive: Google Drives’s terms of service are quite strange, and I have already expressed my displeasure with them. In a nutshell, Google claims that it can use your content in any manner it wants, without your permission, even if you have made your content private. And it can keep using your content even if you stop using Google Drive.
SkyDrive: SkyDrive has much better terms of service, that ensures sanctity of your private files.
Conclusion: Google has faced lot of backlash on blogosphere because of wide open terms of service which lets Google use your private content. Microsoft is the clear winner here.
Overall Winner
I don’t want to choose a winner for you. I just wanted to do a fair comparison of SkyDrive and Google Drive, and let you make your choice. Both services are good, and from big giants of software industry. Just see which of the factors listed above are important for you, and then go with the winner in those.
Only the time will tell who is going to win this intense battle but all of us should be happy that in this competition we will get lots of benefits. What I like about the Google Drive is the various integrations with its services and searching capability. Many of us prefer Google as a search engine rather Bing. Full-fledged Integration of the SkyDrive and the Bing is yet to be seen.
