After years of rumors and whispers, Google finally released its long-awaited Google Drive cloud storage service in April, combining Dropbox-like synching abilities and a PC client with the company’s Google Docs service. Microsoft could have waved the white flag; instead, it released an excellent update for its own SkyDrive service, adding many of the features found in Google Drive. The chips are on the table and there’s only one question left: Which cloud storage service is better?
Note: This article appeared in the August issue of the magazine. See author's note at end.
Microsoft and Google must’ve done their homework before launching GDrive and SkyDrive, because the PC and Mac clients for the respective services look and feel an awful lot like Dropbox’s. Basically, each appears as just another folder on your computer, albeit a folder that seamlessly syncs with the cloud whenever something inside of it changes. The synched folders even appear in Windows Explorer’s Favorites sidebar just like Dropbox’s client. It’s painless and wonderful.
It’s a toss-up on the web interfaces, too. Both have simple, flexible, and functional UIs that deliver all the information you need without being overly busy. Both also feature list- and thumbnail-style viewing options. We prefer SkyDrive’s colorful look to Google Drive’s drab hues, but that’s just a matter of personal taste.
Winner: Draw
New SkyDrive sign-ups receive 7GB gratis—compared to the free 5GB offered by Google Drive—and veteran users can opt to grandfather in their full 25GB of free space. Plus, SkyDrive’s upgrade options are cheaper than Google Drive’s, and unlike Google, Microsoft offers a 50GB plan.
Google Drive outshines SkyDrive in the total amount of upgradable space available, however. SkyDrive tops out at 100GB, while Google Drive goes all the way up to a whopping 16 terabytes (for a similarly whopping $800/month). Also, Google Drive caps file uploads at 10GB, compared to SkyDrive’s 2GB max.
We think 100GB of cloud storage is more than enough for most people, though. SkyDrive’s cheaper prices and more generous free storage earn it the win.
Winner: SkyDrive
Part of the allure of synching-style cloud storage solutions is the ability to access your files from virtually anywhere. Both services have Windows and Mac desktop clients while neglecting Linux lovers (who’ll have to stick to Dropbox). The real difference lies in mobile support: SkyDrive offers dedicated iOS and Windows Phone apps, while Google Drive only has an Android app. (Both now offer iOS and Android apps. See note at end - Brad) Neither has announced plans for BlackBerry support.
As it stands, SkyDrive gets the nod for supporting two mobile platforms, including the über-popular iOS, and for its deep-rooted Windows 8 integration. An Apple-compatible app—which Google says is in development—will add a lot of appeal to Google Drive, though both services pale compared to Dropbox and SugarSync’s widespread mobile support.
Winner: SkyDrive
To see which cloud storage service is better at file protection, click on the next page to read the conclusion.
Comments are closed on this article
bezerkus
October 16, 2012 at 9:01am
No syncing of large directories between devices without storage (Live Mesh)= no go for both.
zepolnavi
October 10, 2012 at 9:34am
I use both....but if you want something more private and safer then definitely skydrive........google Drve is very good that's for sure, but read the contract first and you will realize that all your data is not as private as you think.
chart2006
October 10, 2012 at 7:34am
My cloud service wins hands down. I have a Synology DS212 setup in a raid-1 configuration for backup with a total of 5TB of storage. Through numerous apps such as Synology's Cloud Station app I can backup all my computers either locally on the LAN or remotely through the internet. It also allows me to create multiple users if I desire with shared or personal storage for each user. There are streaming apps to allow you to "stream" as apposed to download your music and/or videos such as the digital copy of many of my movies.
You can create a mail server, directory server, DHCP server, media server, surveillance station, syslog server, VPN server, iTunes server, Logitech Media server, and many more. You can customize your access screen whether you'll be accessing your cloud via HTML, FTP, or any other file sharing protocol. As for HTML you can either use Synology's standard portal or you can publish your site by enabling Web Station and create/host your own website/virtual host. You can also enable or disable HTTPS connections which will protect it via SSL/TLS connections depending on the level of security.
The only unfortunate thing about the setup is reliability as it is at the mercy of both the power company and ISP as both go down a couple times a month. Fortunately a majority of the time it is in the middle of the night and not during the day when I need it most. The point is the level of customization far exceeds any suggested cloud service and the best thing about it is that there is no service or subscription fees. Of course there is a start-up cost which is the cost of the hard drives and the DS212 but it was well worth the investment. My internet speed is 50Mbps/5Mbps so that helps quite a bit and of course with slower connections it does make hosting your own cloud difficult but again at least you know your data is in your own home and not on someones server elsewhere.
I love my NAS and wouldn't trade it for any other service...
Roll Tide
October 09, 2012 at 9:27pm
Use both in a virtual online RAID configuration.. ;-) snarky snark snark
don2041
October 09, 2012 at 2:59pm
What happens to all of your 16 terabytes of data when Skynets drives fail.
Brad Chacos
October 09, 2012 at 2:46pm
Author here! Yeah, there are some inconsistencies now: this appeared in the August issue of the magazine, but it was actually written shortly after the launch of Google Drive -- I turned the final copy in all the way back on May 8th. Both services have seen a bunch of changes, all of which have only served to make them even more similar, which only adds to the tie-ed-ness of it all. Me? I use SkyDrive, mostly because I'm grandfathered in with 25GB of free data.
xRadeon
October 09, 2012 at 2:04pm
Unless my Skydrive account is different than yours (I just have the standard free account), I have an option to recover files. Its the recycle bin on the bottom left.
For this battle, I actually really like Skydrive because I can browse files on my computer remotely using Skydrive. But that's just me, Google Drive is still pretty good stuff.
Trooper_One
October 09, 2012 at 12:26pm
"... right down to the controversial Ribbon interface"
What's so controversial about the Ribbon interface? It's been out for awhile. I find it quite convenient and easy to use and even office newbs could navigate around it with easy.
Honestly, when I go back to the ugly icons (e.g. on OpenOffice), it just feels weird.
m-p-3
October 09, 2012 at 11:51am
Google Drive is also on iOS
http://itunes.apple.com/app/id507874739
HiGHRoLLeR038
October 09, 2012 at 11:49am
...There is a recycle bin feature in SkyDrive. Do your research.
jtrpop
October 09, 2012 at 11:48am
Might want to update the article, as Skydrive does have a recycle bin for deleted files.
praetor_alpha
October 09, 2012 at 1:03pm
It's a new feature (from September), and this article was written in August.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-SkyDrive-Updated-with-Recycle-Bin-293272.shtml
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