Dropbox vs. Google Drive With AI. Which one Wins? (2023)
Today we are gonna cover a tough topic: the eternal fight of Dropbox vs. Google Drive. It’s almost a mantra, and there are many people evangelizing for either of them. Dropbox and Google Drive are clearly two of the best cloud storage solutions available. At Feisworld, we have been consistently using both for well over a decade for creating content for Feisworld as well as for our clients. They are essential to our work.
In this article, I want to share my unbiased reviews and thoughts on how you should approach both solutions, and whether you need one or both as a creator, creative entrepreneur, and small business owner.
How Dropbox and Google Drive are using AI
First, let’s tackle the buzz. Dropbox and Google Drive are both using AI to improve their cloud storage services in a variety of ways.
Dropbox is using AI to:
- Improve search: Dropbox’s AI-powered search engine, Dash, can understand natural language queries and return relevant results from across your Dropbox account, including files in other apps.
- Automatically organize files: Dropbox’s AI can automatically organize your files based on their content, such as by type, date, or project.
- Suggest improvements: Dropbox’s AI can suggest improvements to your files, such as correcting typos or making formatting changes.
- Generate content: Dropbox’s AI can generate content, such as summaries of documents or presentations.
Google Drive is using AI to:
- Identify and classify files: Google Drive’s AI can identify and classify files based on their content, such as by type, date, or location.
- Suggest tags: Google Drive’s AI can suggest tags for your files, which can help you find them more easily later.
- Auto-generate suggestions: Google Drive’s AI can auto-generate suggestions for files that you might be interested in, based on your past activity.
- Improve search: Google Drive’s AI is constantly learning and improving its search capabilities, making it easier for you to find the files you need.
Key differences:
- Focus: Dropbox’s AI focus is on improving the user experience, making it easier for users to find, organize, and use their files. Google Drive’s AI focus is on improving the productivity of users, by suggesting files that they might be interested in and auto-generating content.
- Implementation: Dropbox’s AI is implemented in a variety of ways, including its search engine, its file organization features, and its content generation features. Google Drive’s AI is primarily implemented in its search engine, but it is also used in other features, such as its suggestions feature.
Fast syncing (Dropbox wins)
If you regularly work with large files, DropBox is going to make a big difference.
If you asked my mom about what’s considered large files, she will tell you about her hundreds of photos on her phone. But in reality, as a creator, large files may mean hundreds of 4K videos you have created, exported from video editing tools in various formats, orientations, and versions. On top of that, we have worked on a docuseries that was shot on a 6K camera with over 3 weeks of raw footage.
Here’s a quick reality check on the files we work with regularly: a whooping 451GB worth of data on DropBox that’s growing every day.
In short, fast synching is our #1 concern.
Why does Dropbox sync files faster? It’s through a method called Block Level Sync.
Block-level sync means that a service copies only the parts of a file that have changed, rather than the entire file. It makes for faster syncing between devices, but has little to no impact on initial upload and download speeds.
https://www.cloudwards.net/
If you haven’t noticed a difference between DropBox and Google Drive, it’s most likely due to not having to move and manage very large files. In this case, you can choose either DropBox or Google Drive.
Google’s software suite is more popular, whereas Dropbox has some hidden gems
Most of us have heard of and are likely actively using apps from Google, such as:
- Gmail
- Google Photos (upload, edit, and create photo albums)
- Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides
- Google Sites (create and share simple websites)
- Google Meet (video conferencing app) and Google Chat
- Google Calendar
- Jamboard (digital whiteboard app)
- Google Keep (note-taking app)
- Google Forms
- Google One VPN on Android (via Google One subscription)
(I’m bolding the Google apps I use on a regular basis)
Let’s take a look at Dropbox’s software offering you may be missing out on as a creator entrepreneur:
- Dropbox Backup (subscription service to back up entire devices to the cloud)
- Dropbox Capture (share screen recordings, video messages, and screenshots, with timestamped comments for video)
- Dropbox Replay (video collaboration tool for filmmakers and video creators, still in beta)
- Dropbox Passwords (a password manager with breach notifications and security advice)
- Dropbox Shop (marketplace to sell digital creations)
- Dropbox Transfer (transfer big files to other people)
- Dropbox Paper (an all-in-one workspace for notes and documents)
- HelloSign (document eSigning platform)
DropBox’s additional apps such as Capture and HelloSign help me get rid of subscriptions I no longer need to pay for, such as Loom (for screen recording) and HelloSign.
Dropbox’s native integration with Google Drive is changing
Dropbox revealed that its native Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides integration is coming to an end, with files being replaced by shortcuts (announcement made in early June 2023). Anyone with Google Workspace files in their Dropbox accounts will have to migrate their files to Google Drive within 30 days of receiving notice, or they will be automatically converted to Microsoft Office files.
Prior to this announcement, I was able to directly create, organize, and share Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on dropbox.com. You could also transfer/move files between Dropbox and Google Drive. With this new announcement, we will need to make a decision between using Google Drive or Microsoft Office to create original files. If you prefer to continue using Google Drive, the files need to be created in Google Drive with shortcuts later created in DropBox.
Google Photos is cool, and so is Dropbox’s photo backup
One of many best things I learned from my producer German Ceballos is Google Photo backup. When we met during the documentary shoot in Seattle, WA in 2018, he showed me how he used Google Photos to back up everything with unlimited free storage. It was life-changing for me. At the time, I had hardly backed up old photos, and many of them were lost, or reduced to unrecognizable sizes by online photo-sharing apps such as Flickr. With just one button push, Google Photo backed up everything from my phone. Then when I traveled back to Beijing, China between 2018-2019, I was able to scan and back up an enormous amount of old photos even from my parents’ early years.
All good things often come to an end.
As of June 1, Google has ended its unlimited free storage policy for Google Photos. Google Photos ended its unlimited free storage policy for photos and videos as of June 1. Now any new photos and videos you upload will count toward the free 15GB of storage that comes with every Google account.
CNET
There’s no regret for using Google Photo and I still do to this day. However, DropBox is an option that should be considered and it can easily replace Google Photo if you prepare to pay for one solution (when you go over the storage limit).
Dropbox lets you back up photos and videos to the cloud from iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac devices, as well as your camera. It’s (again) very fast, and reliable – file organization is steller in DropBox and it applies to photos storage as well.
Perhaps one of the reasons why I’m still using Google Photo consistently is their facial recognition and a few other trippy Google features. I love the ability to search for all photos of a person simply by clicking on their headshots (selected by Google). I can continue to tag people I want to remember and filter on in the future.
In addition, Google Photo allows me to search by Places, Documents, and other Things.
With that said, DropBox photo and video backup is pretty sleek too. As mentioned above, DropBox syncs fast and that certainly applies to your photos and videos. In addition, DropBox has more sophisticated sharing capabilities whether you are sending pictures to grandparents, or transfers to clients. Dropbox makes it easy and secure, and frankly more professional (if it’s business-related).
In a nutshell
| Feature | Dropbox | Google Drive | OneDrive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free storage | 2GB | 15GB | 5GB |
| Paid plans | Starts at $12/mo | Starts at $1.99/mo | Starts at $1.99/mo |
| File sharing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Offline access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Version history | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Collaboration features | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Office integration | No | Yes | Yes |
| Security features | Two-factor authentication, end-to-end encryption | Two-factor authentication, end-to-end encryption | Two-factor authentication, end-to-end encryption |
| Customer support | 24/7 support | 24/7 support | 24/7 support |
Conclusion: Dropbox vs. Google Drive in 2023
If you have to pick JUST one, here’s what I think:
You should pick Google Drive if:
- You want cheap storage for personal use. You might even get away with a generous free plan before you have to choose from Google’s multiple pricing tiers for different storage options
- You already use a lot of the Google apps and prepare not having to learn another app
- You want to store and edit personal photos – Google Photo’s ability to find exactly what you need is superior
You should pick Dropbox if:
- You need a powerful cloud solution for professional work
- You need fast syncing for large files
- You prioritize the organization of your folders and files, and you might consider automation for tasks and files down the road
- You regularly work with large files (think videos and video processing)
Who is it to say that you can’t or shouldn’t have both?
It’s possible to use both DropBox and Google Drive. I have been using both for personal and professional work, but I do find myself relying on DropBox for professional work increasingly more over the years.
Are you a creative entrepreneur? How have you been managing your work via cloud solutions like Google Drive, DropBox, or perhaps something else? Please let me know in the comment below.
You might also like…
- DropBox Capture vs. Loom: Which Is Better For Video Creators? (2023)
- How To Publish Your Videos Directly From Dropbox To Social Media (2023)
- Google Bard For YouTube: How Can You Use It To Grow Your Channel? (2023)