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Box vs. OneDrive Comparison 2021

by Arthur Zuckerman

Choosing which file-sharing platform to use for your business can be a tough challenge. You’d have to consider if the storage capabilities, security features, and sharing tools of the software are on par with your business needs. Ending up with the wrong one can lead to disastrous results, such as insufficient storage capacity, unsynchronized files, or worse–an unsafe platform at risk of data breaches and other cybersecurity threats.

Box and OneDrive are two of today’s leading file-sharing applications. The two promises secure and dependable storage capabilities, as well as safe access to your files from any location and any device. But how do the two platforms stack up against one another?

In this guide, we’ll give you a detailed Box vs. OneDrive comparison analysis to help you decide which one is the ideal solution for your storage needs. We’ll discuss their key features, benefits, and pricing details so you’ll have a complete overview of what each software has to offer.

Box and OneDrive Overview

Below, you’ll find an in-depth Box vs. OneDrive comparison that should help you choose between the two platforms. By taking note of each software’s key features and benefits, you would be able to tell which of the two matches your needs best.

Box Overview

Box is a file sharing platform that enables secure content sharing and collaboration across teams from the inside and outside of your organization. It provides a central workspace where you can modify, share, and comment on project files.

With its unified collaboration tools, the platform provides you with a real-time view of all your project outlines. It offers a simple, intuitive way to streamline project management and enhance your team’s productivity. For instance, it allows you to assign tasks to specific team members, set due dates, and monitor progress. You can also check out project management software for similar features you can leverage in your business processes.

Box also comes handy in workflow automation. It enables you to automate both simple and sophisticated processes with its workflow automation tools. It has a simple, no-code architecture, which makes it easier for anyone in your team to build workflows in minutes. This leads to a number of benefits for your business, such as accelerated contract approvals, standardized employee onboarding, and simplified content review.

You’ll also appreciate Box’s best-in-class security and compliance features that ensure all your files and data are protected from leaks and breaches. The software uses AES 256-bit encryption, which means you have a frictionless security system in place that you can rely on 24/7. Also, Box lets you set custom document retention and disposition policies.

For over 50,000 companies worldwide, Box offers an intelligent platform for project and content collaboration. Its native integrations allow you to open, save, and edit files on other productivity suites and messaging tools without leaving the application. With this secure and unified content layer, your team can easily maintain file consistency and get more work done. In case you’re also looking for more ways to send messages to your team, you can also check out communication software.

Box dashboard

Box lets users automate both simple and sophisticated processes with its workflow automation tools

OneDrive Overview

The next one we’ll discuss is OneDrive, one of the most popular file-sharing platforms available in the market. It is a major component of Microsoft’s Office 365 and SharePoint Server. It offers businesses a secure, web-based platform where teams can easily save their file and access them from any device and location.

OneDrive offers several productivity features that let you keep and share your files in a secure and reliable platform. It has a multipage scanning feature, which allows you to scan multiple pages of receipts, business cards, whiteboard notes, and other printed documents using your phone. Even though the platform is cloud-based, you can take advantage of the offline feature that enables access to your files and folders without an Internet connection.

Being web-based, OneDrive brings many benefits to teams working remotely. For one, your team members can access the same files stored in the cloud, even if they are in different locations. This helps you get everyone to stay on the same page, allowing each one to share, modify, and collaborate on a single file version.

OneDrive also covers ransomware detection and recovery. This means you will be instantly alerted when the application detects malicious attacks from threats like ransomware. In case of accidental deletion or file corruption, you can easily restore your OneDrive storage to a previous version from the last 30 days. For more options on backup solutions, you can check up backup software.

Another good thing about OneDrive is its enterprise-grade security protocols. As a Microsoft product, it offers the same dependability and security found on its sister products. You can rely on OneDrive’s data encryption to protect your files from potential data breach attempts.

OneDrive dashboard

OneDrive for Business offers businesses a secure, web-based platform where teams can easily save their file and access them from any device and location.

Box Advantages and Disadvantages

Box Advantages

Businesses choose Box for its file sharing features designed for effective team collaboration. It keeps your files securely stored in the cloud, allowing everyone in your team to edit, comment, and share content in real-time. Regardless of your location or the device you are using, you can access project files as long as you have an Internet connection.

Box also boasts of advanced security and compliance features. It offers custom detention rules, file encryption, and enterprise mobility management that you can leverage in protecting the flow of data in your organization. By providing full visibility and central management of your files, Box reduces the risk of data loss.

In addition, Box is equipped with unique project management features not usually found in most file sharing platforms. For instance, it has a collaborative note-taking tool called Box Note that can be used to organize information from business meetings and brainstorming sessions.

Box Disadvantages

The downside to using Box is that it’s not exactly the right platform for editing and modifying files. It does well in terms of storage capabilities, but you may experience difficulties when multiple users try to work on a single file at once.

The application also tends to be a space creep, so whenever you sync a shared folder, you need to keep tabs on how much file size your collaborators are adding to your storage.

Box Pricing Plans

Box offers its users free 10GB storage and a file upload limit of 250MB. For more flexible storage space, you can upgrade to a Personal Pro plan, which is inclusive of 100GB of file storage and a 5GB file upload limit. This plan is available at $10/month.

Business plans are also available, with the most popular one starting at $15/user/month. This plan includes unlimited storage and a 5GB file upload limit.

OneDrive Advantages and Disadvantages

OneDrive Advantages

While Box clearly brings a number of unparalleled features, OneDrive is not an easy platform to beat. As a Microsoft product, it works seamlessly with Microsoft Office apps, such as PowerPoint and Word. This is also why OneDrive is the obvious choice of businesses that regularly use Microsoft Office apps.

OneDrive allows you to store photos, videos, and documents and access them right from your mobile devices or Windows PC. By providing access to the same version of files, your team stays in the same loop and can finish projects faster. The co-authoring feature also allows you to see document changes in real-time, which eliminates back-and-forth emails regarding the revisions and updates to a single file.

Another key benefit of OneDrive lies in its document sharing tools. By simply sharing a direct link to a document, you can allow internal or external users to access the file. There are several ways to do this within the app. First, you can require sign-in access to the document so that only internal accounts can see and use the file. Second, you can generate a link with an expiry date and share them with an external contributor.

OneDrive Disadvantages

The only complaint most users have with OneDrive is how it can get clunky when moving multiple files at once from one folder to another. For files that come in large sizes, the application tends to freeze at times and have you do it again.

Syncing issues also seem to be common among users. When saving documents from Office 365 desktop to OneDrive, some users find it challenging to sync local copies with OneDrive.

OneDrive Pricing Plans

OneDrive offers several pricing plans that you can choose from. The OneDrive Basic plan includes 5GB of free storage space. However, it can only be used as a storage, unlike the other plans with more additional features. For only $1.99/month, you can upgrade your storage up to 50GB.

You can also subscribe to Office 365 for Premium OneDrive features and additional storage. Office 365 Personal, inclusive of 1TB of storage, is available for $6.99/month. Meanwhile, you can avail of Office 365 Home for $9.99/month, which includes 5TB of storage.

You may also consider the Business plans offered by the vendor. Pricing ranges from $5/user/month to $12.50/user/month.

Box vs. OneDrive: Which One Is Better?

Now here comes the tough question: between Box and OneDrive, which one gives more value for your money?

In terms of storage capabilities, this Box vs. OneDrive comparison tells us that both perform well and provide a secure and reliable platform for your files. Box offers from 1TB to unlimited file storage, while OneDrive is limited to 5GB to 6TB of file storage. Clearly, Box is the more practical option for businesses with larger storage needs.

Box also wins the round when it comes to having a collaborative platform. Sure, OneDrive allows multiple users to share and work on the same documents, but Box offers a broader range of collaboration tools to streamline task– and project management. In Box, you can edit documents, share links, and submit files for approvals. Also, it keeps your files organized and easy to locate in a centralized hub shared with your team.

When it comes to pricing, Box and OneDrive offer a number of plans specific to each business’s needs. Both also provide a free version, with Box having up to 10GB of free storage while OneDrive offers 5GB at no cost. The cheapest paid plan offered by Box is the Starter plan at $5.51/user/month. For OneDrive, it’s the OneDrive for Business plan, which costs $5/user/month.

As you can see, Box and OneDrive both have a different set of unique propositions. The good thing is that the two file sharing platforms offer a free version, so you try them out for yourself and see which one gets a better grip of your personal or business storage needs. You can also check out our Apple iCloud vs Microsoft OneDrive comparison to learn more about these file storage software.

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