Google Drive vs IDrive
Google Drive and IDrive are both file storage & sharing tools. Google Drive is aimed at small businesses and enterprise, while IDrive is aimed at small businesses and freelancers. IDrive costs less, from $0.25/mo versus $7.99/mo for Google Drive. Both have a free plan.
Storage integrated with Google Workspace
Cloud backup for multiple PCs, Macs, phones and servers in one account
| Pricing | Freemium · $8 | Freemium · $0 |
| Starting price | $7.99/mo | $0.25/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 14 days | — |
| Built for | Small businesses, Enterprise, Freelancers | Small businesses, Freelancers, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web, macos, windows, ios, android | web, windows, macos, linux, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2012 | US |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Google Drive if
Individuals and teams in the Google ecosystem.
- Generous free tier
- Best real-time collaboration
- Bundled with Workspace
Look elsewhere if: Heavy desktop sync of large creative files (Dropbox).
Choose IDrive if
Households and small businesses that want to back up many computers and phones into one affordable, encrypted account.
- One account covers many devices instead of per-computer pricing
- Large storage tiers at low cost per terabyte
- Versioning and snapshots help recover from ransomware
Look elsewhere if: Users who want unlimited backup for one computer or mainly need file sync and sharing (Backblaze, Sync.com, pCloud).
Google Drive vs IDrive pricing
Google Drive
- Free$015 GB shared with Gmail and Photos
- Google AI Plus$7.99/mo200 GB, Gemini features, share with 5 (US)
- Workspace Business Starter$8.40/user/mo$7 annual; 30 GB per user
- Business Standard$16.80/user/mo$14 annual; 2 TB per user
- Business Plus$26.40/user/mo$22 annual; 5 TB per user
IDrive
- Basic$010 GB, no credit card required
- Mini$0.25/mo100 GB, one user, billed yearly; 500 GB is $0.83/mo
- Personal$11.99/mo5 TB; $9.99/mo billed yearly, $6.99 first-year promo
- Team$11.99/mo5 users, 5 computers, 5 TB; $6.99/mo first-year promo
- Business$59.99/mo1.25 TB, servers and NAS; yearly from $19.99 for 500 GB
Google Drive · Key features
- 15 GB free storage
- Real-time collaboration on Docs, Sheets, Slides
- Shared drives for teams
- Search with OCR and AI
- Gemini in Drive for summaries
- Drive for desktop sync
Cons
- Desktop sync less reliable than Dropbox
- Permission sprawl over time
- Privacy concerns for some
IDrive · Key features
- Back up unlimited PCs, Macs, phones and tablets to one account
- Up to 30 file versions plus snapshots for point-in-time recovery
- Optional private-key 256-bit AES encryption
- Entire-machine backup for full system restores
- Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace cloud-to-cloud backup
- IDrive Express physical drive shipping for large backups and restores
Cons
- Desktop app is busy and less intuitive than Backblaze
- First-year promo prices rise noticeably on renewal
- Storage is capped per plan, unlike Backblaze's unlimited personal backup
Google Drive vs IDrive: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Google Drive or IDrive?
IDrive starts at $0.25/mo and Google Drive at $7.99/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Google Drive and IDrive have a free plan?
Yes, both Google Drive and IDrive have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.