- What is OneDrive?
- OneDrive is Microsoft's cloud file storage and sync service, bundled with Windows and Microsoft 365.
- What does it do?
- Syncs folders across PC, Mac, mobile and the web, with version history, sharing links and per-file permissions. Connects to Word, Excel and PowerPoint for co-authoring, and backs up phone photos and desktop folders.
- Who is it for?
- People and organisations already inside the Microsoft ecosystem, especially Microsoft 365 tenants with Windows fleets. A poor fit if you want end-to-end encryption or independence from one vendor.
- What are the alternatives to OneDrive?
- Proton Drive, Sync.com and Filen lead on end-to-end encryption; pCloud aims at straightforward consumer storage; Nextcloud is open source and self-hosted for teams that want to own the server.
Top alternatives
Smaller, founder-led tools that quietly compete with OneDrive.
Encrypted Proton cloud.
No Office or Windows tie-in; the trade is encrypted storage over integration.
Swiss lifetime-deal cloud.
Storage you can buy outright once, with encryption sold as a separate add-on.
Encrypted Dropbox alt.
Canadian hosting, with zero-knowledge encryption applied by default on every plan.