OneDrive is #3 in Top 10 Cloud Storages

OneDrive
Tools for online file/docs storage and collaboration. Contains Web versions of Microsoft office editors (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote). Excel web version allows simultaneous document editing in real time.

Positions in ratings


#3 in Top 10 Cloud Storages

Alternatives


The best alternatives to OneDrive are: DropBox, Google Drive, SharePoint, iCloud, Box



Latest news about OneDrive


2018. Microsoft added AI transcription to OneDrive and SharePoint



Microsoft is introducing video and audio transcription capabilities to OneDrive for Business and SharePoint, enhancing the accessibility of various digital content for users. This new feature utilizes AI technology from Microsoft Stream (previously known as Office 365 Video) to automatically generate a complete transcript of dialogues when viewing videos or listening to audio files. The resulting text data will be stored in the Microsoft Cloud, offering cost-effectiveness and enhanced security compared to relying on external transcription tools. Office 365 subscribers can expect to access this new service later in the year.




2015. Microsoft gives Apple Users OneDrive For Business Access



Microsoft has unveiled the initial public release of OneDrive for Business for Mac, enabling Mac users to perform the same tasks while accessing and utilizing their OneDrive files through the Mac Finder. Additionally, they can effortlessly handle and synchronize files, similar to the functionality provided by the existing Windows application. Notably, the OneDrive for Business client for Mac empowers users to access and use their files offline, eliminating the need for an internet connection. Moreover, the iOS mobile app grants users the convenience of accessing both their OneDrive for Business and OneDrive consumer accounts within a single app.


2014. Office 365 gets unlimited OneDrive storage.



Starting today, customers of Office 365 Home, Personal, and University subscriptions will enjoy an increased storage capacity. Business customers will also receive unlimited storage in the near future, but for now, they have access to 1 TB of storage per user. With OneDrive, you can conveniently access your content across all your devices, collaborate on documents, and easily share files. While Google Drive, Box, Dropbox, and other cloud storage services have limitations on their storage capacities, OneDrive offers a significant advantage. If you reach the storage limit on those platforms, you have to purchase additional storage. Bitcasa, which was one of the few providers offering unlimited storage, recently discontinued that feature, giving Microsoft a substantial edge in terms of storage capabilities.


2014. OneDrive unifies access to business and personal files



Microsoft's OneDrive is introducing enhanced functionality for mobile users, allowing them to conveniently access both business and personal files from their personal and work accounts. The application will intelligently differentiate between the two accounts, preventing any potential confusion, while still enabling users to view and back up files to both accounts. Additionally, Microsoft is implementing an additional layer of security by incorporating the option to set a four-digit PIN. This PIN can be utilized to restrict access to individual files or the entire app, bolstering overall data protection. These new features will be available in the Android app starting next week, with updates for the iOS and Windows Phone apps expected to roll out in the coming months.


2014. Microsoft OneDrive gives 15 Gb for free



Microsoft has increased the amount of free cloud storage available in OneDrive to 15GB, a significant upgrade from the previous 7GB. For users requiring additional storage capacity, there is now an option to pay $1.99 per month for 100 gigabytes. Furthermore, Microsoft has announced that all Office 365 customers will receive 1TB of free storage. For instance, Office 365 Personal, priced at $6.99 per month, now includes nearly unlimited storage. When comparing these offerings to competitors, Google Drive provides 25GB for free and offers similar pricing structures, charging $1.99 per month for 100GB and $9.99 for 1TB. Apple grants 5GB for free and charges $0.99 per month for 20GB. Although there is no 100GB option, the rate for 200GB matches OneDrive's pricing at $3.99. Amazon Cloud Drive offers 5GB for free and provides 100GB for $4.1 per month. Therefore, while the price reduction by OneDrive may not significantly impact industry giants, it adds further pressure to third-party services such as Dropbox and Box.


2014. Microsoft renames SkyDrive to OneDrive


Microsoft has a penchant for renaming its applications and services, and the cloud storage and file sync service SkyDrive is no exception. Over the years, it has undergone various name changes, such as FolderShare, Windows Live Office, and Live Mesh. However, this upcoming name change is not merely a result of marketers fulfilling their job responsibilities. Rather, it stems from a legal dispute that was resolved last August when the British broadcasting company BSkyB successfully claimed ownership of the name "SkyDrive" from Microsoft. As a result, SkyDrive will soon (Microsoft has not provided an exact timeline) be rebranded as OneDrive, and the business version known as SkyDrive Pro, which is available to Office 365 and SharePoint 2013 users, will be known as OneDrive for Business. Currently, you can visit the OneDrive promo site where you have the option to provide your email address to Microsoft's marketing team.


2012. Microsoft launched SkyDrive for Android



Earlier this month, Microsoft introduced a major update to its online file storage and sharing service, SkyDrive, implementing the Metro-Windows-8 interface. Today, the company has taken a step further by launching the mobile SkyDrive app for Android. This app allows Android smartphone and tablet users to access their files, including shared files, view and edit them using other applications, and seamlessly upload new and edited files back to the server. It's worth noting that SkyDrive's mobile application is also available for iPhone/iPad and Windows Phone users. Furthermore, SkyDrive comes pre-installed in Windows 8 by default. As a reminder, SkyDrive competes with services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and SugarSync, offering a generous 7 GB of free cloud storage, surpassing that of its competitors.


2012. New Office Web Apps add mobile touch interface, real-time collaboration



Microsoft started preview testing of the new version of its browser-based document editing applications Office Web Apps. Everybody can already join the preview on the SkyDrive or Office 365. The first thing that has changed - is the interface. It's now exactly like the upcoming Office 2013. And the main feature of this interface - is its adaption to the tablets with touch-screen. In general, the main objective pursued by Microsoft in this update - is to improve the performance of Office Web Apps on mobile devices (in mobile browsers). And the new mobile web interface for smartphones, is perhaps even better than its main competitor - Google Docs: ***


2012. SharePoint 2013 will include SkyDrive Pro



Together with Office 2013 Microsoft unveiled the beta version of SharePoint 2013. This is still an early version, and we won't review it so far (in particular, it's still no information about possible integration with Yammer). But one thing is this beta has already attracted great public interest - SkyDrive Pro. We have previously reported that SharePoint is being attacked by the army of file synchronization services called "Dropbox for Enterprise", and that SkyDrive's technology should help SharePoint to overcome these attacks. And so it happens, but as usual, Microsoft has added an element of chaos to this project. Why was it necessary to create a separate service called SkyDrive Pro? Why they just not added simple file sync functionality to SharePoint without inventing new titles? It's even more confusing as SkyDrive Pro won't replace the existing off-line client - SharePoint Workspace, but will be used along with it. ***


2012. SkyDrive comes to Windows, MacOS and iPad. Reduces free storage



SkyDrive, Microsoft’s online storage service continues to take on Dropbox and add support for new platforms. Following the applications for Windows Phone and iPhone, Microsoft has released the desktop client for Windows and Mac OS (OS X Lion). Also, the SkyDrive's mobile interface has been optimized for iPad tablets. SkyDrive for desktop works in the usual way - it creates a folder on your computer and all the files that you copy to this folder are automatically synced with your online account, as well as with your other computers or mobile devices that are running SkyDrive. And if in the online account you create a shared folder for your work-group, the service will be continuously syncing files between the computers of co-workers. ***


2012. Microsoft SkyDrive и OneNote landed on Android



Microsoft has finally overcome its hesitation towards rival mobile platforms, demonstrating a willingness to cater to a broader audience. In the past, the company released several applications for iPhone and iPad, and it is currently developing a comprehensive mobile version of Office for the iPad. Now, Microsoft has turned its attention to Android users, aiming to bring them joy as well. Naturally, they began with applications that benefit from cross-platform functionality, such as the file storage service SkyDrive and the versatile notebook and organizer app OneNote. With these new offerings, users can seamlessly synchronize any files, including OneNote notebooks, between their Android smartphones and their online SkyDrive accounts. However, there is a small caveat to consider. While SkyDrive for Android is completely free, the mobile version of OneNote is free for up to 500 notes. Once this limit is reached, users will be required to pay a one-time fee of $4.99 to remove the restriction and continue enjoying the app without limitations.


2012. Video: Google Docs vs SkyDrive


Microsoft continues its playful teasing of Google services through entertaining videos. This time, they focus their attention on Google Docs. The video portrays a group of young coworkers who attempt to collaborate on a document using Google Docs. Unbeknownst to them, Google Docs is more suitable for simple tasks, and attempting to create a planetary system within it proves to be impossible. However, such a task can be accomplished using Microsoft SkyDrive. Not within SkyDrive itself, as it lacks complex formatting capabilities, but by utilizing the desktop MS Office application, which allows simultaneous editing of the document alongside the online SkyDrive editor. It is noteworthy that Microsoft has transitioned from using the title "Windows Live Office," which was initially used to refer to the online office suite, and now employs "SkyDrive" (previously exclusively associated with file storage) for this purpose.


2011. Microsoft created SkyDrive app for iPhone and Windows Phone


Following Microsoft's recent announcement of its development of Office for iPad (with OneNote already available for iPad), the release of the SkyDrive app for iPhone today comes as no surprise. This app grants SkyDrive users access to their files on their iPhones, allowing them to open, share, create new folders, and synchronize files with their online accounts. Additionally, a similar application has been introduced for Windows Phone 7.5 (you can view the video below for more details). Moreover, based on Microsoft's job postings on various employment websites, it appears that the company is already working on a SkyDrive version for Android. It's important to note that SkyDrive offers a generous 25GB of free cloud storage, surpassing the storage limits of its primary competitors, including Box.net, DropBox, and Google Docs.


2011. Microsoft updates Office 365 and SkyDrive. Adds new territories



Microsoft has rolled out an update for its online collaboration suite, Office 365, introducing 30 new features. Among the noteworthy additions are support for Windows Phone 7.5, the ability to edit documents stored in SharePoint Online on Windows Phone, the availability of Lync client for both Windows Phone and Mac, integration of SharePoint Online with third-party applications through SharePoint Business Connectivity Services, and enhanced file uploading and sharing tools. Furthermore, Microsoft has expanded the availability of Office 365 to 22 new countries, including Argentina, South Africa, and Taiwan. In tandem with Office 365, its free mass-market alternative, SkyDrive, has also received updates. The updated SkyDrive features a new HTML5 uploader and improved file sharing capabilities, as previously mentioned. To see a demonstration of these new features and file management tools, you can watch the accompanying video.


2011. Word Web App adds almost-real-time collaboration


When the MS Office Web Apps were launched, only the Excel Web App allowed real-time collaboration on online documents. However, this functionality is now also available in the online Word, although it's not as seamless as in Google Docs. In order for co-editors to see your changes, you need to click the Save button. Co-editors will then receive a notification in the status bar, prompting them to click Save in order to view your changes. Unlike Google Docs, there is no chat or comments feature. However, you can at least see which parts of the document are currently being edited by other collaborators. It's worth noting that co-authoring in the online Word is only supported in the free Windows Live Office (SkyDrive) and is not yet available in Office 365.


2011. Windows SkyDrive moves from Silverlight to HTML5


Microsoft has finally killed the intrigue on the future of Silverlight in web-applications (recall this intrigue emerged at the end of last year). The new version of the online file storage Windows SkyDrive (which works as the basis of all Windows Live services) is completely rebuilt on HTML5 instead of Silverlight (even video player is now working on HTML5). SkyDrive is now much faster and supports all browsers (even Google Chrome). Along with the underlying technology shift, the developers have rebuild the service interface - it's now very similar to the Windows folder interface. Moreover, users of Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 9 can get to SkyDrive directly from the taskbar and with one click create Word, Excel, PowerPoint documents in Office Web Apps online editors: ***


2011. Amazon Cloud Drive vs. Microsoft SkyDrive vs. Google Docs vs. Box.net



Last week, Amazon launched the new online file storage service Amazon Cloud Drive. And taking into account reputation of Amazon, as the online storage market leader, this event, of course, deserves our attention. Let's consider the advantages and disadvantages of this service compared to key competitors. The main parameters - are shown in the table (below). It's turns out that the main advantage of Amazon Cloud Drive - if free 5GB account  with maximum file size of 2GB. However, its main drawback negates this advantage: you can not share this large file with anyone. Amazon Cloud Drive doesn't allow to share files publicly or protected by password. I.e. the only way of using this service - is a private storage for backup or enhancing your productivity. ***


2007. Windows Live SkyDrive gets named and updated

Microsoft has made an announcement today regarding the renaming of their online storage solution, Windows Live Folders, to Windows Live SkyDrive. I previously wrote about Windows Live Folders when it was initially launched in a limited beta version at the end of June, providing some context for this release. Alongside this renaming, Microsoft has introduced several upgrades to the service. These upgrades encompass an enhanced user interface, the convenience of drag and drop file upload, a section for recently viewed users, the capability to embed files in web pages or blog posts, and a thumbnail view specifically for pictures. It's a highly impressive service, and I highly recommend trying it out. For those curious about its appearance, I have created a public folder where you can have a glimpse, including my Google Reader feed list in OPML format and a screenshot from one of my Forza Motorsport 2 races.


2007. Windows Live Folders: Not Actually Live

When we caught wind of Microsoft's Live Drive receiving updates and a rebranding as Windows Live Folders, we were eager to explore its new features. However, as of the time of writing, the service is non-functional, and attempting to log in with a Hotmail account triggers a runtime error, as depicted in the accompanying screenshot. Had the service been operational, it would have offered users 500 MB of online storage space, allowing them to store and customize access settings for their files, whether they be accessible to everyone, limited to contacts only, or kept private. In the interim, for your online file storage needs, you might consider exploring the exceptionally straightforward and efficient Dropboks, which provides 1 GB of storage, or DropSend, which not only offers storage but also serves as a platform for sending large files. If you require additional storage capacity, AOL's XDrive is worth considering, boasting a generous 5 GB along with the ability to create slideshows using your music and images.