OneDrive Review 2025: Is Microsoft's Cloud Storage Still Up-to-Date?

For Windows users who want to access their files from anywhere, OneDrive seems like the obvious choice. After all, Microsoft's cloud storage comes pre-installed on all Windows devices. But is the most convenient solution always the best one?

We thoroughly tested Microsoft OneDrive to find out how Microsoft's default solution compares to other cloud storage options.

For more information about how it works and a guide to Microsoft OneDrive, check here:

Since OneDrive comes pre-installed on all Windows devices, it caters to everyone - from beginners to experts, young and old. That's why OneDrive is designed to work smoothly and almost "invisibly" in the background.

User-friendliness is a top priority: The apps are mostly self-explanatory and fit nicely into the familiar Windows environment.

You can access your cloud storage in three ways: through the web interface, desktop app, or mobile app. This means your cloud storage is always available - whether you're working on your PC, in a browser, or on your phone.

Through the OneDrive web interface, which is part of your Microsoft account, you can access your cloud storage from anywhere. Here you can create Office documents like Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files directly online or upload them from your computer.

The web interface is simple and easy to use. It's divided into three main areas:

The web interface has a logical layout that's clear and practical - you'll quickly find what you're looking for.

Thanks to its tight integration with Microsoft 365, you can open and edit Office documents right in the cloud. Changes save automatically, and real-time collaboration with others works smoothly (more on this later). You can also view photos and play videos directly in your browser.

OneDrive comes pre-installed on Windows devices and integrates directly with Windows Explorer.

When you first open the app (using the cloud icon in the taskbar), you can choose where to put your OneDrive folder. This folder gives you direct access to your online storage through the file manager.

Files and folders sync automatically and appear as regular items in the file manager, which you can manage and organize as usual.

The mobile OneDrive app lets you access your cloud files anywhere on the go. It's just as simple and easy to understand as the other interfaces, plus it comes with some handy extra features.

Here's how the app is organized:

Here's an overview of platforms where OneDrive is available. While you can use OneDrive on Linux, Microsoft doesn't offer a dedicated app for it:

Syncing across devices is one of the main features of cloud storage. Any changes you make to your OneDrive cloud storage automatically update on all your connected devices. This means you'll always have the latest version of your files, whether you're using the web app, desktop, or smartphone.

When you work directly in the cloud using the web app, your changes sync right away across all your devices.

On your desktop, syncing happens through the OneDrive folder that's created when you install the OneDrive app. This folder works as the main link between your local storage and the cloud.

Any file or folder you move or change in this folder automatically syncs with the cloud. Similarly, any changes made in the cloud automatically update in this folder.

OneDrive offers two sync modes that you can set up in Settings under "Sync and backup":

No matter which mode you pick, you can always keep specific files or folders stored on your device. Just right-click the file or folder you want and select "Always keep on this device":

On your phone, OneDrive follows the "files on demand" approach: You can see all your files but can only access them through the cloud. However, you can mark specific files or folders for offline access to make them available without an internet connection.

A handy feature lets you choose whether to sync only over WiFi or also using mobile data. This helps you save on your data plan if needed.

You can also use OneDrive as a cloud backup for files outside your OneDrive folder. You'll find this option in the OneDrive app settings under "Back up important PC folders to OneDrive."

Unfortunately, Microsoft isn't very flexible here: Unlike Google Drive, you can't manually choose file paths. Instead, you can only back up these specific folders:

If you want to back up files from other locations, you'll need to move them to one of these folders first. This can be pretty annoying.

OneDrive's desktop app comes with several handy features. You can pause syncing for a set time (2, 8, or 24 hours). This comes in handy when you need faster internet speeds for other tasks.

If you have limited data or slower internet, you can also control your download and upload speeds. You'll find these options in the advanced settings under "Sync and backup":

OneDrive includes all the basic sync features you'd expect from an everyday cloud storage service. However, other services give you more control over how and what you sync.

Dropbox stands out with its selective sync feature. This lets you choose which files or folders to exclude from syncing. It's great when you want to save space by not syncing large files across all your devices.

Another missing feature is easy LAN transfer between devices on the same network. This feature, available with pCloud and others, allows faster syncing without using the internet.

Here's a quick look at which sync features OneDrive (and other cloud storage services) support:

In our performance comparison of cloud storage services, we focus on two main aspects:

To compare cloud storage performance fairly, we tested all services under the exact same conditions. We created a test folder with 10,000 files, 10,000 folders, 100 photos (about 500 MB), and one large video file (about 500 MB), then synced it using a PC with a 400 Mbps connection (upload and download).

OneDrive performed really well, landing in third place behind MEGA and pCloud. These two had slightly better download and (especially) upload speeds, with similar CPU usage. From a performance standpoint, Microsoft's service leaves little room for complaint:

Like Google Drive, OneDrive has the advantage of being part of a widely used collaboration platform that works smoothly with other Office apps.

The platform offers strong teamwork features, especially for people who already use programs like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel in their daily work. You can edit documents together in real-time, add comments, and easily share files with your team.

To work together on documents, you first need to share them with others. You can do this easily through any of the three OneDrive interfaces.

You have two main ways to share files and folders:

In the link and sharing settings, you can set exactly who has which rights to the document. You can choose whether anyone with the link should have access, or limit access to specific email addresses and groups. You can also decide if people with access can edit the selected document or just view it.

While OneDrive doesn't have a "comments only" permission like Google Drive, Microsoft offers more flexibility in other settings. For example, you can set an expiration date for your share links or protect access with a password:

However, Microsoft doesn't provide link statistics like the number of clicks or when the link was last accessed.

Here's an overview of the main sharing features in Microsoft OneDrive:

OneDrive's direct connection to Office apps like Word, Excel, or PowerPoint gives it a big advantage over regular cloud storage. You can not only share your files but also work on them together with others right in the cloud using the world's most popular office tools.

The online versions of Word and other Office apps offer all the features of the desktop programs, plus some helpful collaboration tools. You can see when someone else is in the document and track changes in real time. You can also leave comments to discuss changes with your co-workers directly in the document.

Compared to Google, their biggest competitor in this field, Microsoft's collaboration features can feel a bit clunky and outdated in some ways. Google's tools work better together overall: you can assign comments to specific team members and start chats and video meetings right from your current document with just a few clicks.

For truly seamless teamwork with Microsoft, you'll need an additional solution that's only included in business plans: SharePoint.

SharePoint is Microsoft's main platform for team collaboration and document management. While OneDrive focuses on personal file management, SharePoint is the interface for teams working together on projects and needing different access rights.

SharePoint isn't just for sharing files and folders: It's a content management system that helps teams create a structured system for organization and collaboration.

In SharePoint, an organization's content is organized through websites (called "sites"). SharePoint has different types of sites based on their purpose and target audience: team sites for internal collaboration, communication sites for sharing information with larger groups, and hub sites that connect related websites.

By default, every team site in SharePoint is linked to a Microsoft 365 group. These groups control team permissions and connect with other Microsoft services like Outlook and Teams. This means all group members can access the team site and its resources without needing extra permissions set up manually.

Microsoft 365 groups usually have two roles: "owners" and "members." Owners have full access and admin rights, while members can create and edit content. This group structure makes it easy to manage permissions for an entire team and quickly make changes.

SharePoint has many more features and offers a complete system for managing team structures and access rights within the Microsoft environment. However, this solution makes more sense for larger teams.

Here's a look at Microsoft OneDrive's main team features compared:

Is Microsoft OneDrive secure? The short answer:

Your data is well-protected from hackers and other threats, but from a privacy standpoint, Microsoft (like Google Drive) raises some concerns. Let's look at both aspects in more detail:

OneDrive uses a mix of encryption, access control, monitoring systems, and user-defined protection to keep your cloud-stored data safe.

All files are encrypted during transfer and while stored. OneDrive uses TLS for data transfer and encrypts stored files with unique AES256 keys, which are also protected in Azure Key Vault.

Microsoft's data centers are also well-protected against natural disasters and systematic attacks. They're spread out geographically and can handle failures; all data is "mirrored in at least two different Azure regions that are hundreds of miles apart."

Despite Microsoft's security measures, someone could still gain access to your account - for example through device theft or password theft.

Microsoft created the "Personal Vault" for these emergencies. You can store files there that need extra protection against unauthorized access. To open this folder, you need to verify your identity again, even if you're already signed in to your Windows account.

You can choose from several ways to confirm your identity, from biometric factors to a simple email. Of course, if someone manages to break into your storage, a lot of damage is already done - but knowing your most important files have this extra layer of security in the Personal Vault can give you more peace of mind.

Microsoft has all the important security certificates, including ISO 27001 and ISO 27018. However, GDPR compliance is a tricky subject for international cloud services like OneDrive. Microsoft promises to help meet the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation.

When it comes to GDPR and legal compliance for businesses, Microsoft raises some questions - but this is true for other cloud services too. If you need legal certainty, you should get advice from a data privacy expert.

For data access, Microsoft follows a "Zero-Standing Access" policy. This means Microsoft technicians only get temporary access to customer data in rare cases when absolutely necessary. These access events are limited and logged.

However, Microsoft can access your data because OneDrive - unlike platforms like Proton Drive or MEGA - doesn't offer end-to-end encryption. Your data is only encrypted on the server side, not throughout the entire process. While this protects your files from outside attackers, you need to accept that Microsoft could technically access your data.

Here's how Microsoft OneDrive's privacy features compare:

OneDrive is free and comes pre-installed on all Windows devices. However, storage is limited to 5 GB - Microsoft is a bit stingier here than Google or MEGA.

If you need more storage (and features), you'll need to sign up for a Microsoft 365 subscription. Microsoft 365 is Microsoft's productivity platform that includes OneDrive along with many other apps and features.

There are three plans for personal use:

If you want to use Microsoft solutions with your team and need features like file sharing or identity, access, and user management, you'll need to choose a business plan. There are three options:

Here's an overview of Microsoft 365 plans:

Compared to other cloud storage services, Microsoft OneDrive's pricing sits in the middle range. However, you get better value for money than with "pure" cloud storage services since Microsoft 365 plans give you access to Microsoft's powerful Office tools.

The cheapest plan (Microsoft 365 Basic) with 100 GB storage is one of the most affordable options out there, but if you need 500 GB or 2 TB, there are cheaper alternatives. The free 5 GB storage is decent, but some other cloud storage services offer more.

Here's a comparison of monthly costs from providers in our review for different storage sizes and user numbers:

Whether OneDrive is the right cloud storage for you mainly depends on how much you're already using Microsoft products.

For Windows users and anyone who regularly works with Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, Microsoft's solution makes perfect sense: The cloud storage fits smoothly into your daily work, makes sharing and editing files super easy, and offers lots of extra value through Microsoft 365 integration.

But OneDrive has its downsides – which might matter even more if you're not already using Windows. The collaboration features aren't as quick and user-friendly as Google's, and the lack of end-to-end encryption raises privacy concerns.

If you're already using Microsoft products and don't mind their privacy practices, OneDrive is still a convenient and solid choice. However, there are better cloud storage options out there for everyone else.

What do OneDrive users think about Microsoft's cloud storage? We checked popular review sites and gathered important feedback for you:

Looking for a different cloud storage solution? Here are some of the best alternatives to Microsoft OneDrive:

Here are the best alternatives to Microsoft OneDrive: