OneDrive vs. Dropbox

Overview

This article is designed to act as a tool in order to help you to decide between using Microsoft Office's OneDrive and Dropbox. Both services provide cloud-based storage solutions with associated software applications for desktops/laptops and mobile devices in order to facilitate work and collaboration within designated groups.

General Features

Availability

Feature	OneDrive	Dropbox
Account Types	All UO faculty, staff, and students have the same access.	All UO faculty, staff, and students have the same access.

Compatibility

Feature	OneDrive	Dropbox
Can be used via web browser	Go to office.uoregon.edu	Go to dropbox.com
Can install app on macOS and iOS	Yes	Yes
Can install app on Windows and Android	Yes	Yes

Files

Feature	OneDrive	Dropbox
File creation	Microsoft Word Microsoft Excel Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft OneNote Microsoft Forms URLs	Dropbox Paper Microsoft Word Microsoft Excel Microsoft PowerPoint
File preview	View the list	View the list

Capacity

Feature	OneDrive	Dropbox
Storage capacity	1 TB per user	100 GB per user

Content Sharing

Feature	OneDrive	Dropbox
Sharing files with colleagues	Yes	Yes
Creating group folders for focus collaboration	Yes* *Can be done in conjunction with Microsoft Teams and SharePoint as well	Yes* Can be done using user-managed team folders* (created and managed by users) and university-managed team folders (created and managed by service admins)

Feature

OneDrive

Dropbox

Sharing files with colleagues

Yes

Creating group folders for focus collaboration

Yes*

*Can be done in conjunction with Microsoft Teams and SharePoint as well

Yes*

*Can be done using user-managed team folders (created and managed by users) and university-managed team folders (created and managed by service admins)

Data security

For more comprehensive information about the suitability of various UO collaboration tools for handling data at different risk levels, please consult the data security classification on the UO Information Security Office website.

Note: For any high-risk or HIPAA-related materials, please consult the Information Security Office before proceeding at infosec@uoregon.edu

Compliance	OneDrive	Dropbox
FERPA	Yes	Yes
HIPAA	Yes	At a later date

Integrations

Service	OneDrive	Dropbox
Office 365	Yes	Not configured
Canvas	No	No
Outlook	Yes	No

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