Google Drive suits businesses that run on Google Workspace and want simple file sharing with real-time collaboration, especially through shared drives that belong to the team. SharePoint suits businesses on Microsoft 365 that want team sites, an intranet and structured libraries, with Copilot drawing on the content. In practice your email and office apps decide it: Gmail and Docs point to Drive, Outlook and Word point to SharePoint.
Both store files in the cloud, and both let teams work on documents together. The difference isn't storage. It's the wider system around them and how each one organises shared work, and that's what you'll live with every day. I read Google's Drive page and its guide to shared drives, plus Microsoft's SharePoint page and Microsoft Learn pages on SharePoint limits and OneDrive retention.
Google Drive and SharePoint compared
| Google Drive | SharePoint | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of | Google Workspace | Microsoft 365 |
| Team storage | Shared drives owned by the organisation | Team sites and document libraries |
| Free option | Yes, 15 GB with a Google Account | Not stated: part of Microsoft 365 business plans |
| AI | Gemini in Drive | Copilot in SharePoint and an Admin Agent |
| Extras | Real-time editing in Docs, Sheets and Slides | Intranet, branded hub for news and resources |
| Limits I found | Not covered on the pages I read | 25 TB per site, 300,000 files per synced library |
What happens to files when someone leaves
This is the question that matters most to a small business, and both platforms have a good answer if you set them up well. Google's guide to shared drives says files in a shared drive belong to the team rather than an individual, and when someone leaves and an admin deletes their account, the files they added or created in shared drives remain. SharePoint works the same way for team sites, because the site belongs to the organisation.
The risk sits in personal storage. Files left in someone's own My Drive or OneDrive depend on that account. Microsoft Learn says a deleted user's OneDrive is kept for 30 days by default before it goes. The habit that protects you on either platform is the same: shared work lives in shared drives or team sites, never in one person's space.
Where Google Drive is easier
Drive keeps things simple. Every file sits in one place, people edit together in real time in Docs, Sheets and Slides, and Gemini in Drive can summarise and answer questions about your files. A free Google Account includes 15 GB shared across Gmail, Drive and Photos, so freelancers and very small teams can start without any setup. Shared drives give you team ownership as soon as you're on Workspace.
Where SharePoint goes further
SharePoint is more than file storage. You get team sites, a branded hub for company news and resources, structured libraries and an admin agent for governance, and Microsoft describes it as the knowledge platform for Copilot and agents. Microsoft Learn lists 1 TB per organisation plus 10 GB for each licence and up to 25 TB per site, and recommends syncing no more than 300,000 files in a single library.
Signs one will suit you better
- Your team uses Gmail and Google Docs every day: Google Drive.
- Your team uses Outlook, Word and Teams: SharePoint.
- You want a company intranet with news and resources: SharePoint.
- You want the quickest possible setup for a small team: Google Drive.
If you're tidying up Drive, here's how to free up space on Google Drive, and before anyone leaves, read how to transfer ownership in Google Drive.
My advice on Google Drive or SharePoint
Follow your email. If your business runs on Gmail, use Google Drive with shared drives for every team. If it runs on Outlook, use SharePoint team sites. Then make one rule non-negotiable: nothing the business needs lives only in one person's personal storage.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a Google shared drive?
Google describes shared drives as special folders where files belong to the team instead of an individual, so they stay when someone leaves.
Is Google Drive free?
A free Google Account includes 15 GB of storage shared across Gmail, Drive and Photos.
Is SharePoint just file storage?
No. SharePoint also gives you team sites, an intranet, a branded hub for news and resources, and content that Copilot can draw on.
What happens to SharePoint files when someone leaves?
Files in a SharePoint site belong to the organisation and stay. Files in that person's OneDrive are kept for 30 days by default after their account is deleted.
Can I use Google Drive and SharePoint together?
You can, but most small businesses find it simpler to pick the one that matches their email and office apps.
