- What you get with free Google Drive
- What counts towards your 15 GB
- What happens when your free storage is full
- How to free up space without upgrading
- When you need more than 15 GB
- Who free Google Drive suits
- A quick storage check you can do now
- The June 2021 rule that changed everything
- Frequently asked questions
Yes, Google Drive is free. Every Google Account includes up to 15 GB of storage for free, but that 15 GB is shared across Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos, so your inbox and photo backups eat into the same space.
Most people find out about the shared storage the hard way, when Gmail stops behaving because Photos filled the account. Drive itself is free and works well. The rules about what counts towards your space are what you need to understand.
What you get with free Google Drive
- Up to 15 GB of storage with every Google Account.
- One pool shared with Gmail and Google Photos, not 15 GB each.
- Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms to create files right inside Drive.
- Sharing of files and folders with anyone who has the link or an invite.
What counts towards your 15 GB
Google's storage help page lists what uses your space:
| Counts towards storage | Doesn't count |
|---|---|
| Files in Drive, including PDFs, images and videos | Files in folders shared with you (they count for the owner) |
| Gmail messages and attachments, including Spam and Trash | Photos backed up in High quality or Express quality before June 1, 2021 |
| Original quality photos and videos in Google Photos | Google Docs files last edited before June 1, 2021 |
| Storage saver photos backed up after June 1, 2021 | |
| Docs, Sheets and Slides created or edited after June 1, 2021 |
That shared folder rule is useful. Files in a shared folder only use the storage of the person who owns them, never the people they're shared with. So if a client shares a big folder of assets with you, it doesn't touch your 15 GB.
What happens when your free storage is full
This is the part people don't expect. Google says that if you go over your storage quota:
- You can't upload new files to Google Drive.
- You can't back up photos and videos to Google Photos.
- Your ability to send and receive email in Gmail can be affected.
- You can't create new files in Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms and the other editors, and nobody can edit or copy your affected files until you reduce your usage.
And there's a longer-term rule. If you stay over quota for 2 years or longer, Google says all of your content may be removed, including Gmail, Photos, Drive and your Android device backup. You can still sign in while you're over, so it's fixable, but it's not something to ignore.
How to free up space without upgrading
- Empty Gmail's Spam and Trash folders, because they count.
- Search Gmail for large attachments and delete the ones you don't need.
- Sort Drive by storage used and remove old videos and duplicates.
- Check Google Photos for blurry shots, screenshots and big videos.
- Download anything you want to keep to your own device, then delete it from the cloud.
My step-by-step guide on how to free up space on Google Drive, Gmail and Photos goes through each of these in more detail.
When you need more than 15 GB
Google One plans sit on top of the free 15 GB. Google's plans page lists 100 GB, 2 TB and 5 TB options for Photos, Drive and Gmail combined, and some plans let you share storage with up to 5 others. For a small business, Google Workspace is the other route, with team storage and admin controls.
Who free Google Drive suits
Free Drive suits freelancers and small business owners who mainly work in Google Docs and Sheets, keep a tidy inbox and don't back up every phone video. It's also great for receiving client files, because shared folders don't count against you.
It's a poor fit if you shoot a lot of video on your phone with backup switched on, or if you never delete email. When you do share folders with people, this guide on how to share a Google Drive folder safely helps you keep control of who can see what.
A quick storage check you can do now
Open Google Drive, click Storage in the left menu and you'll see what's using your space across Drive, Gmail and Photos. It takes a minute, and it's the fastest way to spot whether one service is quietly eating the whole allowance.
The June 2021 rule that changed everything
If you've had a Google Account for years, you might remember when photos and Google Docs didn't use any space. Google's help page explains what changed. Files created or edited in Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms and the other editors after June 1, 2021 count against your quota, while files uploaded or last edited before that date don't.
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Photos work the same way. High quality, now called Storage saver, and Express quality photos and videos backed up after June 1, 2021 count towards your storage. Anything backed up in those qualities before then doesn't. That's why some people find their free space disappearing faster than it used to, even though their habits haven't changed.
Google also notes that deleting older Storage saver photos from before June 2021 won't free up space, because they never counted in the first place. So if you're clearing room, start with newer videos and large Gmail attachments.
My verdict: Google Drive is free and 15 GB is decent, but it's one pot for your email, files and photos. Keep an eye on Gmail and Photos, clear Spam and Trash now and again, and you'll get a long way before you need more.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Drive free to use?
Yes. Every Google Account includes up to 15 GB of storage for free, shared across Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos.
Do files shared with me use my Google Drive storage?
No. Google says files in shared folders only use the storage of the original file owner, never the recipient.
Do Gmail Spam and Trash count towards Google storage?
Yes. Gmail messages and attachments count, including your Spam and Trash folders.
What happens if my Google storage is full?
You can't upload to Drive, back up to Photos or create new Docs files, and Gmail can be affected. If you stay over quota for 2 years or longer, Google may remove your content.
How do I get more Google Drive storage?
You can free up space by deleting files and email, or move to a Google One plan, which Google lists in 100 GB, 2 TB and 5 TB sizes.
Do Google Docs count towards my free storage?
Yes, if they were created or edited after June 1, 2021. Files uploaded or last edited before that date don't count.
Is Google Drive storage separate from Gmail?
No. The free 15 GB is shared across Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos.
