Every Google account starts with up to 15 GB of free storage, and the Google One page I reviewed says that space is shared across Google Photos, Drive, and Gmail. That is why storage fills faster than most store owners expect. People look for Google Drive alternatives when the space runs out, when they want files kept apart from their email, or when they want stronger privacy. I run my own stores and teach high-ticket dropshipping at Ecommerce Paradise, so I judge file storage by what it costs per year and how easily a supplier or assistant can open the files you share.
Everything below comes from each vendor’s own page as I reviewed it. Where a page does not show a number, I write “not shown” instead of guessing. Prices and plans change often, so confirm them before you sign up. Some links in this article are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.
Storage matters more once you have a real catalog. If you are still deciding what to sell, start with my guide to what high-ticket dropshipping is before you plan how to organize supplier files.
Google Drive Alternatives at a Glance
| Option | Starting price | Free option | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dropbox | Plus at $9.99 a month for 2 TB | Basic, 2 GB | Owners who share files with suppliers and assistants |
| Microsoft OneDrive | Microsoft 365 Basic at $19.99 a year for 100 GB | 5 GB | Owners who already use Word and Excel |
| Box | Business prices not shown | Individual, 10 GB | Owners who want a business-focused team plan |
| Proton Drive | Drive Plus at $4.99 a month for 200 GB | Free, 5 GB | Owners who want end-to-end encryption |
| Sync.com | Teams 1 TB at about $4.50 per user a month billed annually | Not stated on the page I read | Small teams that want encrypted storage |
Organized files are easier to run when the store itself is built right. If you want a high-ticket store built for you, start here. See the done-for-you store build →
What Google Drive Costs and Where It Falls Short
The Google One page lists three paid storage plans. Basic is 100 GB at $1.99 a month, Google AI Plus is 2 TB at $9.99 a month, and Google AI Pro is 5 TB at $19.99 a month. Each plan can be shared with up to 5 other people, and the storage covers Google Photos, Drive, and Gmail.
The page has a toggle for annual billing with savings of up to 16%, but the annual prices are not shown. It does not mention a free trial. The plan names for the larger tiers include AI features, and the page I read does not break out what you pay for storage alone.
The main drawback for a store owner is that one pool of storage covers your email, your photos, and your files. A busy inbox with attachments can use up the free 15 GB before you have uploaded a single product photo. If you run a business on Google tools, my guide to Google Workspace pricing covers the business plans separately.
How to Pick a Cloud Storage Tool
Start with how much you really store. A catalog of product photos, supplier spec sheets, and invoices can be small. Raw video and large photo libraries are not, so measure your folders before you buy.
Next, think about who needs access. Sharing with one assistant is a different job from giving a team of five their own logins. Check whether a plan is for one person, a family, or a business team, since the pages list these differently.
Finally, think about privacy and recovery. Some tools describe end-to-end encryption, and some list how long you can restore earlier file versions. Pick based on what you would lose if a file vanished, not on the cheapest sticker price.
1. Dropbox
Dropbox lists a free Basic plan with 2 GB of storage. Plus is $9.99 a month for 2 TB and 1 person. Standard is $15 per user a month and starts at 3 TB for the team, and Advanced is $24 per user a month and starts at 15 TB for the team with 3 people or more.
The page title and description mention a 30-day free trial. Yearly prices are not shown in the content I could read, even though the page has a billed-yearly toggle. The Basic plan itself is free.
Dropbox suits owners who share folders with suppliers and assistants. I wrote a longer comparison in my Dropbox alternatives guide, which covers more tools than this list.
2. Microsoft OneDrive
OneDrive is sold through Microsoft 365 plans, and the Microsoft page lists 5 GB free. Microsoft 365 Basic is 100 GB for 1 person at $19.99 a year or $1.99 a month. Personal is 1 TB for 1 person at $99.99 a year or $9.99 a month.
Family is 2 TB shared by 1 to 6 people at $129.99 a year or $12.99 a month. Premium is up to 6 TB, with 1 TB per person for 1 to 6 people, at $199.99 a year or $19.99 a month. The page shows a try-for-free link on Personal, Family, and Premium, but it does not state how long the trial lasts.
Personal and above list Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote with Copilot. Expandable storage up to 10 TB is listed on those plans, and the page notes that AI features are for the subscription owner only on Family. OneDrive suits owners who already work in Microsoft apps.
3. Box
Box lists far more business tiers than personal ones. The page lists a free Individual plan with 10 GB of storage and a 250 MB maximum upload. Personal Pro is 100 GB with a 5 GB upload limit, but the price is not shown on the page I read.
Business Starter is 100 GB for up to 10 users with a minimum of 3, and a 2 GB upload limit. Business is listed as unlimited storage with a 5 GB upload limit, and Business Plus is unlimited with a 15 GB limit. Enterprise tiers list larger upload limits, up to 500 GB on Enterprise Advanced.
The business tiers are priced per user per month with a minimum of 3 users, but no dollar amounts appear in the content. The page title says from $5 per user a month. Several business tiers show a try-for-free button, and the page does not state the trial length.
4. Proton Drive
Proton Drive leads with privacy on its page. It lists a free plan with 5 GB of storage and says the free plan is protected with end-to-end encryption. It also says Proton cannot view or edit your files.
Drive Plus is 200 GB at $4.99 a month. Proton Unlimited is 500 GB at $12.99 a month and includes VPN, Mail, Calendar, and Pass. Proton Duo is 2 TB for up to 2 users at $19.99 a month, and Proton Family is 3 TB for up to 6 users at $29.99 a month.
A business plan, Drive Professional, is listed at 1 TB per user for $9.99 a month. Yearly prices are not shown, and the page mentions no free trial. Paid plans list a 30-day money-back guarantee with a prorated refund for cancellations in the first 30 days.
5. Sync.com
Sync.com sells encrypted storage, and the page I read was its team pricing page. All team plans require a minimum of 3 users. Teams 1 TB is about $6 per user a month billed monthly or $4.50 billed annually, and Teams 2 TB is about $9 monthly or $6.75 annually.
Teams 10 TB is about $13.50 per user a month billed monthly or $11.25 billed annually, and it adds VIP support. The page headline says save 25% for 1 year, and I read the lower figure in each pair as the discounted price. Sync Enterprise needs 100 or more users and lists no price.
The page describes the service as end-to-end encrypted storage and lists SOC 2 Type 1, HIPAA, GDPR, and PIPEDA compliance. It offers a 30-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. The free storage amount is not stated on that page, so check the sign-up page. I broke down the plans in my Sync.com pricing guide.
What Each Option Costs Per Year
These figures are my own math from the listed prices. They leave out any tax, add-on, or fee the pages do not state, and where a page shows only a monthly price I use that.
Google Basic at $1.99 a month is $23.88 a year, Google AI Plus at $9.99 is $119.88, and Google AI Pro at $19.99 is $239.88. Dropbox Plus at $9.99 a month is $119.88 a year, and Standard at $15 per user a month is $180 per user.
Microsoft 365 Basic is $19.99 a year, Personal is $99.99, Family is $129.99, and Premium is $199.99 at the yearly prices. Proton Drive Plus at $4.99 a month is $59.88 a year, and Proton Unlimited at $12.99 is $155.88.
Sync.com Teams 1 TB at $4.50 per user a month is $54 per user a year, so the 3-user minimum is $162 a year. Box business prices are not shown, so I cannot work them out.
Which Tool Fits Which Store Owner
If you only need a bit more space for photos and documents, the cheapest paid step on this list is Microsoft 365 Basic at $19.99 a year or Google Basic at $1.99 a month. Both list 100 GB.
If you share folders with suppliers and an assistant, Dropbox lists a Plus plan for 1 person and team plans from Standard. If you already write in Word and Excel, Microsoft 365 bundles those apps with storage.
If privacy comes first, Proton Drive and Sync.com both describe end-to-end encryption on their pages. If you run a small team, Box and Sync.com list team plans with a 3-user minimum.
Features Worth Paying For
Version history comes first. Proton Drive lists 10 years to recover previous file versions on Drive Plus, which can save you after an accidental overwrite. Check the recovery window on any tool you choose.
Upload limits come second. Box lists upload limits from 250 MB on its free plan to 500 GB on Enterprise Advanced, and Dropbox and Google list storage totals. If you send large raw video files, check the per-file limit as well as the total.
Sharing controls come third. A tool that lets you share one folder with a supplier without exposing everything else is worth more than extra gigabytes. Test the sharing setup on a free plan before you pay.
Using Cloud Storage for a High-Ticket Store
High-ticket stores run on documents. Supplier price lists, product spec sheets, warranty terms, and installation guides all need a home that you and your assistant can find quickly. Name your folders by supplier and product so nothing gets lost.
Keep customer-facing assets, such as photos and videos, in a separate folder from private records, such as invoices and contracts. That way you can share the first folder without worrying about the second. If you build on Shopify, keep your original photo files in your storage and upload only the resized versions.
If you want shared drives and team email under one login, Google Workspace is worth a look at the business level.
A Simple 30-Day Test Plan
Pick one tool and move one project folder into it, such as a single supplier’s files. Share the folder with your assistant and ask them to find three documents. Note how long it takes and whether anything confused them.
At the end of the month, check how much space you used and how often you opened the files. A tool that is cheap but slow to share is not cheaper once you count your time. Keep the one that your team opens without asking you for help.
Then repeat the test with a second tool before you move everything. One good week can mislead you, so give each tool enough time to show a pattern.
Costs to Watch as You Grow
The first cost is per-user pricing. Dropbox Standard, Box business tiers, and Sync.com teams all price per user, so five people cost five times the listed amount. Add up your team before you compare.
The second cost is the minimum user count. Box and Sync.com both list a minimum of 3 users on business plans, which raises the starting cost for a solo owner. Check whether an individual plan fits before you buy a team plan.
The third cost is shared storage. Microsoft Family lists 2 TB shared by up to 6 people, so a heavy user can use up everyone’s space. Google’s plans can be shared with up to 5 others, so check how the storage is split and review usage every few months.
Moving Away From Google Drive Safely
Do not delete anything from Google on the day you open another account. Copy your files to the new tool first and open a few of them to confirm they work. Keep the Google copy until you are sure.
Update every shared link before you cut over. Suppliers and assistants may still have the old links saved, so send them the new ones. Check which documents are Google Docs or Sheets, since those may need exporting to another format before another tool can open them.
Remember that Google storage is shared with Gmail and Photos. Moving your files out frees space for email, but it does not close your Google account, so keep it for the services you still use.
When Google Drive Is Still the Right Pick
Google Drive still makes sense in many cases. If you already use Gmail and Google Docs, keeping files in the same account is simple. The free 15 GB may be enough for a new store, and the paid plans start at $1.99 a month for 100 GB.
If your team already works in Google tools, switching storage alone can add friction. Match the tool to your habits, and do not switch only because a list told you to.
Hiring Help to Organize Your Files
File cleanup is easy to hand off once you write down the folder rules. A virtual assistant from OnlineJobs.ph can rename files, sort supplier documents, and keep the folders tidy from a short checklist. Give them one example folder to copy.
For a one-off job, such as a product photo cleanup or a logo file, a freelancer on Fiverr can deliver the work into a shared folder. Keep your originals in your own storage so you never depend on a contractor to hold them.
Common Mistakes With Cloud Storage
The first mistake is keeping the only copy of a file in one place. Keep at least one backup in a second tool. The second mistake is sharing a whole folder when one file would do.
The third mistake is storing business records before your company is set up. If you have not formed your company, read my guide to business formation for high-ticket dropshipping. To file an LLC quickly, Bizee is one option I recommend.
The fourth mistake is organizing files for a product with no supplier lined up. Pick a niche from my high-ticket niches list first. My guide to finding suppliers for high-ticket dropshipping covers the sourcing side.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Google Drive alternative for a small store?
It depends on how you work. Dropbox lists both personal and team plans, Microsoft 365 bundles storage with Word and Excel, Proton Drive and Sync.com describe end-to-end encryption, and Box lists team tiers. Compare the per-user cost for your team size.
How much free storage do the alternatives give?
Google lists up to 15 GB shared across Photos, Drive, and Gmail. Box lists 10 GB, Proton Drive 5 GB, OneDrive 5 GB, and Dropbox Basic 2 GB. Sync.com does not state its free amount on the team page I read.
Which option is cheapest?
For one person, Microsoft 365 Basic at $19.99 a year and Google Basic at $1.99 a month are the lowest listed prices for 100 GB. Compare what each plan includes, since the storage rules differ.
Do any of these use end-to-end encryption?
Proton Drive says its free plan is protected with end-to-end encryption, and Sync.com describes its platform as end-to-end encrypted. The other pages I read did not make the same claim, so check their security pages if it matters.
Can I use more than one storage tool?
Yes. Many owners keep working files in one tool and a backup in another. Keep your folder names consistent so you can find files in either place.
Final Verdict on Google Drive Alternatives
Dropbox is a good first pick for owners who share folders with suppliers and assistants, since it lists both personal and team plans. Microsoft OneDrive suits owners who already use Microsoft apps, Box suits teams that want a business-focused plan, Proton Drive suits owners who put privacy first, and Sync.com suits small teams that want encrypted storage. Google Drive is still worth keeping if you live in Gmail and Docs.
Start with the free plans, confirm the current price on each live page, and test with one real project folder before you move everything. Then spend your attention on the store itself, because tidy files only help when the products behind them can sell.
Want a high-ticket store with the products, suppliers, and pages already set up? Let my team build it for you. Get your store built →
Prefer to learn the model yourself? Start with my free mini course, or go deeper in the masterclass and coaching. Free mini course → Masterclass → Coaching →
Related Articles
If you found this useful, these guides go deeper on related topics:
- Dropbox Alternatives: 5 File Storage Tools Compared for Store Owners (2026)
- WeTransfer Alternatives: 5 File Transfer Tools Compared by Price, Limits and Fit (2026)
- Google Workspace Alternatives 2026: 8 Options Compared by Price, Storage and Fit
- Google Workspace Pricing 2026: Every Plan and What You Really Pay
- Sync.com Pricing 2026: Every Plan and What It Actually Costs
Trevor Fenner is an ecommerce entrepreneur and world traveler from Seattle, Washington, and the founder of Ecommerce Paradise, a platform focused on helping entrepreneurs build and scale profitable high-ticket ecommerce and dropshipping businesses. With over a decade of hands-on experience, Trevor specializes in high-ticket dropshipping strategy, niche and product selection, supplier recruiting and onboarding, Google & Bing Shopping ads, ecommerce SEO, and systems-driven automation and scaling. Through Ecommerce Paradise, he provides free education via in-depth guides like How to Start High-Ticket Dropshipping, advanced training through the High-Ticket Dropshipping Masterclass, and fully done-for-you turnkey ecommerce services for entrepreneurs who want a faster, more hands-off path to growth. Trevor is known for emphasizing sustainable, real-world ecommerce models over hype-driven tactics, helping store owners build scalable, sellable, and location-independent brands.
He maintains homes in Seattle and Bali, spends most of the year overseas, and usually returns to Seattle for about a month each summer.
