iCloud has been an integral part of the iOS and Mac ecosystem. Apple’s cloud storage offers plenty of reasons to choose it over competitors like OneDrive and Google Drive. Over the years, the company has added various features to its iCloud service. Speaking of competitors, OneDrive and Google Drive are positioning themselves as excellent alternatives on iOS.
OneDrive in particular is growing extraordinarily well under Nadella’s ‘Mobile First, Cloud First’ vision. In the last few months OneDrive has received many changes with new UI and functionality like Private vault.
iCloud isn’t behind either. Apple added new features to its cloud platform with iOS 13.
In this post, we’ll compare iCloud with OneDrive for iOS and decide which storage platform is right for you.
The comparison will cover interface, features, sharing, price, cross-platform usability, and more. Let’s jump.
Cross-Platform Availability
Before we start, I think OneDrive is the clear winner here. Microsoft has native apps for OneDrive on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and the web. iCloud is accessible on iOS, Windows, and macOS. There is no Android app available. This is surprising given Apple’s new focus on software and services over the past few quarters.
user interface
OneDrive received a new coat of paint earlier this year. It places the app right next to Microsoft’s other productivity apps like Outlook and OneNote.
It uses a mix of white and blue themed sub-tabs hamburger menu. The search bar is at the top with a single swipe down.
iCloud is directly integrated into the Settings menu, Photos app, and Files app. Generally, you should stick with the Files app as it provides a convenient way to manage files.
The Files app uses the light blue/white theme and on the home page you will see the iCloud section to access the files. The search box is at the top and the recent files menu is at the bottom.
Overall, a functional and clean user interface.
Note:
Features
This part can make or break it for you. Let’s start with OneDrive. The app allows you to edit, rename folders/files, automatically upload camera folder to OneDrive gallery.
OneDrive intelligently organizes them by year and month. I like it because I don’t have to look through a long list of photos to find a relevant photo.
Microsoft has added Personal Vault to OneDrive. Users’ Aadhar card, License, Passport etc. It provides a separate area for them to store sensitive documents such as It comes with extra authentication for convenience.
Tap the camera icon in the middle and the app is ready to serve you with a built-in document scanner. The only problem is that you cannot export scanned documents as images. It is saved in PDF format only.
OneDrive also offers offline functionality so you can access important files without internet.
OneDrive provides built-in PDF reader and office files support for viewing documents. This PDF reader is also powerful. Users can sign documents, leave notes, mark using a pen/pencil and even add dates.
In terms of security, it allows you to add a password or Face ID protection to lock the app.
All iPhone apps use iCloud to back up app data and settings, making it much easier to restore them to a new iPhone.
In terms of organization, there are two options. You can tag them to a specific folder for easy access or set them as favorites in the files app. Users can also download certain files for offline access.
Apple has cleverly used peek and unlock functionality throughout the interface. You can use it on the app icon to access recent files. You can also long press a folder or file to quickly copy, move, rename or compress a file.
iCloud wins over OneDrive thanks to tight integration with the iOS system. You can search for a folder/file name from the search menu. The Files widget displays the last four files from iCloud.
Let’s say you created a document in the Pages app on Mac. It will automatically appear in the Files widget on iPhone, Convenient, right?
Sharing
The OneDrive app wins this by a wide margin. You can send folders, files using a shareable link. It gives you three options – view only, comment and editable link.
Earlier this year, OneDrive announced two privacy-focused features.
Users can create an expiration link with a due date. You can set a certain time limit and the link will no longer work.
You can add a password to the shareable link using OneDrive web. The recipient will need to enter the password to view the content.
In the Files app, you can only share files or images, and not the entire folder yet.
Apple was supposed to add iCloud folder sharing in iOS 13, but it’s being delayed.
pricing
iCloud and OneDrive only offer 5GB of storage. On iCloud, you can pay $1 a month for 50GB, $3 a month for 200GB, and $10 a month for 1TB. The 200GB and 1TB plans come with family sharing options that allow you to share the same plan with up to five family members.
With OneDrive, you can purchase an additional 50GB for $2 per month. The value of the money pack remains as an Office 365 Personal/Home subscription. For $70 a year, you can get Office 365 Personal with 1TB of OneDrive storage and Microsoft’s class-leading desktop office apps. And hey, don’t forget its excellent integration with the Windows Photos app.
Office 365 Home costs $100 per year and can be shared with up to five other members. The benefits remain the same as Office 365 Personal.
Which Cloud Should You Ride On?
As you can see from the comparison above, both apps are aimed at a different audience. OneDrive is loaded with features, multiple secure sharing options. iCloud is for someone who works between iPhone and Mac simultaneously to get things done.
Next: OneDrive is packed with lots of tips and tricks. Read the post below to know more details about it.
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