Google One vs. Google Drive: What’s the Difference

You may have seen Google One on your Android phone or heard about it somewhere. Is Google One the same as Google Drive, or what’s the difference between them? Are these types of questions on your mind? Find the answer here.

Before we begin, you should know that Google Drive is different from Google Photos. However, both are Google products. And Google One will apply to Google Photos as well. Let’s begin.

Google One vs. Google Drive: Comparison Table

	Google One	Google Drive
Basic Difference	Subscription service to increase storage for your Google account	Cloud storage service
Available Storage	100GB to 2TB	15GB
Price	15-78$ annual charges	Free
Requirements	A Google account and online payment mode	A Google account
Benefits	Yes, like the ability to share up to 5 members, premium photo editing, VPN, and 24/7 customer support	No extra benefits

Tip: Know how to use the VPN included with Google One.

What’s the Difference Between Google One and Google Drive

Google Drive is a free cloud storage service, whereas Google One is a premium subscription for Google Drive.

To put it in perspective, Google Drive is a cloud storage service from Google where you can save your photos, videos, and documents like PDFs, etc. Google files like Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms are also saved in Google Drive. It’s a free service with 15GB of storage across Google products like Google Photos, Gmail, and Google Drive.

Once your free 15GB storage is full, consider expanding the storage. That’s where Google One comes into the picture. Google One is simply a paid subscription for Google Drive or your Google account. You can call it the pro or premium version of Google Drive. It’s not a separate service for Google Drive. Like any paid version, you get extra benefits for your Google account in a Google One subscription.

Note: Before Google One, the paid subscription plan to increase Google storage was called the Google Drive storage plan.

Now, let’s check the differences in detail between the two in terms of storage, pricing, benefits, and more.

Storage

You get 15GB of storage with your personal Google account. That includes storage for Google Drive, Photos, and Gmail. Google One subscription plans offer three types of storage plans: 100GB (basic), 200GB, and 2TB.

Again, this storage is also shared across your Google products. There is no limit on storage for any particular Google product. For instance, you can have 80GB of data in Google Drive, 10GB in Google Photos, and 10GB in Gmail. Or you can have 10GB in Drive, 50GB in Google Photos, and 40GB in Gmail. It’s up to you.

Pricing

The personal Google accounts that most of us have are free to use. But if you want to expand the storage beyond 15GB, you will have to purchase a Google One subscription plan. Here are three Google One plans:

• Basic: 100GB storage @ $15 annually
• Standard: 200GB storage @ $25 annually
• Premium: 2TB storage @ $78 annually

Availability and Apps

Google Drive can be used on all platforms. Be it Android, iPhone, or desktop. Similarly, if you buy a Google One subscription, it can also be used on iPhone and PC. It’s not limited to Android phones. To keep a check on your storage, Google has provided dedicated apps for Google One for both Android and iPhone.

Tip: Learn how to fix Google Drive storage full but not files

Benefits

Google One subscription plans offer additional benefits you don’t get in the free version. Here’s a list of benefits of a Google One subscription:

• Access to Google experts for customer support
• Share with up to five other people
• Access to additional Google Photos editing features like Magic eraser, HDR, portrait blur color pop, sky suggestions, and portrait light.

Note: Members with whom you share your storage can’t see what you save in Drive or other Google products. Only the storage amount is shared, nothing else. Learn how to share Google One storage with your family.

Identify Google One Accounts

If you are a Google One member, i.e., you are subscribed to any Google One plan except the free one, you will see the official Google logo-colored ring around your profile picture in various Google products. No such thing happens in the free Google Drive account.

Files and Data

You don’t need to move or transfer your existing Google Drive files to a Google One storage or elsewhere when purchasing a Google One subscription. The files will remain in your current Google account only, and you can access them as you would prior to switching to a Google One plan. The only difference is that the storage of that account will increase by buying a Google One plan. So, now you can save more data or files in your Google account.

Tip: Know what happens when you cancel your Google One subscription

Frequently Asked Questions

Choose Between Google One or Google Drive

We hope you understood the differences between Google One and Google Drive. Clearly, you don’t need to choose between the two. You can continue using the free version of Google account (or Drive) as long as you have enough storage. You should switch to Google One only when you need extra storage or the benefits provided by Google One. Before you go, know how to free up storage in Google Drive.