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Box vs Microsoft OneDrive comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Box
Ranking in Content Collaboration Platforms
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
41
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Content Management (8th), Cloud Storage (13th), Digital Asset Management (3rd), Document Management Software (4th)
Microsoft OneDrive
Ranking in Content Collaboration Platforms
11th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
4.6
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Content Collaboration Platforms category, the mindshare of Box is 9.3%, up from 8.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft OneDrive is 9.6%, down from 12.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Content Collaboration Platforms
 

Featured Reviews

Parthasarathy Chellapillai - PeerSpot reviewer
Used for data storage and data collaboration, but its data security could be improved
If I have restricted access within an organization by keeping the data in Box, there are other applications through which I can barge into the data. If anyone wants to keep a file restricted to four people, I can access it because it's available in the cloud. I can directly access the file and pull in the data by entering the file's name. Someone from outside the organization can't access it. However, someone from within the organization who is not supposed to access the data can access it, provided it is in Box. Box is almost like a folder structure outside your system. The solution uses the cloud, and you don't need any separate storage in your system. Even if your system crashes down, the data will be saved. Overall, I rate the solution a six out of ten.
Victor Bayouwa - PeerSpot reviewer
I love the backup capabilities and the offline sync
We use OneDrive to share documents throughout the organization and collaborate. It is also used for backups.  The backup capability is one feature I love about OneDrive. I also like how it syncs when you're working offline. Everything is updated once you connect again. It takes too long for…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Sharing and collaborating across files and folders has been a massive game changer."
"The ability to collaborate around data anywhere, anytime is the most powerful features of Box."
"The sharing feature, with its various permission settings, such as viewing or uploading, is convenient and helpful."
"It is a very user-friendly product."
"Governance and ease of use are why I think a lot of people like Box, including ourselves. Basically, we're concerned about what information is being sent to Box, so we use a lot of the Box governance features to make sure that what is being sent to Box is appropriate. If it is not appropriate, it is not allowed to be sent. It is also pretty easy to use. It is the easiest to use for customers and for technologists."
"The collaboration of the solution is good."
"The system's performance is impressive, and file sharing is notably straightforward."
"File sharing with collaborators not on the same domain with offline access from multiple devices: I work on many projects that are multi-organizational, such as with customers, suppliers, or acquisitions."
"With this solution, the sharing of documents if very easy to do. There's a lot of collaboration you can do with your colleagues."
"It's pretty easy to learn. Once someone taught me, I was able to navigate it quite easily."
"Being able to use OneDrive as a mapped drive in Windows Explorer is the most valuable feature. Rather than using OneDrive on a browser, you can also open up the Windows Explorer and I can see the file structure in the normal format."
"Image management is great since the search is simple, and accessing images with labels is easy."
"The feature that I have found the most valuable is that Microsoft OneDrive works with any Enterprise Cloud Solutions Office app. You can edit a document on the cloud, share documents with your colleagues, and monitor changes. You can access your work almost anywhere. You can also sync Microsoft OneDrive with your workstation so that whatever you are working on gets automatically backed up to the cloud at regular intervals. So even if your system crashes, you still have a copy of your documents in the cloud, which I found very useful."
"The backup capability is one feature I love about OneDrive. I also like how it syncs when you're working offline. Everything is updated once you connect again."
"Scalability is good just because it is a cloud-based product."
"We use Microsoft OneDrive for file sharing without the need for additional hardware (such as flash drives or external hard drives)."
 

Cons

"One thing that Box would benefit from is a records management component."
"The search features and role permissions are not very user friendly. It only searches the first few pages of a document, which is quite a problem."
"Improvements in speed - Box's high level of security impacts performance, especially when compared with other similar services."
"The solution's data security should be improved."
"I find their API to be quite complex and it could be more straightforward."
"They could integrate better with other platforms."
"Data privacy, regarding where to store your data: Offering several transparent(!) options (where to store my data and whether to sync back or not and where to sync) regarding the local law situations (USA, EU, Switzerland!) would increase the credibility of a US based company (after NSA ‘snooping’)."
"If there was a plugin that added some sort of toolbar in Office, that would be great."
"The file structure insight could be made more flexible like for creating more flexible folders."
"If I want to pick out certain criteria of pictures, Google enables me to do that whereas OneDrive is a bit sort of flaky."
"The user interface sometimes fails and when it cannot connect, it does not give the reason why."
"The technical support is really very bad."
"The area that can be improved is to be able to share easily with folks outside the organization and with folks who don't have an office account. Sometimes, when you send a link, you might have some form of repetition. If you don't know how to share it properly, whoever you are sharing it with will have issues using it. Also, the link that you use to share a document can be made a bit shorter. It doesn't have to be long. Typically, when you want to share a document, it has everything, such as the name of the organization, SharePoint, etc. A short URL will be easier to use, and it will just make life easier, especially because a lot of people are now going mobile. I'm not sure if there's a mobile version of Microsoft OneDrive, similar to Google Drive. If they don't have a mobile app, it would also be nice to have a mobile app because that would help in checking out your documents. It would be easy to check your documents on the go on your phone."
"The online application is quite limited, for this and other Office offerings."
"The initial setup is not easy."
"It takes too long for OneDrive to synchronize various applications, especially when you are saving office data. It also requires too much bandwidth."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Our pricing and licensing is excellent. I'd tell all Higher Ed customers to talk with Internet2 for excellent pricing and support."
"The pricing may seem steep at first, but delve into the features and you'll soon realize it is incredible value for what you get."
"I have to pay for Box. It could be a little cheaper. On a scale from one to ten, I would give the pricing a five."
"My organization pays for the license."
"A business account has a minimum of three users. If you are more than three people in-house, go for the Enterprise version. All the external users are free of charge."
"They are very price competitive when pushed. Initially, they come out with a standard list price, but they are willing to be very competitive. The Box price was pretty much equal to or lower than the Citrix price, and Box has more features."
"I believe Box is cheaper than SharePoint."
"The more you dig, the deeper the level of tools, and the more expensive it becomes."
"OneDrive comes with Microsoft 365 so it is just an added part of that package."
"Costwise, it is a great option. In most cases, it is a free space, which will be more than enough for most customers."
"It is free if you are using Office 365, and you get a terabyte of storage with your account."
"The licensing is expensive and on a yearly basis."
"This is a pricy solution, given that we are only using it at 50% capacity."
"Using this software, it has had an amazing impact moneywise on our business. It allows us to share documents without the need of extra hardware."
"We pay a lot for the Enterprise version, but it is a premium service."
"The price of Microsoft OneDrive is reasonable and compatible with competitors."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
14%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Computer Software Company
8%
Healthcare Company
5%
Educational Organization
13%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Box?
The solution is used for data storage and any kind of visualization.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Box?
I was not involved in discussions about paying for Box, so I cannot provide specifics about pricing.
What needs improvement with Box?
Collaborative editing was challenging if multiple people were in a document at once. The installation procedure was tricky but manageable with provided guidance and steps.
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Comparisons

 

Also Known As

No data available
MS OneDrive
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

GE, Toyota, P&G, Caterpillar, Flex, Schneider Electric, Sally Beauty, Eurostar, AstraZeneca, AirBnB, Whirlpool, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Nationwide, Aeropostale etc
Chevron, Accenture, Booz Allen Hamilton, DBS, Nestle, Lowe's, MGM Resorts, Textron, MGM Resorts
Find out what your peers are saying about Box vs. Microsoft OneDrive and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
862,077 professionals have used our research since 2012.