Dosya vs Google Drive
Keep Google Drive when live document collaboration and shared Gmail or Photos storage fit your day. Consider Dosya when client delivery controls, S3-compatible access or WebDAV matter more. Start with the work you need to do.
Written by Dosya. Checked 26 October 2026. This compares personal Google Drive / Google One with Dosya; Google Workspace business features are identified separately. Prices below are US-facing USD monthly list prices.
Choose for your workflow
Choose dosya.dev if...
- Your tools need S3-compatible or WebDAV access to stored files
- You want link passwords, expiry and download-count controls for client deliveries
- You want to choose among 46 workspace storage locations
Choose Google Drive if...
- Your team works together in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides
- You want lower monthly storage prices at the matched 100 GB or 2 TB tiers
- You want one storage allowance for Gmail, Photos and Drive
A mixed setup can make sense: keep collaborative documents in Google and try Dosya for finished videos, original photos or audio deliveries. Neither choice requires moving every file today.
Storage and sharing, side by side
| Feature | dosya.dev | Google Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Storage & pricing | ||
| Free storage | 5 GB | 15 GB shared across Drive, Gmail and Photos |
| 100 GB, monthly USD | $3.99/mo | $1.99/mo |
| 2 TB, monthly USD | $39.99/mo | $9.99/mo |
| Transfers & sharing | ||
| Large files | Chunked uploads; available storage and workspace/client limits apply | Up to 5 TB for ordinary files; available storage still applies |
| Sharing controls | Link passwords, expiry and download-count limits | Viewer, commenter and editor permissions; link access controls |
| Link expiry | Free: up to 7 days; paid plans offer longer expiry | Expiration for eligible work or school accounts |
| Free shared-link allowance | 5 active links; 10 GB/day across links | Google download and service restrictions apply |
| Live Docs, Sheets and Slides editing | No built-in office suite | Yes |
| Access & integrations | ||
| Storage interfaces | S3-compatible API, WebDAV, REST API and CLI | Google Drive API and its client libraries |
| rclone access | Yes | Yes |
| Apps | Desktop, web, Android and iPhone | Web, Drive for desktop and mobile apps |
| Protections | ||
| Encryption model | Ordinary storage encrypted at rest; optional separate Vault | Ordinary Drive storage encrypted in transit and at rest |
Competitor details as of 26 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Google’s sharing guide explains permission-based access and eligible work/school expiration. Its file-size guide separates ordinary files from Docs, Sheets and Slides limits. Google Workspace also documents upload/copy quotas; those are separate from the 5 TB file ceiling.
Both services work with rclone. Google provides a Drive API and has a dedicated rclone backend. Dosya adds S3-compatible access and WebDAV. A protocol connection does not unlock Vault, which is a separate encrypted workflow. Google documents ordinary Drive encryption and a separate Workspace client-side encryption feature with administrator requirements.
For public delivery, read Dosya’s share-link controls and Free allowances and fair use. No egress fee does not mean unlimited Free link traffic.
Monthly storage prices
USD list prices for monthly billing, without introductory offers or annual discounts. This is a storage comparison, not a claim that the plans include the same features. Taxes and account-specific offers may change checkout totals.
dosya.dev
| Plan | Storage | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 5 GB | Free |
| Starter | 100 GB | $3.99/mo |
| Plus | 500 GB | $9.99/mo |
| Pro | 1 TB | $19.99/mo |
| Business | 2 TB | $39.99/mo |
No per-GB egress charge. Free includes 10 GB/day across shared links, 5 active links and expiry up to 7 days. Storage, workspace policies and client limits still apply.
Full pricing detailsGoogle Drive
| Plan | Storage | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 15 GB | Free |
| Basic | 100 GB | $1.99/mo |
| Google AI Plus | 2 TB | $9.99/mo |
| Google AI Pro | 5 TB | $19.99/mo |
Selected Google One personal plans. Storage is shared across Drive, Gmail and Photos; this is not Google Workspace business pricing.
Google Drive pricing is the public list price as of 26 October 2026.
At the same advertised capacity, Google is cheaper here: 100 GB is $1.99/month versus Dosya’s $3.99, and 2 TB is $9.99/month versus $39.99. Google’s Free tier also offers more total storage: 15 GB versus 5 GB. Dosya’s case is its file workflows and controls, rather than the lowest price per GB.
Sources: Google One plans and Dosya pricing. For the UK, Canada or other markets, check the local Google checkout and Dosya’s billing currency; these figures are not GBP or CAD quotes. Google One storage is a shared allowance, not extra capacity added to the free 15 GB.
Try one creative project alongside Drive
For example, keep a project brief in Google Docs while testing a photo selection, finished video or WAV mix in Dosya. This is a suggested trial, not a measured speed comparison.
1. Copy a small sample
Use non-sensitive files you own and keep the originals. Check available storage, then upload or import the sample into the intended workspace.
2. Test the recipient’s job
Create a link with the controls you need. Open it signed out, try the preview and download the original. Confirm the file opens; compare a checksum when byte identity matters.
3. Decide what belongs where
Keep live Google documents in Drive if you still need its collaboration. Move more files only after your upload, retrieval and sharing workflow works for you.
For a repeatable file check, follow the checksum guide. Media previews and original downloads are different tests.
What a Google Drive import actually copies
Connect Google with read-only access, then choose files or folders. Dosya copies them server-side into ordinary workspace storage. Your Google originals remain in place, and later Drive changes do not automatically sync to those copies.
Check document formats before importing
- Ordinary uploaded files retain their format. Google Docs, Slides and Drawings import as PDF; Sheets imports as XLSX. There is no export-format selector in this importer.
- Other Google-native types, including Forms, are unsupported. Google’s document export endpoint limits the exported result to 10 MB; that is not a general limit on ordinary Drive files.
- Google share links, permissions and document revision history are not recreated. Inspect exported spreadsheets and PDFs before relying on them.
- The picker starts at My Drive. It has no separate Shared drives or Shared with me selector. An accessible shortcut can expose a shared item; check it in the picker first.
- Storage, file policies, duplicate names and provider throttling can stop individual items. There is no fixed completion time; a connected account alone does not prove a successful import.
Keep an easy way back
Verify file counts, nested folders and a representative set of opened downloads. Keep using the original Drive copies until the new workflow is dependable. Canceling an import leaves completed Dosya copies in place; check them before retrying so you do not assume a clean restart. Recreate only the shares you still need, and keep an independent backup before deleting originals or changing subscriptions.
The Google Drive importer overview explains the connection. Imports do not go directly into Vault.
Google Drive comparison questions
Is Dosya cheaper than Google Drive?
Not at the matched capacities shown here. Google's 100 GB plan is $1.99/month versus Dosya's $3.99/mo; Google's 2 TB plan is $9.99/month versus Dosya's $39.99/month. These are US-facing USD monthly list prices checked on 26 October 2026. Choose based on storage and workflow together.
Can I keep Google Docs and use Dosya for media files?
Yes. Keep live Docs, Sheets and Slides collaboration in Google and use Dosya for selected originals, project exports or client deliveries. You do not have to move the whole account to test a different file workflow.
What happens to Google documents during import?
Dosya's importer converts Docs, Slides and Drawings to PDF, and Sheets to XLSX. Other Google-native types, including Forms, are unsupported. Exported files are copies, not live Google documents; Google sharing settings and revision history are not recreated.
Does importing delete or keep syncing my Drive files?
Neither. The importer requests read-only access and makes copies in the selected Dosya workspace. Later changes in Drive do not automatically update those copies. Keep the originals while checking results, permissions and exported formats.
Can both services work with rclone and APIs?
Yes. Google Drive has its own API and rclone backend. Dosya offers an S3-compatible API, WebDAV, REST API and CLI alongside rclone access. Check the connection method and client limits for your task; an ordinary protocol connection does not unlock Dosya Vault.
Does the Free plan have unlimited public downloads?
No. Dosya Free includes 10 GB of shared-link downloads per day across links, 5 active links and expiry up to 7 days. There is no per-GB egress charge, but an allowance is still a limit. Check pricing and fair use before a large public delivery.
Test the workflow before you move
Start with 5 GB free and a small project. Keep your Google originals while you check the result.