One of the cloud storage services offered by Microsoft is OneDrive for Business. Unlike regular OneDrive, this service is specialized for corporate users.
However, the difference between OneDrive for individuals and OneDrive for businesses is unclear, and many people may be wondering which one they should install in their company.
In this issue, we will provide a comprehensive explanation of OneDrive for Business, its usage, fees, and differences from OneDrive for individuals for below people.
- “I want to use cloud storage to save time and effort in file management.”
- “I am not sure which OneDrive plan is right for your company.”
- “I want to get a concrete idea of how to use OneDrive for Business.”
This article will help you understand the features and functions of OneDrive for Business and eliminate the hassle of file management.
Contents
- 1 What is OneDrive for Business?
- 2 Differences between OneDrive for Business and OneDrive (personal use)
- 3 OneDrive for Business pricing list
- 4 OneDrive for Business reviews
- 5 What are the disadvantages of OneDrive for Business?
- 6 Best tool to solve disadvantages of OneDrive for Business
- 7 Summary of differences between OneDrive for Business and OneDrive
What is OneDrive for Business?
Here is an overview of OneDrive for Business. If you are introducing it for the first time in your team, this is a must-see.
Differences between OneDrive for Business and other cloud storage
OneDrive for Business is a cloud storage service provided by Microsoft.
Like regular OneDrive, it can store files such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. OneDrive for Business also offers strong security through its “employee account management” feature, making it easy to use for business purposes.
Features of OneDrive for Business
OneDrive for Business has the following main features
- Email and calendar
- File Collaboration
- Chat function
You can invite and manage up to 50 GB of email, and your team can use the calendar to schedule meetings.
Collaborate on the same file in real time, regardless of device.
Chat function allows users to communicate not only in the form of messages, but also via voice and video. Important messages can also be pinned.
As you can see, OneDrive for Business offers a full range of features for team file management.
Differences between OneDrive for Business and OneDrive (personal use)
This section explains the differences between OneDrive for Business and regular OneDrive. It is a must-see because the rates and security are very different between corporate and personal use.
(1) Ability to use management functions
The first difference is the availability of management features.
OneDrive for Business has the ability to add and remove accounts with administrative privileges. This makes it easy to delete accounts of employees who have left the company, preventing information leaks.
On the other hand, regular OneDrive does not allow you to manage other accounts. Therefore, if security is important to you, choose OneDrive for Business.
(2) No free plan
The second difference is that there is no free plan.
OneDrive for Business has a one month trial period, after which you are required to subscribe to a paid plan. On the other hand, OneDrive usually has a free plan, which is recommended if you want to keep costs down.
However, it should be noted that the free version of OneDrive limits storage space to 5GB.
(3) Different accounts
The third difference is the different accounts.
OneDrive for Business uses a “corporate-only account”. Therefore, you cannot sign in to OneDrive for Business from your personal Microsoft account.
Therefore, if you want to use OneDrive for Business, you need a paid subscription as “OneDrive for Business”.
OneDrive for Business pricing list
The following is a list of OneDrive for Business pricing plans.
| OneDrive for Business (Plan 1) | Microsoft 365 Business Basic | Microsoft 365 Business Standard | |
|---|---|---|---|
Rates (annual payment) | $5/user/month | $6/user/month | $12.50/user/month |
OneDrive for Business (Plan 1) does not offer a one-month free trial. Therefore, please select a plan that fits your company’s needs by comparing service contents as well as prices.
Reference: OneDrive for Business Pricing Page
OneDrive for Business reviews
The following is a review of OneDrive for Business. The following is a list of OneDrive for Business reviews and ratings, which are a must-see for those who want to have a concrete image of its operation.
※The reviews and opinions presented here are all quoted from G2.
Good reviews of OneDrive for Business
The following are good reviews of OneDrive for Business.
Emmanuel O. posted on December 16, 2023One of Microsoft OneDrive for Business’s biggest advantages is its seamless interaction with other Microsoft Office programs. This makes it exceedingly simple to store, access, and collaborate on files, as well as work on projects in real-time with colleagues.
Prashant P. posted on October 24, 2023Microsoft one drive helped me to manage the stuff easily. I can easily upload it from any platform such as my personal laptop or office PC or tablet etc. and it is avaiable anywhere in the world. 15GB storage is wnough for me. Also, One Drive auto sync options saves my time a lot. One Drive is also user friendly and easy to use.
Hany I. posted on January 14, 2024Microsoft OneDrive is a secure and reliable file storage service with collaboration features on the cloud. It is easy to implement and integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 applications and services/ OneDrive provides desktop and mobile applications and reliable customer support.
As mentioned above, the ability to access files from any device and the ability to store large files are highly regarded.
Reviews of OneDrive for Business improvements
The following are reviews of improvements to OneDrive for Business.
Christopher P. posted on November 21, 2023I dislike how easy it is to have things be uploaded by mistake. I accidentally uploaded ALOT of pornographic images to my job sites shared box late one night… ooops. I got lucky though and a very cool manager said “hey man you may wanna double check your upload folder before anyone else comes in for the day.” I got lucky, but I still to this day don’t have any idea how it happened.
Riza Prananda N. posted on August 18, 2023Syncing Challenges: While the syncing process generally works well, there have been occasional reports of syncing issues that can lead to discrepancies between online and offline versions of files.User Interface: The user interface of OneDrive for Business has evolved over time, but some users may still find it less intuitive compared to other cloud storage solutions.Limited Offline Editing: While offline access is possible, editing capabilities for certain file types might be limited when working offline.
Flavio F. posted on December 21, 2023The time to sync files through diferent computers in the same network. It does take some time to be available to other users, which is bandwith independent.
As mentioned above, OneDrive for Business takes a long time to sync data and upload files, and many have asked for improvements.
What are the disadvantages of OneDrive for Business?
OneDrive for Business has a disadvantage that it takes time to share information.
To read a document attached to OneDrive for Business, you have to open the files one at a time. In addition, some plans do not have a message function, so users must communicate with each other by e-mail or other means.
To read a document attached to OneDrive for Business, you have to open the files one at a time. In addition, some plans do not have a message function, so users must communicate with each other by e-mail or other means.
Best tool to solve disadvantages of OneDrive for Business
Below is best tool that solve the disadvantages of OneDrive for Business.
OneDrive for Business is a cloud storage system, so it is based on file-by-file exchange. Therefore, it is time-consuming to open files one by one.
If there is an IT tool that allows information to be stored in notebooks, there is no need to open each file one by one, and information sharing can be completed in one place. Especially if it is a simple IT tool, even those who are not good at IT can operate it without burden.
In conclusion, to solve the disadvantages of OneDrive for Business, the notebook tool Stock, which is so simple that even anyone in a non-IT company can use it immediately, is the best choice.
Information left in Stock’s “Note” is shared in real time, and “Message” are tied to each note, so the topics of exchange are not intermingled. The administrator can add and delete accounts, making it easy to manage members.
Stock | A tool that allows anyone to manage files without burden
The simplest tool to stock information "Stock"
https://www.stock-app.info/en/
Stock is the simplest tool to stock information. Stock solves the problem, "there is no easy way to stock information within the company".
With Stock, anyone can easily store all kinds of information, including text information such as requirements, images, and files, using the Note feature.
In addition, by using the "Task" and "Message" functions, you can communicate with each topic described in the Note, so that information is not dispersed here and there and work can always be carried out in an organized manner.
＜Why do we recommend Stock?＞
- A tool for companies that are not familiar with ITYou don't need to have any IT expertise to get started.
- Simple and usable by anyoneStock is so simple that anyone can use it without any unnecessary features.
- Amazingly easy information storing and task managementIt is amazingly easy to store information such as shared information within a company, and intuitive task management is also possible.
＜Stock's pricing＞
- Free plan ：Free
- Business plan ：$5 / User / Month
- Enterprise plan ：$10 / User / Month
Summary of differences between OneDrive for Business and OneDrive
We have focused on the overview of OneDrive for Business and the differences between OneDrive for Business and OneDrive for Personal use.
OneDrive for Business differs from regular OneDrive in that it has the advantage of using an “administration feature” that allows you to add and remove employee accounts. On the other hand, it also has disadvantages such as the time-consuming process of sharing files and the lack of a messaging function depending on the plan.
Therefore, using an “IT tool that allows messages to be exchanged in connection with documents” can realize speedy information sharing. However, choose a simple IT tool that can be operated intuitively, as employees will not be able to use a tool with many functions.
For example, Stock is easy for anyone to use and allows users to send messages linked to their notes, and it also offers advanced account management and security features.
It only takes a minute to sign up for a free account, so using Stock and start sharing files more smoothly than with OneDrive for Business.
