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It's time to put the perennial OneDrive vs. SharePoint debate to rest.
Having your files stored in the cloud is no longer a luxury but a necessity because it allows you to access your data from anywhere while providing instant backup whenever needed.
Today, more and more businesses and individuals are switching to cloud storage. If you are wondering, storing your data in ‘the cloud’ is basically keeping it online (or remotely) through a cloud computing provider that manages and operates data storage as a service.
If you are a Microsoft 365 subscriber, you may be familiar with OneDrive and SharePoint, the service's two cloud storage solutions. However, you may still be unsure which one is best for each situation. Although they both seem to do the same thing, there are some stark differences between them.
SharePoint is used mostly as an online document management system and communication site, while OneDrive is used primarily as storage for online backup files.
Yes, documents can be created on both platforms, but the intention behind each differs. SharePoint usage is business-oriented, while the OneDrive app is more so for personal use.
This article will outline the advanced uses and differences between both and suggest when each is most appropriate.
From a historical standpoint, SharePoint has been around since 2001. During that time, its two main purposes were as an intranet and managing documents. It was created in mind as a solution for team collaboration.
SharePoint is a web-based platform that allows employees of small or large businesses to share, store, and organize information. It is a secure collaboration hub that provides your organization with document storage, lists (mini-databases), web parts (mini-applications), and workflows designed to improve teamwork.
It is excellent for storing, organizing, and sharing information in real-time because everything is accessible by everyone within your organization, depending on the permission set up by the author for specific files. Uploading files in SharePoint is easily accessible to the people who need to see them. SharePoint is the best file/document management system for group collaboration.
Older versions of SharePoint allowed users to create workflows and even advanced ones with the help of a SharePoint Designer tool. Now, that capability is only found in Power Automate.
There was a time when the developers of SharePoint tried to make the platform more "social" by launching the Discussion Board and News feed web part, but these attempts could neither hold up nor compete with platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. That is how Microsoft Teams was first introduced in 2017.
With that in mind, a significant role of SharePoint is the backbone of Microsoft Teams. Whenever anyone uses the Teams application, SharePoint is busy storing and organizing its data behind the scenes. Whenever you create a team in Teams, SharePoint creates a site to store whatever documents you store in Teams’ channels. Even for new channels you make, SharePoint also builds a site for those.
To add, SharePoint can be used to create knowledge management solutions such as a Wiki knowledge base or library web parts. On its own, it is not a Wiki tool, but through configuration and customization, it can become one. Modern SharePoint has many capabilities that enable you to add different features to your Wiki pages.
To access SharePoint in your browser:
1. Log in to https://www.office.com with your Microsoft Account.
2. Click on the App Launcher icon on the left side of your screen and select SharePoint.
OneDrive emerged in the year 2011. Before then, users had limited ways to utilize free storage services on the internet. So now, if you need to store files for your personal use and share them with team members later, it is easiest to use Microsoft's OneDrive. This service allows you to create drafts of documents and store them before sharing them with colleagues.
Though OneDrive is for the user's personal use, others can access those OneDrive files and folders if the owner of that OneDrive account decides to share via a link to others inside or outside their workspace. The ability to use a link to share entire folders with collaborators eliminates the hassle of emailing attached files.
See the image below:
Image retrieved from Microsoft Support Online.
But you can also access anyone's account only if you are a SharePoint or MS365 Global Administrator.
While on the topic of sharing, it is only right to talk about the security measures of the app. Since OneDrive is cloud-based, you do not have to worry about losing your files, and it is accessible from both web and mobile devices.
Aside from the regular security standards like two-factor verification and encryption, OneDrive has Personal Vault which is a protected arm in the app that allows you to store your sensitive files and documents.
To access OneDrive in your browser:
1. Log in to https://www.office.com with your Microsoft Account.
2. Click on the App Launcher icon on the left side of your screen and select OneDrive.
Once you have signed in, you can create new files and upload documents or folders.
To access OneDrive on your mobile device, you can go to Google Play Store for Android and App Store for IOS devices, then type Microsoft OneDrive to download.
Microsoft's OneDrive is a powerful tool that offers a lighter option for sharing files and storing data than Microsoft SharePoint.
Although OneDrive does not have as many high-end features as SharePoint, it is still a good option that can provide you with plenty of benefits but has fewer features and less complexity.
While SharePoint allows you to store many things, OneDrive only enables files and folders. If you desire more than just a space to store files and work with documents, then you should consider SharePoint.
Real-time collaboration is easy with SharePoint as everyone can make changes to the same file and see the most recent version; any changes you make are kept.
OneDrive does foster the same kind of collaboration but not to the extent that SharePoint does, making it the least likely considered for teams, especially teams scattered in different countries and time zones
With SharePoint's revision history, each person gets a version of the document, none of which gets overwritten by another person after making their changes.
Transparency is also vital for your business, and SharePoint allows users to be more transparent with numerous features, like the ease of sharing it provides within a team.
Here is a simple comparison of OneDrive and SharePoint's features to see which one is best to use based on organizational preferences and needs.
Not included in the image above, SharePoint offers enterprise-grade security for large-scale businesses using advanced industry-quality encryption to safeguard your data because of its collaboration features compared to OneDrive’s lower-level data encryption options.
Now that you understand how OneDrive and SharePoint differ let's look at how they assimilate into the Vineforce app.
Managing resources, such as documents for your projects can be an absolute nightmare. But with just a few clicks, the Vineforce app can help you organize and manage all your project files, regardless of if they are stored on OneDrive or SharePoint.
The value that Vineforce provides is in bringing together these two applications with the M365 suite to create a unified document management system. It makes data storage extremely convenient, with less time wasted on filing.
The VF app gives you two options for easily attaching files to tasks or projects. The first is to attach files from your computer to add to your tasks in the app. Any file uploaded from your computer is automatically added to OneDrive, which keeps all your files safe and secure. Therefore, uploading files from OneDrive or SharePoint through the VF app is quite easy.
To do so, under Files/links, click the + icon or the downward arrow referenced as 'New item' and select 'Upload from device.' A pop-out box will show the folders on your computer, and you choose one to attach from there. The image below outlines this.
The second option is to attach files from OneDrive, or SharePoint. Once you click on 'OneDrive/SharePoint,' you will arrive at the web versions of both, and from there, you decide from which to upload a file. See the image below.
Attaching files directly to your task is much more efficient because you do not need to go through folders to find what you need. The Vineforce app is an excellent tool that works well with OneDrive and SharePoint to manage your files and be productive with your daily workload.
You can do these same actions within Microsoft Teams as Vineforce integrates well to facilitate sharing and to attach files from OneDrive and SharePoint to tasks created in Teams.
Discover how Vineforce can transform the way you manage your OneDrive and SharePoint documents. Our app provides seamless integration with OneDrive and SharePoint, making it easy to keep track of your documents and collaborate with your team. Sign up for our free trial today to experience Vineforce in action. There's no need for credit cards to get started, and you can cancel anytime. Try Vineforce now and take the first step towards better document management!
