HiDrive vs Google Drive: The Ultimate Comparison for 2024?

Whether for personal or professional use, cloud storage has become the go-to solution for handling large files and backing up data to prevent loss. From photos and videos to crucial documents, every piece of information is stored in the cloud. Whether you opt for Google Drive or HiDrive, these services make it easy to store and manage your data with ease.

If you're wondering who wins the HiDrive vs. Google Drive battle, stay tuned. The folks over at Tools have spent some time with both apps, and here's how they compare.

HiDrive Overview

HiDrive is a cloud storage service provider based in Berlin, developed by the German company Strato. Strato offers various products such as web hosting, online backup tools, and custom domain services. HiDrive is available exclusively to users residing in Europe with a valid European phone number, not on a global scale. It enables users to store, manage, and access their files similarly to other cloud storage solutions, supporting Windows, iOS, iPhone, and Android users.

Usability

The app is user-friendly and navigates smoothly across all devices, particularly on desktops, providing a seamless user experience. After adding files to HiDrive, the application syncs them across all your devices. However, you cannot directly share files through the platform; instead, it allows you to share files within synced folders using methods like messaging, sharing apps, or Airdrop.

When we talk about web and mobile, it's about having a clean design that does one thing really well, and a web platform doesn't allow you to view a Word document, but an app does.

File sharing and synchronization

HiDrive shines in its file sharing capabilities, which also come with encryption options. When sharing, you can grant users write permissions to edit files and enable password protection for added security. A standout feature of HiDrive is its advanced sharing options, such as link passwords, expiration dates for links, and download limits.

Syncing is immediate, once you upload a file, and it is available on all your platforms. You can also set permissions to determine who else can access it. The downside is that you cannot sync select folders on your computer's hard drive.

Security and Privacy

HiDrive offers full control over file encryption through WebDAV. This means the encryption process takes place on your local computer rather than a remote server, thus providing end-to-end encryption. Another standout feature of HiDrive is its support for WebDAV, rSync, FTP, and Git.

You can create a Git repository and allow others to make changes and updates to the Git folder. HiDrive's privacy policy is largely GDPR-compliant, which means that HiDrive is committed to processing user data as minimally as possible.

Price

Most cloud storage services offer a free trial or plan, but that's not the case with HiDrive. You have to commit to paying for the service upfront, though there is a 30-day money-back guarantee if you're not happy.

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HiDrive offers five plans, three of which are for individuals and two for businesses. Also, note that all plans require prepayment for six months.

Overview of Google Drive

Google Drive is one of the world's most popular and generous cloud storage services, developed by Google as part of the Google Workspace suite, alongside apps like Docs, Sheets, Slides, mail, photos, and more. With an excellent free storage plan and automatic backups of any folder on your local computer, Google Drive offers a lot. It's available on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

Usability

Over the years, the web interface has improved a lot. Uploading, viewing, editing, organizing, and creating folders is quite easy. You can even use color labels and stars to mark folders. In addition to the traditional upload method, Google Drive offers a drag-and-drop feature for your desktop.

Available as both a desktop app and a mobile service, it can take some time to get used to. In addition to the Office suite, you can integrate Drive with Maps, Forms, PDFs, images, and a host of third-party apps to enhance its functionality.

File sharing and synchronization

You can share files stored on Drive privately or publicly, and you have fine control over whether anyone with the link can access it, and if so, what level of permissions they have to read or edit. Paid plans don't add password protection or the ability to set an expiration date, though.

Synced files appear immediately on all your devices, and you can back up folders on your local computer. Unique features like computer-to-computer file syncing and real-time collaboration make it a great choice for teams.

Security and Privacy

All Google data centers are highly secure. Data is encrypted when stored on disks, backup media, or in transit between data centers. Does that eliminate all threats? No. But you can add extra protections, such as multi-factor authentication, which are entirely under your control. A lack of password protection for sharing is a major shortcoming, one that many smaller companies provide and that Google could easily add to improve security.

To protect your privacy, you can read through a long list of terms and exceptions, but the first rule sums it up: “We don't use your content from Google Drive (or other similar services meant for storing personal content) for advertising purposes. Period.” You can read the full privacy policy if you wish.

Pricing

Your Gmail account comes with a generous free plan of 15 GB, and there are reasonable pricing plans for individuals and businesses. If you need more storage, you'll have to pay for a Google One account, which is essentially Drive with more storage and a few extra perks, like photo editing tools, a VPN, and discounts on Google products. Plus, all the paid plans can be shared among up to five people.

The basic Google One plan costs $1.99 per month or $19.99 annually for 100 GB of storage. For $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year, the standard plan gives you 200 GB and a 3% discount on all Google purchases.

It has been reported that Google Drive will be discontinued in 2023. But will Google Drive really be discontinued? You can refer to the following article for assistance.

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Will Google Drive Disappear? Get the Clear Answer Here!

This article discusses whether Google Drive will disappear and offers a better tool to protect your data. Read More>>

Google Drive vs HiDrive: Which One Is Better?

The above paragraphs provide a detailed overview of Google Drive and HiDrive. Here's a quick comparison table between the two services: | Feature | Google Drive | HiDrive | | --- | --- | --- | | Storage | Offers various plans starting from 15 GB free to paid options with up to 30 TB. | Provides a free plan with 5 GB storage and paid plans ranging from 200 GB to 2 TB. | | Syncing | Synchronizes files and folders across devices. | Also syncs files and folders across devices. | | Collaboration | Supports real-time collaboration on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. | Offers collaborative editing but might not have real-time collaboration features like Google Drive. | | File Sharing | Easy file sharing with links and permissions management. | Similar file sharing capabilities with link sharing and permission settings. | | Integration | Integrates seamlessly with other Google services (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.). | Integrates with Microsoft Office and other third-party apps through WebDAV. | | Security | Uses encryption for data transfer and storage. Two-step verification available. | Also uses encryption and offers two-factor authentication. | | Backup | Can be used for backups, but no automatic backup options for computers. | Offers automated backup options for computers and mobile devices. | | Pricing | Competitive pricing, with additional storage costing more. | Generally cheaper per GB for larger storage plans. | | Accessibility | Accessible via web interface, desktop app, and mobile apps. | Similarly accessible through web, desktop, and mobile applications. | This table summarizes the key differences and similarities between Google Drive and HiDrive, helping you compare their features at a glance.

Based on my calculations, Google Drive comes out on top in the HiDrive vs Google Drive showdown. There are two things I'd like you to consider: Google Drive's more competitive pricing plans and its real-time collaboration capabilities. Apart from advanced sharing options, HiDrive doesn't offer much more than Google Drive. And when it comes to those advanced sharing settings, Google Drive lets you impose restrictions for added security.

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How to Backup to Google Drive or HiDrive: Backing up your data is a crucial step to protect important information, whether it's personal files, work documents, or other vital data. Here are simple steps to backup your data to Google Drive or HiDrive: ### Backup to Google Drive: 1. **Create a Google Account**: If you don't have one, sign up for a [Google Account](https://accounts.google.com/signup). 2. **Log in to Google Drive**: Access [Google Drive](https://drive.google.com/) and log in using your Google credentials. 3. **Select the Files or Folders to Backup**: In the Google Drive interface, click the "+" button in the top left corner, then choose "Upload File" or "Upload Folder." 4. **Drag and Drop or Browse**: You can directly drag files or folders from your computer or click "Browse" to select content to upload. 5. **Wait for Upload Completion**: The upload may take some time, depending on file size and internet speed. 6. **Set Up Automatic Backup**: To regularly back up your files, enable "Google Photos" or "Sync" options (for specific folders), so your files are automatically synced to the cloud. ### Backup to HiDrive: 1. **Create a HiDrive Account**: If you don't have a HiDrive account, register on the [iON official website](https://www.ionos.com/de/hi-drive/). 2. **Log in to HiDrive**: Sign in to your HiDrive account with your username and password. 3. **Download the HiDrive Client**: Visit the HiDrive website, find the client software suitable for your operating system (Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android), and download and install it. 4. **Set Up Backup**: Open the client, log in to your HiDrive account, and then choose the local files or folders you want to back up. 5. **Start the Backup**: Click "Start Backup" or "Sync Now," and your files will begin uploading to HiDrive. 6. **Configure Automatic Backup**: Within the client, you can set up a backup schedule to automatically back up your files at regular intervals. Make sure to maintain a stable internet connection during the backup process and monitor your storage space to avoid exceeding your cloud storage plan limits.

While cloud storage solutions like Google Drive and HiDrive do offer backup solutions, they're not good enough. They just transfer your files and folders to the cloud, but if you want something more secure and reliable, Todo Backup is the safest bet for backing up to Google Drive or HiDrive.

Todo Backup Home is a versatile backup and recovery tool designed for Windows 11/10/8/7. It enables you to back up multiple hard drives at once and automatically safeguard your system, files, computer applications, and more. Additionally, it supports various backup modes, including full backup, incremental backup, and differential backup.

Here are some of the main features of Todo Backup Home:

• Clone a hard drive and image disks
• Compress backups to save storage space
• Transfer the operating system from one computer to another
• Backup to local and external drives, NAS, Secure Zone, and cloud
• Offer 250GB of free cloud storage for backing up files to the cloud

Here are the detailed steps to back up your files to the cloud service:

Step 1: To start backing up, tap “Choose what to back up.”

Step 2: There are four backup types: Files, Disk, System, and Mail. Click on Files.

Step 3: On the left, you'll see files on your computer and on the network. You can expand folders to locate the file you want to back up.

File Backup

Step 4: Follow the on-screen instructions and choose a location to save your backup.

Click Options to password-encrypt your backup in the Backup Options, then click Schedule Backup to specify when the backup should start based on certain events. You can also choose additional options to customize the backup process as needed.

Step Five: The backup can be stored on a local disk, the tool's online service, or a NAS.

Step six: Todo Backup allows customers to back up their data to third-party cloud-storage services as well as to the company's own cloud.

If you want to back up to a cloud drive provided by a third party, choose “Local Disk,” scroll down, add a cloud device, and then sign in to your account.

You can also choose to back up to cloud storage. Register atools account and then click "tools Cloud" to log in to your account.

Step 7. Click Backup Now to start the backup process. When the backup is complete, the backup job appears as a card on the left pane. Right-click the backup job for more options.

You can create backups using images and clones and safely restore them in case of an unfortunate event. The tool offers multiple choices with advanced backup options, including full backup, differential backup, and incremental backup. You only need to schedule backups to protect your data.

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In short

A HiDrive vs Google Drive comparison might seem unfair to global users. If you're wondering which is better, Google Drive or HiDrive, my pick would always be Google Drive. For starters, HiDrive doesn't offer anything significantly different from other cloud platforms and lacks a free plan. In contrast, Google Drive provides a free plan, affordable pricing, and an abundance of excellent features.

If you're considering using any of these cloud platforms for data backup, you might want to look into the Todo Backup tool, which has advanced features that sync your data to the cloud, making the backup and recovery process straightforward.

Frequently Asked Questions about HiDrive and Google Drive 1. What is HiDrive? HiDrive is a cloud storage service provided by Strato AG, allowing users to store, share, and access files online. 2. What is Google Drive? Google Drive is a cloud storage service offered by Google, enabling users to store, synchronize, and share files and documents on the internet. 3. What are the main differences between HiDrive and Google Drive? The key differences lie in their providers, storage space, pricing, security, and privacy policies. HiDrive might focus more on European users' privacy, while Google Drive integrates more with Google applications and services. 4. Which service offers more free storage? This may change, but typically, Google Drive provides new users with 15GB of free storage, while HiDrive might offer a smaller amount of free storage. 5. What file types do HiDrive and Google Drive support? Both support various file types, including documents, images, videos, audio files, and more. Google Drive is particularly suitable for collaboration with Google apps like Docs, Sheets, and Slides. 6. Which service is better for team collaboration? Google Drive is generally considered better for team collaboration due to its built-in collaborative tools, such as real-time editing and commenting features. 7. How secure are HiDrive and Google Drive? Both services take measures to protect user data, but their specific security levels may vary based on their privacy policies and encryption technologies. Google Drive, being globally recognized, might be a more attractive target for hackers but also invests heavily in security. 8. Can I move files between the two services? Yes, you can move files from one service to another by manually downloading and re-uploading or using third-party tools for migration. 9. Do HiDrive and Google Drive offer mobile apps? Yes, both have mobile apps available for iOS and Android devices, enabling you to access and manage your files on the go. 10. Which service is better for personal use? It depends on individual needs. If you value integration with the Google ecosystem and collaboration features, Google Drive might be the better choice. If you prioritize data privacy and compliance within Europe, HiDrive could be more suitable.

Here are some frequently asked questions about HiDrive and Google Drive. If you have similar concerns, hopefully, this will be helpful to you.

1. What are some better alternatives to Google Drive?

There are many Google Drive alternatives and competitors out there. Aside from premium file-sharing features, they're not necessarily better in any way. But options to consider include Dropbox and OneDrive.

2. Is HiDive worth it?

Well, in my opinion, the only advantage HiDrive has is that it offers a slightly more secure cloud storage option, which can be achieved easily by limiting access. Otherwise, it's not worth the money.

Why is support for Google Drive being discontinued?

This message usually appears because you have an outdated version of the Google Drive sync client, or your operating system isn't supported by Drive.