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With OneDrive for Business and SharePoint offering centralized storage facilities with many similar benefits, many users are in doubt regarding which is the best for them. Though both these platforms are from Microsoft and are similar, they are not the same. They are designed for distinct purposes, though they complement each other to meet the requirements of the organization. So, it is essential for administrators to understand both these platforms to use them very effectively for the management of the data. Here we will compare SharePoint vs OneDrive for Business and discussing their similarities and differences.
Microsoft SharePoint is a complete collaboration and content management application for enterprises with facilities like versioning, workflow, permissions, co-authoring, intranet, publishing, and more.
SharePoint can be used to make company websites, create and store various company documents, and also create web apps. Employees can view and access the company website from anywhere and download essential documents.
OneDrive for Business from Microsoft provides a centrally accessible storage facility for the entire organization. Users can store and share data as per organizational needs. With facilities like versions, templates, workflows, auditing, OneDrive for Business is more than just a storage facility. However, it doesn’t have marketing resources like social media and websites, which are considered very essential nowadays. So, it is just a content storing and sharing application.
It is not easy to mark the boundaries between OneDrive for Business and SharePoint clearly. Both OneDrive for Business and SharePoint provide centralized access to information and are available on the cloud, providing features like sharing, versioning, access control, etc. But what’s the use of OneDrive when SharePoint has many features of OneDrive. When they have similar functionalities, why are they different and not a single product?
Though they are complementary products and have similar features, they differ in many aspects. SharePoint is a complete collaboration product, whereas OneDrive is merely a data storage cabin for you and your team. SharePoint provides dashboards, tasks, notifications, calendars, etc., along with the facilities for internet and company portals to distribute information.
But while looking for a collaboration platform, administrators are always confused about which one to go for – SharePoint or OneDrive for Business, or both together? So, we will go through their differences in detail.
SharePoint | OneDrive for Business | |
---|---|---|
Main function | Collaboration | File storing and sharing |
Data sharing | Makes data available to all users | Individual file storage that can be shared with specific users or group |
Other Microsoft applications | Integrates with multiple applications | Integrates with Microsoft Teams |
Publishing | Can publish on internet sites | Can share data only |
Features | Additional features like tasks, notifications, calendar, news, etc. | Not many additional features |
Cloud version availability | Available on cloud | Available on cloud |
As you can see, SharePoint and OneDrive for Business have complementary features. So, it is better if organizations have both together if their budget permits them, and they can benefit from both the applications. If they just have content sharing needs only, OneDrive for Business is enough for them. But if they are looking for advanced collaborative features, SharePoint is definitely what they need.
There is a perception that SharePoint and OneDrive data is secure. And this is right to a large extent due to the extremely brilliant security features of these applications. But there are some rare situations in which the security of SharePoint or OneDrive for Business data also is compromised. Backing up the OneDrive for Business and SharePoint data is the only precaution for this. You can try Kernel Migrator for SharePoint to backup OneDrive for Business and SharePoint data. Due to its advanced features like backup, migration, etc., this is one of the most essential tools for OneDrive for Business and SharePoint administrators.
SharePoint and OneDrive for Business are two different, yet complementary platforms from Microsoft. Though many organizations like to have these applications together, one can choose any one of them as per their requirements. NO matter which platform you are using, it is important that you back up the data regularly to avoid any unexpected disasters. You can use Kernel Migrator for SharePoint; an effective tool for SharePoint Migration and backing up both the OneDrive for Business and SharePoint data.
It’s a good informational blog that provides a good comparison between two cloud platforms SharePoint vs. One Drive . I read this blog and am pleased with this information.
SharePoint has multiple features that surpass the features of OneDrive. But I can vouch for OneDrive’s security. It is a highly encrypted and fully safe.