How to Switch from Google Drive to Dropbox
Google Drive vs Dropbox: Different Strengths
Section titled “Google Drive vs Dropbox: Different Strengths”Google Drive is tightly integrated with Google Workspace. If your team lives in Gmail and Google Docs, Drive is the natural file storage. But if you work with non-Google tools, or you need reliable desktop sync, offline access, and smart file management, Dropbox has a stronger desktop experience.
People switch from Google Drive to Dropbox for a few reasons:
- Dropbox’s desktop sync is more reliable for large file sets
- Better support for non-Google file formats and creative tools
- Dropbox Paper, Smart Sync, and team folder management
- Moving away from Google Workspace entirely
Whatever the reason, the migration is the part nobody looks forward to.
Why the Switch Is Harder Than It Sounds
Section titled “Why the Switch Is Harder Than It Sounds”Google Drive stores some files as native Google formats. Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are not files in the traditional sense. They exist only in Google’s cloud. You cannot drag a Google Doc into Dropbox.
If you try to move files manually, you need to:
- Open each Google Doc, Sheet, or Slide
- Download it as DOCX, XLSX, or PPTX
- Upload it to Dropbox
- Repeat for every native Google file
For regular files (PDFs, images, videos), you download from Google Drive and upload to Dropbox. But you still need enough local disk space to hold everything, and you need to recreate the folder structure manually.
Google Takeout exports everything as flat zip archives. Your carefully organized folder structure disappears into date-stamped directories.
How Blober Makes This Painless
Section titled “How Blober Makes This Painless”Blober connects to both Google Drive and Dropbox. When it encounters Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides, it automatically converts them to their Office equivalents (DOCX, XLSX, PPTX) during the transfer. Regular files pass through as-is.
What You Get
Section titled “What You Get”- Google Docs become .docx files that open in Word, Dropbox Paper, or any text editor
- Google Sheets become .xlsx files that open in Excel or Numbers
- Google Slides become .pptx files that open in PowerPoint or Keynote
- Regular files (PDFs, images, videos) transfer without conversion
- Folder structure preserved exactly as it appears in Google Drive
- Shared files accessible through the “Shared with me” virtual folder
- Connect Google Drive: OAuth login through your browser
- Connect Dropbox: OAuth login (or paste an access token)
- Browse and select: Navigate your Google Drive in Blober’s file browser, select everything or specific folders
- Run the transfer: Files move from Google Drive to Dropbox through your computer
No local disk space needed for intermediate storage. Blober streams files directly from one cloud to the other.
After the Switch
Section titled “After the Switch”Once your files are in Dropbox, you can:
- Install Dropbox on your devices for desktop sync
- Share folders and files with Dropbox’s sharing tools
- Use Smart Sync to keep files in the cloud until you need them locally
- Edit Office files directly (Dropbox has built-in Office integration)
The converted Google Docs are fully editable Office files. They are not locked into any format.
Get Blober
Section titled “Get Blober”One-time purchase. No subscription, no per-GB fees.