OneDrive or Google Drive: moving between Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
Changing cloud storage is usually part of a bigger move. A company adopts Google Workspace, a school issues Microsoft 365 accounts, or a family decides it no longer wants to pay for two storage plans. The files are only one part of that decision, but they are the part that has to come with you.
Blober transfers files in either direction between OneDrive and Google Drive. It streams them through your computer, so you do not need enough free disk space to download the entire account first.
When OneDrive to Google Drive makes sense
Section titled "When OneDrive to Google Drive makes sense"Google Drive fits best when most work already happens in Gmail, Google Docs, Meet, and Calendar. A move from OneDrive can make sense when:
- your company or school has standardized on Google Workspace;
- people collaborate mainly in Docs, Sheets, and Slides;
- Chromebooks or browser-based work have replaced Windows desktops;
- you want storage billed under an existing Google One or Workspace plan.
Office files do not have to be converted during the transfer. Word, Excel, and
PowerPoint files arrive in Google Drive as .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx files.
Google can open and edit them, and you can choose later whether to convert them
to native Google formats.
When Google Drive to OneDrive makes sense
Section titled "When Google Drive to OneDrive makes sense"OneDrive is the more natural home when work revolves around Windows, Microsoft 365, Teams, and the desktop versions of Office. People commonly move in this direction because:
- their organization has moved to Microsoft 365;
- Office formatting needs to survive round trips without surprises;
- Teams and SharePoint are now the main places where people collaborate;
- OneDrive storage is already included in a Microsoft 365 plan.
The main catch is Google's native file formats. A Google Doc is not a normal
.docx file sitting in Drive. When Blober moves native Google files out of
Drive, it exports Docs to .docx, Sheets to .xlsx, and Slides to .pptx.
Those copies open in Microsoft Office, but Google comments, revision history,
sharing rules, and some format-specific features do not come with them.
What moves in each direction
Section titled "What moves in each direction"| Source | Destination | File behavior |
|---|---|---|
| OneDrive | Google Drive | Office files and other regular files keep their existing formats |
| Google Drive | OneDrive | Native Docs, Sheets, and Slides export to Microsoft Office formats |
| Either service | The other service | Folder structure is recreated; sharing rules, links, comments, and version history are not |
There is one difference around shared files. Blober exposes Google Drive's "Shared with me" list as a read-only source. OneDrive does not offer an equivalent usable root through the narrow permission Blober requests, so its shared items and cross-drive shortcuts are not shown.
How to move from OneDrive to Google Drive
Section titled "How to move from OneDrive to Google Drive"- Connect OneDrive with a Microsoft app client ID.
- Connect Google Drive.
- Create a workflow with OneDrive as the source and Google Drive as the destination.
- Select the source folder and destination folder.
- Run the workflow and keep Blober open until it finishes.
After the transfer, open a sample of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files in Google Drive before closing the old account. Decide whether to leave them in Office format or convert the files you still edit.
How to move from Google Drive to OneDrive
Section titled "How to move from Google Drive to OneDrive"Use the same process in reverse: choose Google Drive as the source and OneDrive as the destination. Include "Shared with me" only for files you are allowed to copy and want to keep. Native Google files are exported during the transfer.
Check a few converted documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in Microsoft Office afterward. Complex layouts, formulas, fonts, and embedded Google-only features deserve a manual look.
Before you cancel the old account
Section titled "Before you cancel the old account"Compare file counts and inspect the folders that matter most. Keep the old account available until you have checked converted documents and confirmed that other people can reach the new location.
Then recreate sharing permissions in the destination. File ownership, organization policies, public links, and team memberships belong to the old service and cannot be carried over as ordinary files.
Frequently asked questions
Section titled "Frequently asked questions"Can I move between OneDrive and Google Drive without downloading everything?
Yes. Blober streams each file through the computer running the app instead of staging the whole library on disk.
Will Google Docs work in OneDrive?
Blober exports Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats. Check complex files after conversion because the two editors do not support every feature in exactly the same way.
Will Office files become Google Docs automatically?
No. They arrive in Google Drive as Office files. Google Drive can edit them in that format, or you can convert selected files later.
Does the migration copy shared files?
Google Drive's "Shared with me" items can be selected as a read-only source. OneDrive's "Shared with me" items and shortcuts to other drives are not available in Blober.
Get Blober
Section titled "Get Blober"Move the files once, check the result, and finish the ecosystem switch without renting a permanent sync service.
