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AWS (Amazon Web Services) vs Microsoft OneDrive

AWS (Amazon Web Services) logo

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Software

The leading cloud computing platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Microsoft OneDrive logo

Microsoft OneDrive

Software

Cloud storage that comes with Microsoft 365

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only AWS (Amazon Web Services) has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: AWS (Amazon Web Services) data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills; Microsoft OneDrive storage is not sold standalone at these tiers; it is bundled into Microsoft 365 subscriptions, with Basic limited to 100 GB and only Personal and above reaching 1 TB per person

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Microsoft OneDrive actually diverge.

Attributes where AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Microsoft OneDrive differ
AttributeAWS (Amazon Web Services)Microsoft OneDrive
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Api, Cli, MobileWeb
Founded2006Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • EC2 - Virtual Servers
  • S3 - Object Storage
  • RDS - Managed Database
  • Lambda - Serverless Computing
  • CloudFront - CDN
  • VPC - Virtual Network
  • IAM - Access Management
  • CloudWatch - Monitoring

Only in Microsoft OneDrive

Nothing recorded that AWS (Amazon Web Services) does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • Web hostingnot Microsoft OneDrive
  • Data storagenot Microsoft OneDrive
  • Machine learningnot Microsoft OneDrive
  • Big data analyticsnot Microsoft OneDrive
  • Application developmentnot Microsoft OneDrive

Microsoft OneDrive

No use cases recorded yet. See the Microsoft OneDrive review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • Data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills
  • Discounts require one or three year Savings Plan commitments rather than being automatic
  • Every service is priced separately, so a working architecture has no single published cost
  • The free tier is a promotional allowance rather than an ongoing free plan

Microsoft OneDrive

  • Storage is not sold standalone at these tiers; it is bundled into Microsoft 365 subscriptions, with Basic limited to 100 GB and only Personal and above reaching 1 TB per person
  • Family and Premium plans cap shared storage at 1 TB per person even when only 1 of the allotted 6 people are using the subscription
  • Subscriptions automatically renew and must be canceled through the Microsoft account dashboard to stop billing

Pricing, plan by plan

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Free
  • AWS Free TierFree
    • EC2 750 hours/month
    • 5GB S3 storage
    • 20GB data transfer
  • Pay-As-You-GoFree
    • No upfront payment
    • No long-term commitments
    • Pay only for what you use

Microsoft OneDrive

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Microsoft OneDrive review.

Which should you pick?

Choose AWS (Amazon Web Services) if

  • You need ec2 - virtual servers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile.
  • You also want s3 - object storage.

Choose Microsoft OneDrive if

Nothing in the data separates Microsoft OneDrive from AWS (Amazon Web Services) on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Questions people ask

Is AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Microsoft OneDrive better?
Neither clearly leads. AWS (Amazon Web Services) starts at Free and Microsoft OneDrive at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Microsoft OneDrive?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AWS (Amazon Web Services) and On request for Microsoft OneDrive.
Does AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Microsoft OneDrive run on more platforms?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) runs on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile. Microsoft OneDrive runs on Web.
Can I use AWS (Amazon Web Services) for free?
Yes. AWS (Amazon Web Services) has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Microsoft OneDrive starts at On request.
What is AWS (Amazon Web Services) best used for?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) is most often used for web hosting, data storage, machine learning, big data analytics. Of those, web hosting and data storage are not what Microsoft OneDrive is typically brought in for.
What can AWS (Amazon Web Services) do that Microsoft OneDrive cannot?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, S3 - Object Storage, RDS - Managed Database, Lambda - Serverless Computing.

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