File Storage · head to head
Cloudian vs Microsoft OneDrive
Cloudian
File Storage
S3-compatible on-premises object storage with object lock immutability
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Microsoft OneDrive
File Storage
Cloud storage that comes with Microsoft 365
- From
- $1.99/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Cloudian you operate the hardware, so capacity planning, firmware, node failures and a refresh cycle every five years return as costs that a public cloud bill hides.; Microsoft OneDrive free tier not available; minimum cost is $1.99/month for 100 GB storage
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cloudian and Microsoft OneDrive actually diverge.
| Attribute | Cloudian | Microsoft OneDrive |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | $1.99/month |
| Pricing model | quote | subscription |
| Platforms | Linux | Web |
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (File Storage).
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 Cloudian
- S3 API compatibility
- Object Lock
- Erasure coding
- Multi-tenancy
- Hybrid tiering
- HyperStore appliances
Only in Microsoft OneDrive
Nothing recorded that Cloudian does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Cloudian
- A backup team needing an immutable target so a compromised administrator account cannot delete the backupsnot Microsoft OneDrive
- An organisation restoring hundreds of terabytes regularly where public cloud egress charges make cloud storage untenablenot Microsoft OneDrive
- A university or government body with data residency rules preventing use of public cloud object storagenot Microsoft OneDrive
- A media archive holding petabytes of finished content where per-terabyte capital cost beats per-gigabyte monthly cloud feesnot Microsoft OneDrive
Microsoft OneDrive
- Personal cloud storage and file backupnot Cloudian
- Family file sharing and collaborationnot Cloudian
- Business document managementnot Cloudian
- Enterprise ransomware protectionnot Cloudian
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Cloudian
- You operate the hardware, so capacity planning, firmware, node failures and a refresh cycle every five years return as costs that a public cloud bill hides.
- Per-terabyte licensing plus servers means high upfront cost, and the crossover point against public cloud only arrives at meaningful scale, typically hundreds of terabytes and up.
- S3 compatibility is high but not identical to Amazon, so occasional applications depending on newer or less common S3 features need testing rather than assumption.
- Small deployments need a minimum node count for erasure coding to be meaningful, which sets a practical floor on entry cost regardless of how little data you have.
- Performance is object storage performance, so it is not a substitute for block or high-throughput file storage and buyers occasionally deploy it for the wrong workload.
Microsoft OneDrive
- Free tier not available; minimum cost is $1.99/month for 100 GB storage
- Higher-tier plans required for advanced Copilot features
- Per-user pricing increases significantly with family plans
Pricing, plan by plan
Cloudian
On request- Cloudian HyperStore$undefined/year
- Licensed per usable terabyte, subscription or perpetual
- Software-only on your hardware or as Cloudian appliances
- No egress or API request charges
Microsoft OneDrive
$1.99/month- Microsoft 365 Basic$1.99/month
- 100 GB cloud storage
- Outlook access
- OneDrive access
- Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99/month
- 1 TB cloud storage
- Desktop Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote)
- Copilot features
- Microsoft 365 Family$12.99/month
- Up to 6 TB cloud storage (1 TB per person)
- 1-6 users supported
- Same apps and features as Personal
- Microsoft 365 Premium$19.99/month
- Up to 6 TB cloud storage (1 TB per person)
- 1-6 users
- Extensive Copilot feature access
Which should you pick?
Choose Cloudian if
- You need s3 api compatibility.
- You work on Linux.
- You also want object lock.
Choose Microsoft OneDrive if
Nothing in the data separates Microsoft OneDrive from Cloudian on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Cloudian or Microsoft OneDrive better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cloudian starts at On request and Microsoft OneDrive at $1.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cloudian or Microsoft OneDrive?
- Cloudian starts at On request and Microsoft OneDrive at $1.99/month.
- Does Cloudian or Microsoft OneDrive run on more platforms?
- Cloudian runs on Linux. Microsoft OneDrive runs on Web.
- What is Cloudian best used for?
- Cloudian is most often used for a backup team needing an immutable target so a compromised administrator account cannot delete the backups, an organisation restoring hundreds of terabytes regularly where public cloud egress charges make cloud storage untenable, a university or government body with data residency rules preventing use of public cloud object storage, a media archive holding petabytes of finished content where per-terabyte capital cost beats per-gigabyte monthly cloud fees. Of those, a backup team needing an immutable target so a compromised administrator account cannot delete the backups and an organisation restoring hundreds of terabytes regularly where public cloud egress charges make cloud storage untenable are not what Microsoft OneDrive is typically brought in for.
- What can Cloudian do that Microsoft OneDrive cannot?
- Cloudian covers S3 API compatibility, Object Lock, Erasure coding, Multi-tenancy.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Cloudian: Does object lock really stop ransomware deleting backups?
Within the retention period, yes, provided the lock is set in compliance mode. That is precisely why it is the common answer to backup-targeting ransomware.
Microsoft OneDrive: How much does Microsoft OneDrive cost?
OneDrive pricing starts at $1.99/month for Microsoft 365 Basic with 100 GB storage. Personal plan costs $9.99/month with 1 TB storage. Family plan at $12.99/month supports 1-6 people with up to 6 TB total storage. Premium tier at $19.99/month adds advanced Copilot and AI features.
SourceCloudian: Are there egress charges?
No. That is the central cost argument against public cloud object storage, and it only becomes visible when you have to restore at volume.
Microsoft OneDrive: Is there a free version of Microsoft OneDrive?
Microsoft does not offer a free OneDrive plan through their paid subscription tiers. However, users with Microsoft accounts receive 5 GB of complimentary OneDrive storage at no cost when creating a Microsoft account.
SourceCloudian: Can we use our own servers?
Yes, HyperStore is software-defined and runs on qualified commodity hardware, or you can buy Cloudian appliances if you would rather not certify your own.
Microsoft OneDrive: What security features are included in OneDrive plans?
All OneDrive plans include ransomware detection with files restore, password-protected and expiring-link file sharing settings, and anywhere editing with real-time collaboration. Premium and higher tiers offer exclusive agentic AI security features.
SourceRelated pages
More on Microsoft OneDrive
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