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File Storage · head to head

Google Drive vs Panzura

Google Drive logo

Google Drive

File Storage

Google's consumer cloud storage app, sharing the same 15GB quota as Gmail and Google Photos

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Panzura logo

Panzura

File Storage

Global file system putting one namespace over object storage across sites

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Google Drive has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Google Drive free storage is a 15GB pool shared with Gmail and Google Photos, so heavy use of any one of those services reduces what is left for the others.; Panzura cloud egress charges apply whenever data is read from the object store into a site that has not cached it, and organisations routinely discover this during a restore or a new site rollout rather than during procurement.
  • They diverge on capability: Google Drive covers Cloud file storage and sync, Panzura covers Global file system.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Drive and Panzura actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Drive and Panzura differ
AttributeGoogle DrivePanzura
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree tier plus paid storage add-onquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOSLinux, Windows, Web

Identical on both: 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 Google Drive

  • Cloud file storage and sync
  • Google Docs, Sheets, Slides
  • Shared drives and permissions
  • Offline access
  • Version history
  • Third party format support

Only in Panzura

  • Global file system
  • Global file locking
  • Local caching filers
  • Deduplication
  • Immutable snapshots
  • Cloud mirroring
  • Symphony data services

What people use each for

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

Google Drive

  • Backing up and syncing personal files across a phone, laptop and desktopnot Panzura
  • Collaborating on a document, spreadsheet or presentation in real time with othersnot Panzura
  • Sharing a folder of files with specific permission levels with a defined groupnot Panzura
  • Storing large attachments to send by link instead of email attachment size limitsnot Panzura

Panzura

  • An architecture firm with offices in three cities working on the same Revit models without copy conflictsnot Google Drive
  • A media company consolidating project storage into object storage while keeping editors on a normal SMB sharenot Google Drive
  • A manufacturer replacing per-site NAS filers and the backup estate that came with themnot Google Drive
  • An organisation that needs immutable snapshots of unstructured file data as a ransomware recovery positionnot Google Drive

Where each one falls short

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

Google Drive

  • Free storage is a 15GB pool shared with Gmail and Google Photos, so heavy use of any one of those services reduces what is left for the others.
  • Version history and recovery for accidentally deleted files has limits, and permanently deleted items are unrecoverable after a set retention period passes.
  • Sharing links can be misconfigured to be more open than intended, and Google's permission model has been a source of accidental oversharing for organisations and individuals alike.
  • Native Google Docs format files do not export perfectly to Microsoft Office formats in all cases, and complex formatting can shift on conversion.
  • This is the consumer product with consumer-grade support; organisations needing admin controls, audit logs and larger storage pools need the separate paid Google Workspace product instead.

Panzura

  • Cloud egress charges apply whenever data is read from the object store into a site that has not cached it, and organisations routinely discover this during a restore or a new site rollout rather than during procurement.
  • Performance depends entirely on cache hit rates, so a team that works across the whole dataset rather than a hot subset sees latency that a local NAS would not have produced.
  • Licence cost is only part of total cost; object storage capacity, per-site filer nodes and egress all sit outside the vendor quote and can exceed it.
  • Recovery of a very large dataset is bounded by your internet link and by egress cost, so the practical recovery time after a site loss is often much longer than the snapshot policy implies.
  • Encryption keys can be held by the customer, but organisations that accept vendor-managed defaults give up the ability to render the object store unreadable independently, which some regulators now ask about explicitly.

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Drive

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 15GB shared across Gmail, Drive and Photos
  • Google One 100GB$1.99/month
    • 100GB shared storage across the same Google services
  • Google One 2TB$9.99/month
    • 2TB shared storage

Panzura

On request
  • Panzura CloudFS$undefined/year
    • Priced by usable capacity under management
    • Filer nodes licensed per site, physical or virtual
    • Object storage and cloud egress billed by your cloud provider separately

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Drive if

  • You need cloud file storage and sync.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want google docs, sheets, slides.
Google Drive review

Choose Panzura if

  • You need global file system.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Web.
  • You also want global file locking.
Panzura review

Questions people ask

Is Google Drive or Panzura better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Drive starts at Free and Panzura at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Drive or Panzura?
Google Drive has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Drive and On request for Panzura.
Does Google Drive or Panzura run on more platforms?
Google Drive runs on iOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOS. Panzura runs on Linux, Windows, Web.
Can I use Google Drive for free?
Yes. Google Drive has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Panzura starts at On request.
What is Google Drive best used for?
Google Drive is most often used for backing up and syncing personal files across a phone, laptop and desktop, collaborating on a document, spreadsheet or presentation in real time with others, sharing a folder of files with specific permission levels with a defined group, storing large attachments to send by link instead of email attachment size limits. Of those, backing up and syncing personal files across a phone, laptop and desktop and collaborating on a document, spreadsheet or presentation in real time with others are not what Panzura is typically brought in for.
What can Google Drive do that Panzura cannot?
Google Drive covers Cloud file storage and sync, Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Shared drives and permissions, Offline access. Panzura covers Global file system, Global file locking, Local caching filers, Deduplication.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Drive: Is Google Drive free?

Yes, up to a 15GB storage pool shared with Gmail and Google Photos; more storage requires a paid Google One subscription.

Panzura: Who holds the encryption keys?

Customer-managed keys are supported. Insist on them if you need the ability to revoke access to the object store independently of the vendor, and confirm the key custody model in writing.

Google Drive: Is this the same as the Save to Google Drive browser extension?

No, that is a separate browser extension for saving web pages directly into Drive; this entry covers the storage and document app itself.

Panzura: What does it actually cost to run?

Model three things: the Panzura subscription, the object storage capacity, and cloud egress. The third is the one that catches buyers out during restores and site bring-ups.

Google Drive: Do I need Google Workspace for business use?

For individual or informal use the free or Google One consumer tiers work, but organisations wanting admin controls and larger pooled storage need Google Workspace.

Panzura: Does it replace backup?

Immutable snapshots cover many recovery scenarios, but confirm your retention and compliance requirements before removing an existing backup product.

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Related pages

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