File Storage · head to head
IDrive e2 vs Microsoft OneDrive
IDrive e2
File Storage
Low cost S3-compatible object storage with egress included up to a multiple of what you store
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Microsoft OneDrive
File Storage
Cloud storage that comes with Microsoft 365
- From
- $1.99/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only IDrive e2 has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: IDrive e2 the included egress is capped as a multiple of stored data, so a small bucket that serves a lot of traffic exhausts the allowance quickly and the economics stop looking cheap exactly where a CDN backed store would still be free.; Microsoft OneDrive free tier not available; minimum cost is $1.99/month for 100 GB storage
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which IDrive e2 and Microsoft OneDrive actually diverge.
| Attribute | IDrive e2 | Microsoft OneDrive |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $1.99/month |
| Pricing model | Per terabyte per month | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, API | 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 IDrive e2
- S3-compatible endpoints
- Included egress allowance
- Object lock
- Versioning
- Regional endpoints
- Cross region replication
Only in Microsoft OneDrive
Nothing recorded that IDrive e2 does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
IDrive e2
- The offsite copy in a three two one backup chain driven by Veeam, restic or a NAS backup clientnot Microsoft OneDrive
- Replacing an S3 bucket whose cost is dominated by storage rather than by requestsnot Microsoft OneDrive
- Small teams who want predictable monthly object storage billing with no request line itemsnot Microsoft OneDrive
- Archiving media or logs that must stay accessible without a retrieval delaynot Microsoft OneDrive
Microsoft OneDrive
- Personal cloud storage and file backupnot IDrive e2
- Family file sharing and collaborationnot IDrive e2
- Business document managementnot IDrive e2
- Enterprise ransomware protectionnot IDrive e2
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
IDrive e2
- The included egress is capped as a multiple of stored data, so a small bucket that serves a lot of traffic exhausts the allowance quickly and the economics stop looking cheap exactly where a CDN backed store would still be free.
- The region list is short compared with the hyperscalers, so data residency requirements outside the main markets are hard to satisfy and multi region designs have fewer options.
- S3 compatibility covers the common calls but not the long tail, so software that relies on less common features can fail in ways that are hard to diagnose against a provider with thin public documentation.
- Support is organised around a consumer and small business backup product rather than a platform engineering organisation, so escalating a storage layer problem takes longer than it would with a specialist provider.
- IDrive publishes far less about the underlying architecture, durability engineering and incident history than its competitors, so due diligence on the storage layer is largely taking the vendor at its word.
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
IDrive e2
Free- FreeFree
- 10 GB stored
- S3 API access
- Egress within the included allowance
- Pay as you go$4/month
- Roughly 4 USD per terabyte stored per month
- Egress included up to a multiple of stored data
- No per operation charge on standard usage
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 IDrive e2 if
- You need s3-compatible endpoints.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, API.
- You also want included egress allowance.
Choose Microsoft OneDrive if
Nothing in the data separates Microsoft OneDrive from IDrive e2 on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is IDrive e2 or Microsoft OneDrive better?
- Neither clearly leads. IDrive e2 starts at Free 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, IDrive e2 or Microsoft OneDrive?
- IDrive e2 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for IDrive e2 and $1.99/month for Microsoft OneDrive.
- Does IDrive e2 or Microsoft OneDrive run on more platforms?
- IDrive e2 runs on Web, API. Microsoft OneDrive runs on Web.
- Can I use IDrive e2 for free?
- Yes. IDrive e2 has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Microsoft OneDrive starts at $1.99/month.
- What is IDrive e2 best used for?
- IDrive e2 is most often used for the offsite copy in a three two one backup chain driven by veeam, restic or a nas backup client, replacing an s3 bucket whose cost is dominated by storage rather than by requests, small teams who want predictable monthly object storage billing with no request line items, archiving media or logs that must stay accessible without a retrieval delay. Of those, the offsite copy in a three two one backup chain driven by veeam, restic or a nas backup client and replacing an s3 bucket whose cost is dominated by storage rather than by requests are not what Microsoft OneDrive is typically brought in for.
- What can IDrive e2 do that Microsoft OneDrive cannot?
- IDrive e2 covers S3-compatible endpoints, Included egress allowance, Object lock, Versioning.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
IDrive e2: Is the egress genuinely free?
It is included up to an allowance tied to how much you store, not unlimited. Read heavy workloads on a small bucket will exceed it.
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.
SourceIDrive e2: Does it work with Veeam and restic?
Yes, both treat it as a standard S3 endpoint, and object lock is supported for immutable backup chains.
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.
SourceIDrive e2: Is there a minimum retention period?
No fixed minimum retention charge on standard storage, which is a real difference from providers that bill ninety days on early deletion.
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.
SourceIDrive e2: How does it compare with Backblaze B2?
The rates are close. B2 is the better documented and more widely integrated service; e2 is cheaper at list and has a different egress allowance model.
Related pages
More on Microsoft OneDrive
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