File Storage · head to head
Microsoft OneDrive vs Panzura
Microsoft OneDrive
File Storage
Cloud storage that comes with Microsoft 365
- From
- $1.99/month
- Rated
- -
Panzura
File Storage
Global file system putting one namespace over object storage across sites
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Microsoft OneDrive free tier not available; minimum cost is $1.99/month for 100 GB storage; 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.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft OneDrive and Panzura actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft OneDrive | Panzura |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $1.99/month | On request |
| Pricing model | subscription | quote |
| Platforms | Web | Linux, Windows, 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 Microsoft OneDrive
Nothing recorded that Panzura does not also cover.
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.
Microsoft OneDrive
- Personal cloud storage and file backupnot Panzura
- Family file sharing and collaborationnot Panzura
- Business document managementnot Panzura
- Enterprise ransomware protectionnot Panzura
Panzura
- An architecture firm with offices in three cities working on the same Revit models without copy conflictsnot Microsoft OneDrive
- A media company consolidating project storage into object storage while keeping editors on a normal SMB sharenot Microsoft OneDrive
- A manufacturer replacing per-site NAS filers and the backup estate that came with themnot Microsoft OneDrive
- An organisation that needs immutable snapshots of unstructured file data as a ransomware recovery positionnot Microsoft OneDrive
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
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$19.99/month
- Up to 6 TB cloud storage (1 TB per person)
- 1-6 users
- Extensive Copilot feature access
Panzura
On request- Panzura CloudFS$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 Microsoft OneDrive if
Nothing in the data separates Microsoft OneDrive from Panzura on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Choose Panzura if
- You need global file system.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Web.
- You also want global file locking.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft OneDrive or Panzura better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft OneDrive starts at $1.99/month and Panzura at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft OneDrive or Panzura?
- Microsoft OneDrive starts at $1.99/month and Panzura at On request.
- Does Microsoft OneDrive or Panzura run on more platforms?
- Microsoft OneDrive runs on Web. Panzura runs on Linux, Windows, Web.
- What is Microsoft OneDrive best used for?
- Microsoft OneDrive is most often used for personal cloud storage and file backup, family file sharing and collaboration, business document management, enterprise ransomware protection. Of those, personal cloud storage and file backup and family file sharing and collaboration are not what Panzura is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft OneDrive do that Panzura cannot?
- Panzura covers Global file system, Global file locking, Local caching filers, Deduplication.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
SourcePanzura: 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.
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.
SourcePanzura: 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.
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.
SourcePanzura: Does it replace backup?
Immutable snapshots cover many recovery scenarios, but confirm your retention and compliance requirements before removing an existing backup product.
Related pages
More on Microsoft OneDrive
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