OneDrive vs SharePoint

You may find yourself confused about which application to use, where to store your files, or how exactly to share your files. This guide will be a plain text explanation of the similarities and differences between OneDrive and SharePoint.

Intro

Microsoft 365

OneDrive and SharePoint exist in the same ecosystem known as Microsoft 365, often abbreviated as “365”. This is Microsoft’s overarching cloud storage environment; OneDrive, SharePoint, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. all live inside of 365. By coexisting in 365 these apps are tightly integrated. An example of this integration is the ability to save a Word document in OneDrive directly from within the Word application.
OneDrive and SharePoint are both accessible in the files app on your computer and in a web browser; users can edit 365 files directly in the browser.

OneDrive App

If users would like to use desktop applications, instead of the web-version of Word and Excel for example, they can download the OneDrive App. This app makes your cloud files appear as if they are on your computer. The OneDrive App is your computer’s connection to the 365 cloud environment and is used for both OneDrive and SharePoint files.

SharePoint’s “Add Shortcut to OneDrive”

SharePoint has a feature named “Add Shortcut to OneDrive” which allows you to access your SharePoint files quickly and through the OneDrive App. This shortcut creates a folder in your OneDrive that when opened, seamlessly links you to your SharePoint files. This shortcut saves you the trouble of opening a browser and navigating to the SharePoint site, but also allows you to work on files in the site that need to be opened in their desktop application. More information can be found here: Link SharePoint to OneDrive.

These shortcuts will be named after the SharePoint site and be prefixed with “Documents - “.

Open

Open

When do I use OneDrive instead or SharePoint? And vice versa?

• OneDrive is used for personal storage: work-related files that you create and work on yourself and sometimes share with others.

• SharePoint is used for shared storage: work-related files that are meant to be collaborated on, or viewed, by your group upon the file’s creation.

OneDrive

OneDrive files are private until manually shared by you. These are your day-to-day work files, notes, and presentations/lectures. These files are private to you but can be presented in classrooms using a large display/projector. These files can be shared with your coworkers and students. These other users can have Edit access, or they can be restricted to View only.

SharePoint

Files added or created in SharePoint are visible and editable to all members of the SharePoint site right away; no manual sharing among your members is required. Each SharePoint, called a “site”, has members that can come and go as needed. These members can add, edit, and delete files and folders. Members can have these privileges and more granted and revoked at any time. For example, you can have a member with read-only access to files, but they still benefit from real-time access to new and updated files. Files can also be shared with non-members; this sharing can have Edit access or be restricted to View only.

Interfaces

The interfaces of OneDrive and SharePoint are very similar. If you visit either OneDrive or SharePoint in your browser you will find many of the same right-click options for your files and folders, including an identical sharing experience.

When you connect your computer to OneDrive and SharePoint files using the OneDrive app, they will be equally accessible and editable. This means you can use full desktop applications with both OneDrive files and SharePoint files.

Transferring data between OneDrive and SharePoint

Copying and Moving data between these two locations is seamless, further presenting how integrated the two locations are in the 365 environment.

Share Files Between OneDrive and SharePoint

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