SharePoint and OneDrive or Dropbox and Box: which should hold our files?

Key facts

• Microsoft 365 plans include OneDrive and SharePoint storage for every licensed user.
• Teams channel files are stored in SharePoint.
• Microsoft 365 Copilot works with content in SharePoint and OneDrive that users can access.
• Box and Dropbox both integrate with Microsoft Office apps.
• Migration tools such as Migration Manager support moves from Box and Dropbox into Microsoft 365.

The short comparison

All three platforms store, sync and share files securely. SharePoint and OneDrive are part of Microsoft 365, so files sit next to email, Teams, identity and compliance tools. Dropbox is known for its easy sync client and file sharing. Box is known for content management, external collaboration and integrations with many business apps.

The table lists stable, high-level differences. Plan contents vary, so confirm current features with each vendor.

When SharePoint and OneDrive are the better fit

• You already pay for Microsoft 365 and want to avoid a second storage bill.
• Teams is your collaboration hub and you want files in the same place.
• You want one set of retention, labeling, DLP and eDiscovery policies across email, chat and files.
• You plan to roll out Microsoft 365 Copilot and need content it can work with.
• You need intranet sites, document libraries with metadata or Power Apps built on lists.

When Dropbox or Box is the better fit

Box and Dropbox are both strong products. A mixed setup can be reasonable when one group has a specific need, as long as there is a clear rule for which platform holds which content.

• Creative or media teams work with very large files and prefer Dropbox's sync experience.
• You share large volumes of content with outside parties and rely on Box's external collaboration model.
• Key line-of-business apps integrate tightly with Box or Dropbox.
• Your productivity suite is not Microsoft 365.
• Users and partners are well trained on the current platform and it meets compliance needs.

The real cost of running two platforms

When files live in two places, people search in both, share from both and copy files back and forth. Security teams manage two sets of sharing controls and two audit logs. Retention and legal holds must be applied twice.

If you keep Box or Dropbox, decide which content lives there, connect it to Entra ID for single sign-on, and apply equivalent sharing and retention rules. If not, plan a migration and set a date to retire the old platform.

Moving from Dropbox or Box to Microsoft 365

Do not lift folders straight into one OneDrive. Map team folders to SharePoint sites or Teams, map personal folders to each user's OneDrive, and fix permissions on the way. Box and Dropbox permission models differ from SharePoint, so review deep folder permissions and shared links.

Microsoft's Migration Manager supports Box and Dropbox sources, and third-party tools add options. Run a scan first to find long paths, unsupported file types and very large files. Pilot one department, then move in waves with a delta pass before cutover.

• Inventory data volume, owners, shared folders and external shares.
• Design the SharePoint and Teams structure before moving anything.
• Communicate new locations and sync changes to users.
• Make the old platform read-only after cutover, then retire it.

How Accred Consulting approaches it

Accred Consulting helps you decide where files should live by looking at how teams share, what you already license and what compliance requires. When SharePoint and OneDrive fit, Accred migrates you off Dropbox or Box: discovery covers data volume, structure, permissions and external sharing, and the proposal sets scope, a fixed price and timeline. US-based specialists design sites and Teams, migrate in waves with delta passes and set governance. Handover includes documentation and knowledge transfer.

Track record: 475+ client projects, 2,000+ migration workstreams and 210,000+ users migrated by a US-based team. Company facts · Case studies

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