Uploading, downloading, opening and sharing all need to happen as quickly as possible. When it comes to getting information, consumers want it fast. Speed is important, especially when trying to save a file to the cloud or trying to restore data from online. That is why it was necessary to grade Dropbox and Google Drive on how speedy they were.
We tested how fast Dropbox uploaded files. In our test, we used a folder with 359 pictures and an overall file size of 42.2 MB. Despite being known for taking extra time to save an initial load of files, this trial only took approximately three minutes to transfer. We then took the same file and downloaded it to the desktop. The task was completed in a matter of seconds.
In the past, consumers have complained the process does not allow them to see files as they were uploading and downloading. In fact, if the folder was not completely saved, no part could be retrieved to a local drive. This has changed recently and all documents or pictures can be viewed as they are being transferred to and from the Dropbox folder.
When it comes to speed, Google is the proverbial turtle in the race. Slow and steady may win some prizes, but when it comes to saving information, it is not a quality often desired.
To keep the playing field even, we used the same exact file that we tested on Dropbox. File size was still 42.2 MB and there were still 359 pictures. However, when the transfer began, Google Drive indicated it was only uploading 356 files. After seven minutes of working, only three pictures had supposedly been saved. To be honest, we gave up staring at the screen at this point and canceled the transaction.
We had saved other files in the past, so we tried downloading one of these files, again similar in size to the one we tested Dropbox with. Sadly, this process also took several minutes because Google had to determine if the data could be compressed into a file 2GB or smaller. Once the analysis was done, it still took several minutes to put the information into a .zip file and transfer it to our local drive.
Winner: Dropbox.