Cloud storage vs cloud backup: OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive and backup software
Cloud storage services such as OneDrive, Dropbox and Google Drive are built to keep files available on your devices, and they do overlap with backup: they keep a copy in the cloud, and they offer recycle bins and version history. Dedicated backup software is built around keeping restorable copies and history independent of what happens on the PC. The honest answer is that the line is blurry, so compare what each service documents rather than the label.
Storage, sync and backup: the core difference
A cloud storage service keeps your files in the cloud and makes them available on your devices. Most of them work by sync: a change made in one place is applied in the other. That is very useful for working across devices. It also means that a deletion can travel with the sync.
Backup software is designed around a different goal: keeping separate, restorable copies of your files, with a history, so that you can recover from a deletion, a mistake or a lost computer. The guide backup vs sync explains the idea in general terms.
It is not all or nothing Sync is not worthless as protection, and storage services are not simply "not backup". Each of the three services below has a recycle bin or trash, and version history of some kind, and Dropbox now has a feature it calls Backup. What differs is how long the safety net lasts, how it behaves on deletion, and how much control you have.
OneDrive
Microsoft describes OneDrive as syncing files between your computer and the cloud, with changes, including deletes, applied both ways. It also offers folder backup for Desktop, Documents and Pictures (and Music and Videos), where Microsoft says files are backed up once they finish syncing. The Windows Backup app can include settings as well, for personal Microsoft accounts.
As of 16 October 2026, Microsoft documents a Recycle Bin of 30 days for personal accounts and 93 days for work or school accounts. For version history, Microsoft's pages for Office files and for restoring a previous version give two statements, "the last 25 versions" and "retained for 30 days", and we do not treat them as a single rule. Restoring a whole OneDrive to a point in the last 30 days needs a Microsoft 365 subscription. Microsoft's limits page says network drives are not supported as a sync location.
Official sources: sync, folder backup, recycle bin and restore your OneDrive. For a service-by-service view, see the OneDrive alternative comparison.
Dropbox
Dropbox has a feature called Backup that backs up files and folders from your computer's home folder to the cloud, one way from device to cloud, and it supports external drives. Dropbox's own pages define backup as a copy kept in case the original is lost or deleted, and sync as storing files remotely so several devices can reach them.
Dropbox's help page on Backup says that if you delete backed-up files from your computer or your Dropbox account, they are also deleted from the other location, and that deleted backed-up files can be restored for 30 or 180 days depending on plan. As of 16 October 2026, version history and deleted-file recovery are 30 days on Basic, Plus and Family, 180 days on Professional, Essentials, Business and Standard, and 365 days on Business Plus, Advanced and Enterprise, with an Extended Version History add-on. Updates happen instantly or every 15 minutes depending on version, with schedule options such as daily and weekly.
Official sources: Backup overview, Backup FAQ, version history and backup vs sync. See also the Dropbox alternative comparison.
Google Drive
For folders on your computer, Google describes Drive for desktop as using mirroring: if you edit, delete or move a file in one location, the same change happens in the other. That is a sync model. Google's own pages say the Drive for desktop support for backing up to Google Photos ends on 10 August 2026, and moves to Google Photos on the web.
As of 16 October 2026, Google documents that items in Trash are deleted forever after 30 days, and that a version of a non-Google-format file may be deleted after 30 days or when 100 newer versions exist, with a Keep forever option. Trash counts against your storage. We did not find a setting for schedule or frequency in the pages we read.
Official sources: mirroring, versions and Trash. See also the Google Drive alternative comparison.
Comparison table
What each type of service is designed for, as documented (as of 16 October 2026)
| Question | OneDrive | Dropbox | Google Drive | Tornova Backup |
|---|
| Designed for | Sync and storage, with folder backup for standard folders | Sync and storage, plus a Backup feature for the home folder | Sync and storage, mirroring folders | Backup of files, folders and drives on Windows PCs |
|---|
| Local deletes | Sync applies deletes both ways | Deleted from the other location as well | Mirroring applies the same change in the other location | Deleting on the PC does not delete the cloud copy |
|---|
| History and restore window | Recycle Bin 30 days (personal) or 93 days (work or school); version history as Microsoft documents | 30, 180 or 365 days depending on plan | Trash 30 days; versions up to 30 days or 100 newer versions | Versioning optional, off by default, keeps 3, 10 or 50 versions; deleted cloud data stays in Trash for 1 day |
|---|
| Choosing folders | Standard folders for folder backup, or any folder in your OneDrive | Files and folders in the home folder, and external drives | Folders you choose to sync | Files, folders or whole drives of your choice |
|---|
| Scheduling | Continuous sync; no schedule setting found | Instant or every 15 minutes, with daily and weekly options | Automatic sync; no schedule setting found | Automatic Backup on a schedule you set; Smart Backup once per day, week or month |
|---|
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, mobile; no Linux desktop app | Windows only today |
|---|
Read the table as a summary, not a verdict. Each vendor's own documentation is the authority and can change, so follow the links above before relying on a figure. Where the documentation is silent on a point, we say we did not find it rather than guessing.
When storage is enough, and when to add backup software
- Storage may be enough if the files you care about already live in the service, you use its version history, and the retention windows suit you.
- Add backup software if you want your files kept as independent copies that do not change when you delete something locally, if you want to choose any folder or drive, or if you want control over a schedule.
- Use both if you share and collaborate in a storage service and also want a separate backup of the same files. That follows the idea in the 3-2-1 backup strategy.
There is a practical point as well. A storage service can run out of space and stop syncing. Microsoft, for example, documents that an over-quota OneDrive cannot upload or sync new files. A separate backup does not depend on your storage plan with that service.
How Tornova compares, and its limits
Tornova Backup is dedicated cloud backup for Windows PCs. You choose a Backup Set of files, folders or drives. Deleting a file on the PC does not delete the cloud copy, and a failed new backup never damages the last good one. Backups can run with Automatic Backup on a schedule you set, and restore is started from the website and completed by Tornova App on the PC.
Be clear about what it is not. It is Windows only today. It does not create a system image. It does not do real-time or continuous backup, it has no ransomware detection, and client-side encryption is planned but not available; data is encrypted in transit and at rest. Self-serve plans go up to 100 GB, and larger needs are handled with a custom plan. See features and pricing, and use Trials to try it.
Frequently asked questions
Is cloud file storage the same as cloud backup?
No. Cloud file storage keeps your working files online and available on your devices; cloud backup keeps a separate, restorable copy under its own retention rules. Some storage services add backup features, so check how deletions and recovery windows work.
Is OneDrive a backup?
It is a sync and storage service that also offers folder backup and a recycle bin. Microsoft says files in a backed-up folder are backed up once they finish syncing, but sync applies deletes both ways. Whether it is enough depends on what you need to recover and for how long.
Is Dropbox a backup?
Dropbox has a feature called Backup, and its help pages note that deleting a file from your computer or your Dropbox account also deletes it from the other location. Deleted files can be recovered for a period that depends on your plan.
Is Google Drive a backup?
For folders on your computer, Google describes mirroring, so a deletion in one place is applied in the other. Trash and version history give a limited safety net, which Google documents as 30 days for Trash.
Do I need backup software if I already use cloud storage?
Not always. If the documented history and retention suit you, storage may be enough for some files. Backup software is worth considering for independent copies, folder and drive choice and schedule control.
Can I use Tornova alongside OneDrive, Dropbox or Google Drive?
Yes. Tornova backs up the files and folders you choose on your Windows PC, so it can protect the same files that a storage service syncs. Keeping both gives you a separate copy.
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