Google Drive and Brault both keep a creative team's files in the cloud, and they are built around different jobs. Google Drive is the storage inside Google Workspace: 15 GB free on every account, Docs, Sheets and Gmail next to the files, sync through Drive for desktop, sharing with a Google account, and pooled storage per user on the business plans. Brault is a creative file management platform: libraries that store the same files and add previews and AI search across 50+ formats, frame-accurate review and approval, Boards, white-label links and Brault Transfer, billed by storage on a public price from $0 to $70 a month billed annually.
This comparison walks the six things a buyer asks, storage and sync, previews and search, review, branded delivery, transfer, and security, then price, and says where each product has the edge. Google's plans are Google One (100 GB at $1.99, 2 TB at $9.99 a month) and Workspace Business Starter, Standard and Plus ($7, $14 and $22 per user a month billed annually, $8.40, $16.80 and $26.40 flexible, with 30 GB, 2 TB and 5 TB of pooled storage per user), US list from Google's pricing and help pages verified 2026-09-30. The wider field is in best Google Drive alternatives for creative teams, and the caps that stop a Drive upload in what is the Google Drive file size limit.
TL;DR
- Storage and sync: Google Drive wins. Every file type on every device, Docs and Sheets next to the files, 15 GB free; Brault syncs on the Mac through the Finder and tops out at 5 TB on Growth.
- Previews and search: Brault wins. 50+ formats including RAW, PSD and AI, searched by what is in them; Drive shows those as icons and searches names and document text.
- Review: Brault wins. Frame-accurate comments, versions and approvals on every plan; Drive has comments on Docs and nothing on a video frame.
- Branded delivery and transfer: Brault wins. Your logo and domain on every link from Free, transfers to 250 GB; a Drive link carries Google and needs an account to edit.
- Price: Google One $9.99 for 2 TB beats Brault Pro $12 for one person; for a team, Brault Pro $28 for three against Workspace $42, Growth $94 for ten with 5 TB against $140.
How do Google Drive and Brault compare at a glance?
| Criteria |  Google Drive |
 Brault |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Storage inside Google Workspace: sync, sharing, Docs and Sheets, Gmail | Creative file management platform: libraries, AI search, review, Boards, white-label links, Brault Transfer |
| Pricing | 15 GB free; Google One $1.99 (100 GB) and $9.99 (2 TB) a month; Workspace $7, $14, $22 per user a month billed annually | Free; Lite $4; Pro $12; Growth $70 a month billed annually ($5, $15, $85 monthly); Enterprise on quote |
| Free plan | 15 GB shared with Gmail and Photos | 2 GB, 5 branded transfers a month up to 2 GB, AI search, Boards, review |
| Storage | 100 GB or 2 TB (Google One); 30 GB, 2 TB or 5 TB pooled per user (Workspace) | 200 GB (Lite); 2 TB (Pro); 5 TB (Growth), in libraries with permissions |
| Desktop sync | Drive for desktop on Windows and Mac, mobile apps; every file type | Brault for Mac (Finder, on-demand sync); Brault for iPhone; web |
| Previews | Documents, common images and video; RAW, PSD and AI as icons | 50+ formats including RAW formats, PSD, AI, video, audio, PDF |
| Search | File names and document text | AI search by content across every previewed format; similar-file search |
| Review and approval | Comments on Docs, Sheets and PDFs; none on a video frame | Frame-accurate comments, drawings, versions, approvals on every plan |
| Branded links | Google-branded; editing needs a Google account | Every plan including Free; custom domain on paid plans; no account for the recipient |
| Transfer | No transfer product; share link or Drive folder; 750 GB uploads per user per day | 2 GB (Free); 50 GB (Lite); 100 GB (Pro); 250 GB (Growth) per transfer, branded page |
| Security | Encryption in transit and at rest; 2-step verification; Workspace admin controls, DLP and Vault on Business Plus and up | Private AI on Brault's own servers; granular access control; password from Lite, expiry from Pro; SSO on Enterprise |
| Users | 1 (Google One, shareable with 5); per user on Workspace, up to 300 | 1 on Free and Lite; up to 3 on Pro ($8 each); 4 included on Growth ($4 each) |
Google One from one.google.com and Workspace from workspace.google.com/pricing and the Workspace admin help (business editions), US list, verified 2026-09-30; Drive limits from the Drive help center; Brault plans from brault.app/pricing verified 2026-09-30. Prices in US dollars, annual billing where the vendor offers it.
Which one should you choose?
Choose Google Drive if
- Your files are mostly documents and the team lives in Docs, Sheets and Gmail.
- You are one person with a small library: 100 GB for $1.99 or 2 TB for $9.99 a month.
- Everyone you share with has a Google account and a Google-branded link is fine.
Choose Brault if
- Your files are RAW, PSD, AI and video, and you want to see them and find them by what is in them.
- Clients approve your work and should see your logo and domain on a link that opens without an account.
- You pay for Workspace plus a review tool plus WeTransfer, and want the creative side in one bill sized by storage.
Which one is better for storage and sync?
EdgeGoogle Drive
Google Drive's job is to be everywhere: Drive for desktop streams or mirrors any file type on Windows and Mac, the phone apps upload and browse, and the files sit next to the Docs, Sheets and mail the rest of the company runs on. The free tier is 15 GB shared across Gmail and Photos; Google One takes one person to 2 TB for $9.99 a month, and Workspace pools 30 GB, 2 TB or 5 TB per user for the company, with shared drives, admin controls and a 750 GB per user per day upload cap that almost never bites.
Brault covers the part a creative team uses. Libraries hold the files with permissions per library, folder and file; Brault for Mac mounts them in the Finder with on-demand sync, so a 40 GB project downloads when opened and can be kept offline or freed; a one-click import copies a Drive folder tree into a library without deleting anything from Drive. What Brault does not do is sync arbitrary folders from Windows or a phone, or host the documents and mail, and its storage stops at 5 TB on Growth. For the general-purpose storage job, Google Drive has the edge, and most Brault teams keep it for exactly that.
Which one is better for previews and finding files?
EdgeBrault
Google Drive previews what Google makes and the common web formats: documents, JPEG and PNG, MP4. A CR3 from the camera, a layered PSD or an Illustrator source shows as an icon until someone downloads it or connects a third-party viewer, and search reads file names and the text inside documents, so an image that nobody renamed is found by memory. Brault previews 50+ formats, including RAW camera formats, PSD, AI, video, audio and PDF, and its AI search reads the content: "the shot of the red bicycle in the rain" returns the frame without a name, a tag or a folder, and similar-file search finds the other takes. This is the gap the two products are furthest apart on, and the one that decides for photographers and designers.
Which one is better for review and approval?
EdgeBrault
Drive reviews documents well: comments and suggestions on Docs, Sheets and PDFs, with assignment and resolution. On a video or an image there is nothing to pin a comment to, so feedback on a cut lives in a Doc with the timecode typed by hand, or in an email thread. Brault reviews inside the library on every plan, Free included: timestamped comments and drawings on video and images, versions with their own threads, mentions, approvals, and client review links on a branded page with optional password and expiry, so the approved version is the one the transfer sends. A team that reviews video in Drive is really reviewing it somewhere else; on Brault the loop is in the plan.
Which one is better for branded delivery?
EdgeBrault
A Drive share link opens a Google page with Google's chrome, needs a Google account to edit or to open a restricted file, and cannot carry your logo or domain on any plan. Brault puts your logo and colors on the share links, the public boards, the transfer download page and the app on every plan including Free, adds a custom domain on paid plans, and opens for the recipient without an account, so a client of a studio sees the studio from the first link. For anyone whose deliveries are part of the brand, this is the deciding feature and it costs $0.
Which one is better for sending large files?
EdgeBrault
Drive has no transfer product: a large delivery is a shared folder or a link to a file, which works when the recipient has a Google account and the file fits the plan, and counts against the sender's storage for as long as it stays. Single files can be up to 5 TB and uploads are capped at 750 GB per user per day. Brault Transfer sends from the library or the Mac menu bar: 2 GB on Free, 50 GB on Lite, 100 GB on Pro (20 a month, unlimited up to 50 GB), 250 GB on Growth, from a branded page without an account for the recipient, with password from Lite and expiry windows from Pro, and the files stay in the library either way. Drive's per-file ceiling is higher on paper; Brault has the product for the job.
Which one is safer for client work?
EdgeGoogle Drive
Google encrypts in transit and at rest, enforces 2-step verification, and on Workspace gives an admin console with sharing policies, data loss prevention and Vault retention on Business Plus and above, plus the compliance catalogue a procurement team expects. Brault encrypts in transit and at rest, runs its AI on its own servers so no file leaves for a third-party model, applies access control per library, link and board, and adds password on links from Lite, expiry from Pro and SSO on Enterprise. Both cover a client delivery; for a company that needs admin-level policy, retention and the audit paperwork today, Workspace has the edge.
Which one is cheaper?
EdgeBrault
Google bills the person: Google One $1.99 a month for 100 GB or $9.99 for 2 TB for one account, Workspace $7, $14 or $22 per user a month billed annually for 30 GB, 2 TB or 5 TB pooled per user. Brault bills storage: Lite $4 a month billed annually for 200 GB, Pro $12 for 2 TB with up to 3 users at $8 each, Growth $70 for 5 TB with 4 users included and $4 per extra, all $5, $15 and $85 month to month. The comparison by team looks like this.
| Team | Google Drive |
Brault |
|---|---|---|
| One person, 100 GB | Google One, $1.99 a month | Lite, $4 a month (200 GB, branded page, 20 transfers up to 50 GB) |
| Freelance photographer, 2 TB | Google One, $9.99 a month | Pro, $12 a month (2 TB, RAW previews, AI search, review, transfers to 100 GB) |
| Studio of 3, 2 TB, client review | Workspace Business Standard, $42 a month, plus a review tool | Pro, $28 a month (3 users, review included) |
| Agency of 10, 5 TB | Workspace Business Standard, $140 a month (2 TB pooled per user) | Growth, $94 a month (4 users + 6 × $4) |
| Company of 10 that also needs Docs, Gmail and Vault | Workspace Business Plus, $220 a month | Workspace for that, Brault Growth $94 for the creative library |
Google verified 2026-09-30 on one.google.com and the Workspace pricing and business-editions pages (US list, annual billing); Brault verified 2026-09-30; monthly figures on annual billing where offered.
Brault is the lower bill for a team because seats cost $4 to $8 rather than $14, and because the plan includes the review and the branded transfers Drive does not have. Google wins the individual case: one person who only needs 2 TB of plain storage pays $9.99 on Google One against $12 on Pro, and gets Docs and Gmail with it. The honest answer for most companies is both: Workspace for the office, Brault for the creative library, which is the last row of the table.
Three things to check before you compare the two numbers
- What the seat buys. Workspace's $14 buys mail, Docs and 2 TB pooled per user; Brault's $8 or $4 buys a login to a library sized by the plan. Count the people who upload and approve, not the clients who download.
- The tools next to Drive. If the team reviews video or sends deliveries over 5 GB, add the review tool and the transfer tool to the Drive column; on Brault they are in the plan.
- The documents. If someone needs Docs, Sheets or Gmail, that is a Workspace seat whatever happens to the creative files. Size Brault for the library only.
Where does Brault fit, and where does Google Drive?
Google Drive is the right answer for the office side of the company: documents, mail, a folder that syncs every file type to every device, and the admin controls of Workspace. Brault is the right answer for the creative library on top of it: the files a studio, agency or in-house team previews, finds by content, gets approved and delivers under its own brand, in one plan sized by storage, imported from Drive in one click and mounted in the Finder on the Mac.
- Best forStudios, agencies and in-house creative teams that search, review and deliver files out of one library
- Pricing$0 / $4 / $12 / $70 a month billed annually, $6 to $14 per TB; transfers up to 2 / 50 / 100 / 250 GB per plan (verified 2026-09-30 on brault.app/pricing)
- Free planYes; 2 GB, 5 branded transfers a month up to 2 GB, AI search, Boards and review, no card
- Watch outNo Docs, Sheets or mail; Finder sync on the Mac app only; 5 TB is the self-serve ceiling; 1 user on Free and Lite
What Brault does and does not replace
Brault replaces the Drive folders that hold creative files, the review tool and the transfer tool next to them, with previews and AI search across 50+ formats, review and approval on every plan, a branded download page from Free and transfers up to 250 GB, and it imports the Drive folders in one click. It does not replace Docs, Sheets, Gmail or whole-disk sync on Windows. The import steps are in how to import from Google Drive, and the category comparison on Brault vs traditional DAM.
Frequently asked questions
Google Drive vs Brault: which is better for a creative studio of three?
Brault for the creative files, Google Workspace for Docs and mail. Workspace Business Standard costs $42 a month for three users with 2 TB pooled each, shows RAW, PSD and AI files as icons, searches by name and has no review or transfer product. Brault Pro costs $28 a month ($12 plus two users at $8) for 2 TB with previews and AI search across 50+ formats, frame-accurate review and approval, Boards, a branded download page from Free and transfers up to 100 GB, with a one-click import of the Drive folders (Google verified 2026-09-30, Brault 2026-09-30).
Is Brault cheaper than Google Drive?
For one person with a small library, no: Google One is $1.99 a month for 100 GB and $9.99 for 2 TB, against Brault Lite at $4 for 200 GB and Pro at $12 for 2 TB. For a team, yes: Workspace Business Standard bills $14 per user for 2 TB pooled each, so 3 people pay $42 and 10 pay $140; Brault Pro is $28 for 3 and Growth $94 for 10 with 5 TB. The difference is what the money buys: Brault's plan includes the review, the branded delivery and the transfers that Drive does not have at any price (verified 2026-09-30).
Does Brault sync files to the desktop like Google Drive?
On the Mac, yes: Brault for Mac mounts every library in the Finder with on-demand sync, so files download when opened and can be kept offline or freed at will, and transfer links are created from the menu bar. Brault does not sync arbitrary folders from Windows or a phone the way Drive for desktop does; Brault for iPhone browses, previews, comments and uploads from the camera roll. Teams keep Drive for documents and use Brault for the creative library.
Can Brault open RAW, PSD and AI files that Google Drive only shows as icons?
Yes. Brault previews 50+ formats, including RAW camera formats, PSD, AI, video, audio and PDF, and its AI search reads what is in them, so a frame is found by describing it rather than by its file name. Google Drive previews documents, common images and video; RAW, PSD and AI files show as icons unless a third-party viewer is connected, and search reads file names and document text (verified 2026-09-30).
How do I move my files from Google Drive to Brault?
With the built-in import: connect the Google account in Brault, pick the folders, and Brault copies the folder tree into a library, keeping the structure and processing previews and AI search as files arrive. Nothing is deleted from Drive. The step-by-step, including what to keep in Drive, is in the help article on importing from Google Drive.
Key takeaways
- Google Drive and Brault overlap on keeping the files; Drive is built around the office (Docs, mail, sync everywhere), Brault around what a creative team does with the files.
- Drive has the edge on storage and sync (every file type, every device, 15 GB free, Docs next to the files) and on admin-level security paperwork on Workspace.
- Brault has the edge on previews and search, review, branded delivery and transfer: 50+ formats including RAW and PSD searched by content, approval on every plan, your brand on every link from Free, and a transfer product Drive does not have.
- On price, one person pays less on Google One ($9.99 for 2 TB against $12); a team pays less on Brault ($28 for three against $42, $94 for ten with 5 TB against $140), and gets the review and the delivery in the plan.
- Keep Workspace for Docs and mail, move the creative library to Brault with the one-click import; that is the setup most teams end up with.
Want RAW previews, client approvals and the branded download page in one plan, with your Drive folders imported in a click? Try Brault free.
