📁 OneDrive for Business
Purpose: Personal cloud storage for individual work files.
Key Features:
- Stores your personal work documents and files.
- Files are private by default, but you can share them with others.
- Synced across devices (PC, phone, tablet).
- Ideal for drafts, personal notes, and files not yet ready for team sharing.
Use When:
- You're working alone on a document.
- You want to back up your work files to the cloud.
- You want to share a document with someone temporarily or individually.
💬 Microsoft Teams
Purpose: Team communication and collaboration hub.
Key Features:
- Real-time chat, calls, and video meetings.
- Integrated with apps like Word, Excel, Planner, and SharePoint.
- Each Team or Channel has a Files tab, which stores shared documents.
- Documents shared in Teams are stored in SharePoint behind the scenes.
Use When:
- You're working with a group and need ongoing communication.
- You need a central place to chat, meet, and share files.
- You want to collaborate on files in real-time.
🌐 SharePoint
Purpose: Document management and intranet-style content sharing.
Key Features:
- Stores and manages shared documents, lists, pages, and workflows.
- Used to build internal websites (team sites, department sites, company intranet).
- Advanced permission control, versioning, and content organization.
- Back-end storage for Teams files.
Use When:
- You're managing team or organizational-level documents.
- You want a structured environment for storing and sharing information.
- You need an intranet or internal website to share resources, policies, or news.
✅ Quick Comparison Table
Feature
|
OneDrive
|
Teams
|
SharePoint
|
|
Main Use
|
Personal file storage
|
Team communication + files
|
Shared document management
|
|
Who Can Access
|
Just you (unless shared)
|
Team members
|
Team/org members (as set)
|
|
Collaboration
|
Yes (limited sharing)
|
Yes (real-time in chats)
|
Yes (structured/document-heavy)
|
|
File Storage
|
Cloud (personal)
|
Cloud (via SharePoint)
|
Cloud (team/shared libraries)
|
|
Best For
|
Drafts, private work
|
Ongoing team projects
|
Departmental content, intranet
|
🎯 When to Use What?
- Use OneDrive when working alone or sharing a file temporarily.
- Use Teams when collaborating with a group on a project or communicating regularly.
- Use SharePoint for long-term storage, organization-wide sharing, or building an intranet.