/ GUIDE
How to move your files from Dropbox to Google Drive
Thinking of cancelling Dropbox and keeping everything in Google Drive instead? There are three ways to move your files. The right one depends on how much you have and how much time you want to spend checking it.
IN THIS GUIDE
Before you start: check your Google storage
A free Google account comes with 15 GB, shared between Google Drive, Gmail and Google Photos. Compare that with how much you use in Dropbox:
- In Dropbox, open your account settings and look at Plan to see how much space you use.
- Go to one.google.com/storage to see how much Google space you have left.
If Dropbox uses more than you have free in Google, buy more Google storage first, or clear out what you no longer need. Running out halfway is the most common reason a move goes wrong.
Way 1: Download from Dropbox, upload to Google Drive
Best for: a few folders, a few gigabytes. Free, nothing to install.
- Sign in at dropbox.com.
- Select a folder, then choose Download. Dropbox gives you a .zip file.
- On your computer, open the .zip and choose Extract all.
- Go to drive.google.com, choose New → Folder upload, and pick the extracted folder.
- Repeat for each folder.
Watch out: dropbox.com can only download a folder if it is smaller than 250 GB and holds fewer than 10,000 files, counting everything in its subfolders (Dropbox Help). Bigger folders have to be downloaded in parts, and it is up to you to keep track of which parts are done. Your computer also needs enough free space to hold the download and the extracted copy at the same time.
Way 2: Use both desktop apps on your PC
Best for: people comfortable with File Explorer, with enough free disk space for all their files. Free.
- Install the Dropbox desktop app and Google Drive for desktop, and sign in to both.
- In File Explorer, make sure your Dropbox files are really on your PC. Files marked as online-only are just shortcuts: right-click the Dropbox folder and choose Make available offline, then wait for the download to finish.
- Open the Google Drive folder (usually the G: drive) and go into My Drive.
- Copy (don’t move) your Dropbox folders into My Drive. Google Drive for desktop uploads them in the background.
- Leave the PC on until Google Drive shows that everything has been uploaded.
Watch out: use Copy, not Cut. If you cut files out of the Dropbox folder, Dropbox deletes them from your account too. And if a few files fail to upload, it is easy not to notice among thousands.
Way 3: Let an app copy and check it for you
Best for: years of photos and documents, or anyone who wants proof that nothing was missed before they cancel.
We are building NexMove for exactly this. You sign in to Dropbox and Google, press one button, and it copies everything into a “From Dropbox” folder in your Google Drive. It runs on your own Windows PC with no servers in between — not ours, not anyone’s — and needs no free disk space, because your files are never saved to your hard drive. It never deletes anything from Dropbox. If it stops halfway, it copies only the files that are still missing next time, so you never have to compare folders by hand. At the end, it checks every file against the original. It will cost a one-time $19.99, with a free test copy up to 200 MB. The first 100 early-access members get it for $14.99.
NexMove is not out yet. Join early access and we’ll email you when it launches.
If you use Google Workspace at work, your administrator may also be able to move Dropbox data with Google’s own migration tools in the Admin console.
Which way should you choose?
| WAY | COST | EFFORT | DISK SPACE | IF IT STOPS HALFWAY | CHECKS EVERY FILE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Download and upload | Free | High for large amounts | Room for the download and the extracted copy | Download that folder again | No, you check by hand |
| 2 · Both desktop apps | Free | Medium | Room for all your files | Usually carries on, but you check by hand | No, you check by hand |
| 3 · NexMove | $19.99 once | One click | None for your files | Copies only what is left | Yes |
Checklist before you cancel Dropbox
Whichever way you choose, go through this list before you stop paying:
- Compare the totals. Check that the number of files and the total size in Google Drive roughly match Dropbox, folder by folder for the ones that matter most.
- Open a few files. Pick some old photos and documents at random and make sure they open in Google Drive.
- Folders shared with you. Folders other people shared with you belong to them. Copy anything you want to keep, because you may lose access later.
- Links you shared. Links you sent to others point to Dropbox. Share the files again from Google Drive if people still need them.
- Dropbox-only documents. Dropbox Paper documents may not open in Google Drive. Export them to Word or PDF first.
- Version history and deleted files. These are not copied. If you need an older version of a file, restore it in Dropbox before you leave.
- Wait a week. Use Google Drive for a few days before cancelling, so you notice anything missing while Dropbox still has it.
When you cancel a paid Dropbox plan, your account becomes the free Basic plan with 2 GB. If you have more than that stored, Dropbox stops syncing your files, so it is best to finish moving everything first.
Moving to OneDrive instead? See how to move from Dropbox to OneDrive, or all our guides.