How Big Is OneDrive and Its Storage Capacity

OneDrive is a cloud storage service that allows users to store and access their files from anywhere. It's a Microsoft product that has been around since 2007.

OneDrive offers a generous amount of free storage space, which is 5 GB. This is a great starting point for individuals who want to store their personal files, photos, and documents.

Users can upgrade to a paid plan to get more storage space, with options ranging from 50 GB to 1 TB. This is ideal for those who need to store larger files, such as videos and high-resolution images.

OneDrive has a massive user base, with over 1 billion users worldwide. This is a testament to its popularity and reliability.

The default storage quota for OneDrive can be set in the SharePoint Online admin center or PowerShell, and it's a crucial setting to get right. The minimum default storage quota is 1024 GB (1 TB).

You can increase the default storage quota to 5120 GB (5 TB) in the SharePoint Online admin center, but be aware that attempting to set a higher value will be ignored and the limit will revert to 5 TB.

To set a 5 TB default storage limit in PowerShell, you'll need to use the Set-SPOTenant cmdlet, which uses megabytes. This can be a bit confusing, but it's essential to get it right.

One important thing to keep in mind is that the default storage quota is assigned to new accounts, and if the account doesn't have a license that supports the assigned quota, OneDrive will automatically downgrade the available quota to the maximum allowed by the license.

Here's a quick reference guide to help you set the default storage quota:

OneDrive's storage capacity is a bit more complicated than you'd think. The minimum default storage quota is 1024 GB (1 TB), but you can increase it to 5120 GB (5 TB) in the SharePoint Online admin center.

You can try setting a higher value, but OneDrive will simply ignore it and revert to 5 TB. This is because the admin center uses gigabytes to set storage quotas, while PowerShell uses megabytes.

Here's a breakdown of OneDrive's storage capacity by license type:

So, what counts toward your OneDrive storage? Synced files and notebooks from Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote are stored in OneDrive, taking up space in your storage quota.

If you're a Windows user, OneDrive acts as an extra disk on your hard drive, and anything uploaded to the OneDrive folder counts toward your storage.

Manually uploaded files, including photos and videos, also take up space in your OneDrive storage. This means that if you have a large collection of photos or videos, they'll be eating into your storage quota.

Here's a breakdown of what counts toward OneDrive storage:

Keep in mind that OneDrive's unlimited storage quota is practically limited by being doled out in chunks as users need storage, so it's essential to be mindful of what you're storing in your OneDrive account.

Storage Capacity is a crucial aspect of OneDrive, and understanding it can help you make the most of your storage space. Microsoft offers different storage capacities based on your license type.

Frontline users, such as those with Office 365 F3, get a meager 2 GB of storage. In contrast, Small to medium plans, like Microsoft 365 Business Premium, come with a more generous 1 TB of storage.

If you're on a SharePoint Online Plan 1 or OneDrive for Business Plan 1, you're also entitled to 1 TB of storage. Enterprise E1 plans also offer 1 TB of storage, which might seem limited, but it's a good starting point.

Other enterprise plans and SharePoint Online Plan 2, however, offer "Beyond 1 TB, to unlimited" storage, which sounds promising, but it's not entirely what it seems. Unlimited storage is more like an all-you-can-eat buffet, where the physical capacity of the human stomach (or in this case, the OneDrive system) will eventually impose a practical limit.

Curious to learn more? Check out: Onedrive Plan

To set a default storage quota for OneDrive, you can use the Settings section of the SharePoint Online admin center or PowerShell. The minimum default storage quota is 1024 GB (1 TB), and you can increase it to 5120 GB (5 TB).

Here's a quick rundown of the storage capacities you can set:

Keep in mind that attempting to set a quota higher than 5 TB will be ignored, and the limit will stay at 5 TB.