iCloud iCloud or Microsoft 365

[nampat]

I am really struggling to choose between ecosystems. I know a lot of people say that there is no need to choose and you can use whatever you want (right tool for the problem), but as I like to keep my stuff organized – I really need to choose. 😊

Now I am using iCloud+ with custom domain (also iCloud for photos, notes) and also using Outlook.com as email service (and OneDrive, Office etc – Microsoft 365 Family). It means that my e-mails are in two systems and also my files – some are in iCloud and some are in OneDrive. It is messy and I don’t like it this way. But I have tried to decide which ecosystem is better, but I am failed numerous times. Even if I choose one ecosystem I have my doubts, whether is was the best decision and I change my decision again.

I have Macbook, iPhone, but also personal Windows PC and work PC. I really like that Apple services are simple and what they do – they do it great. On the other end Microsoft tools have a lot of functionality and they are cross platform. So – how to find peace while keeping data organized? 😊

Any good advice? What do you guys use?

 

[maflynn]

I think asking this on a Mac site, most of the answers will be heavily skewed towards Apple.

For cross platform, Office 365 is a better option imo. I believe you get 1TB with the Office 365 subscription which far exceeds what you can from iCloud+. You'd need to buy extra storage from apple to get close to what you can with Office 365.

iCloud really excels where you rely heavily on your Mac. If you only used a Mac and iPhone, then iCloud+ is a no brainer, its definitely better since its well integrated into both macOS and iOS.

I use both Macs and PCs, I store all of my data OneDrive, and only use iCloud for Mac specific stuff that I'll never need on my PC. There is the ability to connect your iCloud drive in windows, but I never had good luck with that, and I'd prefer not risking my data because of their prior track record

 

[TorbenIbsen]

Nobody can tell you what to choose here. Only the guy you can see in the mirror can decide what should be done.

 

[MrWillie]

One Drive is mainly used for work related stuff, iCloud is for personal stuff.

Important personal stuff is kept in both.

I have an Office 365 subscription and an Apple One subscription.

 

[fanboy-ish]

I used to use both, I can tell you that, in my experience, iCloud on Apple devices works better than OneDrive does on Windows devices.

If you have multiple Apple devices then iCloud is a no-brainer, after I upgraded to iCloud+ I’ve basically stopped using OneDrive; also, I don’t like the way OneDrive behaves on my Mac, I tried creating a collaborative Excel file, the moment I closed it, the file was gone and resided only on the cloud, even if I selected the option to keep a copy on my Mac.

On Apple devices iCloud is so smooth and fast I even forget it’s there.

 

[Daryle]

Surely, you must be toying with us, or are you a parody of Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory - where he was in a similar predicament over Xbox versus PS?

 

[petvas]

I am really struggling to choose between ecosystems. I know a lot of people say that there is no need to choose and you can use whatever you want (right tool for the problem), but as I like to keep my stuff organized – I really need to choose. 😊

Now I am using iCloud+ with custom domain (also iCloud for photos, notes) and also using Outlook.com as email service (and OneDrive, Office etc – Microsoft 365 Family). It means that my e-mails are in two systems and also my files – some are in iCloud and some are in OneDrive. It is messy and I don’t like it this way. But I have tried to decide which ecosystem is better, but I am failed numerous times. Even if I choose one ecosystem I have my doubts, whether is was the best decision and I change my decision again.

I have Macbook, iPhone, but also personal Windows PC and work PC. I really like that Apple services are simple and what they do – they do it great. On the other end Microsoft tools have a lot of functionality and they are cross platform. So – how to find peace while keeping data organized? 😊

Any good advice? What do you guys use?

I am using O365 for Mail and for my professional calendar & collaboration needs (incl. Teams). I use iCloud for everything else, including my files. Why not use both?
I hate for example how OneDrive works and I don't use it, unless I really need to share something with a customer that uses it.
O365 is in general much more robust than iCloud when it comes to Mail, Calendar and collaboration (especially for businesses). If you just want to use it for your home/private stuff, then iCloud should really be sufficient, unless you want to have a better Mail system.

 

[Bodhitree]

I use iCloud exclusively. For my needs Pages, Numbers, Keynote plus Mail, Calendar and Contacts are sufficient and they integrate well across multiple devices. I’ve found that everything it does, it does well, and I can keep everything organised in the native folders.

 

[thomasparra]

I am debating the same but between iCloud, Google Suite and Office 365 for WORK.

I only own Apple devices (iPhone and Mac) and I use iCloud only for personal stuff. As I will be starting a small company, I would have loved to stay with Apple but you get limited VERY quickly against let's say Google.

Google Sheets and Docs far exceed what Apple Numbers and Page do. Google offer an efficient, complete communication solution (Google Meets) where participants can join just using their browser (no install needed) or their phones (phone dial in in every country). Apple just does not have anything like that. Even MS Team is weak on this regard as they require software installation most of the time when Google does not.

Another thing that is annoying is the lack of calendar integration, like I wish I could just use my Apple Calendar app for both personal and work meetings but I don't think it's straightforward especially when scheduling meetings on Google. I would use Apple but their business suite is limited and even basic features are missing.

I think the best combination for someone in my situation is iCloud for personal use, and then MS 365/Google Suite for work purposes but I really do not like how I have two different calendars to use..

 

[maflynn]

Google Suite and Office 365 for WORK.

I think its a mistake to choose anything other then google or MSFT in this case. The collaborative options, the ease of use, the power of the applications is night and day.

Google certainly makes sense, and since MS collects just as much data as google, there is no real privacy minded choice

 

[thomasparra]

I think its a mistake to choose anything other then google or MSFT in this case. The collaborative options, the ease of use, the power of the applications is night and day.

Google certainly makes sense, and since MS collects just as much data as google, there is no real privacy minded choice

Agreed. However I wish there was more integration and simplicity around this. I mean to manage my personal and business invites I would need to juggle in between iCal and Google Calendar. I wish I could just use one app to manage all of this. But I am probably overthinking this.

 

[maflynn]

I mean to manage my personal and business invites I would need to juggle in between iCal and Google Calendar

I understand, but on the flip side, there's a case to be made to keep your personal and professional stuff separate. I get that using different apps/platforms for personal and professional leads to confusion, frustrations and is not ideal. I'm not trying to justify that but I personally don't let me personal stuff intermingle with my professional stuff. I'm not a business owner so my needs are a lot simpler.

 

[1885507]

I have iCloud and 3 E365 accounts (work). E365 gets nothing short of glacial when mailboxes get into the tens of thousands of messages, and spam filtering isn’t exactly their strength either.

You’re better off with iCloud (esp. for ADP), esp if you’re already full time on the iOS/Mac platform. Otherwise, Google Apps is a terrific alternative to 365.

 

[Bodhitree]

Google offer an efficient, complete communication solution (Google Meets) where participants can join just using their browser (no install needed) or their phones (phone dial in in every country). Apple just does not have anything like that. Even MS Team is weak on this regard as they require software installation most of the time when Google does not.

Have you looked at Facetime’s new link functionality? Its had for about a year the ability to create a link which you send around, which people can use in any web browser, on any platform, to join a vid conf call, no install required. With up to 32 people and no limit on call time its better than Zoom in some respects.

 

[thomasparra]

Have you looked at Facetime’s new link functionality? Its had for about a year the ability to create a link which you send around, which people can use in any web browser, on any platform, to join a vid conf call, no install required. With up to 32 people and no limit on call time its better than Zoom in some respects.

I did but it seems clunky, and no screen sharing function on browser