Transferring files between cloud storage services like Google Drive and Amazon Drive might seem challenging, but it's actually quite straightforward once you know the steps. Whether you're switching services, creating backups, or just organizing your digital life, this guide will walk you through several methods to move your files efficiently.

I've personally tried all these methods and will share the pros and cons of each approach. Let's explore how to transfer your files without hassle!

Why Transfer Files Between Cloud Storage Services?

Before diving into the "how," let's quickly consider why you might want to transfer files between Google Drive and other cloud storage services:

• Storage limits reached on your current service
• Better pricing on another platform
• Creating backups across multiple services
• Sharing files with people who use different platforms
• Taking advantage of special features on specific platforms

Method 1: Download and Upload Method

The most basic approach is to download files from Google Drive to your computer and then upload them to Amazon Drive or another service.

Steps to Download from Google Drive

1. Go to Google Drive and sign in to your account
2. Select the files or folders you want to transfer
3. Right-click and select "Download"
4. Wait for the download to complete on your computer

Steps to Upload to Amazon Drive

1. Go to Amazon Drive and sign in
2. Click the "Upload" button
3. Select "Files" or "Folder" depending on what you're uploading
4. Navigate to your downloaded files and select them
5. Click "Open" to begin the upload process

Pros of Download and Upload Method

• No third-party tools required
• Complete control over which files transfer
• Can verify files before completing the transfer

Cons of Download and Upload Method

• Time-consuming for large files or numerous files
• Requires sufficient local storage space
• Dependent on your internet connection speed

Method 2: Using PicBackMan (Best for Photos & Videos)

If your Google Drive contains a large number of photos and videos, PicBackMan offers a faster and more automated way to transfer media files to Amazon Drive or another cloud service. Unlike general cloud transfer tools, PicBackMan is specifically designed for handling photo and video migration at scale.

Steps to Transfer Photos & Videos Using PicBackMan

1. Visit PicBackMan.com and create a free account
2. Download and install the PicBackMan app on your Windows or Mac computer
3. Sign in to your PicBackMan account
4. Connect your Google Drive account as the source
5. Connect Amazon Drive or another supported cloud service as the destination
6. Select the photo and video folders you want to transfer
7. Start the migration and let PicBackMan upload your media automatically

PicBackMan preserves original quality, maintains folder structure, and avoids duplicate uploads, making it ideal for large photo and video libraries.

Pros of Using PicBackMan

• Optimized for photo and video transfers
• No manual download and re-upload
• Preserves folder structure and metadata
• Great for large media collections

Cons of Using PicBackMan

• Supports only photos and videos
• Not suitable for documents or non-media files

Method 3: Using rclone (For Technical Users)

Rclone is a command-line program that can sync files between cloud storage services. It's more technical but offers powerful features.

Steps to Use rclone

• Download and install rclone from rclone.org
• Open your command prompt or terminal
• Run rclone config to set up your cloud storage accounts
• Follow the prompts to add Google Drive as a remote named "gdrive"
• Add Amazon Drive as a remote named "adrive"
• Use the command rclone copy gdrive:path/to/files adrive:destination/path to transfer files

Example Command

To copy a folder named "Photos" from Google Drive to Amazon Drive:

rclone copy gdrive:Photos adrive:Photos -P

The -P flag shows progress during the transfer.

Pros of Using rclone

• Completely free and open-source
• Very powerful with many configuration options
• Can handle very large transfers efficiently
• Can be automated with scripts

Cons of Using rclone

• Requires technical knowledge
• Command-line interface may be intimidating for some users
• Initial setup takes time

Method 4: Using Desktop Sync Clients

This method involves using the desktop sync clients for both services to create a local copy that syncs to both clouds.

Steps to Use Desktop Sync Clients

1. Download and install Google Drive for Desktop from Google's website
2. Download and install Amazon Drive Desktop app (or the app for your target cloud service)
3. Set up both apps to sync to different folders on your computer
4. Copy files from the Google Drive folder to the Amazon Drive folder on your computer
5. Wait for both services to sync the changes

Pros of Using Desktop Sync Clients

• Works in the background
• Easy to use with a familiar file explorer interface
• Can verify files are properly synced before removing originals

Cons of Using Desktop Sync Clients

• Requires sufficient local storage
• Both services must sync completely before the transfer is done
• Can be slow for large amounts of data

Method 5: Using Mover.io for Large Transfers

Mover.io (now part of Microsoft) is a specialized service for cloud-to-cloud migrations.

Steps to Use Mover.io

1. Go to Mover.io and sign up for an account
2. Select Google Drive as your source connector
3. Authorize access to your Google Drive
4. Select Amazon Drive (or another service) as your destination connector
5. Authorize access to your destination service
6. Select the files and folders you want to transfer
7. Start the migration and monitor progress

Pros of Using Mover.io

• Designed specifically for cloud-to-cloud transfers
• Can handle very large migrations
• User-friendly interface

Cons of Using Mover.io

• May have costs associated for large transfers
• Limited free options

Comparing Transfer Methods

Method	Ease of Use	Speed	Cost	Best For
Download & Upload	Easy	Slow	Free	Small file transfers
PicBackMan	Very Easy	Medium	Free/Paid	Photos & videos (best for large media libraries)
rclone	Difficult	Fast	Free	Technical users, large transfers
Desktop Sync	Medium	Medium	Free	Ongoing syncing needs
Mover.io	Easy	Fast	Paid	One-time large migrations

Tips for Successful File Transfers

Organize Before Transferring

Take time to organize your files in Google Drive before transferring them. Delete unnecessary files, organize into logical folders, and make sure file names are clear and consistent. This preparation will make the transfer process smoother and your new cloud storage easier to navigate.

Check File Compatibility

Some cloud services handle certain file types differently. For example, Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are native to Google Drive and may need to be converted to compatible formats (like DOCX, XLSX, or PPTX) before transferring to Amazon Drive or other services.

Steps to Convert Google Workspace Files

1. Open the Google Doc, Sheet, or Slide you want to transfer
2. Click on "File" in the menu
3. Select "Download"
4. Choose the appropriate format (DOCX for Docs, XLSX for Sheets, etc.)
5. Upload the converted file to your destination cloud service

Verify Your Transfers

After transferring files, it's important to verify that everything transferred correctly:

• Check that all files and folders are present in the destination
• Open a few random files to ensure they're not corrupted
• Verify that file permissions are set correctly if sharing with others

Consider Transfer Speed Limitations

Several factors can affect your transfer speed:

• Your internet connection speed
• Throttling by the cloud service providers
• The number and size of files being transferred
• Time of day (peak usage times may be slower)

For very large transfers, consider breaking them into smaller batches or using a service like MultCloud that can continue transfers even when your computer is offline.

Transferring to Other Cloud Services

The methods above can be adapted to transfer files between Google Drive and nearly any other cloud storage service. Here are some specific notes for popular services:

Google Drive to OneDrive

Microsoft's OneDrive works well with the methods above. If you're transferring to OneDrive, you can also use the built-in "Move to OneDrive" feature if you have both services connected to your Microsoft account.

Google Drive to Dropbox

Dropbox has excellent sync capabilities. The desktop sync method works particularly well when transferring from Google Drive to Dropbox.

Google Drive to iCloud

For Apple users, transferring to iCloud is most easily done using the download and upload method or by using the iCloud Drive desktop app in combination with Google Drive's desktop app.

Google Drive to Box

Box supports most of the transfer methods mentioned above. Their enterprise security features make them popular for business users.

Handling Special Cases

Transferring Shared Files

If you're transferring files that were shared with you (but not owned by you) from Google Drive, you'll need to:

1. Make copies of the shared files to your own Drive first (right-click and select "Make a copy")
2. Transfer your copies to the destination cloud service
3. Remember that comments and edit history won't transfer

Transferring Very Large Files

For extremely large files (over 10GB), direct cloud-to-cloud transfer methods like MultCloud or rclone are usually more reliable than downloading and uploading. They avoid potential interruptions in your local internet connection and bypass any file size limitations your browser might have.

Maintaining File Structure

To maintain your folder structure when transferring:

• When using download/upload method, download entire folders rather than individual files
• With MultCloud or rclone, select the parent folders to preserve the structure
• Double-check after transfer that nested folders transferred correctly

Handling Permission Settings

Remember that permission settings (who can view or edit files) typically don't transfer between cloud services. You'll need to set up sharing permissions again on your destination service after transferring.

Automating Regular Transfers

If you need to regularly transfer files between Google Drive and another service, consider setting up automation:

Using MultCloud for Scheduled Transfers

1. Set up your cloud accounts in MultCloud
2. Go to "Cloud Transfer"
3. Select your source and destination
4. Click "Schedule" and set your desired frequency (daily, weekly, etc.)
5. Save your schedule

Using rclone for Automated Transfers

For technical users, you can create a scheduled task (Windows) or cron job (Mac/Linux) that runs an rclone command at specified intervals:

Windows Task Scheduler Example:

1. Create a batch file with your rclone command
2. Open Task Scheduler
3. Create a new task that runs your batch file
4. Set the trigger to your desired schedule

Linux/Mac Cron Job Example:

To run a daily transfer at 2 AM:

0 2 * * * /usr/bin/rclone copy gdrive:Photos adrive:Photos

Quick Tip to ensure your videos never go missing

Videos are precious memories and all of us never want to lose them to hard disk crashes or missing drives. PicBackMan is the easiest and simplest way to keep your videos safely backed up in one or more online accounts. 

Simply download PicBackMan (it's free!), register your account, connect to your online store and tell PicBackMan where your videos are - PicBackMan does the rest, automatically. It bulk uploads all videos and keeps looking for new ones and uploads those too. You don't have to ever touch it.

Troubleshooting Common Transfer Issues

Transfer Stops or Fails

If your transfer stops unexpectedly:

• Check your internet connection
• Verify you haven't exceeded storage limits on the destination
• Try transferring smaller batches of files
• If using a service like MultCloud, check if you've hit free tier limitations

Files Won't Open After Transfer

If files won't open after transferring:

• Ensure the destination service supports that file type
• Check if Google Workspace files were properly converted before transfer
• Try downloading the file to your computer to see if it opens locally

Missing Files After Transfer

If some files are missing after transfer:

• Check if there were hidden files that didn't transfer
• Verify if files exceeded maximum size limits
• Look for error messages in transfer logs
• Check if files had special characters in names that caused issues

Slow Transfer Speeds

If transfers are extremely slow:

• Try during off-peak hours
• Check if your ISP throttles cloud storage traffic
• Consider using a wired connection instead of WiFi
• Try a different transfer method

Security Considerations When Transferring Files

Protecting Sensitive Data

When transferring sensitive information:

• Consider encrypting files before transferring
• Use secure transfer methods (avoid public WiFi for download/upload method)
• Review privacy policies of any third-party transfer services
• Delete sensitive files from transfer services after completion

Checking Service Access Permissions

When using transfer services:

• Review what permissions you're granting to transfer tools
• Revoke access to your cloud accounts after transfers are complete
• Use services with good security reputations

Conclusion

Transferring files from Google Drive to Amazon Drive or other cloud storage services doesn't have to be complicated. Whether you prefer the simple download/upload method or more advanced tools like MultCloud or rclone, there's an approach that fits your needs and technical comfort level.

Remember to organize your files before transferring, check for compatibility issues (especially with Google Workspace files), and verify your transfers afterward. For large transfers or ongoing sync needs, consider using specialized tools rather than manual methods.

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can move your files efficiently while maintaining organization and security. Each method has its own advantages, so choose the one that best matches your specific situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer files directly from Google Drive to Amazon Drive without downloading them?

Yes, you can use cloud-to-cloud transfer services like MultCloud, Mover.io, or rclone to transfer files directly without downloading them to your computer first. These services connect to both cloud accounts and handle the transfer for you, saving bandwidth and time.

Will Google Docs files transfer correctly to other cloud services?

Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are in Google's proprietary formats and won't automatically work in other cloud services. You need to convert them to compatible formats (like DOCX, XLSX, or PPTX) before transferring. You can do this by opening each file and using the "Download as" option in the File menu.

How long does it take to transfer large amounts of data between cloud services?

Transfer time depends on several factors: the amount of data, your internet connection speed, the method you're using, and potential throttling by the cloud services. For reference, transferring 100GB might take anywhere from a few hours to a full day depending on these factors. Cloud-to-cloud services typically offer the fastest transfer speeds for large amounts of data.

Is it safe to use third-party services to transfer my files?

Reputable third-party transfer services like MultCloud and Mover.io use secure protocols and don't store your files permanently. However, you should always review their privacy policies and security practices. For highly sensitive data, consider encrypting files before transfer or using more direct methods like download/upload or rclone.

Will file sharing permissions transfer when I move files to a new cloud service?

No, sharing permissions don't transfer between different cloud services. After transferring files, you'll need to set up sharing permissions again on the destination service. This includes re-sharing files with specific users and setting appropriate access levels (view, edit, etc.).