Data storage has become one of the most important things in today’s digital era. And the best way to do that is to move to cloud storage. As cloud technology gains popularity, it’s taking control of all the data storage. Moreover, it seems like sooner or later, everything will come to the cloud, thereby leaving the other storage options to go more or less obsolete.
That being said, it’s only wise to quickly move your data to a cloud platform. When it comes to that, what better option could there be than Google Drive? Google Drive is one of the best and most popular cloud storage platforms. It offers up to 15GB of free storage. It is enough to help you save your important files, documents, and other media.
Another great part is that it is available for most of the operating systems. However, if you are a Linux user, there may be a little problem.
While there is a Google Drive Client available for operating systems like Windows, iOS, macOS, and Android, it’s not available for the older operating systems like Linux and Unix.
So, if you’re a Linux user, you’d need to look out for some other way. Luckily enough, there are several third-party tools that you can use to operate Google Drive on your Linux device.
Here, we have compiled a list of some of the best Google Drive Clients for Linux that you can use to seamlessly store your data and files on one of the best cloud storage platforms that exist.
Best Google Drive Clients for Linux
Linux is a pretty old operating system, and not many people use it any longer. It’s probably for this reason that one cannot find many applications compatible with this operating system, for instance, Google Drive.
While Google Drive is easy to operate on other operating systems, you particularly have to go the extra mile in case you want to use it on Linux. There is no direct way to use it over Linux.
In fact, there doesn’t seem to be a chance of one being introduced in the near future. So, a Linux user has to rely on some third-party tools to operate Google Drive.
Luckily enough, there is no shortage of tools like that. But which one is the right to use is difficult to determine. Well, we attempted to make things easier for you with this list of some of the best Google Drive Clients for Linux.
1. Insync
One of the most popular and best Google Drive Clients for Linux is Insync. It stands on the top of our list considering its amazing capability to support not only Linux OS but all its other distributions like Ubuntu, Debian, and more.
Not only does it support Google Drive on these old operating systems, but you can also use it to sync your OneDrive. So, you can have multiple cloud storage on your Linux System with Insync.
In addition to the different cloud storage, you can have multiple accounts for the same cloud storage as well. As such, you can have as many Google Drive accounts synced with your Linux-based operating system using Insync.
Getting this client and using it is extremely easy. All you need to do is download it from a web browser.
Next, install it to your system, and log in to it using your Google account. Your entire Google Drive will sync with the local file system on your device.
Moreover, you can use the selective sync feature as well to make sure that the files are on your local system as well as the drive so that you never run the risks of losing those files in any case whatsoever.
Besides helping you seamlessly sync your files and operate Google Drive. Insync also makes it easier for you to use the other Google applications on your Linux device.
You can easily operate Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc., as Insync will make them all compatible with the formats on your device.
Also, it’s great to work in teams. The client offers the ability to directly share the files with your team and even provide offline access for the same. Moreover, you can control the access that you grant. With that feature, Insync comes in very handy for professional usage as well.
The only issue with this Google Drive Client is that it’s not free. You need to purchase this software; however, it’s a one-time payment of just about $30. So, that doesn’t feel too heavy on your pocket either.
Moreover, you can make the purchase after satisfying yourself about the efficiency of the software by taking a 15-days free trial.
Even after purchasing, if you feel like it’s not working out for you, the software comes with a 30-days moneyback guarantee.
So, the software being commercial is not that big an issue. Anyone can easily afford it, especially if it’s required for professional purposes. With all that said, it’s without a doubt a great software and deserves its standing on the list.
2. Rclone
Next on the list is Rclone, a brilliant command-line tool that has support for over forty different cloud storage platforms, Google Drive being one of them.
It not only works well for Linux-based operating systems, but it is designed to equally support other operating systems like Unix, Windows, Mac, Devian, and more.
The application is designed to support everything that you’d ever need to do for your cloud storage. It helps easily transfer files between local systems and cloud storage. This way, you can have a good backup for your data.
Additionally, you can sync, mount, and unmount the files on the local system and the drive, thereby making sure that whatever is on the drive gets saved to the local system and vice versa.
Even privacy and security are not a concern when you use Rclone as a Google Drive Client for your Linux system. The application will provide features like encryption to ensure that your private data remains unidentified by unauthorized sources.
Also, the transfers for the drive are very smooth and sleek. They happen over servers but in a manner that minimum bandwidth is used up. So, you’re able to save some costs.
Additionally, if, for some reason, the transfers fail, you won’t have to go through it all over again. You can just restart the transfer, and it shall begin from where it got interrupted.
So, the tool saves you time, energy, and costs while also making sure that your data remains safe, secure, and private.
The best part yet is that it’s free and open source. So, you don’t need to spare out even a penny to make use of this brilliant application. You can simply download it, log in with your Google account, and start using the client.
With all of this, it’s indeed deserving of this place in the list of best Google Drive Clients for Linux.
3. CloudCross
With highly efficient features and functionalities, CloudCross is not just a Google Drive Client. You can use it for all kinds of cloud storage, including OneDrive, Dropbox, and a lot more.
With that, this multi-cloud software will work extremely well for helping you use Google Drive on your Linux based system or device.
You can easily sync all the system files to the drive and vice-versa. This way, you shall have all your data backed up and will never have to worry about losing it.
Moreover, the software makes other Google applications compatible with Linux operating system, too, and you can easily convert your files, documents, and databases to Linux compatible modes.
This makes it easier for you to manage all your data on the drive in an offline setting as well.
The best part yet is that you get this all for free. This multi-cloud client software is free and open-source. So, you need not purchase any license for using it. You can just download the software, log in to it using your Google account, and sync your Drive with the system.
With all of that, CloudCross is worth a mention and definitely one of the best Google Drive Clients for Linux.
4. GoSync
Last on our list, GoSync is another open source and free client software written in Python language that you can use for data storage on Google Drive in a Linux based operating system.
The software is not as great and perfect as the others on the list, but it still does the job for you. You can easily sync all your drive files and documents with your local system.
However, when we say all, it means all of the files and documents as well as the directory. There’s no selective syncing, and this may feel like quite a trouble because you may not want everything in every place.
The good thing is that you can control the sync as per your preferences. However, you’ll need to take care of how you do that.
The sync remains on all the time, and they take place every ten minutes. The only control you have got is that you can pause and resume the syncs as and when you like.
Now, while the regular sync is not a problem, that happening every 10 minutes uses up a lot of bandwidth, and that could be costly in the longer run.
Nonetheless, the software is designed for ease and simplicity. It has a very well-designed and functional graphical user interface that creates wonderful experiences for the users. And all in all, it does help you use Google Drive on a Linux based operating system.
With all that consider, GoSync is still worth a try, and you won’t regret using it, at least when your needs are quite basic. Also, it doesn’t take anything out of your pocket, so you might just go ahead and try it out to see if it works for you.
Related Google Drive articles:
- Why is Google Drive So Slow?
- 10 Best Google Drive Add-Ons to increase your Productivity
- How to Fax from Google Drive
- Restore Backup From Google Drive
- How to Encrypt a Document on Google Drive
Final Words
So, that was all about the five best Google Drive Client for Linux. There are a lot more, but for now, we see these five as the most phenomenal software that would perfectly suit all your needs and requirements. We hope that you found the list and details helpful.
The list has both free and paid software to choose from. You can decide based on what fits your need for having Google Drive on your Linux-based device.
Hello, my name is Shirley. I’m a Google Drive expert and have been working with the platform since it launched. I’ve written extensively about Google Drive tips and tricks, and have created numerous tutorials on how to get the most out of the platform. I also enjoy creating tutorials to help people learn how to use Drive like pros. Read more