Open steel vault door in a dark concrete wall, lit from inside, with a green emblem on the door showing a document protected by a shield with a keyhole.

DocBunker vs Google Drive

Google Drive or a client portal for your exchanges?

A shared Drive folder or a client portal? Compare access, client uploads, tracking and how sharing ends.

Google Drive

DocBunker

3criteria where DocBunker is better
3criteria level
1criteria where Google Drive is better

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The short answer

Which approach fits your project?

Google Drive is excellent for working on documents together, especially if the people you work with already have a Google account. A DocBunker folder makes sense when the client simply needs to upload or view files, without an account and without access to the rest of your space, through a link you can expire and revoke. You can keep Drive for production and use DocBunker for the exchange with the client.

This comparison covers sharing a Google Drive folder or file with someone outside your organisation. Options differ between a free account and Google Workspace, and depend on your administrator’s settings: check them in your own set-up.

Everyday differences

On mobile, scroll the table horizontally.

Client document exchanges: Shared Google Drive folder / DocBunker
Your needs	Google Drive	DocBunker folder
Client access	An “anyone with the link” link or named access, which usually requires a Google account.	✓ BetterA private link; the client does not need to create an account.
Client uploads	Possible by giving the client edit rights on the folder, or through a form whose respondents must sign in to Google.	✓ BetterThe client uploads files to the folder without an account; you can switch uploads off per folder.
What the client sees	The contents of the shared folder and, depending on rights, its subfolders and files.	✓ BetterOne folder per link, never the list of your other folders.
Scanning uploaded filesEquivalent	Depends on Google’s checks and your administrator’s controls.	Every file is scanned before it can be downloaded.
Ending the shareEquivalent	Remove access, or set an access expiry depending on the plan; copies already downloaded stay with the recipient.	Expire or revoke the link from the folder; copies already downloaded stay with the client.
Real-time co-editing	✓ BetterSeveral people edit the same document at once.	No co-editing: DocBunker is for uploading, viewing and commenting.
Activity logEquivalent	An activity history on files, depending on the plan.	A log per folder: views, uploads, downloads, comments.

Where DocBunker is better

Client access
Client uploads
What the client sees

Where Google Drive stays better

Real-time co-editing

Every tool has its strengths: this scorecard compares the use case “exchanging documents with a client”, not the tool as a whole.

A one-off exchange

When Google Drive is enough

The people you work with already have Google accounts, you edit the same documents together and trust is established. Drive then gives you real-time co-editing, which DocBunker does not try to replace.

An ongoing project

When to move to a client folder

You receive documents from many different clients who do not have, or do not want to create, an account, and you want one space per client without risking exposing the rest of your Drive. Remember to remove the Drive access you granted as soon as the exchange ends.

Prepare a folder

A practical example

Example: a firm collecting the documents for a file

A firm shares a Drive folder with a client to receive supporting documents. The client has to sign in with a Google account, sometimes a personal one, and the firm has to check the rights it granted so nothing else is exposed.

With DocBunker, the firm sends one private link per folder. The client uploads without an account, the firm finds the scanned files in the same space and can close the link when the file is done.

DocBunker client folder showing shared files, their status, a client sharing link and recent activity. Interface shown in French. — One place for project files and conversations. Interface shown in French.

How to get started

Create one DocBunker folder per client or project.
Send the link with the list of documents you expect.
When the work ends, revoke the link and archive or delete the folder.

Anyone holding an active link can access the folder. Choose your recipients and close the link when sharing should end. Recipients keep copies they have already downloaded.

Common questions

Do I need to stop using Google Drive?

No. Drive remains the right tool for production and co-editing. DocBunker is for the boundary with the client: uploads, viewing, comments.

Does my client need a Google account?

Not with DocBunker: they use the link you send. With Drive it depends on the type of sharing you choose and your administrator’s settings.

Can I bring a file over from Drive?

Download the file from Drive and upload it to the DocBunker folder. Native Google files (Docs, Sheets) must be exported first, for example as a PDF.

Concrete bunker lit at night by the sea, with a large armoured door and the DocBunker sign next to a green vault emblem.

Make client exchanges easier

One folder for the rest of your project.

Keep your preferred channel for messages, with a dedicated place for client documents and feedback.

Create my folder