Cloud computing is becoming more important as we enter the era of a data-driven world. In the data-driven world, it is important to keep data secure and accessible from everywhere. Well, Google Drive offers that solution in the most efficient way possible. You can securely store all your important data on Google Drive and access it from anywhere by logging into your Google account.
Like other apps in Google Suite, Drive has become an essential cloud storage app in our life. It offers free storage of up to 15 GB which is more than enough and can be used across GMAIL, Google Photos, and other Google services.
So, today I am going to share with you Google Drive clients you can use to access your Google Drive account on Linux and other distributions.
1. Insync
Insync is one of the most reliable Google Drive clients for Linux and its distributions, such as Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Fedora, and Debian. It comes with a 15-day free trial; after that, you need to purchase it to use it further.
In three simple steps, you can access your Google Drive data on Linux using Insync. Download Insync, install, and log in to your Google account. Then, you have access. Its Selective sync 2.0 feature helps you sync all your files and folders locally on a computer or in cloud storage.
Also, you can access all the files stored on Google Drive locally in the Linux file manager. You can also access multiple Google Drive accounts. Google Docs automatically get converted to Open Document format for Libre Office compatibility. Insync is excellent for professional use as you can give offline access to your team to Google’s shared drive for a smooth workflow.
2. Rclone
Rclone is a command-line tool that helps you manage and store your data on cloud storage. Rclone is capable of features like sync, transfer, encrypt, cache, union, and mount. It supports over 40 cloud storage services, including Google Drive.
Rclone is a reliable tool to securely store your essential data on Google Drive and access it from a Linux computer. If data transfer stops due to poor connection, it helps you restart the transfer file from the last completed file transfer.
It is a smart tool that uses server-side transfer to transfer data from one provider to another, eventually minimizing the use of local bandwidth.
3. OverGrive
OverGrive is another Google Drive client for Linux and its distributions like Ubuntu. Like Insync, OverGrive is also a paid application that comes with a 14-day trial; after that, you have to purchase to continue using it.
OverGrive provides a front-end GUI, and Google Drive is in the back. It is easy to use and feature-rich tool. Features include converting Google Docs to different office file formats.
OverGrive and Insync are quite similar in terms of features and reliability only difference is their pricing. Now, it’s up to you to decide which one to use.
4. GoSync
GoSync is a Python-based Google Drive client for Linux and its distributions. It is an open-source client and comes with a clean and easy-to-use GUI. It is not a perfect Google Drive client, but still, it can be useful.
One of the limitations is it syncs all the directories. There is no option to sync a particular directory. But it can very well be fixed in future versions.
Sync is, by default, turned on and can be paused/resumed whenever you want. Sync is performed after every 10 minutes. You can also rename, move, or delete files.
5. Grive2
Grive2 is forked from Grive, which is discontinued now, but Grive2 is an open-source implementation of the Google Drive client for Linux users. It supports two-way synchronization between Google Drive and the local directory.
You can limit upload/download speed to match your network quality. It has some limitations but can be neglected as it is a reliable Google Drive client. It supports Drive REST API and partial sync.
6. CloudCross
CloudCross is a multi-cloud client for Linux and its distribution. You can manage your cloud storage accounts on Dropbox, Yandesk.Disk, OneDrive, and Cloud Mail.ru, along with Google Drive.
It is a feature-rich cloud storage client that helps you synchronize files and documents between the local devices and Google Drive. It is a completely free-to-use cloud storage client licensed under GNU GPL v2.
Like other clients listed here, it supports bidirectional document conversion from Google Docs format to MS Office / Open Office file format.
7. Gdrive
Gdrive is a tool that lets you access your Google Drive account from the command line in Linux and its various distros. Don’t worry once you get used to commands for each operation. After that, it’s all easy as the commands are simple and easy to remember.
This tool is easy to download and install. Its detailed documentation available on GitHub makes it very easy to use. It is a great tool to save your important files in an encrypted manner on a drive.
8. Google-drive-ocamlfuse
This tool lets you mount Google Drive on Linux and its distributions. It is another command-line tool but very easy to implement and use.
Features include full read/write access to ordinary files/folders, read-only access to Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, duplicate file handling, and multiple account support.
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install google-drive-ocamlfuse
9. DriveSync
DriveSync is a command line client for Google Drive, which lets you easily sync files between your local drive and Google Drive cloud storage. It allows you to upload, download and share documents, photos, and other important files with anyone from anywhere.
You can also choose whether some files should be synced or not. The tool is developed in Ruby and is very easy to use and reliable. Even though it is a command-line tool, it is pretty easy to use once you get familiar with it.
10. GNOME Online Accounts
GNOME users don’t need to install any client to use Google Drive as it provides access to Google Drive by default for Linux users. You just need to go to GNOME online accounts, log on to your Google Account there, and that is it. You can use Google Drive on Linux.
11. Drive
Drive is a command line written in the Go programming language. It is a simple client that will help you to pull or push Google drive files. As it is a command-line client, new users will find it difficult to use for the first few days.
It is a simple Google drive client which comes with limited features. Some of the features on offer are background sync, using the Pull command, you can export Google Docs documents as PDF files, and resource configuration files.
12. Tuxdrive
Tuxdrive is another command-line Google drive client in this list. Professional Linux users like the command-line approach, and if you are one of them, then you will love using this Google drive client.
Tuxdrive comes with a decent command-line user interface. Beginners might find this tool difficult to use at the start because of the command-line interface.
13. Expandrive
Expandrive is a cross-platform cloud storage client which supports various cloud storage platforms like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and many other widely used cloud storage platforms.
It has a beautiful modern interface that is extremely easy to use, even for newbies. Notable features like offline sync, background synchronization, and a similar interface to Google drive make it stand out for Google drive clients for Linux and its distributions, such as Ubuntu.
Conclusion
This article discussed the 13 best Google Drive clients for Linux and the various distributions you can use in 2022. In addition, their respective functions were discussed with the corresponding links provided.
