Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive all help you store, access, and collaborate on files in Microsoft 365. The best place to save a file depends on who owns the file, who needs access, and how the file will be used.
Quick rule: Use OneDrive for files that belong to you or are still drafts. Use Teams or SharePoint for files that belong to a group, department, project, committee, or team.
Important: Files stored in OneDrive are tied to an individual user account. For long-term department, project, or team documents, store the files in Teams or SharePoint instead of one person’s OneDrive.
Quick Comparison ▾
| Tool |
Best For |
Common Examples |
| OneDrive |
Personal work files, drafts, and files you own |
Draft documents, personal work notes, files shared with a few specific people |
| Microsoft Teams |
Group collaboration, chat-based work, meetings, and shared team files |
Project teams, department collaboration, committee work, shared channel files |
| SharePoint |
Department, project, or organization-wide document storage and structured content |
Department document libraries, shared resources, intranet-style pages, long-term file storage |
Note: Teams and SharePoint are closely connected. Files uploaded to a Teams channel are stored in the team’s SharePoint site.
When to Use OneDrive ▾
Use OneDrive for work files that belong to you, files you are drafting, or files that only need to be shared with a small number of specific people.
Good uses for OneDrive
- You are the main owner of the file.
- The file is a draft or work in progress.
- You do not need a full team or department workspace.
- You need to share a file with only a few specific people.
- You need to access your files from multiple devices.
Examples
- A draft document you are not ready to place in a team location.
- A file you want one or two coworkers to review.
- Personal work notes or reference files.
- A temporary file you need to access from another device.
Important: OneDrive is not the best place for long-term department files, shared operational documents, or files that should remain available if you change roles or leave FAU.
Learn more: Share OneDrive files and folders
When to Use Microsoft Teams ▾
Use Microsoft Teams when you are actively collaborating with a group through chat, meetings, channels, and shared files.
Good uses for Teams
- Project collaboration with an active group of people.
- Department or committee conversations and shared files.
- Files that need to be discussed in channel conversations.
- Meeting notes, shared project documents, and group collaboration.
- Real-time communication through chat, calls, and meetings.
How Teams stores files
- Files uploaded to a Teams channel are stored in the team’s SharePoint site.
- Files shared in a Teams chat are typically stored in the sender’s OneDrive and shared with the people in the chat.
- Team members can access channel files from Teams or through the connected SharePoint site.
Tip: Use a Teams channel when the file is part of an ongoing group conversation or project.
Learn more: What is Microsoft Teams?
When to Use SharePoint ▾
Use SharePoint when files, pages, lists, or resources belong to a department, project, committee, or group instead of one individual person.
Good uses for SharePoint
- Department document libraries.
- Long-term group file storage.
- Project or committee resources that need shared ownership.
- Files that should remain available even if one person changes roles.
- Pages, lists, news, links, and organized information for a group.
- Shared permissions managed at the site or library level.
Why use SharePoint instead of OneDrive?
- SharePoint supports shared ownership and group access.
- Permissions can be managed for a site, library, folder, or file.
- Files can be organized for a broader audience.
- SharePoint is better suited for files that should not depend on one user’s OneDrive account.
Tip: If several people are responsible for a file or folder long-term, it usually belongs in Teams or SharePoint.
Learn more: What is SharePoint?
Where Should I Save My File? ▾
Use the questions below to decide where a file should be saved.
| Question |
Recommended Location |
| Is this file only for you? |
OneDrive |
| Is this a draft that you may share with a few specific people? |
OneDrive |
| Does this file belong to a project team or committee? |
Teams or SharePoint |
| Does the file need to be discussed in a Teams channel? |
Teams |
| Does the file belong to a department or shared operational process? |
SharePoint |
| Should multiple people own and manage access to the file long-term? |
SharePoint or Teams |
| Would the file still need to exist if you changed roles or left FAU? |
SharePoint or Teams |
Important: Avoid storing important department or project files only in one person’s OneDrive. Move those files to Teams or SharePoint when the group needs long-term access.
Move or Copy Files Between OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint ▾
You may need to move or copy files if they were saved in the wrong place.
Move or copy a file when:
- A draft in OneDrive is ready to become a team document.
- A file in OneDrive needs shared ownership.
- A document belongs to a department, project, or committee.
- A file should be available through a Teams channel or SharePoint document library.
Tip: If you move a file that was previously shared from OneDrive, review sharing access after moving it. Permissions may not behave the same way in the new location.
Learn more: Move files and folders between OneDrive and SharePoint
Common Scenarios ▾
Use OneDrive when:
- You are working on a file by yourself.
- You want to share one file with a few people for review.
- The file is temporary or still a draft.
- You do not yet have a team or SharePoint site for the work.
Use Teams when:
- The file is part of an active conversation or project.
- The group already works in a Teams channel.
- The file should be easy to find alongside team chat and meetings.
- The file belongs to a project team, committee, or working group.
Use SharePoint when:
- The file belongs to a department or shared business process.
- You need structured folders, document libraries, or shared pages.
- Several people should manage the file or folder over time.
- The content should remain available long-term for the group.
Troubleshooting ▾
- If you cannot find a file in Teams, open the channel and check the Files tab.
- If a Teams file is missing, check the connected SharePoint document library.
- If a file is stored in someone’s OneDrive and others need long-term access, move it to Teams or SharePoint.
- If someone cannot access a file, review the file’s sharing permissions.
- If a file belongs to a department but is stored in a personal OneDrive, move it to an approved SharePoint or Teams location.
- If you are unsure where a file should be stored, contact the Help Desk for guidance.
Still Need Help?
If you need help deciding where to store files or need assistance with Teams, SharePoint, or OneDrive, please contact the Help Desk at 561-297-3999 or submit a ticket for assistance.
Submit a Help Desk request