Portmux
File Storage → File Storage MIGRATION

Dropbox to Google Drive
migration service.

Portmux is a Dropbox to Google Drive migration service that moves your files, Team Folders, shared links, and Dropbox Paper docs into Google Drive and Shared Drives with the sharing scope and folder structure your teams expect.

Dropbox-to-Google-Drive is usually a Microsoft-or-Google consolidation move. The file transfer is straightforward (both are object stores). The harder pieces are Team Folder to Shared Drive mapping (similar concepts, different access models), Dropbox Paper conversion (no exact Google Docs equivalent for some Paper features), and shared-link continuity (links need to keep resolving to maintain external collaboration).

FIG. DROPBOX → GOOGLE DRIVE
SOURCE
Dropbox
File Storage
DESTINATION
Google Drive
File Storage
4–6
Weeks typical
0ms
Cutover downtime
$12k
Starting fee
§ WHAT WE MIGRATE

Every object, every field.
From Dropbox, into Google Drive.

Dropbox's storage model (personal Dropbox + Team Folders + shared folders) maps to Google's My Drive + Shared Drives + shared-with-me. Paper docs convert to Google Docs with caveats. We document each translation explicitly.
Personal Files

Files in user personal Dropbox migrated to user My Drive with original folder hierarchy, last-modified timestamp, and ownership.

Team Folders → Shared Drives

Each Team Folder becomes a Google Shared Drive with the same membership translated to Shared Drive members and equivalent access roles.

Shared Folders

Shared folders (added by individual users to their Dropbox) re-shared in Google Drive with the same external/internal participants and access levels.

Dropbox Paper Docs

Paper docs converted to Google Docs preserving text, comments, embedded images, and tables; Paper-specific features (timeline, to-do lists with assignees) become Google Docs comments with assignees where possible.

Permissions

Dropbox permissions (Edit, View, Comment) translated to Google Drive permissions (Editor, Viewer, Commenter) at file/folder level with original grant timestamps preserved.

Shared Links

Dropbox shared links re-created as Google Drive sharing links with equivalent access scope (Anyone with link, Restricted, Domain) and link-level permission.

Version History

Dropbox file version history (180 days standard, longer on Business plans) migrated as Google Drive version history with original modification timestamps.

Comments

Dropbox file comments migrated as Google Drive file comments on the destination file with original commenter and timestamp.

Smart Sync / Online-Only Files

Online-only Dropbox files materialized to full content during migration so they exist in Google Drive without referring back to the Dropbox cache.

Showcase Pages

Dropbox Showcase pages exported as PDFs and stored in the destination Drive folder with associated source files; Showcase isn't recreated as a native Google feature.

External Collaborators

External users shared on Dropbox files are re-invited via Google Drive sharing on the destination files; we deliver an external-collaborator audit so your team can communicate the change.

File Requests

Active Dropbox File Requests (collect-from-external links) replaced with Google Drive folder upload links; File Request submission history archived as a CSV.

§ HOW THIS MIGRATION RUNS

Three steps. One go-live date.

01
CONNECT

Plug into Dropbox.

We connect to Dropbox via OAuth as a Team Admin, which gives access to every user's Dropbox, all Team Folders, and Team-wide audit metadata. Google Workspace access is provisioned via a Service Account with domain-wide delegation. Within 72 hours you see total file count, total bytes, Team Folder inventory, and a Paper doc inventory ready for conversion review.

02
MAP

Map to Google Drive.

Mapping covers Team Folder → Shared Drive correspondence (typically 1:1), Paper doc conversion strategy (default: convert to Google Docs, keep Paper as PDF backup), shared-link continuity plan (Dropbox links → Google Drive links, with optional URL forwarding via your domain), and external collaborator re-invitation plan.

03
CUTOVER

Flip the connection.

Migration runs in waves: personal Dropbox first (per-user My Drive), then Team Folders (one Shared Drive per Team Folder) prioritized by team activity. Each wave includes pre-migration communication, in-migration dashboards, and validation reports. After cutover, Dropbox is set to read-only for 30 days, then access revoked.

§ WHERE IT GETS HARD

Dropbox to Google Drive isn't a button.

Every migration has its own gotchas. Here's what we plan for on this specific path.

● 01

Dropbox Paper conversion limits

Paper docs convert to Google Docs but some Paper-specific features don't have Google Docs equivalents: timeline view with assignee dates, to-do lists with assigned users, embedded interactive elements. We convert text content and comments cleanly; specialized features become Google Docs comments or are pre-flagged for manual recreation.

● 02

Shared link continuity for external partners

If external partners have Dropbox shared links bookmarked or embedded in their workflows, those links break when Dropbox is decommissioned. We deliver an external-link audit and either: (1) maintain Dropbox in read-only mode for 30 days with an automated link-redirect message, (2) coordinate Google Drive link distribution to known external partners, or (3) both.

● 03

Smart Sync materialization for storage

Dropbox Smart Sync stores some files online-only on user devices; the actual file content has to be downloaded during migration. For users with TBs of online-only files, this can require staged migration to avoid bandwidth saturation. We schedule materialization waves accordingly.

● 04

Storage cost and quota

Dropbox Business plans typically include unlimited storage; Google Workspace storage scales with user count and tier. Pre-migration audit identifies storage hot spots (users with >1TB, departed users with active Dropboxes, Team Folders with bloated version histories) and we recommend cleanup before migration to fit within Google Workspace quotas cleanly.

§ STARTING PRICE

Dropbox to Google Drive from $12K.

Single-system migrations like Dropbox to Google Drive run as Track A engagements: one source, one destination, up to 1M records, 4–6 weeks. Final price depends on object volume, custom field count, and integrations, scoped on a 20-minute call before any commitment. See full pricing →

TRACK A
FROM$12K
4–6 weeks · 1 source → 1 destination · up to 1M records
Get a quote
§ QUESTIONS

Dropbox → Google Drive, asked.

How long does a Dropbox to Google Drive migration take? +
Sized by data volume and user count. A 500-user org with 30TB across Dropbox typically runs 8–12 weeks including pilot, waved cutover, and 30-day Dropbox safety-net retention. Smaller orgs (under 100 users) can finish in 5–6 weeks. Heavy Paper usage extends timeline because of conversion review.
Will Dropbox shared links keep working after migration? +
Dropbox links themselves stop resolving once Dropbox is decommissioned. We handle this three ways: (1) keep Dropbox in read-only mode for 30 days post-cutover so existing bookmarks still work, (2) audit external partners and proactively send them new Google Drive links, (3) optionally route old Dropbox URLs through a redirect service if you've got a Dropbox-on-custom-domain setup.
What happens to Dropbox Paper docs? +
Each Paper doc converts to a Google Doc with text, comments, embedded images, and tables preserved. Paper's task-with-assignee features convert to Google Docs comments with @-mentions. Some Paper features (timeline, embedded media types) don't have direct Google Docs equivalents, we convert what we can and pre-flag affected docs for manual review.
How do Dropbox permissions translate to Google Drive? +
Dropbox Edit → Google Editor; Dropbox Comment → Google Commenter; Dropbox View → Google Viewer. Folder-level permissions are recreated at the destination. External user permissions are re-applied via Google sharing invitations sent to the same email addresses, originally-shared external users get a Google Drive notification on their first access.
Can users keep working in Dropbox during the migration? +
Yes. The migration runs without disrupting Dropbox, users continue using Dropbox until their wave's cutover day. After cutover, their files exist in Google Drive and Dropbox stays read-only for 30 days as a safety net. The user-facing change is "your files are now in Google Drive" with the same folder structure they had before.
NEXT CUTOVER

Book a 20-minute
scoping call.

Tell us what's in the source, where it's going, SaaS or custom, and when you need to be live. You'll walk away with a scoped quote, a named engineer, and a go-live date.

§ RELATED MIGRATIONS