The most common Microsoft 365 file question is simple: "Should this live in OneDrive or SharePoint?" Answer with who owns the outcome, not which app icon users like.
Decision matrix
| Put it in **OneDrive** when… | Put it in **SharePoint** when… |
|---|---|
| You are drafting alone | The team maintains the file |
| Leaving the org would require handoff of your drafts | Policy says "official copy" lives in a library |
| Short-lived notes | Templates, SOPs, project deliverables |
| Personal working set | Intranet pages and news |
Teams does not change the rule
The Files tab in Teams is SharePoint. Saving everything to "Files" is correct for team work; saving company policies only on someone's OneDrive is not.
Sync implications
Users often sync both OneDrive and several SharePoint libraries. Too many synced libraries slows laptops—publish guidance on which project sites to sync offline.
Sharing semantics
- OneDrive share — starts from personal ownership; handoff on departure is manual.
- SharePoint share — inherits team permissions; survives one person reinstalling their PC.
Migration from file servers
Map department shares to team sites, not to 50 personal OneDrives. Personal drives become migration chaos during leaver processing.
Storage costs
Both consume tenant storage differently depending on configuration; heavy video belongs in policies with retention, not scattered on personal drives.
Compare plan quotas on M365 Deals when video and archive volume are high.
