How to Migrate Files from iDrive e2 to Zoho WorkDrive in 2025

Zoho WorkDrive is designed for organizations that need more than just a place to store files. Rather than functioning like a traditional bucket-style archive, WorkDrive offers a productive collaboration hub where teams can create, share, and organize documents, media, and project files without workflow friction.

One of its biggest strengths is how tightly it integrates with the wider Zoho ecosystem — Zoho CRM, Zoho Projects, Zoho Writer, Zoho Sheets, and many more. For companies relying on Zoho apps, moving file storage to WorkDrive creates a unified working environment, reducing context switching and improving visibility across departments.

• Team Collaboration: Shared Team Folders allow members to co-edit in real time, review changes via version history, and keep everyone aligned.
• TrueSync File Access: Access cloud files directly from your desktop without consuming storage — ideal for large media libraries.
• Enterprise-Grade Security: Advanced encryption, role-based permissions, and detailed admin dashboards make compliance simple.
• Support for 200+ File Formats: View and preview documents, graphics, audio, and video without needing external apps.
• Native Zoho Integration: Sync WorkDrive effortlessly with your daily business apps to automate file routing and approval workflows.

In short, Zoho WorkDrive creates a secure and efficient workspace where files don’t just sit — they actively support team collaboration and business processes.

iDrive e2 offers reliable object storage and S3 compatibility, making it attractive for pure file archiving and backup. However, as organizations evolve toward more connected workflows, many find themselves needing something beyond centralized storage — a platform that helps teams actually work together on the files they store.

• Built for Team Productivity: Unlike traditional object storage, WorkDrive supports simultaneous editing, document comments, and structured team libraries.
• Transparent Data Governance: Activity logs, retention rules, and member-level analytics make compliance and oversight effortless.
• Seamless Integration: WorkDrive plugs directly into the Zoho suite and popular external business tools, eliminating disconnected processes across departments.

For companies that have outgrown static storage and now prioritize collaboration and workflow efficiency, Zoho WorkDrive becomes a natural next step — especially when scaling across teams or managing frequent document changes.

Zoho WorkDrive is designed for organizations that need more than just a place to store files. Rather than functioning like a traditional bucket-style archive, WorkDrive offers a productive collaboration hub where teams can create, share, and organize documents, media, and project files without workflow friction.

One of its biggest strengths is how tightly it integrates with the wider Zoho ecosystem — Zoho CRM, Zoho Projects, Zoho Writer, Zoho Sheets, and many more. For companies relying on Zoho apps, moving file storage to WorkDrive creates a unified working environment, reducing context switching and improving visibility across departments.

• Team Collaboration: Shared Team Folders allow members to co-edit in real time, review changes via version history, and keep everyone aligned.
• TrueSync File Access: Access cloud files directly from your desktop without consuming storage — ideal for large media libraries.
• Enterprise-Grade Security: Advanced encryption, role-based permissions, and detailed admin dashboards make compliance simple.
• Support for 200+ File Formats: View and preview documents, graphics, audio, and video without needing external apps.
• Native Zoho Integration: Sync WorkDrive effortlessly with your daily business apps to automate file routing and approval workflows.

In short, Zoho WorkDrive creates a secure and efficient workspace where files don’t just sit — they actively support team collaboration and business processes.

iDrive e2 offers reliable object storage and S3 compatibility, making it attractive for pure file archiving and backup. However, as organizations evolve toward more connected workflows, many find themselves needing something beyond centralized storage — a platform that helps teams actually work together on the files they store.

• Built for Team Productivity: Unlike traditional object storage, WorkDrive supports simultaneous editing, document comments, and structured team libraries.
• Transparent Data Governance: Activity logs, retention rules, and member-level analytics make compliance and oversight effortless.
• Seamless Integration: WorkDrive plugs directly into the Zoho suite and popular external business tools, eliminating disconnected processes across departments.

For companies that have outgrown static storage and now prioritize collaboration and workflow efficiency, Zoho WorkDrive becomes a natural next step — especially when scaling across teams or managing frequent document changes.

In recent comparisons, Zoho WorkDrive stands out for small-to-medium teams thanks to its polished collaboration features — real-time sync, automatic version history (up to 500 versions), fine-grained folder permissions, content search (by keywords, tags, or metadata), and enterprise-level encryption plus audit logs. Zoho WorkDrive documentation highlights exactly these strengths for teams of 10–20 people.

On the other hand, while IDrive e2 provides flexible, pay-as-you-go object storage — ideal for large archives or backups — it lacks built-in collaboration capabilities such as shared team folders, online editing, version rollback, or audit trails.

Therefore, organizations who primarily use their storage for backup or rarely touch stored files might stay content with e2. But if your workflow demands frequent file updates, access by multiple people, or compliance and tracking — migrating to WorkDrive becomes more appealing. Independent reviews comparing IDrive vs Zoho WorkDrive echo this point, rating WorkDrive higher for team file sharing and content management.

Before starting the transfer, it’s important to take a few preparatory steps to ensure a smooth and secure transition to Zoho WorkDrive. Follow these recommendations to make your migration easier and more reliable:

1. Review Your Existing Data: Begin by taking stock of everything stored in your current cloud accounts—documents, images, videos, and backups. Identify what you need to move to Zoho WorkDrive and what can remain archived or be deleted. This helps reduce clutter and ensures only necessary data is transferred.
2. Check File Compatibility: Make sure the file formats you plan to move are supported by Zoho WorkDrive. The platform handles most common file types, but verifying in advance prevents upload interruptions or format issues after migration.
3. Create a Safety Backup: Always back up your important data before starting migration. Use another trusted cloud service or an external drive as a safeguard in case something unexpected happens during the transfer.

These simple steps help minimize risks and guarantee a reliable migration to Zoho WorkDrive with no data left behind.

Beyond features, many teams consider the economics of keeping data on iDrive e2 versus moving day-to-day work into Zoho WorkDrive. Used correctly, the combination can reduce overall spend while giving teams a better toolset for collaboration.

Understanding iDrive e2’s Pricing Model

iDrive e2 follows a straightforward pay-as-you-go object storage model: you pay for the total storage capacity you consume, with free uploads, downloads, and API requests.:contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5} This makes it very attractive for bulk data retention, off-site backups, and archival workloads where the primary cost driver is raw capacity, not collaboration features.

• Ideal for keeping large backups, logs, and rarely accessed archives.
• Costs are mostly tied to how many terabytes you store over time.
• No extra fees for egress and API calls, which is helpful for backup/restore operations.:contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

How Zoho WorkDrive Plans Are Structured

Zoho WorkDrive uses a per-user, per-team subscription model. Pricing tiers (Starter, Team, Business) bundle storage quotas, collaboration features, and admin controls into one license, with shared TB-level storage for the entire team.:contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7} In practice, this means you pay primarily for the number of users and the collaboration capabilities, rather than for raw storage alone.

• Team-wide storage pools starting from several terabytes per team.
• Features like Team Folders, detailed audit logs, and advanced sharing controls bundled into the license.
• Desktop sync and TrueSync, which reduce the need for additional third-party sync tools.:contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}

Avoid Using iDrive e2 as a “Makeshift Collaboration Drive”

If you currently use iDrive e2 as a shared file system for everyday collaboration, you may be paying for storage while still missing key essentials: online editing, version history, granular sharing, and user-level permissions. Those gaps are often filled with extra SaaS tools, custom scripts, or manual workflows — all of which carry hidden costs in time and maintenance.

Moving active projects to Zoho WorkDrive consolidates many of these needs into one platform: your team pays for a collaboration suite instead of stitching together multiple services around an object storage bucket.

Using CloudsLinker to Control Migration Costs

A common concern is whether migrating data from iDrive e2 to Zoho WorkDrive will increase your monthly bills. The migration itself does not change your Zoho WorkDrive pricing — that is determined by your chosen plan and number of users.:contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}

CloudsLinker runs migrations entirely in the cloud and is billed separately based on its own transfer plans. You can use it to perform a one-time consolidation of active data into WorkDrive while leaving bulk archives in iDrive e2. In many cases, this “active on WorkDrive, archive on iDrive e2” mix offers a better balance between productivity and long-term storage costs.

Not every organization has to choose between iDrive e2 or Zoho WorkDrive. In many cases, the most sustainable approach is a hybrid cloud strategy: keep your long-term backup and archive on iDrive e2, and run your daily collaboration on Zoho WorkDrive.

When to Keep Data on iDrive e2

iDrive e2 is an S3-compatible object storage service designed for large, durable repositories of data. Its use cases typically include data archiving, backup, and disaster recovery, where files are written once and rarely changed.:contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} Because pricing is based on the amount of storage you use, with free ingress and egress and no API request fees, it works well for organizations that need to retain large datasets over long periods.:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

• Long-term backups of application data, databases, and media assets.
• Regulatory or compliance archives that must be kept but are rarely accessed.
• Immutable backups using object lock features to protect against ransomware.:contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

When Zoho WorkDrive Should Be Your “Working Area”

Zoho WorkDrive, on the other hand, is built around team collaboration, version history, and structured content management. Team Folders, unlimited version tracking, granular permissions, and desktop sync with TrueSync make it ideal for files that are edited and shared every day.:contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

• Active project documents, proposals, and client deliverables.
• Files that multiple team members need to co-edit, comment on, or review regularly.
• Content that must be searchable by keywords, tags, or metadata for quick retrieval.

A Practical Hybrid Example

One common pattern is to treat Zoho WorkDrive as the “live workspace” and iDrive e2 as the “cold archive”:

• During a project, all working files live in Zoho WorkDrive Team Folders for easy sharing and editing.
• Each month or quarter, completed projects are exported or copied back to iDrive e2 for long-term backup and archive.
• This keeps WorkDrive lean and fast for daily collaboration on Zoho WorkDrive, while iDrive e2 handles the cheap, durable storage layer in the background.

Using CloudsLinker, you can automate parts of this hybrid strategy — for example, by periodically copying older folders from Zoho WorkDrive back to iDrive e2, or refreshing WorkDrive with the latest data pulled from archived buckets.