Should you upload your videos to Google Photos? or to YouTube? Both offer free unlimited video uploads - with limitations. I've put together a comparison chart to help you decide.
What I think each does best:
Google Photos: automatic backup, private and personal videos, sharing with a small group
YouTube: large videos, videos you want share publicly, promote or monetize
Change your mind? If you upload your videos to Google Photos you can easily import your videos from Google Photos to YouTube
Google Drive automatically lets you access your Google Photos (including videos), so if you are already automatically backing up the videos from your mobile device or desktop computer, you don't need to change any settings to view them in Google Drive.
Advantages to viewing your videos uploaded to Google Photos in Google Drive include easy sharing by email and the ability to easily see file size. Your Google Drive folders can be synchronized with your desktop computer or a connected external hard drive.
Google Drive also offers its own upload and auto-backup options. Drive allows very large video uploads (up to 5TB) and lets you easily synchronize with your desktop computer or external hard drive connected to your computer.
Google Drive auto backup: available in the iOS Google Drive app or for your desktop computer
Free uploads: "Standard size" uploads are free, including videos less than 15 minutes long and have 1080p resolution or less. If you have backup set to "Full size", videos larger than "standard size" will count towards your storage limit
Supported video formats: .WebM,.MPEG4, 3GPP, MOV, .AVI, .MPEGPS,.WMV, .FLV, .MTS (see the linked article for details)
Maximum file size: 5TB (terabytes!)
Maximum resolution: Google Drive recommends uploading in the original format and highest resolution possible, but maximum playback size is 1920x1080.
Video editor: Google Drive does not have a built-in video editor, but you can add caption tracks to your videos.
Sharing: share with an email address or with a link. There is no built-in way to share to social networks
It is also possible to upload video when posting to Blogger or Google+. These uploads are only available through the Google Album Archive (get.google.com/albumarchive).
Google Drive video upload help:
updated March 2017
What I think each does best:
Google Photos: automatic backup, private and personal videos, sharing with a small group
YouTube: large videos, videos you want share publicly, promote or monetize
- detailed comparison of Google Photos and YouTube video upload options
- learn what happens when you upload video when posting Blogger or Google+
- using Google Drive to view your Google Photos videos and direct video upload options
- how to get help with video uploads
Uploading video: Google Photos vs YouTube
Google Photos | YouTube | |
---|---|---|
Content Policy | Google Photos Policy | YouTube Policy Center |
Automatic Backup | Yes, from mobile and desktop | No |
Upload from Mobile Device | Yes | Yes |
Google+ Profile or Page required | No | No |
Use as Google+ Page or Brand Account | Yes | Yes |
Move videos from one Google account to another | Yes (by sharing the videos, which then can be added to the other account's library) | Yes (by moving the channel) |
Private videos | Yes, private by default | Yes, if you set the video to Private |
Share private videos | Yes, by link (also share by email in Google Drive) | Yes, by Google account email address |
Collaborative Collections | Collaborative Albums | Collaborative Playlists |
Chromecast | Yes | Yes |
Built-In Social Features | Comments in shared albums | Public comments & Private Messages |
Embed video on a website | No | Yes |
Unlimited Free uploads | "High Quality" are free. "Original" videos count against your storage limit. | Yes |
Supported File Types | List: .mpg, .mod, .mmv, .tod, .wmv, .asf, .avi, .divx, .mov, .m4v, .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .m2t, .m2ts, .mts, and .mkv files. | List: .MOV, .MPEG4, .MP4, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEGPS, .FLV, 3GPP, WebM |
Maximum size | Maximum file size: 10GB "High Quality" uploads will be reduced to 1080p if higher resolution "Original Quality": original resolution |
Verify to upload videos longer than 15 minutes Maximum file size: 128GB Maximum duration: 12 hours Maximum resolution: 2160p (4k) |
Video Editor | Create a movie with video clips, photos and music, but only on select Android devices | Video Editor Features: trim videos, combine videos, add music, text and enhancements |
Monetize Videos | No | Yes (eligible content) |
Change your mind? If you upload your videos to Google Photos you can easily import your videos from Google Photos to YouTube
Upload videos to Google Drive
Note: as of July 10, 2019, Google Photos will no longer automatically sync photos and videos with Google Drive. Any images that were synced from Google Photos before that date will remain in Drive as a separate copy.Google Drive automatically lets you access your Google Photos (including videos), so if you are already automatically backing up the videos from your mobile device or desktop computer, you don't need to change any settings to view them in Google Drive.
Advantages to viewing your videos uploaded to Google Photos in Google Drive include easy sharing by email and the ability to easily see file size. Your Google Drive folders can be synchronized with your desktop computer or a connected external hard drive.
Google Drive also offers its own upload and auto-backup options. Drive allows very large video uploads (up to 5TB) and lets you easily synchronize with your desktop computer or external hard drive connected to your computer.
Google Drive auto backup: available in the iOS Google Drive app or for your desktop computer
Free uploads: "Standard size" uploads are free, including videos less than 15 minutes long and have 1080p resolution or less. If you have backup set to "Full size", videos larger than "standard size" will count towards your storage limit
Supported video formats: .WebM,.MPEG4, 3GPP, MOV, .AVI, .MPEGPS,.WMV, .FLV, .MTS (see the linked article for details)
Maximum file size: 5TB (terabytes!)
Maximum resolution: Google Drive recommends uploading in the original format and highest resolution possible, but maximum playback size is 1920x1080.
Video editor: Google Drive does not have a built-in video editor, but you can add caption tracks to your videos.
Sharing: share with an email address or with a link. There is no built-in way to share to social networks
Upload videos in a Blogger or Google+ post
It is also possible to upload video when posting to Blogger or Google+. These uploads are only available through the Google Album Archive (get.google.com/albumarchive).
- Videos and photos uploaded to a Google+ post will be in a "Photos from Posts" album
- Videos and photos uploaded to a Blogger post will be in an album titled with blog name
- Uploads longer than 15 minutes may count towards your storage limit
Get help uploading video
YouTube video upload help:- YouTube recommended upload encoding settings
- Convert audio or image files to a format recognized by YouTube
- YouTube file format conversion troubleshooter
- YouTube upload troubleshooter
- YouTube Fix Upload Problems
- YouTube Help Forum
Google Drive video upload help:
updated March 2017
Chromecast support in Google Photos is local side (the video is streamed from the device) which turns into low quality and choppy streaming. If your main playback way is Chromecast then YouTube is the only sensible option.
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