How to Transfer Files from Google Drive to Dropbox Without Downloading

Last updated: July 2026 · 4 min read

If you use both Google Drive and Dropbox, you've probably run into this: you need a file that lives in Drive inside your Dropbox, and the only option seems to be downloading it to your computer and then re-uploading it. For a single file that's annoying. For a folder with hundreds of files, it's a real problem.

There's a better way. This guide covers how to move files from Google Drive to Dropbox directly — without downloading anything to your computer.

Transfer files between Google Drive and Dropbox in seconds

Try TERA free — no credit card needed

Why the usual method is painful

The standard approach — download from Drive, upload to Dropbox — has several problems:

You need enough free space on your computer for the files
Your computer has to stay on and connected for the entire transfer
For large folders it can take hours, and any interruption means starting over
You have to do it manually every time you need to move something

The direct method: transfer cloud to cloud

TERA connects your Google Drive and Dropbox accounts and transfers files directly between them — without going through your computer. You open a two-panel explorer, with Google Drive on one side and Dropbox on the other, and drag files from one to the other.

The transfer happens on TERA's servers, so your computer doesn't need to stay open. A 2GB folder that would take 40 minutes to download and re-upload manually takes the same time but with zero effort on your part.

Step by step

Go to mytera.app and create a free account
Connect your Google Drive account in the Integrations section
Connect your Dropbox account
Open the Cloud Explorer — you'll see two panels side by side
Set one panel to Google Drive and the other to Dropbox
Navigate to the file or folder you want to transfer
Drag it from the Google Drive panel to the Dropbox panel — or right-click and select Transfer
TERA handles the rest. You can close the browser if you want

Tip: If you need to move files between these two clouds regularly, you can set up a scheduled sync task. TERA will automatically transfer new files on whatever schedule you set — daily, weekly, or custom.

What file types are supported?

TERA supports all file types — documents, images, videos, archives, code files. Google Workspace files (Docs, Sheets, Slides) are converted to their equivalent formats (docx, xlsx, pptx) when transferred to Dropbox.

Is there a file size limit?

The free plan supports files up to 100MB. Pro plan goes up to 5GB per file. Business plan has no limit. Most individual files are well under 100MB, so the free plan covers the majority of use cases.

Can I transfer entire folders?

Yes. Select a folder in the Google Drive panel and transfer it to Dropbox — TERA recreates the full folder structure on the Dropbox side, including all subfolders and files.

Ready to try it? It takes less than 2 minutes to set up.

Create your free account

Other cloud transfers supported

TERA isn't limited to Google Drive and Dropbox. You can transfer files between any combination of:

Google Drive
Dropbox
Microsoft OneDrive
Box
Amazon S3

So if you ever need to move files from Dropbox to OneDrive, or from S3 to Google Drive, the same two-panel interface works for all of them.