G Desktop Suite

When it comes to cloud-based storage and synchronization services there are two big names that usually come up: Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive. While they’re pretty much on par in terms of features and functionalities, Google Drive offers more free space and, naturally, caters to a greater global audience thanks to its unique integrations with other Google services.

There’s not much one can reprimand to Google Drive since it’s great at allowing you to create, edit, store, and share documents, and basically all sorts of other files. Not only that, but it can be accessed on pretty much all platforms thanks to its dedicated mobile apps for iOS and Android, and remarkably well-sorted web apps (accessing via web browser).

Sadly, in September 2017, Google announced that it would discontinue the Google Drive desktop app. If you’re tired of having to access Google Drive via a web browser (and potentially mix it up with other tens of tabs), then you could check out a third-party app called G Desktop Suite.

It’s basically an ElectronJS-based application (a desktop wrapper to be more precise) designed to run remotely on your desktop (by emulating the functions of a web browser). Being an Electron-based app, you should not expect the app to be lightweight, but that does not mean that your modern computer’s performance will take a toll while running it. It’s also not as fast as the web app, but it’s not what one might call a hindrance.

The main advantage of the app is, of course, the fact that it allows you to work with Google Drive in a more “enclosed” environment and outside your browser.

It brings to your desktop all the functionalities, features, and little niggles of Google Drive (Google Sheets, Docs, Slides, and Forms are all integrated within), and it even has a Dark Mode to make working at night a little more bearable, and that’s pretty much about it.

Given the circumstances, the principle behind G Desktop Suite is a valid one. You can argue that Electron apps have some disadvantages, and that a native Windows app would have been far superior, but the truth of the matter is that we don’t actually have one at the moment, making G Desktop Suite one of the few good alternatives, and definitely one worth checking out.