Many teams use Google Drive for everything. Documents, spreadsheets, presentations. It's familiar and (mostly) free.
Then someone mentions needing document tracking. "Who viewed our proposal? Which pages did they read?" Google Drive doesn't answer these questions.
That's when DocSend enters the conversation. Purpose-built for document intelligence. But is specialized tracking worth leaving Google's ecosystem?
Let's examine what each platform offers and when switching makes sense.
Core differences
Google Drive stores and shares files. DocSend tracks how people interact with them.
Think of Drive as a library. You put documents on shelves, give people access, they come and read. You know they have access but not what they actually do.
DocSend is more like a reading room with cameras. You see who enters, which books they pick up, which pages they study, how long they stay.
Both share documents. The difference is visibility.
Track your documents with Ellty
You share documents from Google Drive daily. But you can't see what happens next.
Did they open it? Which sections did they read? Did they forward it to others?
Google Drive doesn't tell you. You're sharing blind.
Ellty adds the missing layer. Upload from Drive, share via trackable link. See everything recipients do. Page-by-page analytics. Real-time alerts.
Free tier includes 50 tracked documents. No credit card needed.
What Google Drive does well
Storage and organization
15GB free, then $2/month for 100GB. Create folders, share entire directories, search everything. Your team probably already uses it.
Real-time collaboration
Multiple people editing simultaneously. Comments, suggestions, version history. Perfect for creating documents together.
Universal access
Everyone knows Google Drive. No training needed. Works on every device. Integrates with Gmail naturally.
Basic sharing controls
Set view/edit permissions. Share via link or specific emails. Remove access anytime.
What's missing? You'll know someone opened a file. That's it. No page views, time spent, or engagement data.
What DocSend provides
Detailed analytics
See exactly how recipients engage. Page-by-page breakdown. Time on each section. Return visits. Forward tracking.
Advanced control
Password protection. Link expiration. Download prevention. Update documents after sending without new links.
Professional presentation
Custom domains. Branded viewer. No Google branding on your important documents.
Virtual data rooms
Organize multiple documents for due diligence. Control access at granular levels. Full audit trails.
What's missing? No editing. No real-time collaboration. Limited storage. Gets expensive quickly.
When Google Drive works fine
Internal documents
Team collaboration where you don't need tracking. Everyone's editing together anyway.
Low-stakes sharing
Sending meeting notes. Sharing project files. Documents where engagement doesn't matter.
Budget constraints
Free for most teams. Even paid plans cost less than DocSend's starting price.
Existing workflow
Your team lives in Google Workspace. Adding another tool creates friction.
When to consider DocSend
Fundraising
Sending pitch decks to multiple investors. Need to prioritize follow-ups based on interest.
Sales intelligence
Understanding which parts of proposals resonate. Seeing objection areas before calls.
Sensitive documents
Legal documents, financial reports. Need audit trails and access control.
External sharing
Any document where recipient behavior matters more than creation process.
Use cases
Startup founder using Google Drive:
"We create our pitch deck in Google Slides. Works great. But when we email it to investors, we're blind. Did they read it? Share it internally? No idea."
Sales team using DocSend:
"Every proposal goes through DocSend. We see exactly where prospects spend time. If they're stuck on pricing for 5 minutes, we know to address that in our follow-up."
Marketing agency using both:
"Internal work stays in Google Drive. Client presentations go through DocSend. Two systems, but each serves its purpose."
Integration
Google Drive and DocSend don't integrate directly. You upload files from Drive to DocSend manually.
This workflow gap frustrates teams. Create in Google, download, upload to DocSend, share link. Every update requires repeating this process.
Some teams accept this friction for the analytics value. Others find it breaks their workflow.
Cost
Small team (5 users):
- Google Drive: Free to $10/month
- DocSend: $75/month minimum
- Difference: $780-900/year
Growing team (20 users):
- Google Drive: $40/month
- DocSend: $300/month minimum
- Difference: $3,120/year
For many teams, that's a hard cost to justify for analytics alone.
Making the decision
Stay with Google Drive if:
- Internal sharing is your main use
- Budget is extremely tight
- Basic "viewed" notification suffices
- Team workflow is already optimized
Add document tracking if:
- External document performance matters
- You need professional presentation
- Analytics drive your follow-up strategy
- ROI justifies the investment
Need more than basic sharing?
You send important documents externally. Proposals, pitch decks, contracts. You need to know engagement levels.
DocSend fills this gap. But at $15/user/month minimum, it's a significant cost jump from free Google Drive.
Ellty offers middle ground. Document tracking like DocSend. Simpler pricing. Works alongside your existing Google Drive setup.
Upload from Drive, track via Ellty. Best of both worlds.
FAQs
Can I track Google Drive documents?
Basic view notifications only. No detailed analytics without third-party tools.
Does DocSend replace Google Drive?
No. DocSend tracks documents, doesn't create them. Most teams use both.
What about Google Workspace security?
Enterprise-grade. Often exceeds DocSend for compliance certifications.
Which is better for internal teams?
Google Drive. Real-time collaboration beats tracking for internal work.
Can recipients tell I'm tracking them?
With DocSend, they see DocSend branding. With Drive, they don't know about view notifications.
