Overview
Starting Sept. 1, 2024, a 500 GB storage limit will be applied to all faculty, staff, and student Stanford Google My Drive accounts and to each shared drive. (Note: Starting Sept. 1, 2025, the storage limit will become 50 GB.)
Our goal is to maintain service quality, minimize disruption, and contain costs while addressing community needs and planning for the future.
How does this affect me?
- Below the storage limit? if you are comfortablely below the storage limit, you don't need to take any action. You can continue to use the free base tier, which more than 95% of the Stanford community will use.
- Near or above the limit? Submit a PTA before the storage limit is applied to ensure uninterrupted collaboration. Otherwise, your drive will become "read-only" and you (and your collaborators) will be able to access the drive and download data but won't be able to upload or create new content or edit or copy existing files.
- Need more than 20 TB? If you have an extremely large storage need above 20 TB, please request a consultation for a custom tier.
| Storage Tier | Monthly Cost Information |
|---|---|
|
Free base tier |
For usage below the storage limit, continue to use Google Workspace My Drive and shared drives at no cost — no action is required on your part. |
|
Paid tier |
Submit a PTA to be billed monthly based on actual usage above the storage limit. Cost will be based on an annual rate of 0.15 per GB (for FY 2025).* |
|
Custom tier |
Request a consultation for storage needs exceeding 20 TB. |
Pricing is subject to adjustments based on changes in negotiated rates with Google.
Sample pricing
Use the information in this table to estimate your costs for purchasing Google Workspace storage. Remember, billing is based on actual usage at a rate of $0.15 per GB annually. There is no charge for the first 500 GB of storage, which is included in the base tier.
| Total Storage Used | Billable Charge |
|---|---|
|
1 TB |
$75 annual cost/$6.25 billed monthly (Based on 500 GB billable usage plus 500 GB free base tier storage) |
|
2 TB |
$225 annual cost/ $18.75 billed monthly (Based on 1500 GB billable usage plus 500 GB free base tier storage) |
|
3 TB |
$375 annual cost/ $31.25 billed monthly (Based on 2500 GB billable usage plus 500 GB free base tier storage) |
|
5 TB |
$675 annual cost/ $31.25 billed monthly (Based on 4500 GB billable usage plus 500 GB free base tier storage) |
What you need to know about submitting a PTA
- Anyone can submit a PTA for a My Drive or shared drive — even if they are not an owner or manager of the drive.
- Up until the date the storage limit is applied, one-time bulk requests to add the same PTA to multiple drives can be accomodated. Please work with your local IT team if you'd like to submit a bulk order.
- Order forms to submit a PTA for a single My Drive or shared drive will be available starting Aug. 1, 2024.
FAQs about purchasing storage
- Q: Can more than one PTA be used to purchase paid storage for a shared drive?
- PTA "splits" cannot be accommodated. Only one PTA can be charged.
- Q: If I submit a PTA, will I still get the "free tier" at no cost?
- Yes, you are only charged for your monthly usage that exeeds the storage limit. You will continue to get 500 GB (50 GB starting Sept. 1, 2025) of free storage each month.
- Q: What information will I need to submit a purchase order for a paid storage tier?
- You'll need to provide the SUNetID for the account owner or shared drive manager and the name and ID of the shared drive.
- Q: What happens if I move below the storage limit?
- You will not be charged for storage that month.
- Q: What happens to a billing request if the owner of a My Drive leaves Stanford?
- When the account is deactivated, the billing order is canceled.
