Archevi vs. Google Drive: Why Families Need More Than Storage

Google Drive is ubiquitous - you probably use it. It's great for storing files, sharing photos, and collaborating on documents. But when it comes to managing a family's important documents, storage alone isn't enough.

Here's what's missing from Google Drive - and how Archevi fills the gaps.

The Core Problem: Files vs. Knowledge

**Google Drive thinks in files.** You upload a PDF, give it a name, maybe put it in a folder. To find it later, you search by file name or browse folders.

**Archevi thinks in knowledge.** You upload a PDF, and Archevi understands what's inside it. To find information later, you just ask.

### Example:

**Google Drive:**

Search: "insurance"
Results: 47 files with "insurance" in the name
Now what? Open each one to find your deductible?

**Archevi:**

Ask: "What's our home insurance deductible?"
Answer: "$500 for dwelling coverage, $250 for personal property" (with source citation)

What Archevi Does That Google Drive Doesn't

### 1. Semantic Search with AI

**Google Drive:** Keyword matching only. Searches file names and (sometimes) content for exact words.

**Archevi:** Understands meaning. Ask "Who is our dentist?" and it finds "Dr. Sarah Chen, DDS" even if the word "dentist" never appears.

**Why it matters:** You don't have to remember exact phrases or file names.

### 2. Automatic Expiry Tracking

**Google Drive:** No concept of expiration dates. You have to manually set reminders.

**Archevi:** Automatically detects expiry dates in documents (policies, IDs, contracts) and shows dashboard alerts.

**Why it matters:** Never miss a renewal deadline again.

### 3. Family Privacy Controls

**Google Drive:** Share a file or don't. No middle ground.

**Archevi:** Granular visibility levels (Everyone, Adults Only, Admins Only, Private) and member types (Admin, Adult, Teen, Child).

**Why it matters:** Your teen can see their own school records without accessing financial statements.

### 4. Person Assignment

**Google Drive:** No way to tag documents to specific family members.

**Archevi:** Assign documents to specific people (Mom's medical records, Dad's work documents, Sarah's school forms).

**Why it matters:** Filter the knowledge base by person. Ask "What medications is Mom taking?" and get only her records.

### 5. Voice Notes with Transcription

**Google Drive:** Can store audio files, but can't search them.

**Archevi:** Record voice notes, transcribe them automatically (80+ languages), and search the transcriptions.

**Why it matters:** Capture thoughts on the go and search them later.

### 6. AI-Powered Source Citations

**Google Drive:** If you find something, you found it. No context.

**Archevi:** Every answer includes source citations with similarity scores - so you know where the information came from and how confident the AI is.

**Why it matters:** Trust but verify. Always see the original source.

### 7. Duplicate Detection

**Google Drive:** Upload the same file 5 times? Now you have 5 copies.

**Archevi:** Warns you if you're uploading a duplicate document.

**Why it matters:** Keep your knowledge base clean and organized.

### 8. Query Templates and Suggestions

**Google Drive:** You're on your own. Figure out how to search.

**Archevi:** Pre-built query templates (Insurance, Medical, Financial, Legal) and search suggestions based on your documents.

**Why it matters:** Get started faster with suggested queries.

Cost Comparison

| Service | Family of 5 | Annual Cost (CAD) | |---------|-------------|-------------------| | Google Drive (200 GB) | Shared storage | $39.99 | | Google Workspace (5 accounts) + Gemini | 5 individual accounts with AI | $480 | | **Archevi Starter** | Shared storage + AI | **$119.88** |

**Google Drive is cheaper if all you need is storage.** But if you want AI-powered search, expiry tracking, and family privacy controls, you need Google Workspace + Gemini - which is **4x more expensive** than Archevi.

When Google Drive Is Enough

Google Drive is great for:

Sharing photos with family
Collaborating on documents (Google Docs, Sheets)
Storing large files (videos, backups)
Simple file storage with no advanced search

When You Need Archevi

Archevi is built for:

Important family documents (insurance, medical, legal, financial)
Asking questions about document content
Tracking expiry dates and renewals
Privacy controls for different family members
Voice notes and audio transcription
Semantic search ("What did the doctor recommend?")

Can You Use Both?

Absolutely. Many families use:

**Google Drive** for photos, videos, and collaborative documents
**Archevi** for important documents that need AI search and tracking

Try Archevi Free for 30 Days

See the difference for yourself. Upload a few important documents and ask questions. No credit card required.

Visit [archevi.com](https://archevi.com) to sign up.