Downloading my whole OneDrive Storage locally?

[ZaneDragonBorn]

Hello, I've been using Windows 11 for quite some time and loved how I could access my OneDrive directly from the file manager. It would show every file I have access to and only download it locally when I start making changes to it. Saves storage, but also makes it quick and easy to access...

Now I assumed that was how these tools would work, however it appears that this tool is downloading my whole onedrive cloud storage locally on my machine. Is that what this is doing? and is there a more reasonable alternative if so?

I don't understand the popularity if its doing that.

[abraunegg]

@ZaneDragonBorn

Is that what this is doing?

Yes — this client is a synchronisation client. Its job is to keep your Microsoft OneDrive data in sync both ways:

• Online changes are mirrored locally.
• Local changes are uploaded back to OneDrive.

By default, this means that your files are stored locally so they’re always available to you, even offline.

That said, you don’t have to sync everything. The client includes Client Side Filtering rules, which let you choose exactly what gets synced. You can configure this in several ways, including through a sync_list file. Documentation and examples are here:
👉 https://github.com/abraunegg/onedrive/blob/master/docs/usage.md#using-client-side-filtering-rules-to-determine-what-should-be-synced-with-microsoft-onedrive

If you want a deeper understanding of how the client operates under the hood, I recommend:
👉 https://github.com/abraunegg/onedrive/blob/master/docs/client-architecture.md

I don't understand the popularity if it’s doing that.

This project has become the most widely used CLI OneDrive client because:

• It’s actively maintained and works reliably.
• It supports all Microsoft OneDrive backends — Personal, Business, and SharePoint.
• It properly handles Shared Folders, which many other tools don’t.
• It integrates well into enterprise environments.
• It can run in Docker or Podman, making deployment flexible.
• It ensures data integrity and validation during sync.

Put simply: it fills a gap that other tools don’t cover.

and is there a more reasonable alternative if so?

The functionality you’re describing — where you see everything in File Manager but the files are only downloaded when you open them — is known as “on-demand” access.

• This is currently a feature request for this client:
  👉 Feature Request: On-Demand Files #757

• There is another project, onedriver, which implements on-demand access. However:

  • Development appears to have stalled.
  • It lacks support for Shared Folders and SharePoint.

• GNOME 46 has recently introduced limited OneDrive integration with a similar “on-demand” model, but it’s still very basic and not yet feature-complete.

This client is intentionally designed as a robust sync solution, not an on-demand client. If on-demand behaviour is your top requirement, you’ll want to follow the feature request and keep an eye on alternatives like onedriver or GNOME’s work, but today the most reliable option remains full/local sync with selective filtering.

[ZaneDragonBorn]

Thank you for the answer and alternative suggestions. I greatly appreciate that!