Google users have two options for storing photos. They can save pictures on Google Drive or Google Photos. Which should you use? These two separate applications serve different purposes and have different features. Both have a huge advantage of off-site storage and access from any device.
Google Drive is only storage. You can put photos there, organize them into folders, and easily share them via the application. You can also copy/paste a link to your email that will send the recipient right to the image where they can view or download it. All images and files in your Google Drive count toward your storage limit. Drive’s perfect scenario is sharable group project folders that include photos, documents, videos, and more.
Google Photos has more bells and whistles, offering editing and super-cool visual search functions. You can also scroll through your photos by date. Google Photos does compress your photos, but unless you intend to put them on a giant screen or print a 36″ poster, you probably won’t notice. You can sync your phone with the app so your photos backup there automatically. Only the uncompressed images count toward your storage limits. Google Photos is superior for storing your photo library.
This article gives much more detail and is an easy read. Be sure to check out other fantastic Google applications like My Business and Google Docs.