Online File Storage Service
Personal cloud storage got started in 2007, when Drew Houston, Dropbox's CEO, got sick and tired of losing his USB drive. So he created the first individual, small business cloud storage service. It was a radical idea in its time, and everyone loved it. Today, there are dozens of cheap or free cloud storage providers and services. But -- beyond giving you storage -- they're very different.
online file storage service
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How do you choose which one is right for you? You could just pick based on how much free storage space you get. That's simple, but, a cloud storage service's real value comes from how well it works for you or your business. As you'll see, some work much better with some operating systems and business plans than others.
Unlike many other cloud backup services, iDrive doesn't lock you down to a single computer. You can use one account to back up your Windows and macOS desktops, your Android smartphone and iPhones and tablets, and your network drives. There's also a Linux backup option, but it's meant for Linux servers. There is no desktop Linux storage client. Darn it! You can, however, use its web interface for manually uploading files.
Amazon S3 from Amazon Web Services (AWS) is an object storage service, and it's a great service. But, that's not what individuals use. They use Amazon Cloud Drive for personal and small business uses -- and it's not a first-rate storage service.
On the plus side, Amazon moves files by using block-level file copying (aka "differential sync" or "delta sync"). With this method, which Dropbox also uses, you only send and receive the differences (the delta) between files when you sync a file. This makes syncing files much faster on these services than their rivals.
Prime members get 5GB of storage for "free" with Amazon Cloud Drive for file storage. If you want more, Amazon's current annual storage plans start at 100GB for $19.99 a year and 1TB for $59.99. If you go monthly, for $2 a month you'll get 100GB of storage, for $7 a month 1TB, and for $12 a month 2TB. Other Amazon cloud plans will take you up to 30TB for, brace yourself, $1,799.70.
OneDrive comes with 5GB of free storage. Microsoft 365 users get an extra terabyte per user starting with the $6-per-month subscription. This plan maxes out at six people or 6TB of storage. Microsoft 365 Business Standard users, who get access to the full online versions of Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, at $12.50 per user per month with an annual subscription. If all you need is additional storage, you can add 100GB for $1.99 a month.
Like most cloud storage services, Box has clients for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android. It also supports Blackberry. It, however, doesn't support Linux. There is a third-party program, ExpanDrive, which enables Linux users to work with Box.
For $7 a month, the Business Starter Plan lets you upload files up to 2GB and provides you with 100GB of space. But while Box is a fine cloud storage service, where it really shines is as a groupware or workflow application. Used that way, it enables you to share files with colleagues, assign tasks, leave comments on someone's work, and get notifications when a file changes. It's integrated with Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365.
Dropbox came first, so it's no wonder that so many of us have Dropbox accounts. Sure, Dropbox Basic's free storage is only 2GB, but you can use it on any platform. You can get your files from Dropbox's website, desktop applications for Mac, Windows, and Linux, the native file systems, and the iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire mobile apps. Heck, even Blackberry phones are still supported. It's a snap to set up, and you need not worry about syncing files for a second.
Google Drive used to be just storage. But then Google took its online office suite, Google Docs, and pasted them together into Google One. Now, you get 15GB of free storage and an excellent office suite by just having a Google account. It's good enough that many businesses and Chromebook users are now using it as their complete cloud-based office. I use it all the time myself.
Nextcloud is an open-source program that enables you to set up your own cloud storage service using your existing servers and hard drives. This do-it-yourself cloud is for everyone who values security and privacy.
Nextcloud is also evolving. It started as a standalone Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) file storage cloud. It's been adding in more services, making it more of an all-in-one office suite like those offered by Google and Microsoft. The latest edition, Nextcloud 21, is also much faster than previous versions.
The business service starts with 1TB for $96 per user per year. Or, you can buy a plan for the lifetime (of the company) for $175 for Premium and $350 for Premium Plus. pCloud for Business offers 1TB of storage per user, starting at $287.64 per year. Each additional user gets their own TB of storage.
There's no one size fits all solutions. Your cloud choice depends on what you use and what you want to do with it. All these services give you more than enough free or cheap service for small business purposes. In short, don't be distracted by how many free gigabytes of storage you get -- it's not that important. This table helps you determine the best cloud services to choose based on what you want from it:
In general, cloud storage services are safe, however, this again points to the importance of choosing the right cloud storage provider. The cloud storage services on this list all store your files on cloud servers that are encrypted. This means that your data and files are scrambled in a way that makes it harder for cybercriminals to access the information.
Several services offer huge amounts of free storage. But I don't trust any of them. It falls under the adage you get what you pay for. The most storage you can get for free is Google, with its 15GB of storage.
Do you want to be as sure as anyone can be that your data's safe from prying eyes? If that's you, I recommend either building your own cloud storage service with NextCloud or using the high-security pCloud. With NextCloud, you, of course, decide where to keep your data.
Sync is another service I recommend based on its collaboration tools. With it, you can create centralized folders your colleagues and clients can access without having to skim through mountains of files. And they take care of branding by sending files through a portal with your company logo on it. How cool is that?
It wasn't all that long ago that collaborating with people on documents was a huge hassle. You'd make multiple copies of a file and have to add a stupid ending to the filename, like "-edited-JD-final-final," in hopes of keeping track of everyone's changes. Equally painful was managing versions of your own documents as you emailed them to yourself from your personal computer to your work computer. Who misses that? No one has to mess with those problems anymore, largely thanks to online file storage and syncing services.
If you don't yet have an online storage and syncing service, you should seriously consider getting one. Which one you choose depends on the kinds of files you store, how much security you need, whether you plan to collaborate with others, and which devices you own. It may also depend on your comfort level with computers in general. Most of these services are extremely user-friendly, while others offer advanced customization for more experienced techies. Find our best picks below, followed by a detailed guide to understanding cloud storage and file-sharing services.
OneDrive is a great storage and syncing option for just about anybody. It works on all major devices. Its functionality and design have reached a point of slick usability and reliability. The cost is more than reasonable seeing as you can get added OneDrive storage by paying for a Microsoft 365, which includes office apps. Because it provides automatic backup for documents, photos and other files in Windows and syncs documents in Microsoft's office apps, it's a natural choice for Windows or Microsoft 365 users.
If you use Microsoft 365 apps regularly, including the online version of the apps, using OneDrive for storage and syncing offers real benefits. And Windows users will be delighted that their Desktop, Documents, and Pictures are safely backed up to the cloud, and automatically restored when they get a new PC. It's also a great option for anyone looking for value in an online syncing and storage service. Free users can take advantage of the 5GB of storage, which isn't the most generous free version you can find, but it's in line with the competition.
IDrive has long offered the best deal for online syncing and storage, giving you the most space per dollar and no limit on the number of devices you install it on. Beyond that, it's also a solid service, with apps for all major platforms and a bevy of features. For example, you can set IDrive to back up files to an external hard drive or a network drive. There's even support for creating a complete disk image, although it's limited to the Windows version. It's archiving capability means that you can always find your files, even if you deleted them on the local computer.
IDrive is for anyone looking for the best price per TB for their online storage and syncing service. It will also be appealing to those who want to take advantage of its archiving and continuous backup features.
Google Drive is the natural choice for anyone who regularly works in Google Docs, Sheets, and other online apps; it integrates with many third-party online apps as a cloud storage option. It's also a great choice for people looking for a generous free online storage and syncing service.
SpiderOak is a storage service that focuses on privacy and security. It has a no-knowledge policy, and we like the intuitive desktop application and unlimited versioning capabilities. The service charges more for online storage than competitors, but you can back up an unlimited number of devices per account. You also get good file-sharing and folder-syncing options with SpiderOak, despite the focus on backup. 041b061a72