Dropbox is usually a great tool for file-sharing wants, however as companies scale, it could actually simply out-price smaller budgets. Rising companies that use Dropbox might shortly turn into annoyed with the device’s pricing and costs in comparison with the options it gives. When that occurs, they might discover themselves on the hunt for extra sturdy or cost-effective options.
SEE: Guidelines: Cloud storage administration (TechRepublic Premium)
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What’s Dropbox?
Dropbox is a cloud-based file-sharing service that enables customers to have a single location for information and storage that may be accessed by way of any suitable machine. By including a Dropbox folder to their gadgets, customers can seamlessly switch or retailer information for sharing, backup or different collaborative wants.
Hidden prices related to Dropbox
Though Dropbox does have a free model, the storage restrict is just 2GB, which may refill moderately shortly, even for infrequent customers. The primary premium tier of Dropbox, often known as Dropbox Plus, is available in at $11.99 monthly or $119.99 billed yearly. This ups the storage significantly to 2TB.
Nonetheless, this Dropbox premium plan is proscribed to 1 consumer; enterprise and enterprise customers can shortly see the costs go up as per-user charges begin to apply. For instance, a 10-person crew on the Dropbox Commonplace Marketing strategy would price $1,800 yearly.
Finest Dropbox options
Google Drive
Google Drive might be the obvious free different to Dropbox. Anybody with a free Google account of any sort already has entry to Google Drive. Though, there are Google Workspace premium plans for companies and enterprises.
Beginning with 15GB of free storage, Google Drive exceeds Dropbox’s free providing of 2GB; although, paid plans are in step with Dropbox and provide no price financial savings in that regard.
For these tied to the Google suite of productiveness instruments, Google Drive is a good alternative. Drive integrates properly with different Google instruments like Mail or Calendar.
However, privateness is one concern with Google Drive, as the corporate overtly states within the phrases of service that it scans Drive contents to assist serve extra focused adverts. So, for security-conscious customers, this can be a severe destructive.
Key options of Google Drive
- Beneficiant 15GB storage for customers of Drive’s free possibility
- Tight integration with different Google productiveness providers
- Straightforward to make use of for crew members of any talent degree
- Nice for paperwork
Sync
Sync boasts elevated safety over Dropbox and lots of different rivals. In contrast to Google Drive, there isn’t a scanning of your information. On high of that, Sync makes use of an encryption technique known as zero-knowledge encryption. This implies solely the consumer can view and decrypt messages, because the host doesn’t have entry to your decryption keys. So general, Sync gives a a lot greater degree of safety for these in search of elevated safety.
Pricing is barely cheaper than Dropbox, with its Solo Primary tier coming in at $8 monthly with 2TB of storage.
Key options of Sync
- Excessive-level safety and privateness protocols
- Decrease price than Dropbox on most tiers
- Model histories and roll-back capabilities
Mega
Mega takes the prize for essentially the most free storage among the many Dropbox options. At a whopping 20GB without spending a dime accounts, Mega is a beneficiant beginning degree that ought to fulfill many customers with out the necessity to transfer to paid tiers, that are barely dearer than Dropbox.
Safety and privateness are additionally top-notch, with zero-knowledge and AES 256-bit encryption. As well as, Mega makes use of TLS to guard information as they’re uploaded or downloaded.
Whereas Mega is just not fairly as refined as different choices in relation to the interface, it’s under no circumstances troublesome to make use of. Syncing options are sturdy and permit for syncing of any folder.
Key options of Mega
- Sturdy encryption and privateness
- Very beneficiant free tier with 20GB of storage
- Versatile syncing choices
Microsoft OneDrive
OneDrive is much like Google Drive in that it’s a part of Microsoft’s bigger ecosystem of instruments. In case your groups and customers are working within the Workplace 365 ecosystem, OneDrive is an apparent alternative.
Free variations are restricted to 5GB, which is on the low aspect. However, paid tiers of Microsoft OneDrive begin at $9.99 for 6TB, making it one of many least expensive Dropbox options.
Privateness and safety are inferior to another choices; as an illustration, OneDrive doesn’t provide zero-knowledge encryption, much like Google’s points.
Key options of OneDrive
- Tight integration with Workplace 365
- Finest worth for storage in relation to paid tiers
- Block-level sync for quick transfers
pCloud
pCloud is a robust different to Dropbox with added safety features like zero-knowledge encryption; although, this function does come at a further price of $3.99. Apart from that, pricing is affordable with free plans restricted to 10GB and paid plans beginning at $7.99 for 2TB.
pCloud has sturdy syncing and sharing options that rival free Dropbox choices. These embrace options reminiscent of password sharing and expiration dates.
Key options of pCloud
- Low price
- Sturdy syncing and sharing options, even within the free plan
- Encryption choices
IDrive
Whereas principally a backup service, IDrive does additionally work for cloud storage and syncing, making it a hybrid different to Dropbox. IDrive forgoes some collaborative and file-sharing instruments, however the fundamental options are all there by way of the net interface to share information. Nonetheless, there isn’t a password or expiration date assist for file shares.
IDrive has a beneficiant 10GB free tier, and the 10TB paid plan at $6.22 a month is a good worth if your online business wants principally backup providers.
Key options of IDrive
- Low price and nice worth
- Providers tailor-made for backup
- Computerized sync with a specified folder
Icedrive
Icedrive takes the prize in relation to the interface, which is clear, elegant and uncluttered—this goes for each the net interface and app interface. Safety is powerful with zero-knowledge and AES 256-bit encryption, however these are restricted to paid plans.
Icedrive is lacking collaborative options and document-sharing options. However, you do get file previews on many codecs and quick switch speeds.
Icedrive’s free tier comes with a 10GB restrict, and paid tiers begin as little as $1.67 a month for 250GB.
Key options of Icedrive
- Finest-in-class interface for each net and app interfaces
- Nice safety choices for paid tiers
- Paid tiers begin extraordinarily low
- File previews for many codecs
Field
Field is clearly geared toward enterprise customers and enterprises, and it gives the entire options of Dropbox however with added assist that enterprise customers would want. These embrace fundamental however helpful challenge administration options to go together with conventional syncing options.
Pricing is clearly geared toward enterprise customers as properly. Free storage choices are restricted to 10GB, and plans with 100GB of storage begin at $7 monthly, making Field one of many dearer choices.
Safety is a high precedence, however as soon as once more it would price you. Including zero-knowledge encryption on high of AED 256-bit will price additional.
App integration is the place Field actually shines and the place customers might discover worth to offset the upper price. Field integrates with each Google and Microsoft productiveness instruments in addition to 1,500 different apps.
Key options of Field
- In depth app integrations
- Included challenge administration options
- Larger paid tiers provide limitless storage
NordLocker
Rounding out the checklist of Dropbox options is NordLocker, which comes from the makers of the well-known Nord VPN providers. NordLocker is concentrated on safety and privateness with options that embrace zero-knowledge and AES 256-bit encryption, together with superior ciphers and TLS transfers.
All of this safety with NordLocker is comparatively inexpensive. Whereas the free tier is somewhat paltry with solely 3GB of storage, 2TB of storage in a premium tier is just $7.99 a month; this premium tier additionally comes with 24/7 e mail and telephone assist.
Key options of NordLocker
- Give attention to safety and privateness
- Work on paperwork proper from the cloud
- Good worth in comparison with the options
- Computerized cross-platform syncing
