Enhanced executive mobility and the need for any time, “always connected”, “anywhere access” of data across roles, across businesses has necessitated given rise to cloud-based storage services which assure 24x7 availability of digital data.
This began in the mid-90s with AT&T. Now there are a plethora of services available including Dropbox, iCloud, Google Drive, and many more. Each has its own USPs and caters to a specific clientele.
One needs to carefully analyze and weigh in the pros and cons of these services before entrusting them with your data. A few of the factors that one should focus on while selecting a provider include security, value for money apart from basic criteria like storage and data transfer provided. What are your requirements – to share family pictures or critical and sometimes confidential company data?
» What is Dropbox?
Launched way back in 2008, one of the earliest cloud storage services, Dropbox is a cloud storage service developed to host files, share documents and sync them with your devices so that you can access them from anywhere.
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» Why Do We Need Dropbox Alternatives?
In spite of the provisions that a user can enjoy using DropBox, one also needs to consider the downside of using it and if there are other services available in the market which can overcome these cons and provides a better solution, you can also consider them. Limited flexibility provided by DropBox is also a reason for looking into other cloud storage options. The main reason why people are looking for alternatives is due to its lack of focus on security. While using Dropbox, you are giving some amount of power to the middlemen by entrusting them with your documents as DropBox employees have access to your files stores on their servers.
Here are 2020's 11 Top Rated DropBox alternatives.
1. Sync
Sync is a very secure file sharing and cloud storage platform. It enables sharing files amongst co-workers extremely conveniently with secure links. The user enjoys full control of the documents that he wishes to share. It’s centralized with all the documents and real-time backups make the recovery process quite hassle-free. It is widely used in legal firms, educational institutions, creative agencies, accounting firms, and the healthcare industries.
› Special features of Sync:
• HIPPA, GDPR, PIPEDA compliant which ensures multilevel data protection
• End to end encryption ensures that only you can access the data on the cloud
• Two-factor authentication(2FA) and granular user permissions ensure that the user is in full control
• Activity log ensures that the user is kept up to date with the file actions
• Enables you to preview a document virtually without the need to download it
• Sync Vault-cloud storage offers you to archive a file to the cloud to free up space
• The administrator exercises the power to add or remove user accounts from his team of employees
› Used by people working in:
• TripAdvisor, Fuji Films, The New Yorker, Canadian Red Cross
› Pricing:
• Free up to 5 GB
• Standard - $5/ month
• Plus - $8/ month
2. pCloud
pCloud is a software that guarantees a safe and secure method of cloud storage with simplicity. They promise digital privacy through pCloud Encryption which in turn has a multi-level encryption algorithm. Multi-device accessibility is an attractive feature which comes in handy to its users spread across various industries. This ever-evolving software recently launched a new feature namely-Document Scan for iOS which helps the user to scan and directly upload the document to the pCloud and hence make the process of sharing paperwork easy and convenient for all. A downside to this service is the absence of collaboration tools
› Special features of pCloud:
• The user can lock the document using a pass which will make it invisible to the others
• Allows you to share large files using customized download links
• Full-text search improves the document searching process to a huge extent
• pCloud Crypto offers simple yet high-end encryption and is only available to the user
• pCloud Rewind helps you look into previous versions of your documents I.e.15-30 days prior
• You can easily upload file irrespective of its size i.e. unlimited file size uploads are made possible
› Used by people working in:
• Coca Cola, Nike, Twitter, Uber, Instagram, Etihad Airways, LinkedIn
› Pricing:
• Premium (500 GB) - $47.88 annually
• Premium Plus (2TB) - $95.88 annually
3. Google Drive
Google Drive is a file storage and synchronization service launched in 2012. It allows people to store files in the cloud, synchronize it across various devices, and share files. Its integration with Docs, Sheets, and Slides, makes the process of collaboration easy and effective. It is a flexible platform which can be used by individuals, teams, and enterprises for various purposes. Its integration with various apps like Adobe, Autodesk amongst many others makes it extremely user friendly and accessible to people across different walks of life. Shared Drives are spaces where files belong to teams instead of individuals, and the team that gets access to the Drive and the power to store, retrieve, or make changes to the data.
› Special features of Google Drive:
• Collaboration with people in Microsoft Office can be done without the need to convert file formats
• The explore button allows you to research about a topic within the Drive
• Allows you to view Google Docs, Sheets and Slides offline across a vast number of devices
• Data loss prevention, Vault for eDiscovery and archiving and security center are key features to protect and secure data of an enterprise
• Drive supports over 100 file types
› Used by people working in:
• Freedom, Whirlpool, Sanmina, Broadcom
› Pricing:
• First 15GB - Free
• 100GB - $1.99/month
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4. Zoho Docs
Zoho Docs is an online file management service from India to offer users the ability to create, store documents and collaborate. This platform enhances the collaboration and sharing of files within an organization. Its multiple file backup features let you store your document in a number of locations, thus ensuring data safety during times of hardware or system failure. Accessibility of files from any device from anywhere is an attractive feature offered by them.
› Special features of Zoho Docs:
• Role-based access - The administrator can grant access to each team member based on their function I.e.co-owner, read/write, read-only, read and comment
• Version control - Has a Check-in/Checkout feature to permit only one person in a team to make changes at a time. This solves the problem of overwriting of a document by various team members
• Meets industry compliance standards such as SOC Type ll and ISO 27001
• Redundancy - Server failure recovery is ensured as it runs on a distributed grid architecture which in turn implies that server failure will have a minimal impact on the connected devices
• Its integration with Zoho Mail eases the transfer of data from Zoho Mail to Zoho Docs
› Used by people working in:
• Constant Contact, Ubuntu, yoxel
› Pricing:
• Free - 5 GB /user for up to 5 people
• Standard - Rs 240/user billed annually
• Premium - Rs 384/user billed annually
5. Box
Box is a cloud technology that aims at simplifying workflow by allowing users to centralize data and promote collaboration between them. Digitalizing manual processes using a box makes sharing and accessing data extremely simple and efficient. Box can also be used as a secure alternative to the bulky and outdated FTP servers. They have clients using their service across a multitude of industries namely construction, healthcare, retail, and financial services.
› Special features of Box:
• The customers have the privilege to define their own set of security classifications (Eg: Confidential, Internal, Public) using Box Shield
• They have more than 1400 app integrations which aid the user to connect and transfer data across a number of platforms
• Prevent data leaks by using 2FA and watermarking. Also, every file is encrypted using AES-256 bit encryption
• Box Relay’s no code design eases the workflow process for the user to a great extent
› Used by people working in:
• Broadcom, Morgan Stanley, General Electric, Allstate, AstraZeneca
› Pricing:
• Starter-Rs 389.50/user/month
• Business-Rs 1102/user/month
• Business Plus-Rs 1881/user/month
6. Microsoft OneDrive
OneDrive is a service provided by Microsoft to host, share, and access files from anywhere. It caters to the needs of students, businessmen, families, schools, and enterprises too. It has an advanced Sync technology so that you can view files and folders from anywhere and from any device.
› Special features of Microsoft OneDrive:
• Storage of some important and confidential documents can be done with the help of the Personal vault feature which adds another layer of protection
• Any editing that the user does when he/she is offline will be automatically synced when the device is connected
• The OneDrive mobile app allows the user to create, view, edit, and share files by scanning documents (Eg: receipts, whiteboards, business cards, paper documents) and upload it directly
• You can set expiration dates for your shared linked so that the person viewing it gets limited-time access according to the user
› Used by people working in:
• MasterCard, Accenture, Qantas, Cliffton Coffee Rosters
› Pricing:
• OneDrive Basic (5GB)-Free
• OneDrive (100 GB) - Rs 123/month
• OneDrive for Business - Rs 660 /user/month
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7. Mediafire
Mediafire is an online platform for storage and collaboration with simplified technology to manage resources online. This software can be used to manage and store documents, audio files, videos, and photos in the cloud for uploading, copying, moving and controlling access to your files from anywhere with your desktop and your mobile phone. Its services are used by businessmen, photographers, and large companies.
› Special Features of Mediafire:
• Offers unlimited downloads
• User can share files using an onetime link so that your recipient can’t share the link with anybody else without your permission
• User can upload hundreds or even thousands of files at once
› Used by people working in:
• Gizmodo, LifeHacker, TechCrunch, Engadget
› Pricing:
• Pro-$3.5 /month billed annually
• Business-$40/month billed quarterly
8. Amazon Drive
Amazon Drive formerly known as Amazon Cloud Drive is a cloud storage solution managed by Amazon. It is generally preferred, if your aim is to upload photos and videos though one can upload any file irrespective of its type. The easy to use interface makes it quite user friendly but its restrictions in terms of space only allow the user to upload video files directly from the web which are only 20 minutes long putting it behind its competitors. You can carry out backups as well as keep specific folders monitored under it too.
› Special features of Amazon Drive:
• Offers 2 Factor Authentication (If you choose to activate it on your Amazon account)
• Amazon Photos component of Amazon Drive offers an umpteen amount of room on the cloud for your pictures
› Pricing:
• Free-5 GB video storage, unlimited photo storage (With Prime membership)
• $19.99/year - 100 GB Amazon Storage Plan
• $59.99/year - 1TB Amazon Storage Plan
9. eFileCabinet
eFileCabinet is a document management software that manages and stores data in a very organized and efficient way. The multi-faceted software simplifies storage, recovery, and organization of data by automating redundant document processes. Its widespread use can be seen in the accounting, educational, legal, and manufacturing industries amongst many others. By reducing dependency on paper and other resources it tackles the problem of secure file sharing, mobility, security, and findability which would have occurred otherwise.
› Special Features of eFileCabinet:
• Offers multi-level authentication when required, through Knowledge-Based Authentication(KBA) and One Time Password(OTP)
• Has a provision of viewing documents side by side with the dual-screen previewer
• Integrates with Google and OneDrive so that one can access and transfer documents from these platforms using Rubex by eCabinet
• Ensures document security and automatic backup
› Used by people working in:
• Casa de Oakes, Ballard and Company CPA, Don Services
› Pricing:
• Basic-15$ /month/user
• Advantage-$55/month/user
• Business-$99/month/user
10. Idrive
Idrive is a cloud backup service aimed primarily at small and medium-sized businesses, but it can meet the archival data needs of enterprises. All data backed up to IDrive Nearline is protected with military-grade 256-bit AES encryption. It promises its customer a data accessibility speed of less than one second.
› Special Features of Idrive:
• Multiple Device Backup
• Continuous Data protection
• Provision to recover deleted files from the trash within 30 days
• Sync storage does not impact your backup storage and matches your backup
• Impressive storage limit.
› Used by people working in:
• Alchemy, Discover Los Angeles, Sunset Automotive Group
› Pricing:
• Personal - $52.12 per year
• Business - $74.62 per year
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11. Team Drive
It is a cloud-based service for data storage and exchange. It makes the accessibility of data to team members at all times (also offline) relatively simple. It is suitable for data synchronization, collaboration, and data security between multiple users and devices. TeamDrive boasts a high sense of confidentiality amongst its users.
They have custom made packages to suit the needs of various clients. People involved in small businesses and independent contractors who work under restrictions involving budget, lack of infrastructure and resources can use TeamDrive “Professional Starter 1 Cloud Package“ with 10GB of cloud storage. In addition to data protection, and an integrated solution for data recovery, it also eliminates the need for a self-hosted server.
Small or medium-sized companies can rely on TeamDrive „Enterprise“ for SMEs or groups of companies to ensure that their employees can access data from everywhere without any hassle.
Its services also cater to students, NGOs, healthcare institutions amongst a few Special Features:
• Independent and secure
• fully compliant with European and German data protection law(GDPR)
• No VPN installation necessary
• Integrated backup solution
• Security through end to end encryption
• Easy access
› Used by people working in:
• Airbus, Deutsches Rotes Kreuz, Eppendorf
› Pricing:
• 1 client (10GB storage) - 59.50 €/Year: Professional Starter OneCloud
• 5 clients (100GB) - 299.00 €/Year: Professional Starter 5 cloud
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Dropbox and how does it work?
Dropbox is an online workstation that is primarily virtual file storage but has essential tools to connect your teams and clients effectively. You can store any file, organize and convert them, and share the accessibility to others. You have to make an account in dropbox and use it to save all your documents, presentations, Trello boards, and other files. Then you can convert it according to your needs and share them with your teammates as necessary.
Which is better Dropbox or Google Drive?
The best thing about Google drive is that it lets you use 15GB free storage for a lifetime freely, while Dropbox offers only 2GB. You can extend the storage of Google drive up to 30TB but only up to 3TB in the case of Dropbox. But Google drive has a slower syncing speed and only a shared storage facility. So Google drive is better for you unless you have to deal with a limited number of files and want fast work.
How much does Dropbox cost?
You can use it for free for a 30 days trial period. After that, you have to pay $15 per month for the Standard plan for each of the accounts to have 5TB storage. You can also opt for the Advanced plan costs $25 a month for a user, this lets you have unlimited space and also offers sophisticated security features and control.
What is the best alternative to Dropbox?
- Sync
- pCloud
- Google Drive
- Zoho Docs
- Box
- Microsoft OneDrive
- Mediafire
- Amazon Drive
- eFileCabinet
- Idrive
- Team Drive
Is there a free alternative to Dropbox?
All the online workstation requires you to have a paid subscription for added storage. In the free version, Google Drive lets you store 15GB of data, which is the largest among all its competitors.
