Top 5 Dropbox Alternatives for Cloud Storage
Storing data in the cloud today will surprise almost no one. This opportunity is actively used by both individuals and businesses. Many people traditionally prefer the recognized leader in this industry – the Dropbox platform. However, at some point, it may be necessary to look for another system. For some, the space provided for free will not be enough. Some people will be wary of security nuances. Some people just want to try something new. If you are faced with the task of choosing the most reliable platform among Dropbox alternatives, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with our selection of the best free cloud storage services of 2024.
What Dropbox Offers
Dropbox is one of the most famous services for cloud storage and collaboration on files and documents. Over 700 million users trust it with their personal content and work projects. The platform provides dozens of tools for storage and recovery, synchronization, data protection, as well as for sharing files and folders and increasing productivity.
Key features:
- Dropbox allows individuals, teams, and businesses to host up to 100 TB of data in secure cloud storage. They can be accessed at any time through the web interface, desktop program, and mobile application.
- The service has tools for collaboration on cloud content and Microsoft Office documents. Thanks to them, there is no need to waste time switching between programs and searching for files.
- The built-in text editor Paper helps you collectively create, edit, and comment on documents, create to-do lists, set deadlines, and mention participants. It supports different content formats: YouTube videos, GIFs, Figma files, Google Maps, and more.
- Dropbox provides flexible access controls, time-limited links, download permissions, password protection, and other security features.
- Users can protect their files from deletions, unwanted changes, viruses, and hacker attacks. For this purpose, the possibility of disaster recovery is provided within 30 days after the incident.
- Administration functions allow you to effectively manage your team and evaluate the productivity of its members. They can also help you monitor data security and compliance.
- The service has many integrations with external systems: Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, Slack, Zoom, HubSpot, Canva, AWS, and others.
The Dropbox pricing plan line consists of 6 subscription options:
- Basic (1 user, 2 GB) – free.
- Plus (1 user, 2 TB) – $9.99 per month.
- Essentials (1 user, 3 TB) – $16.58 per month.
- Business (from 3 users, from 9 TB per team) – $16 per month per user.
- Business Plus (from 3 users, from 15 TB per team) – $24 per month per user.
- Enterprise – the cost is calculated individually and is available upon request.
The indicated prices are valid subject to payment for the year immediately. If you pay monthly, the cost will be higher. Each plan comes with a 30-day free trial.
Box
Box cloud storage was introduced in 2005, and it's one of the main alternatives to Dropbox. This platform offers businesses and individuals a variety of tools to securely store files in the cloud and easily manage them. The inclusion of artificial intelligence sets it apart from services that lack this advanced technology.
Key features:
- Box allows for flexible organization of structured and unstructured data within a comprehensive all-in-one platform.
- Box Shuttle enables quick and easy transfer of content from over 15 third-party systems while preserving metadata, permissions, and version history.
- The Content Cloud module provides all the necessary tools for collaborating on documents and files.
- Box Notes assists in creating and editing schedules and project plans on any device.
- The Box Canvas solution includes built-in chats, voting, notes, and other whiteboarding tools.
- The Box Sign electronic signature, as part of the Content Cloud module, is suitable for various purposes, from contract management to employee onboarding.
- Box Relay allows for flexible automation of workflows by creating and modifying rules for various business activities, such as budget reviews and asset valuations.
- The service offers secure file sharing, permission and access level management, regulatory compliance monitoring, and more. The Box Shield tool ensures reliable protection against information leakage (DLP) and identifies cyber threats using machine learning algorithms.
- Built-in AI technologies effectively automate content management, analyze large amounts of data, and generate valuable insights for making optimal decisions.
Box cloud storage provides seven tariff plans:
- Free (for individual users, 10 GB storage, file upload limit of 250 MB).
- Personal Pro (for individual users, 100 GB storage, file upload limit of 5 GB) – €9 per month.
- Business Starter (for 3 to 10 users, 100 GB storage, file upload limit of 2 GB per user) – €4.5 per month per user.
- Business (for 3 or more users, unlimited storage, file upload limit of 5 GB per user) – €13.5 per month per user.
- Business Plus (for 3 or more users, unlimited storage, file upload limit of 15 GB per user) – €22.5 per month per user.
- Enterprise (for 3 or more users, unlimited storage, file upload limit of 50 GB per user) – €31.5 per month per user.
- Enterprise Plus – the cost is calculated individually and available upon request.
The listed prices are applicable for annual payments. If you choose the monthly payment option, the cost will be 25% higher. All plans, except for Personal Pro, come with a 14-day free trial.
pCloud
The pCloud platform is one of the best Dropbox alternatives for business. The developers position it as the most secure cloud file storage, trusted by over 20 million users. The service is available through a web application, mobile application, and desktop program.
Key features:
- File management tools allow you to easily and quickly find any files in the database, sort them by format (documents, images, audio, video, archives), and send them to the recycle bin with final deletion after 15–30 days.
- Users can upload files of any format and size to the storage. The platform does not limit download and upload speeds, even for free accounts.
- The corporate version of pCloud Business provides tools for managing teams and the access levels of their members. In addition, it allows you to use shared folders, comment, log, and version files. It offers advanced search, increased storage, and scaling features.
- The pCloud Encryption module is designed for secure storage of passwords, financial reports, and other confidential documents. Files added to the Crypto folder are encrypted on the user's side before being uploaded to the server.
- Documents and files uploaded to the storage are automatically synchronized across all connected devices. The Automatic Upload feature allows you to automatically create cloud backups of photos and videos from your phone.
- Users can work with files that are important to them offline. Moreover, they have the opportunity to choose the location of the server where the data will be stored – in the United States or the European Union.
The pCloud platform belongs to Dropbox alternatives for free, as it provides each registered user with 10 GB of cloud space for free. The line of paid tariff plans consists of seven subscription options, divided for convenience into categories depending on the nature of use of the service (personal, family, corporate).
Individual plans:
- Premium 500 GB (€49.99 per year or €199 once).
- Premium Plus 2 TB (€99.99 per year or €399 once).
- Ultra 10 TB (€1190 one time).
Family plans (up to 5 users):
- Family 2 TB (€595 one time).
- Family 10 TB (€1499 one time).
Corporate plans (from 3 users):
- Business (1 TB per user, €7.99 per month per user if paid for the year at once, €9.99 per month if paid monthly).
- Business Pro (2 TB per user, from €15.98 per month per user if paid for the year at once, €19.98 if paid monthly).
Business plans come with a 30-day free trial.
OneDrive
Released in 2007, Microsoft OneDrive initially lagged behind its more established competitors. Thanks to regular updates and add-ons, over time it gained a wide audience and joined the ranks of the best alternatives to Dropbox.
Key features:
- OneDrive is a native Windows 10/11 program integrated into Microsoft 365 office applications. In addition, it is available through a web interface, a desktop client for macOS, and mobile applications for iOS/Android.
- After installation, the program creates a special folder on your computer or smartphone. Documents and other files added to it are automatically uploaded to the cloud and synchronized with all connected devices.
- The service helps you flexibly organize collaboration with files and synchronize libraries. You can add shared files from Teams and SharePoint, as well as any files up to 100 GB in size, to storage.
- Integration with Teams ensures effective collaboration between team members. It allows you to set rules, share files via links, provide time-limited access, and more.
- OneDrive admin tools give you the ability to manage data migration, add sensitivity labels, and sync reports.
- Platform users receive secure access to all files in the storage. They can work with them in real-time in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint from any connected devices.
- Additional Personal Vault provides enhanced data security. It allows you to protect documents and files using a PIN code, biometrics, or a one-time email/SMS code.
OneDrive is one of the free Dropbox alternatives, as it provides the opportunity to use storage resources for free. Under the terms of the Microsoft 365 Free plan, everyone who subscribes to it gets 5 GB of cloud storage and 15 GB of mailbox storage. Paid tariff plans are presented in two lines: individual and corporate.
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For personal use:
- Microsoft 365 Basic (100 GB cloud, 50 GB mailbox) – $19.99 per year.
- Microsoft 365 Personal (1 TB cloud, 50 GB mailbox) – $69.99 per year.
- Microsoft 365 Family (6 TB cloud, 50 GB mailbox, up to 6 users) – $99.99 per year.
For business:
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic (1 TB per user) – $6 per month per user.
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard (AI Copilot, advanced features) – $12.5 per month per user.
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium (flexible access and identity management, increased protection against cyber threats) – $22 per month per user.
- Microsoft 365 Apps for business (24/7 phone and web support) – $8.25 per month per user.
Although Enterprise plans are priced on a monthly basis, subscriptions are billed for the year at a time. Each plan comes with a 30-day free trial.
Google Drive
Google Drive is one of the best alternatives to Dropbox for free as of today. Its powerful functionality and user-friendly interface have made this service popular among millions of individual and corporate users.
Key features:
- Integration with cloud applications Docs, Sheets, and Slides has turned the storage into an effective collaboration tool. It allows teams to create content faster, work with files, and collaborate in real-time.
- The platform allows you to open and edit over 100 file formats (JPG, PDF, CAD, and others) without prior conversion.
- Built-in Google Search, AI, and ML technologies make collaboration more productive and responsive. The smart search module helps you quickly find content in your repository by accurately identifying the files, authors, and events you need.
- The enterprise version of Google Workspace storage provides an administration panel, data loss protection, and other useful features. With them, businesses can effectively manage user accounts and file access, as well as comply with regulatory requirements.
- The Quick Access feature analyzes user activity using ML technologies and identifies the files they open most often.
- Integrations with third-party software supported by the service are conveniently grouped into thematic categories: business tools, communications, utilities, and so on.
- Google Safe allows you to set rules for storing and deleting electronic documents and other types of data in Google Workspace Business and Google Workspace Enterprise. This helps you easily find and export important information, manage access rights, and track user activity.
Google Drive offers only two pricing plans:
- For Personal (15 GB per user) – free.
- Business Standard (2 TB per user) – $10.80 per user per month, subject to payment for the year immediately or $12.96 when choosing the monthly payment mode.
If we compare Dropbox vs Google Drive, we see that Google Drive gives users a lot more storage space as part of the free service package.
Internxt
The developers position Internxt as a reliable and secure cloud storage with unparalleled confidentiality. The open-source code and end-to-end encryption provide the platform with excellent protection for user data.
Key features:
- The service has a simple and user-friendly interface, which is accessible through a desktop program, web, and mobile application. Uploaded files are automatically synced across all devices.
- Internxt CLI allows you to manage storage and data in it via the command line and WebDAV. Execution of scripted commands and encrypted synchronization is supported.
- With Internxt Send, you can quickly and securely share files of any size and format: PDF, JPEG, DOC, PNG, XLS, etc. You can send them by email or via a password-protected link.
- All data at rest and in transit is fragmented and encrypted upon download with end-to-end AES-256 zero-knowledge encryption.
- Internxt servers are located in the European Union, and the service itself is fully compliant with GDPR.
The final participant in the free alternatives to Dropbox rating provides 10 GB of cloud storage to each registered user for free. Moreover, the service offers two lines of paid tariff plans, differing in the frequency of payments.
With monthly and annual payment:
- 200GB – €4.99 per month or €45.99 per year.
- 2TB – €9.99 per month or €109.99 per year.
- 5TB – €19.99 per month or €199.99 per year.
- 10TB – €29.99 per month or €299.99 per year.
With one-time payment:
- 2TB – €900.
- 5TB – €1900.
- 10TB – €2900.
Concluding Remarks
The best Dropbox alternatives discussed in our article have powerful functionality that is equally suitable for both individuals and large businesses. Equally important is that each of them offers users a certain amount of cloud space for free (from 5 to 15 GB). In addition, they provide a large selection of paid plans designed for different audience segments: individuals, families, or companies. Their basic cost is about $5–12. On average, for this money, a user receives from 100 GB to 2 TB of cloud storage space.
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