There are a lot of things going for cloud storage when compared to traditional storage devices like hard drives and USB drives. Foremost is the ability to access your files from anywhere, at anytime, from any device, as long as you have an internet connection. That helps a lot, especially when you are always on-the-go and you find carrying around a laptop or storage device such an inconvenience.
Choosing the right cloud storage provider may not be as easy as it sounds though. If you don’t research your options well enough, you could end up paying for features that you don’t need or feel short-changed as other providers offer the same features for less.
Here are a few cloud storage options to help you with your research:
Google Drive
Pros:
- Google Drive offers 15GB of free storage, which is pretty generous compared to other providers. Most of all, Google Docs files don’t count against your storage space
- You can easily access Google’s suite of applications to easily edit or create documents including Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Forms
- Google Drive is compatible with many types of devices and operating systems
- Share files and collaborate in real-time
- Offers two-factor authentication for added account security
Cons:
- There are no other login options. You need to have a Gmail account to access and use all its features.
Box
Pros:
- Box offers 10GB of free storage and unlimited storage for some paid plans
- You have the option set-up two-factor authentication
- Box lets you enable offline access from your mobile device
- Easy to organise and find files
Cons:
- Free account file upload size is limited to 250MB
- You need to have a paid subscription to use all its features
- Interface could still be improved with fewer clicks required to navigate around
Dropbox
Pros:
- Dropbox has a simple and easy to use interface even for first-time users
- Easily sync your files across different platforms. Dropbox also allows you to select which files should be synced.
- Create multiple versions of your file and viewed in any formats
- Password protect and set expiration on the shared link
Cons:
- Dropbox only offers 2GB of free storage, but you can get additional free storage by referring and encouraging other people to sign-up for the service
- Not the best collaboration tool for free version users as you cannot edit in real-time
- No secure encryption
- Users will not be able to directly upload folders
iDrive
Pros:
- iDrive offers 5GB of free storage and can be increased through referrals
- It can be used to back up Facebook and Instagram photos and videos
- Users can share, download, and edit photos directly from Gallery View, as well as stream videos less than 30 minutes in length and smaller than 2GB in size, using any browser
- iDrive features multiple share capabilities. You can share files via email and social media using any browser, or by using the desktop or mobile application
- iDrive retains up to 30 previous versions of your file
Cons:
- File upload is limited to 10GB
- Some users may find the interface a bit challenging
- iDrive currently does not offer unlimited storage plans
There is no one fit for every business. You need to review what options will work the best for your business. If your information is extremely sensitive, consider whether using an online storage solution is best or if you should be working from a closed server.
We hope these options are very useful to you. All information is current and up-to-date as of January 2020 but we recommend reviewing the provider websites for any changes.
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