If you’re still trying to decide what to look for, choosing the right cloud storage provider for your needs can take time and effort. Because of this, we’ve included an introduction to cloud storage and why you’d want to use it to back up your data.
You can choose from several pricing structures, as the best cloud storage services typically offer free, personal, premium, and commercial tiers. You can avoid a lot of stress if you lose or delete your files by using a cloud storage and backup service.
We will talk about paid plans, such as the best cloud storage for companies. However, there are also great free options. Even if they don’t have a business, people can greatly benefit from the added features and enhanced security of a premium plan.
Android and Google Workspace support Google cloud storage. If these platforms are part of your workflow, Google Drive offers an affordable and feature-rich native backup and sync option. We loved Google Drive’s easy-to-use user interface. But it goes beyond cloud storage. This web-based interface can create, edit, store, view, and sync files using Google Workspace Google Photos, Docs, Sheets, and Slides. New Google Drive users receive 15 GB of free storage. This plan is yours indefinitely, though you can upgrade to one with more storage. Premium 100 GB plans for the Google One start at $1.99 per month. You can get 30TB of additional storage for $299.99/month.
Dropbox is a fantastic cloud storage option. It offers a great user experience, integrates with various other services, and is cost-effective. Regardless of whether the other person has Dropbox, sending and receiving large files is a breeze. Unfortunately, external and network drives cannot be backed up with Dropbox, as it only keeps the data transferred to the Dropbox folder on your device. That’s what sets it apart from rivals like IDrive. There is encryption for all files in storage and in motion, but there is no end-to-end encryption. Account security is guaranteed with two-factor authentication. There are two individual plans plus a 2GB free option. There is a monthly fee of $9.99 for the Plus Plan, which provides 2TB of storage and 2GB of file transfer. The $16.99 Family Plan allows six people to store and transmit data. Dropbox remains a viable alternative to cloud storage.
Sync is an affordable cloud storage service that’s easy to use, fast, and secure. You can increase your free cloud storage space from 5 GB to 27 GB by inviting friends, creating new folders and doing other tasks. Sync paid subscriptions are billed annually, but you can cancel within the first 30 days if you change your mind. For $8 per month, the Solo Basic plan provides 2TB of secure space and rich sharing features. For an additional $20 a month, you can upgrade to Sync’s Solo Professional plan, which boosts your storage to 6TB and adds unique branding and advanced sharing options. Contrary to popular belief, Sync is a cloud storage service that only syncs data from a single folder between your local PCs and the cloud. This restriction might put some people off, but others might find the service’s lack of bells and whistles appealing. You can use the Vault feature to keep files in the cloud that you don’t want to share between devices.
Zoolz provides reliable cloud storage backed by the AWS cloud platform. It complies with various regulatory frameworks, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It offers top-notch security features, including full 256-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption. You can try the service risk-free with a fully working 50 GB trial version. The cost of 1 terabyte of storage is $14.99 per month, while 50 TB costs $679.99 per month. Annual payments qualify for substantial price reductions. All business plans include unlimited server backups and external drive connections. Users can also access world class 24/7 live support and a detailed knowledge base.
For Windows 10/11, Microsoft 365, macOS, Android, and iOS users, Microsoft OneDrive is the best cloud storage option. It allows Xbox gamers to keep their save data in the cloud securely. The platform offers ample storage space, easy interfaces, seamless integration with Microsoft 365, and strong security measures. After initial setup, operation is as described without further user input. Files stored in the cloud can be edited without first downloading them. OneDrive is compatible with internal and external applications such as Outlook and AutoCAD. With two-factor authentication and Bitlocker encryption, Personal Vault keeps sensitive data safe. Microsoft 365 users get 1TB of free OneDrive storage space. If you are not, you can try it with a capacity of 5 GB. Add 100GB to your plan for just $1.99 per month.
pCloud is one of the few cloud storage services that offer a lifetime subscription, with 500GB for $175 or 2TB for $350.00. Prices for annual plans range from $47.18 to $95.88. A free ten gigabyte (GB) plan is available and additional storage can be purchased on a monthly basis. There is also a family plan that accommodates four people. All plans allow file sharing and collaboration and data backup from various external sources. All data is protected by TLS/SSL and AES 256-bit encryption. There are robust Android and iOS apps for mobile device management and automatic social media uploading. Extensions are offered for Opera, Chrome, and Firefox browsers, and support is provided for Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, and Mac. However, you could benefit from a better user interface, a document editor, and the ability to collaborate with others .
Icedrive’s affordable costs and innovative features have attracted media attention. Icedrive does not use 256-bit AES encryption, which is the industry standard. Twofish is used instead. Around the turn of the century, Twofish entered the Advanced Encryption Standard competition. In premium accounts, the data is encrypted so that even the provider cannot decrypt it. Unlike other zero-knowledge providers, Icedrive can decrypt files as they are transmitted to your computer. Icedrive’s privacy policies and 2FA security measures are among the strictest in the industry. As Icedrive is a UK company, it must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation. One of Icedrive’s biggest draws is its affordable price. The monthly cost of 1TB at the annual rate is $4.17. If you need more space, the next pricing tier offers 5TB of cloud file storage for $15/month (for annual subscribers). That’s a hefty increase, but you get lifetime access.
IDrive is different from other cloud storage options because it also serves as an online backup. Supports file synchronization and sharing, disk imaging, and messaging data recovery. Any folder on your device can be designated as a sync folder and relocated. If you only want to sync smaller files, you can use selective sync to minimize time and data transfer. Although you can set link sharing permissions, file sharing is easier. While IDrive primarily focuses on online backup, the service also excels at cloud storage. IDrive is a great option for automatic device backups because you won’t need to manually configure anything you want to protect in a sync folder. IDrive provides a large amount of space at an affordable price. IDrive’s two individual plans offer plenty of storage space. Priced at $6.63 and $8.29 per month, respectively, they offer 5TB and 10TB of storage space.
Box may be a business-oriented cloud storage company, but it offers individual customers two options (free and premium). Box’s intended application in the corporate world means it’s packed with useful extras. There’s a comprehensive set of capabilities, including robust options for collaboration, two-factor authentication, note-taking, and project management. Private key management, the main condition for zero-knowledge privacy, is not provided by default (we’ll demonstrate it). Box pricing for this premium feature is private; you will need to contact the company to determine how much it costs. The former is completely free and grants you access to the core features of Box and 10GB of storage space. The premium plan is a horrible deal if you need extra space. For around $14/month or $120/year, you can get 100 GB of storage space.
Koofr’s unique features make it stand out from the competition. It offers a free tier with 10 GB of storage and paid tiers with 100 GB or less. Connecting it to your other cloud services is a great feature. Now you can integrate your Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive accounts in one convenient location. However, considering the prevalence of major alternative platforms, this is simply a hiccup in a novel offering from Koofr. You can search for files across all platforms, move and copy files between your linked accounts, and more once you’ve connected your accounts. Your Koofr storage will still be the same amount of data you have in other cloud services. Prices are in euros, so keep in mind that your actual cost may vary slightly each month.
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Prathamesh Ingle is a mechanical engineer and works as a data analyst. He is also an AI professional and a certified data scientist with an interest in AI applications. He is enthusiastic about exploring new technologies and advancing with his real life applications.
