How can I share a folder online for free?

File sharing is the sharing of documents, photos, videos, or other types of data stored on your own device with others. In the past, the common way we used to share files was by email. However, transferring files to other people via email had limitations on file sizes, file upload and download speed, which leads to time-consuming or failure of sharing large files. With the rise of file-sharing services, online sharing folders is not a challenge anymore. Using a file-sharing service has several advantages as follows:

☛Real-time synchronization of sharing files. Multiple people can edit the same file and the changes can be automatically synchronized to others.

☛Flexible permission control on files. By setting permission on the file recipient as a viewer or editor, a high level of data management is achieved and file security is guaranteed.

☛Cross-team collaboration. In addition to users within the same business or team, synchronizing files with colleagues or friends outside the team through online file sharing is accessible. Offsite office is no longer a hindrance.

☛Centralized document management. Sharing data on the same platform makes it easier to manage all files and facilitates collaboration.

Currently, there are countless utilities on the market that support file and folder sharing. Here, we specifically cover stepwise guidelines for sharing files online on four popular cloud drives.

How to Share Online Folders with Google Drive

Google Drive is a well-known web-based storage platform with 15GB of free space, which offers folder and file sharing services.

With Google Drive, you can share files using an email address or a link. It allows you to add up to 100 file recipients and set up file permission as Viewer, Commenter, or Editor for them. Here is how to share large folders online for free on Google Drive:

1. Head to the Google Drive website and log in to it.

2. Select the folders you intend to share with others, right-click them, and select the “Share” feature.

3. On the pop-up Share with people and groups screen, populate the email addresses of recipients and set the permission. You can simply make Google Drive share folders view only by picking the Viewer option. And, click on Send to get files shared.

If you are unable to change sharing settings on Google Drive, you should check your Internet connection or reset sharing.

How to Share Folders Online via Dropbox

Apart from using Dropbox as a solution for file backup (with 2GB of free space), you can also easily online share folders with the help of Dropbox's file sharing feature.

You can send large files via Dropbox to anyone (including non-Dropbox users) via Facebook, Twitter, instant messaging, email, and so on. The recipient of shared files can view or download the contents of the link easily. Besides, Dropbox allows you to set passwords and expiration dates for shared folders and files, helping you to manage and protect files.

1. Navigate to dropbox.com and sign in with your account. Locate the folder for share and tap on the “Share” button.

2. Add an email or name of the sharer, set up permissions, and click the Share file button.

You can also click on the Copy link position, and then paste and share folders online for free with other people.

How to Do Online Share Folders through OneDrive

OneDrive is a secure cloud storage service that provides 5GB of available space per user and provides file and folder sharing with other users via URL to facilitate collaboration

With OneDrive, you can access and share your documents, photos, and other files from mobile devices (Android or iOS), computers (PC or Mac), and other devices. It supports sharing entire folders or individual files.

1. Go to the OneDrive website and log in to it.

2. Choose the files you want to share and click on the “Share” button.

3. Then, opt for the “Specific people” or “Anyone with the link” option and configure settings to hit Apply.

How to Share Files Online in Box

Box is an online file-sharing as well as file hosting platform founded in 2005. By signing up, you can get 5GB of free space. You can share big folders online free on Box with people inside or outside your company easily. Box sets an expiration date for all shared links and also allows you to disable it. It allows up to 50 invitees to be added at the same time for file sharing.

1. Go to the Box site and sign in to your account.

2. Select the files or folder to share by right-clicking them and picking the “Share” option.

Bonus Tip: How to Protect Files in File-sharing Services

Although file-sharing services make it easier to share files, multiple people editing the same file at the same time may cause the original version of the file to be lost. Therefore, we recommend you back up your files before sharing. With CBackup, a cloud backup tool, you can easily complete the backup of your cloud files.

CBackup supports you to backup files from one cloud to another cloud, or from one cloud account to another account. For example, you can backup Google Drive to OneDrive, Dropbox, FTP/SFTP, or another Google Drive account. It allows you to set up automatic backups of files on a schedule to prevent forgetting. In addition, it provides email notifications, file filters, and other features to help you complete your backup tasks with ease.

Now, please download CBackup and follow the guide below to backup your cloud files for protection.

1. Apply for an account for CBackup and log in to the CBackup client.

2. Go to the Storage tab, select the cloud drive you save files online, and press Authorize Now. Then, grant access to CBackup. After that, add another cloud for storing backups in the same step.

3. Click "Backup" and "Backup Public Cloud to Public Cloud” subsequently.

4. Select the cloud files as the source, even the entire cloud, and choose another cloud as the destination, and press Start Backup to share files online easily and directly.

Conclusion

You can do online share folders with the above four methods. In addition, other cloud storage services on the market, such as iCloud, and Amazon Drive, also enable you to share files online for free. But no matter which method you use for online file sharing, remember that backing up your files to protect them from loss.