Why one needs personal cloud storage?

In this era, people pay more and more attention to data storage. In the early days, many people use physical storage mediums such as floppy disks, compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), etc. to store data. However, the data stored on these disks was always prone to all kinds of damages and corruption. In this case, people started to seek dependable alternatives to physical data storage solutions. Nowadays, cloud storage has become the best choice for many users.

How to choose a suitable personal cloud storage?

Recently, there are many cloud storage providers around the world, and every cloud storage has its own advantages and shortcomings. Therefore, users prefer to compare several cloud storage before making a choice. Generally, cloud storage were compared based on the plans and prices, security, the key features, collaboration features, usability, and so on. Meanwhile, device compatibility is an important factor to consider.

If you have no idea about cloud storage and don’t know how to choose one, you can read the following contents to learn 5 popular and reliable personal cloud storage on the market and select the best provider for your personal use.

5 best personal cloud storage comparison: which one wins?

1. OneDrive

Microsoft OneDrive is a reliable cloud storage for the Windows operating system that is equally popular for personal as well as for business use.

Plans and prices:

◆OneDrive Basic (free tier)—5GB storage

◆OneDrive $1.99/month—100GB storage

◆Office 365 Personal $5.83/month—1TB storage

◆Office 365 Home $8.33/month—6TB storage (1TB per user)

◆Business plans cost $5, $10, or $12/month per user (1 – 25 TB/user)

Security: Your files are kept secure using SSL encryption protocol, and as a Microsoft product, it is equipped with industry-standard security system.

Key features:

☛It has comprehensive link sharing features.

☛“Offline Access” feature lets you access your files without an Internet connection.

☛OneDrive lets you preview files, photos and do basic editing (like putting a filter on a photo).

☛Best collaboration features. You can not only share, collaborate and work on files simultaneously but also edit and annotate files.

Ease of use: OneDrive has a user-friendly and easy-to-navigate interface, and even adds extra features for a smoother experience. In addition, OneDrive integrates perfectly with Office 360, making it easier to work seamlessly across both platforms. And unlike many cloud services that utilize web browsers as intermediaries for file transfer, OneDrive allows you to transfer files directly from your Windows 10 device. There is also a special mobile app for mobile devices.

Device compatibility: OneDrive’s compatibility is broad. It supports Windows, Mac OS, iOS, and Android. Beyond that, you can also connect Xbox One, Wear OS, watch OS devices. But, there is no Linux client, so you’d have to use a regular web browser to access your account from a Linux machine.

2. Dropbox

Dropbox is the provider that made online file storage accessible and popular. Being a pioneer has its advantages, and Dropbox is now the second-largest storage provider in the world.

Plans and price:

◆Dropbox Basic (free tier)—2GB for free

◆Plus $9.99/month—2TB storage (personal plan)

◆Professional $16.58/month—3TB storage (personal plan)

◆Standard $12.50/month per user (min 3 users)—5TB storage (business plan)

◆Advanced $20/month per user—Unlimited storage (business plan)

Security: The powerful security features of this cloud storage solution are responsible for keeping all of your files safe from every kind of damage or unauthorized access.

Key features:

☛It allows you to share any file like PowerPoint and Photoshop and share files with those people who do not even have a Dropbox account.

☛“Dropbox Paper” feature allows you to create and share anything, from rough drafts, videos, images to code and sound and help you easily collaborate with your team and share your ideas with them.

☛It also offers a bunch of handy features like camera upload, document scanning, versioning and rewinds for 30 to 180 days, and more.

Ease of use: The best thing about Dropbox is that it has a very minimalistic and simple to use interface. Therefore, users can figure it out quickly even for the first time. What’s more, Dropbox app integrates perfectly well with Windows 10 and seamlessly integrates with all the applications like Slack, Asana, Photoshop, and others that you and your team use on a daily basis. Dropbox has an excellent portfolio of integrations which is always expanding. It outperforms most cloud storage providers here.

Device compatibility: Dropbox is supported by Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android, and iOS devices. You can also use the web client to access it from any browser.

3. Google Drive

As a Google product, Google Drive is one of the slickest, fullest-featured, and most generous cloud storage and syncing services, with excellent productivity suite collaboration capabilities.

Plans and prices:

◆Google Drive Basic (free tier)—15GB storage.

◆Google Drive $1.99/month—100GB storage

◆Google Drive $9.99/month—1TB storage

◆Google Drive $99.99/month—10TB storage

◆Google Drive $299.99/month—30TB storage

Security: Google Drive has SSL encryption. A strong TLS standard encryption is used to protect all files and document that is sent from Google Drive.

Key features:

☛Files can be uploaded from any device like a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

☛It will allow you to store any file including photos, drawings, videos, recordings, etc.

☛ It enables you to easily share files and folders. Collaboration on any file is possible without an email attachment.

Ease of use: Actually, the user interface of Google Drive is relatively complex and can be a little tricky for new users. But Google Drive integrates perfectly well with G Suite products like Gmail, Google+, Hangouts, and Calendar, etc.

Device Compatibility: There are apps for Google Drive for Android, iOS, Mac OS X, and Windows. Annoyingly, there is not a Linux app even though Google Drive is built into Chrome OS.

4. Box

Box is a provider that renowned for its relative affordability. It followed in Dropbox’s footsteps and added a few features of its own.

Plans and prices:

◆Free trial to new users for 2 weeks.

◆Pro plan $11/month—100GB storage and 5GB file upload limit

◆Business plan $5.8/month—storage based on your demand.

Security: Box has one of the top cloud storage security suites. The provider holds on to your encryption key by default, but you can have it transfer they key to you for a fee. Since the provider is US-based, this is a welcome privacy feature.

Key features:

☛Enforcing password rules.

☛Watermarking documents.

☛Generating advanced reports.

☛Setting up your own branding.

☛Using document metadata and custom templates.

Ease of use: Box boasts of an attractive and easy-to-navigate user interface, which facilitates your cloud storage process. Furthermore, it can be integrated with notable utility apps like Google Docs, Office 365 and others. It provides users with desktop app, phone and web clients. However, the options of Box desktop app are too numerous and unclear. The phone and web clients are definitely smoother than desktop ones.

Device Compatibility: Box supports Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android, and BlackBerry OS devices. But there is no Linux client.

5. CBackup

CBackup is a free cloud storage service that emphasizes cloud disk backup and transfer.

Plans and prices:

◆Totally free!

Security: CBackup bases on standard OAuth system. OAuth is a standard authorization framework that enables third-party applications to access multiple cloud accounts without username and password required.

Key features:

☛Cloud to cloud transfer.

☛Unlimited file versions and file size.

☛Combine multiple cloud storage into one.

☛Backup files to mainstream clouds (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.)

☛Automatic cloud backup in specific/daily/weekly/monthly mode.

☛Help you exclude certain types of files or contain only specified types of files when transferring.

Ease of use: CBackup owns a very clean and user-friendly interface, so you can use it with ease even if you are a novice.

Device Compatibility: CBackup web version supports Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android. And the desktop app support Windows PCs.

Verdict

The 5 best personal cloud storage has been introduced above, and you can make a choice according to your needs. If the personal cloud storage above still cannot meet your requirements, you can compare more cloud storage on the market before making a choice.