Dropbox is one of the best cloud storage services out there, and when you take into account its ease of use and responsiveness, it beats most of the competition. From setting up the service for the first time to using it on a daily basis, it is the simplest cloud storage solution you can use. But, not everything is perfect in the world of Dropbox. The biggest drawback is the absence of end-to-end encryption. Dropbox does not encrypt your files when you are uploading it to their cloud, thereby, creating a major security risk. Also, the free version provides a meager 2GB of cloud storage. If these shortcomings have compelled you to hunt for substitutes, these are the 15 best Dropbox alternatives you can try.
There are a number of able cloud storage services and each one of them has different specialities. So, jotting down the things that your needs warrant right off the bat is the way to go.
- Google Drive
- pCloud
- Tresorit
- Sync.com
- OneDrive
- Box
- SpiderOak One
- Mega
- Jottacloud
- TeamDrive
- Zoho
- iCloud
- CloudUp
- Mediafire
- Nextcloud
Which Cloud Storage Service Should You Choose?
In this comprehensive roundup of Dropbox rivals, we have taken into account three pivotal aspects: Ease of use, Security, and Affordability. Features like seamless syncing, file organizing tools, and collaboration have got the most attention as they have a major role to play when it comes to storing and managing files. Besides, the enhanced security while sharing files and wide compatibility that can let you manage your data across platforms have got fixed checkboxes.
If you are someone who is looking for cloud storage for your personal use only, Google Drive is the best Dropbox alternative for you. It acts and behaves much like Dropbox. What this means is that it is easy to set up and even easier to use. But why should you chose Google Drive over Dropbox? Good question, firstly the free version of Google Drive gives you access to 15 GB of cloud storage.
- Cross-platform availability
- Instant-sync
- Integrated with G-Suite
- Excellent collaboration
Free Storage Space: 15 GB
pCloud is a name that is not so famous in the cloud storage world right now, but it is one of the best cloud storage providers out there. pCloud’s paid subscription plans are very flexible, allowing a user to choose not only the storage sizes but also the different features according to their needs. Considering pCloud is a Swiss company, it comes as no surprise that it focuses a lot on security features.
With both free and premium plans, you get better security options than Dropbox. If you want even more security, you can opt for the pCloud Crypto ($3.99/month), which will encrypt all your data with the key only available to you. You can estimate the quality of its security by the fact that, pCloud has announced a bounty of $100,000 for anyone who can breach it.
Free Storage Space: 10 GB
Premium Plans & Pricing: 500 GB for $47.88/year and 2 TB for $95.88/year
You know a product is good if the owner is ready to literally put his money on it. Tresorit is one such product, which is so confident of its security features that it has a $50,000 bounty for anyone who can breach its security. No wonder, it is one of the most secured cloud storage platforms out there. So, if you are a privacy fanatic or just someone who wants to keep his files secured inside an almost impregnable cloud vault, Tresorit was built to keep you in mind.
When you share a file with someone they cannot see it until you give them a secure password which will act as a key to unlock the encryption. Not only that Tresorit also follows Zero-knowledge authentication. That’s just a fancy way of saying that your service provider (Tresorit, in this case) does not save any of the passwords and encryption keys, making it impossible for anyone even the workers at Tresorit to access your file.
Free Storage Space: Not Applicable, Free 14-day trial
Visit: Website
If you are someone who bestows equal priorities to usability and security, Sync.com is the better option out there. Sure Tresorit is more secure but it is also not that much user-friendly. Also, Tresorit fails when it comes to collaboration something Sync.com really excels at. I know the name can be a little confusing considering there’s a “.com” at the end of the name, but do not worry, it has apps for all the major platforms including macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android.
Also, living true to its name, the sync is incredibly fast. Of course, sync time will depend upon your network speed, but it also depends on your service providers. If you are on a slow network you can specify the amount of bandwidth you want Sync to access leaving the bandwidth you might want to use for other purposes. It also has a free version which allows 5 GB storage option. All in all, it is a good alternative to Dropbox, if you are looking for something which is closer to it when it comes to usability yet far more secure.
Free Storage Space: 5 GB
5. OneDrive – A Great Asset for Microsoft Office Users
You knew that this one was coming and here it is. Microsoft’s OneDrive gives the closest competition to Dropbox and Google Drive. It is similar in functionality, has cross-platform app support and the sync is fast and instantaneous. Moreover, it also offers a freemium plan with 5GB of storage.
Key features:
Box is what Dropbox would have been if it had focused more on business users rather than individual users. The service is made with keeping the needs of businesses in mind. Once you create an account, you can access Box from its websites or its apps which support all the major platforms including Linux. Any folder you put into the Box-folder will sync automatically. But, every other app on this list does that, then what makes Box different?
The difference comes right at the top with the company’s strategy. As mentioned earlier, Box focuses more on businesses rather than individuals. It does that by providing one of the best collaborative tools in the market.
Free Storage Space: 10 GB, Free Trial
SpiderOak One is another Dropbox alternative that also focuses heavily on security features. It has all the usual security features which we have discussed earlier including end-to-end encryption and Zero-knowledge service. One thing SpiderOak excels at is giving users more granular control over the settings and preferences. However, this also makes this app a little more complex.
Free Storage Space: Free 21-day Trial, with 250 GB storage
If you are someone who enjoys free services and still needs a little more storage than what’s provided by other cloud storage providers on the list, give Mega a try. The free version of Mega gives you access to a whopping 50 GB of free storage, which way more than what you get with Dropbox. Apart from a juicy free offering, Mega also supports end-to-end encryption.
- Pretty easy to set up
- Supports end-to-end encryption
- Inbuilt chat functionality
- Browser extension
Free Storage Space: 50 GB
Jottacloud is a Norwegian company that prides itself in providing unlimited storage. There are only two plans, either you can use the free version, which gives you access to a meager 5GB of data or you can go for the paid plans, which give you unlimited storage. The service also provides extra functions like syncing and backing up of all your photos.
You do not have to create any extra folder, the Jottacloud Photos will automatically sync each and every photo present on your device. Being a Norwegian company, it also focuses a lot on privacy. This one is best for someone who doesn’t want to deal with tier pricing. You subscribe once and you have access to unlimited storage and all the tools that come with it.
10. TeamDrive – Productivity-Centric Cloud Storage Service
TeamDrive is another good Dropbox alternative. Your files are secured using the state-of-the-art 256-AES algorithm. It also supports Zero-knowledge privacy along with encrypted link sharing. One unique feature here is that you can choose your cloud hosting service here.
Free Storage: 5 GB
Premium Plans & Pricing: Multi-tier (Visit the pricing page for more info)
Despite being a highly efficient cloud storage platform, Zoho Docs is probably the most underrated Dropbox alternative. Both in terms of versatility and proficiency, Zoho Docs is up to the mark. Thanks to the support for a variety of formats, it lets you store not only photos, videos, and music but also documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
With the built-in Zoho Office editors, you can write/edit documents and work in sync with your colleagues. Using Zoho Writer, you can publish your work directly as HTML or choose to export it to WordPress. Notably, Zoho Docs can also let you create a stunning presentation and broadcast it to your audience. Couple that with the advanced admin controls and it becomes a complete package for both file management and collaboration.
Free plan: 5GB of free storage
For the folks who are part of the Apple ecosystem, iCloud could be a worthy alternative to Dropbox. Though iCloud lacks universal compatibility (available only on iDevice and Windows), Apple cloud storage service has got everything covered to be a highly reliable platform for file storage.
While Dropbox offers just 2 GB of cloud storage for free, Apple provides up to 5GB of free cloud storage. What’s more, Apple’s offering starts at just $0.99 for 50GB which could easily fit into most personal needs.
Free plan: 5GB of free storage
13. CloudUp – A Notable Free Dropbox Alternative
Should you wish to have a ton of free storage (up to 200GB) for your files including photos, videos, and music, CloudUp can be a better choice. While it’s nowhere near as versatile and efficient as Dropbox, the ability to store up to 1000 items (just by dragging and dropping) without having to dole out any bucks is worth taking note of.
Free plan: 200GB
Visit: Website
For fast and secure file storage and sharing, you can count on Mediafire to live up to your expectation. Just like Dropbox, it also supports a wide range of formats including photos, videos, audio, and docs so that you can easily store all of your files and access them from anywhere. Moreover, Mediafire also provides the option to share your files through links to make file sharing safe.
Free plan: Up to 10/50GB free storage (Extra 40GB free storage is conditional and you will get it only when you check off the requirements like installing mobile/desktop clients or sharing on Facebook and Twitter)
Nextcloud is a little different from Dropbox. For starters, the self-hosted platform offers you the desired freedom to choose your server where you want to store your files. Depending on your needs, you can choose to store your files at a preferred data center, at a trusted provider, or even at home. Once you have stored your files, you can access, manage, sync, and securely share them with ease.
By offering you the flexibility to run your own Nextcloud server, it ensures you remain in complete control of your data. And it’s this flexibility that makes it a better choice than Dropbox; especially for the folks who wish to have better security. Moreover, the open-source platform also promises the enhanced privacy to your files. Considering the reliable track record, you can bank on it to keep the privacy of your files intact.
- Open-source platform
- Option to choose your own server
- Private audio/video conferencing
- Productivity-defining dashboard
- Efficient collaboration
Free plan: Entirely depends on your hosting plan
We have covered the best Dropbox alternatives in this article, but what if you don’t want to switch from Dropbox and yet want to secure your files. That’s where Boxcryptor comes to your help. Whether you use Dropbox or other popular cloud storage services such as Box or Google Drive, it integrates and encrypts your files.
The best part is that it is free to use if you are using it for non-commercial uses. When you use it, all your files are end-to-end encrypted with Zero-knowledge privacy. The free version allows you to use only one device and one cloud service provider. For using multiple service providers and devices, you will have to buy premium plans which are not exactly cheap. Still, it’s best for someone who either doesn’t want to lose on the simplicity of Dropbox or doesn’t want to deal with the hassle of moving to another cloud service provider.
Free Plan: Encrypt 1 Device and 1 Cloud Storage
Use The Best Cloud Storage Services Instead of Dropbox
Dropbox is the first service that made cloud storage services a mainstream tool, but this doesn’t mean it is flawless. The main concern is around its security features which frankly aren’t very good. There are also cheaper options out there, which give Dropbox a run for its money. Before you decide to lock yourself up in a cloud ecosystem, try our best picks. Do let us know if you think we missed a good one. We appreciate user engagement and love to read our reader’s responses.
