Nowadays, having a reliable cloud storage service is a basic need for everyone. Even though the pandemic seems to be over, so many of us still prefer to work from home due to personal reasons. Therefore, everyone wants their data to be stored safely with them.
But do you know who discovered the concept of cloud storage service?
It was back in 2007 when the CEO of Dropbox, Drew Houston, had to face many difficulties because he lost his USB drive. Due to that, he was forced to create the first cloud storage service for personal use. People loved it and praised the idea.
If we talk about today, there are so many cloud services that it is difficult for us to choose the best one. You might think that the one which offers maximum free storage is the best, but that is not always the case.
9 cloud storage compared
You can judge a cloud storage service by how well it serves your purpose. Here is a list of the nine best cloud storage services. If you want to know more about its features and costs, keep reading along.
1. I-drive:
If you want the cloud service for backing up personal data or small business data, I-drive is, so far, the best cloud storage service. The significant benefit is that it is not restricted to a single device; you can easily log in to other devices using the same account.
Additionally, it offers 5 GB of free storage. Even the price of storage is very low. They charge $74.62 for ten terabytes of storage in the first year, which is excellent. If you opt for the business packages, you get unlimited storage at a minimal cost. But the download speed is low, and there is no two-factor authentication available.
2. Amazon cloud service:
If you are an amazon prime member, this will be the best option for you. It offers 5 GB of free data storage and unlimited photo backups. On top of that, they will only charge you $119 annually for unlimited storage.
It also uses Delta sync, which backs up all the data in no time. On the contrary, if you are not a prime member, the prices of additional storage are pretty high, and the interface is not the best.
3. One drive:
If your work involves the usage of Windows and Microsoft Office regularly, then take my word, this is the best cloud storage service for you. One drive can be easily operated using the web or any other desktop app.
It also works well with google drive at some extra charge and allows you to share your spreadsheets on a real-time basis. It offers 5 GB storage of free storage, but additional storage might be very costly for you.
4. Box:
Unlike the other cloud storage services, the box offers you 10 GB of free storage. It perfectly blends with Microsoft office and Google workspace. Using it as a workflow application allows you to share tasks and other files with your team members. It also notifies you when somebody updates their work.
The starter plans box is relatively cheap. They have separate packages for personal users and business owners. Although, this might get a little confusing for desktop clients. Linux users can also use the box with the help of another program, ExpanDrive.
5. Dropbox:
Dropbox has launched way ahead, so probably many of you are already using it. It is elementary to use and can be operated on practically all platforms.
Although, it just offers 2 GB of free storage. If you require additional storage, they charge around 20 dollars a month for 3 TB of storage. The business plans are comparatively cheaper. Although you can operate it on many platforms, including desktop, mac, windows, Android, iOS, and Linux, it can be very costly. But the speed of functioning of dropbox is very high.
6. Google drive:
The best part about Google Drive is that it offers 15 GB of free storage, which is the highest. If you have a Google account, you get free storage, and on top of that, you can efficiently work with google docs and share files conveniently. It works well with almost all platforms except for Linux.
Google drive won’t be an issue even if you require additional storage as it costs just $20 a year for 100 GB of storage. It works on Android and iOS and backs up your data from your smartphone automatically. Another great feature is that it helps you find a file if you remember a few words because it is integrated with a Google search.
Check out how cloud computing can be useful to you.
7. Next cloud:
You will be surprised to know that you will get as much free storage as you have on your device by using the next cloud. Using this, you can create your cloud storage service using your servers.
Although the previous versions of next cloud were not very efficient, it is continuously improving, and by far, the newest version of nextcloud 21 is faster. They are adding better services to make it a complete office suite. The best part is that it comes in a free version too. The business plans start at 36 euros a year. Although, it might be challenging to set it up.
8. PCloud:
To start with, pCloud offers free storage of 4 GB to all the users, and you can also extend it to 10 GB. It can be easily operated on windows, iOS, Android, and Linux. If you want more storage, they offer great deals, and you can purchase 500 GB of storage at around $175.
The best feature about this is that you can encrypt your files, and they will not allow anyone else other than you to have access to your files. It is a little expensive as you have to pay $96 for 1 TB storage per year per user.
9. Apple iCloud:
Apple iCloud works well only on Mac, iPhone, or iPad devices. It offers you 5 GB of storage without any cost. It is also helpful for you as it automatically backs up your data from your iPhone. If you need more storage, the plans are costly. The charges are $1 for 50 GB per month and $3 for 200 GB a month. It does not offer many features, but it is suitable for iPhone users at the base level.
Conclusion
These were the nine best cloud storage services. There is no such storage service that is ideal for everyone. You need to choose the service based on your requirements and budget. You should keep in mind that if the service offers more free storage, it does not mean that it is the best. Look into the features to evaluate.