Surely you’ve ever heard of cloud storage and the growing number of platforms offering this service. Do you really know what it is?
From English cloud storage, cloud storage is a service that allows us to securely store all types of data, documents or files on online servers that are normally managed by a service provider.
What is cloud storage and what are the most used platforms?
This is the same as saying that we are “hiring” a private space in the network where we store our information. And hiring is not always synonymous with paying for it, since most storage platforms that we are going to present have free versions, yes, with a limit of space.
Using these services has two main advantages . On the one hand, we free up space from our mobile phones, tablets and computers that we would normally use and, on the other hand, we can access the documents and files saved through any device just by entering the platform. In addition, we can later share everything saved with whoever we want , so the utility is even greater.
So, if you are one of those who like to keep all the images, documents and files possible, do not miss this article.
The top 5 of cloud storage platforms
Dropbox
Dropbox was a pioneer in the world of online storage. It appeared in 2007, when talking about “the cloud” seemed something of the future and, nowadays, has more than 500 million registered users. Although since its launch there have been many new platforms that want to compete with it, Dropbox continues to be the most used .
Dropbox offers 2GB of free space , which can be increased up to 1TB for 8.25 € per month. Of all the platforms that we are going to present is the one that less free space makes available to the client. However, this disadvantage is surpassed by the other utilities that it presents.
And is that Dropbox, unlike the rest, is compatible with almost all operating systems (Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS and Android) and does not impose a limit on uploads to the user.
In addition, it has a quick interface and features to share the files we store with whoever we want. Another great advantage of this platform is that it offers a large multitude of services and applications integrated into your folders.
Google Drive
Google has not wanted to be left behind in the world of cloud storage and has developed Google Drive , a platform with many features that, for many, is little used. And is that Google Drive is currently the most GB of free storage space , specifically 15 .
In addition, as a point in favor, the possibilities of expansion are diverse depending on the needs of each user and affordable for all budgets: up to 100GB for 1.99 euros per month, 1TB for 9.99 euros per month, 10TB for 99, 99 euros per month, 20TB for 199.99 euros per month and 30TB for 299.99 euros per month.
Drive is also compatible with Windows, Android and iOS and also has a great integration with the rest of Google services: it allows the use of Google documents, spreadsheets and presentations, direct download of Gmail documents and search of images using text in Google Photos .
But if there is one attribute that differentiates it from the rest, it is the capacity for collaborative work that it presents, which is much greater. The most noticeable drawback would be the upload limit, which is 5TB.
OneDrive
OneDrive is the cloud storage service developed by Microsoft . We can not say that this tool is at the level of Dropbox or Google Drive, but it is true that it has improved a lot since its launch. The free storage space is considerable, up to 5GB , and the possibilities for expansion are also greater. The platform allows for additional space of 50GB for 2 euros per month, 1TB for 7 euros per month and 5TB for 10 euros per month.
Within these payment methods we can also choose to include Office and Office 365, a possibility that can save us some money in the long run.
As a disadvantage, it has established a limit of 10GB uploads and the compatibility it shows is lower , although it does not usually present problems with Windows, iOS and Android.
iCloud Drive
Apple is an expert in joining any new technology service that comes on the market, so it is not surprising that it has also developed its own online storage platform, iCloud Drive . This does not stand out from its competitors or its pros or cons, although it has a major disadvantage and is that it is only 100% compatible with the MacOS and iOS systems.
It also stands out for a large free storage space, since it only offers 5GB that can be extended to 50GB for 0.99 euros per month, 200GB for 2.99 euros per month, 1TB for 9.99 euros per month and 2TB per month. 19.99 euros per month.
Its strong point is the synchronization between Apple devices , which offers an advantage for those who have this manufacturer’s mobile, computer and tablet.
Box
Box is the last platform that we are going to talk to you about today. It is a service that was very disruptive in its launch, although it has now been stagnant. It has not evolved for too long and has focused too much on companies to continue aspiring to win the private market.
It is compatible with Windows, Android and iOS and offers a free storage space of 10GB that can be extended to 100GB for 8 euros per month.
As outstanding features, it has encryption, permission control, versioning and collaboration in real time . These functionalities have meant that the tool is very useful for companies and, in fact, has a loyal community of professional users for whom it has more flexible payment plans.
The best storage option in the cloud?
Today we find many storage platforms in the cloud that allow us to free space from our devices, have documents and files always available and share them more easily with our contacts.
Dropbox and Google Drive are the most used , and it is not surprising taking into account that they are the most advantages offered by their free storage space as well as the compatibility they have with different operating systems or the facilities they provide to share everything guarded.
Even so, there are platforms for all tastes, all we have to do is analyze which of them covers our needs and start using it.
