Adding a cloud storage serviceWhether your PC has a cloud storage subscription or not, you can always get one. Several services are available, which include a modicum of free online storage.
They all work in a similar manner:.Install the cloud storage software on your computer.This is the program that synchronizes your files from the PC’s mass storage system to the Internet.Create an account.The account provides the Internet access, not only to coordinate the files but also to a website where you can access your files online.To add the cloud storage to your PC, follow the general steps. Visit the web page to install the software, create an account, and then start using the service.One drawback to cloud storage is limited storage capacity. That can be addressed if you’re willing to pay for more storage.More cloud storage options exist than the three you find here.
Others choose the cloud because of space – the cloud makes a great storage option if the sheer volume of data on your computer threatens to overwhelm it. Primary Storage Get the scalability, intelligence, and cloud integration you need to unlock the value of your data. Accelerate your critical workloads from core to edge to cloud while decreasing application outages and reducing storage requirements with advanced deduplication.
Some are open to anyone, but many are paid subscription only — for example, Adobe’s Creative Cloud.Microsoft’s cloud storage service was originally called SkyDrive. Then they found out someone else owned the name SkyDrive, so Microsoft changed it. As an example, here are the steps to copy a file from your home folder’s Documents folder to the OneDrive Documents folder:.Press Win + E to summon a File Explorer window.Choose Documents from the left side of the window.What you see is actually a library, not the specific documents folder for your account. That’s okay; the same files are available.Click to select a file, and then press Ctrl + X to move (cut) the file.From the left side of the window, choose OneDrive.It should appear in the Quick Access list.
In fact, you may also see Dropbox and Google Drive in that list as well.Double-click on the Documents folder to open it.Technically, you’re now looking at the contents of the OneDriveDocuments folder.Press Ctrl + V to paste the file.The file is moved from the Documents folder to the OneDriveDocuments folder. (If you want to move it back, press Ctrl + Z to undo the operation.)After the file is copied, it’s immediately synchronized with cloud storage on the Internet.
1.2.3.4.5.Your files are stored in the cloud, which is a simplified view of what is essentially someone else's infrastructure (data center, server, hard drive, connectivity etc).Ever since Amazon popularised storage online with S3 (Simple Storage Service), 13 years ago, Google data shows that interest for 'Cloud Storage' alone has increased by 40x over the past decade. So much so that people less frequently refer to it as 'online storage'.Given the multitude of cloud storage providers out there, one has to wisely choose a provider who will offer the maximum amount of low-cost storage and bandwidth, while still keeping your data safe.This list represents our top picks for cloud storage: most offer a free tier allowing you to see if they're right for you before handing over any hard-earned cash.
And it's iDrive that leads the way thanks to how fast, thorough and easy to use it is. Want your company or services to be considered for this buyer’s guide? Please email your request to [email protected] with the URL of the buying guide in the subject line.Also consider these options:. EXCLUSIVE IDrive 5TB plan $69.50 may seem a bit pricey for a year's worth of 5TB but $3.48 for a whole 12 months is ridiculously cheap. Not to mention 5TB should go a very long way in covering your storage needs, it can hold countless hours of music, thousands of photos and hundreds of video games.Business users will need to consider carefully what their needs are as terms and conditions as well as quality of service is likely to differ significantly from their consumer alter ego.Go straight to your desired option through the jump links below:.Best cloud storage of 2020 at a glance:. iDrive.
pCloud. Zoolz. Degoo. Mega cloud storage. OneDrive. iCloud.
Google Drive. Box. NextCloud1. IDrive cloud storage. No two-factor authenticationoffers continuous syncing of your files, even those on network drives. The web interface supports sharing files by email, Facebook and Twitter.
Cautious or click-happy users will be pleased to hear that files deleted from your computer are not automatically deleted from the server, so there's less danger of removing something important by accident. Up to 30 previous versions of all files backed to your account are retained.Another thing to note is that IT admins have access to IDrive Thin Client application, which allows them to backup/restore, manage settings, and more for all their connected computers via a centralized dashboard.For photos, you have a neat facial recognition feature that helps you to automatically organize them as well as syncing them across all your linked devices. IDrive also offers IDrive Express which sends you a physical hard disk drive if you lose all your data, allowing for the swift restoration of all your backed up files. That applies to the newly introduced disk image backup feature.A business version exists and offers priority support, single sign-on as well as unlimited users and server backup. Furthermore, an enterprise-class cloud object storage is also available. No collaboration toolsWhile some bandwidth limits apply, there seems to be no limit to the size of files you can upload, so feel free to sync large media files with. The service is available for all desktop and mobile platforms – users can also log in via the website.
The company itself is registered in Switzerland which has strong privacy laws and you can also pay a premium of $4.99 a month for pCloud Crypto to lock (and unlock) individual files with passwords.Note that it is one of the very few cloud services that offer lifetime subscriptions. The latter come with 30 days trash history and unlimited remote upload traffic (you only need the URL of the file); you are - as expected - limited on the download link traffic: 500GB for the Premium package and 2TB for the Premium Plus package. Lacks 2FAThere are lots of things to like about for both personal use and business deployment. It offers an easy to follow interface with excellent web management options, and the ability to combine cloud operations with local external storage.This UK-based company leverages Amazon’s Glacier infrastructure to deliver a compelling price/performance ratio, with prices far cheaper than the competition. With 20PB of data stored for three million users for more than a decade, Zoolz is also not as ephemeral as some of its rivals. Desktop utility needs improvingSwedish outfit is not a household name, and therefore it comes as a surprise that it has managed to carve itself a niche inside the ultra-competitive cloud storage market.With only two offerings, this outfit has managed to attract more than 15 million users globally since its inception earlier in 2019 – an estimated 20,000 people join Degoo every day. It is one of the few cloud storage companies worldwide that encrypts stored files and disperses them across four different continents.
It also supports two-factor authentication via the Google sign-in. Sync client is open sourceWith an insanely generous free tier and a simple drag-and-drop interface, New Zealand-based is one of the cloud storage heavyweights. There's a handy mobile app to allow you to upload files and photos, as well as sync clients with desktop machines. The company also has business tailored plans.Mega claims that all data stored in its cloud is encrypted on your device before it reaches the firm’s servers. As the company has released the to its sync client, experts can check that there are no vulnerabilities.Price: 50GB free. 400GB for $6 a month (£4.50, €4.99, around AU$7.50).
2TB for $12 a month (£9, €9.99, around AU$16). 8TB for $23 a month (£17, €19.99, around AU$30). 16TB for $35 a month (£26, €29.99, around AU$46).6. OneDrive cloud storage. Free storage is only 5GBis integrated into Windows 10's File Explorer.
You don't have to download an additional app – it's there to use out of the box, which is obviously very convenient for those who have made the jump to Microsoft’s newest operating system.Microsoft's Photos app can also use OneDrive to sync pictures across all your devices. As of late March, Autodesk AutoCAD has been integrated with OneDrive which is good news for anyone using the software's drafting tools. In addition, you have a feature called Personal Vault, which gives you an added layer of protection. There's an app for Android and iOS devices, and there's even one in the App Store for Mac users (although it has received mixed reviews).Price: 5GB free. 100GB for $1.99 a month (£1.50, around AU$2.9). 1TB for $7 a month (£5.99, around AU$11).
Unlimited (as part of Onedrive for Business) for $10 a month (£7.99, around AU$14).7. ICloud cloud storage. Only 5GB storage for freeIf you want to back up your iPhone to, you'll need more than the free 5GB allowance Apple gives you, but compared to rivals iCloud prices are very reasonable.The Mac Finder app integrates iCloud Drive, where you can store any files you wish. Documents created in the iWork office suite are also saved to iCloud and can sync across your devices. Windows users can also sync their files with iCloud Drive using the, and access the iWork apps on the iCloud website.Price: 5GB free. 50GB for $0.99 a month (£0.79, AU$1.49).
200GB for $2.99 (£2.24, AU$4). 2TB for $9.99 (£8, AU$13).8.
Google Drive cloud storage. Web interface isn’t the bestis a natural choice for owners of Android devices as it's already integrated, but users of other platforms may appreciate the generous free storage too. You can also store high definition photos on your mobile phone with companion app Google Photos, and make use of Google's own office suite (now known as ). Also, upgrading to paid Google Drive plans is now called Google One (although it might not yet be available, depending on the region).Downsides include the fact that the web interface isn't very easy-to-use, although Windows and Mac users can download a desktop app to drag-and-drop files easily.Price: 15GB free. 100GB for $1.99 a month (£1.59, around AU$2.50). 200GB for $2.99 a month (£2.35, around AU$4.10).
2TB for $9.99 a month (£8, around AU$13). 10TB for $99.99 a month (£74, around AU$130). 20TB for $199.99 a month (£148, around AU$260). 30TB for $299.99 a month (£236, around AU$426).9.
Box cloud storage. Free account file upload limit of 250MBwebsite currently seems to be pushing its Business plans as clicking ‘sign up’ takes you to the pricing page where for $15 per user (£11, around AU$19) you can benefit from advanced collaboration options and unlimited storage. But there is a 10GB free option, too.As Box has been around for a while, it is supported by a number of mainstream apps such as Google Docs and Office 365. It's also integrated with G-Suite, which means Docs, Sheets and Slides are automatically saved and managed in Box. Additionally, like OneDrive, it's also been integrated with AutoCAD. Box is also integrated with Slack and Microsoft Teams.
The Box Sync client is available from the for Mac and Windows, plus there's also an official Android client.Price: 10GB free. 100GB for around $10 a month (£7.50, around AU$13).10. NextCloud cloud storage.
Preconfigured setups availableisn’t an online cloud storage provider itself, but offers free software to download and install a cloud storage service on your own server. Using a server on your home network for cloud storage is much faster. You can also enable encryption and make sure the information never leaves your home network, which is far safer.If you've no server or IT experience, you can even purchase a preconfigured (if you can find one) which comes with a 1TB hard drive and will work with an inexpensive Raspberry Pi board to keep your data synced. Unfortunately, NextCloud Box is sold out but you can check out the on their websitePrice: Free to install and use. Self-hosting so storage costs vary.11. Limited free offeringis part of a new trend of zero knowledge cloud storage providers.
The website claims that after installing the client your data is encrypted before syncing. Unfortunately since SpiderOak hasn’t made the client source code public, there's no way to confirm this.The SpiderOakOne client is available for Windows, Mac and Linux as well as Android and iOS (although, both Android and iOS are read-only apps, meaning you can only view files, and can't upload or sync anything). You can also log in via the web interface but privacy lovers may prefer not to as it exposes your password to SpiderOak employees.Price: 21-day free trial. 150GB for $6 a month (around £4.5, AU$8.25). 400GB for $11 a month (around £8.4, AU$15). 2TB for $14 a month (around £10.7, AU$19.25). 5TB for $29 a month (around £22.1, AU$39.9).How to choose a cloud storage service?Florian Malecki, International Product Marketing Senior Director at StorageCraft gives us his thoughtsOrganisations are often unclear about the best way to keep their files and systems safe, but there are plenty of preventative measures that can be taken to avoid the costly risk of downtime.
Arguably the most important factor is backing up and recovering data quickly and efficiently. That is where cloud storage comes in.With most cloud services providers, companies can tailor coverage to meet unique recovery and budget requirements while enjoying access to data anytime, anywhere, with instant failover in a cloud built specifically for disaster recovery.The cloud combines low setup, management and overhead costs with high flexibility. The important thing is protecting and securing backups offsite and giving businesses peace of mind knowing that data is safe and secure.Key factors organisations should consider when moving to the cloud are:● Keep backups on-site and off-site. With any data, redundancy is the key. Data copies should be kept both on-site and off-site.
Off-site could be in the cloud, but it could also be backup images stored on a hot-swappable hard drive that you can take to a secondary location (i.e. A “poor man’s cloud”).● Choose a cloud with recovery options. If it’s not possible to recover data locally, organisations need to have a backup strategy in place.
Some cloud services will allow you to spin up a Virtual Machine (VM), even if local recovery is impossible. For systems that have zero tolerance for downtime, a cloud-based recovery option is the best option.● Mirror critical data. 99.999% uptime is exceptional, but nothing is infallible.
It is important to remember that, while uptime is great, errors do occur, and data can be accidentally deleted or somehow corrupted. For extra critical data, it’s wise to not only backup data in the cloud, but to mirror it to a geographically disparate region for extra assurance. Best free cloud storage 1. Google Drive.
Backup and Sync desktop appFree storage allowance: 15GB (expandable)If you're a Google user, you already benefit from integration, such as the ability to save email attachments from Gmail. However, anyone can sign up for the free cloud storage, even if they don't have a Gmail address, by creating a new Google account. Google is also in a process of releasing Google One as a sort of substitution for Google Drive, although depending on your region it might not be available yet.With 15GB of space for new users, Google Drive is one of the more generous cloud offerings, and there are to boost this capacity free of charge. The catch is that this Google storage space is also shared with a user’s other Google services including Gmail and Google Photos.Mobile apps are available to allow easy access for iOS and Android users, and Google’s lets you synchronize files from your PC to the cloud. Google Drive also includes online office tools for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations which can makes sharing files with others effortless.2. Plenty of options to boost your free storageFree storage allowance: 10GB (expandable)You might not recognize the name, but if you're looking for a decent chunk of cloud storage free of charge, could be just the ticket.
To kick things off, you're given a fairly generous 10GB to play with, and there's a bandwidth allowance of 50GB of downlink traffic per month.While we're primarily interested in the free version of pCloud, note that you can upgrade to 500GB of space for a monthly plan of $4.99 (£3.70), or 2TB for $9.99 (£7.50) a month – both of which are great deals for storage. You also have annual and lifetime plans, which are a cheaper option in the long run.The initial 10GB free offering can also be expanded up to 20GB via an additional 4GB for completion of offers, as well as referrals that add 1GB each. It’s also worth noting that pCloud offers well-designed desktop and mobile apps that supplement the website for seamless integration into a user’s workflow.With no limit on file sizes, and simple sharing options, pCloud is a great way to send large files to friends and colleagues – it's even possible to share with people who aren't using the service themselves.
Add in decent streaming options and a neat online interface, and pCloud is well worth a look.3. Microsoft OneDrive. Only 5GB of storage by defaultFree storage allowance: 5GBComing from Microsoft – a company with plenty of money to throw at the cloud – it's a little disappointing to find that doesn’t include more space free of charge. Free users get a mere 5GB of storage, although it's relatively inexpensive to increase this to 50GB.If you have Office 365, you'll automatically get boosted to 1TB of space, but not everyone wants an Office subscription.Like Google Drive's appeal to Google users, OneDrive will be a good fit for anyone who is committed to using Microsoft's services. There's neat integration with Outlook.com, for instance.
It's also integrated with non-Microsoft services like AutoCAD. OneDrive also ties in nicely with Windows 10, and there is a selection of reasonable mobile apps to facilitate access on the move.It's possible to share files with other people even if they aren't OneDrive users (complete with customizable permissions), and the ability to edit files online without downloading them is a welcome touch.4. Adverts with free accountsFree storage allowance: 10GB (expandable)has been around for over a decade, and those years of experience really show. You're given 10GB of free space initially, but you can boost this by an extra 40GB through activities like referring friends and following MediaFire's social media accounts. Few people would disagree that 50GB of free cloud storage is impressive. Free accounts carry ads, but this is a small sacrifice to make.There's support for large files up to 20GB, and the sharing options are very impressive, even allowing sharing with non-users.The web-based interface is excellent too, and MediaFire offers for convenient uploading and downloading on iOS and Android.
These make it easy to access files you're storing in the cloud, and include convenient features such as automatic photo syncing. No collaboration optionsis a collaboration tool, online backup and file hosting service founded in 2007. The platform allows users to access, synchronize and share data using a cloud-based server.The company places a strong emphasis on data security and privacy. They offer a cloud storage, online backup and sharing service which they claim uses a ‘zero knowledge’ privacy environment.
This means the client is the only one who can view all stored data. Not even SpiderOak themselves have access to your data.SpiderOak’s main focus is on privacy and security. As a result, the tool itself has a very basic design.
This makes the admin console and all central device management very straightforward to use. They also include a handy drag and drop feature for organising files.From the centralized device management dashboard, users can access settings for all applications such as backup selection and sharing. The dashboard also allows users to manage their accounts, set group permissions and gain insight into usage.Prospective business clients will need to contact SpiderOak’s Sales Team directly to obtain a quote. 500 users minimum is required.Online commentators have observed that SpiderOak lacks many of the collaboration tools available from other cloud storage providers.2. Several enterprise packages availableis a cloud storage provider based in Hungary and Switzerland. It was founded in 2011.
The provider emphasizes enhanced security and data encryption for businesses and personal users alike.If you are concerned with ensuring that your stored data is kept safe online then Tresorit is the service for you. This provider allows you to keep control of your files through ‘zero-knowledge encryption’ meaning that only you and the chosen few you decide to share with can ever see your data.
Your Tresorit account can also be secured by two-factor authentication login and you can choose where to keep company data with Data Residency Options. Furthermore, you also have features like Document Scanner which securely scans and uploads documents directly to Tresorit.Tresorit’s ‘Small Business’ Packages starts at $25 (£19.60) per month (or $20 monthly for the annual plan) for teams with 2-9 users.
This includes 1000GB encrypted storage, secure access on up to 10 devices and synching of existing folder structure.Tresorit’s ‘Business’ plan begins at $30 (£23.30) per month (or $24 monthly for the annual plan) for businesses with over 10 users. This comes with extras such as digital rights management, remote wipe and phone support. At the time of writing there is a 50% discount on 'Business plan', so you can pay as low as $12 (£9.4) per monthFor Enterprise solutions, users will need to contact Tresorit directly. Extras included in this are personalized staff training, admin API and on-premises deployment.All tiers come with a 14-day free trial.The extra security offered by Tresorit makes it relatively expensive compared to other cloud backup solutions. However most users will probably appreciate the greater piece of mind and extra features offered by Tresorit.3. Some loading issueswas founded in 2007. The company provides software for enterprise file synchronization and sharing.Egnyte allows businesses to store their data locally and online.
All types of data can be stored in the cloud, whilst data of a more sensitive nature can be stored on servers on-premise. This makes for better security.Business teams can work how and where they want with an easy to use collaboration system through Egnyte’s content services platform.Egnyte integrates with popular industry applications such as Office 365 or Gmail. This allows both remote and internal employees to access all files with ease.Egnyte’s ‘Office’ plan starts at $8 (£6.21) per employee per month. This covers 5-25 employees, 5TB of storage and 10GB max file size.The ‘Business’ packages starts at $20 (£15.7) per employee per month. This includes 25-100 employees, 10TB online storage and 10GB max file size.In order to take advantage of their ‘Enterprise tier’, which includes over 100 employees, 25GB max file size and unlimited storage, you will need to contact Egnyte directly.Egnyte offer a 15-day free trial for all packages.Users have observed that some files, such as photos, can take a long time to load.4. Dropbox Business.
No online editing toolsis one of the oldest cloud storage providers. It was founded in 2007.To date it is one of the simplest storage providers to use.
Dropbox can be installed on most computers or devices and syncs easily between apps. The app can store almost any kind of file while never having any issues with compatibility. You can drag and drop files into the desktop app with ease.You can also share files with other users easily through links. These can be shared with users who don’t have a Dropbox account.
Also, teams can make use out of Dropbox spaces, which transforms folders into collaborative workspaces. Furthermore, with Dropbox Transfer you can send up to 100 GB of files in just a few clicks.As Dropbox has been around for a long time it integrates with most other apps such as MS Office and Slack.All files and folders can be shared with other users even if they are not part of your account.
These users will be limited to their own plan's storage limits.Dropbox Business can be connected to your personal account so you can access all your files in once place. Personal account feature 'automatic camera upload' is now also available to Business accounts, as of November 2018.The dashboard is simple and easy to use. From here, admins can see how many team members they have as well as any pending invites. You can restrict sharing, and allow/block commenting as you see fit.
The dashboard allows you to access settings and to monitor usage.Dropbox offers a 30-day free trial which asks for your payment details. Your plan will automatically upgrade after the trial at which point your card is charged.The ‘Standard’ plan starts at $12.50 (£9.71) per user per month starting at 3 users and includes 3TB storage.The ‘Advanced’ package begins at $20 (£15.70) per user per month with unlimited storage.In order to subscribe to the ‘Enterprise’ tier, users will need to contact Dropbox directly.Some users have commented on the lack of online editing tools.5. Box for Business.
Read-only sharingis a cloud content management and file sharing service for businesses. It was founded in 2005.Box offers strong management capabilities and security features. The interface is made for ease of use and is simple to navigate.The dashboard allows access to settings, files and folders. Admins can manage all users, monitors activity and control sharing.As Box has been around for a while, it is supported by a number of mainstream apps such as Google Docs and Office 365. The Box Sync client is available from the Downloads page for Mac and Windows. There's also an official Android client. Box also has integration with Slack and Microsoft Teams.
In March 2020, additional features have been added like Premium support and Dropbox Rewind.Box offers a 14-day free trial for all packages. Their ‘Starter’ plan is priced at $5 (£3.88) per user per month.