Most of our modern work is done and stored online. Cloud storage providers such as Dropbox makes it easy to not just backup our work and personal files but also make it easy for us to collaborate with others. Don't get me wrong, Dropbox is good, really good, but there are better Dropbox alternatives ⇣ out there.
With more than 500 million users worldwide Dropbox is, without doubt, one of the most popular cloud storage providers. But there are competitor sites like Dropbox out there that provide better security, features and at a more affordable price.
- Best overall: Sync.com. This is my favorite cloud storage provider because Sync.com is easy to use, comes with great security and features all at an affordable price.
- Runner-up, Best overall: pCloud. Runner-up is pCloud thanks to its cheap price, security features such as client-side-encryption and I love the one-time cost for a lifetime subscription.
- Best free alternative to Dropbox: Google Drive is the best free and value for money option, I love the integration with Google Docs, Sheets and 3rd party apps, but the security and syncing could be better.
Whether you need to collaborate with your editor on the book you are writing or you need someone to quickly send a document for review to your boss, these tools let you do it with just a few clicks.
Even if you do most of your work offline, you should still be backing up your work to a cloud storage service like Dropbox to prevent losing important data.
What is Dropbox?
Dropbox started as a platform to allow users to backup their files online and access them from all their devices. But now it has become a lot more than that. It allows you to work collaboratively with others and make sure your work is always accessible to you no matter where you go or what device you use.
Their services are used by teams, freelancers, and consumers around the world and is trusted by many big brands. Their service is available on all platforms including desktop and mobile, which allows you to access your files from anywhere on any device.
Dropbox features and plans
Dropbox offers different plans for different use cases. Some offer more features than others. If you are someone who just needs a place to backup your files, they offer a free plan that allows up to 2 GB in storage and syncs across up to 3 devices.
If you are a professional, you will want to go with their Plus plan which offers up to 2TB (terabytes) of storage, sync across unlimited devices, 30-day file recovery, and much more for just $10 per month. They also offer plans for teams that come with many additional features such as single-sign-on, administration tools, and live chat support.
Dropbox also offers tools such as Dropbox paper to help you easily collaborate with other people online on documents.
Pros and cons of Dropbox
The best part about using Dropbox is the simplicity that is inherent to all their services and tools. Unlike most other cloud storage providers on the market, Dropbox believes in keeping things simple and making everything easily accessible. Even if you aren't good with computers, you can easily learn the ropes in a few seconds. Yes, it is that easy.
Dropbox offers an app for almost all devices including Android, Windows, Mac, and iOS, which makes it easy to access and sync files between all your devices.
Although Dropbox offers a lot of features, their service are not suitable for all use cases. For example, Dropbox only offers 2 GB storage on their free plan while some of the other services on our list offer as much as 15GB for free. Moreover, although they do offer easy collaboration with Dropbox Paper, they don't have as many tools and options as others on this list for collaborating with others.
Whether you want more free space or you want a better workflow designed for collaboration, here are some of the best alternatives for Dropbox that you should give a try:
Best alternatives to Dropbox
1. Sync.com
- Cheaper alternative and more features than Dropbox
- Free plan and premium plans from $49 per year
- Website: https://www.sync.com/
Sync.com is a collaborative cloud storage service based in Canada that aims to make it cheaper for people to store their files on the cloud. Its free plan offers 5GB of free storage and basic collaboration options.
It offers free apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, so you can sync and access your files on all your devices. Their mobile apps come with a remote device lockout feature that you can use to lock your device from any other device that is logged into your Sync.com account. This increases security and privacy for your device.
Sync.com features:
- Cheaper than Dropbox.
- Offers 5GB free storage on their free plan.
- Real time backup and sync for all your devices.
- Apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.
- Remote device lockout to increase security.
Sync.com plans:
Their free plan offers 5GB of free storage but limits the amount of data transfer. Their paid plans start at $49 per year and offer 500GB in storage and unlimited data transfer among other security and privacy features.
Why Sync.com is a good alternative to Dropbox:
Sync.com is a much cheaper option than Dropbox. Even on their free plan, they offer 5 GB of free storage unlike Dropbox that only offers 2GB.
2. pCloud
- Cheapest alternative to Dropbox
- Free plan and premium plans from $3.99 per month
- Website: https://www.pcloud.com/
pCloud is one of the cheapest cloud storage options on the market. It offers 10GB of storage for free when you sign up. Not only that, by doing a few simple things like installing the app on your phone and referring a friend, you can add 5 GB more to your storage allowance.
pCloud features:
- Apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and Adobe Lightroom.
- Dozens of features to make collaboration easy.
- Offers 10GB disk space for free.
- Much cheaper than most cloud storage services.
pCloud plans:
The free plan offers 10GB storage space. Their premium plans start at $3.99 per month. It offers 500GB of storage and allows 500GB of data transfer bandwidth for sharing. Unlike most other cloud storage services, pCloud also offers a lifetime plan for just $175. It's a one-time cost and you get 500GB for your whole lifetime.
Why pCloud is a good alternative to Dropbox:
pCloud.com is one of the best options if you are looking for a cloud service to backup all your files. It is much cheaper than Dropbox and simple to use.
3. Google Drive
- Best free alternative to Dropbox
- Free plan and premium plans from $1.99 per month
- Website: https://www.google.com/drive/
Google Drive is a free cloud storage service that is a part of the Google suite of apps. It comes with 15 GB of free storage space and allows you to back up all your images at a lower-quality for free without counting them against your free 15GB. Google Drive is one of the best options for most users who just want to back up their personal files.
Google Drive features:
- Dozens of collaboration tools and features.
- Offers 15GB in free storage.
- Back up all your images for free.
- Apps for all your devices including Android, iOS, Mac, and others.
Google Drive plans:
The free plan that you start offers 15GB of free storage. Moreover, they don’t count images against your storage if you backup a low-quality version. The premium plan starts at $1.99 per month and offers 100GB in storage.
Why Google Drive is a good alternative to Dropbox:
Google Drive offers superior collaboration tools and comes with free access to their suite of office apps such as Google Docs, Sheets, etc.
4. Microsoft OneDrive
- Great free alternative to Dropbox, and free Microsoft Office
- Free plan and premium plans from $69.99 per year
- Website: https://onedrive.live.com/
OneDrive is a cloud storage service offered by Microsoft. Its free plan comes with 5GB of storage space. The best part about OneDrive is that if you use Microsoft Office, you can get 1TB of storage space and a free subscription to Microsoft Office for only $69.99 per year.
OneDrive features:
- Offers 5 GB in free storage.
- Get a complimentary subscription to Microsoft Office on the premium plans.
- Apps for all your devices.
OneDrive plans:
OneDrive premium plans start at $1.99 per month. It offers 100GB of storage space. Their professional plans offer a free subscription to Microsoft Office.
Why OneDrive is a good alternative to Dropbox:
OneDrive offers 5 GB in free storage unlike Dropbox’s only 2GB free storage space. Plus premiums plans comes with free subscription to Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook etc.)
5. Tresorit
- Best security and privacy alternative to Dropbox
- Free plan and premium plans from $10.42 per month
- Website: https://tresorit.com/
Tresorit market their service as an “ultra-secure” place to store your files online. Their target customers are businesses and collaborative teams. Their service is used by SAP, Canon, Emirates, and some other big brands around the world.
Tresorit features:
- As a Swiss company, the service offers Swiss Privacy.
- Apps for Linux, Microsoft, Mac, iOS, and Android.
- GDPR Compliant.
- One of the most secure cloud storage service.
Tresorit plans:
The free plan allows you to share large files up to 5GB with other people. Their premium plans start at $10.42 per month and offer 200GB storage.
Why Tresorit is a good alternative to Dropbox:
Tresorit is not the best option for individuals. If you just want to store a few files or backup your family photos, Dropbox may be a better option. But if you want the best you can get in security and privacy, Tresorit is the best option.
6. Box
- Best cloud storage provider for collaboration and teams
- Free plan and premium plans from $10 per month
- Website: https://www.box.com/
Box is a cloud storage service designed for businesses and collaborative teams. It offers dozens of tools and features to improve your workflow and easily collaborate with others in your team. It is made for collaboration.
Box features:
- Offers 10GB storage on the free plan.
- Apps for all your devices.
- Microsoft Office 365 integrations.
- User management tools.
Box plans:
The free plan offers 10GB storage space. Box only offers one premium plan for individuals, which offers 100GB storage for $10 per month. Their starter business plan requires a minimum 3 users.
Why Box is a good alternative to Dropbox:
Box.com is one of the best cloud storage options for businesses and collaborative teams. They offer a lot more collaboration and security features than Dropbox.
7. SpiderOak
- Generous 21-day free trial but no free plan
- Premium plans from $6 per month
- Website: https://spideroak.com/
SpiderOak is a suite of cloud storage apps for businesses. Although their service is made for businesses, they do offer a cloud storage backup service called SpiderOak One. The best part about SpiderOak is that their apps are built with privacy and security in mind.
SpiderOak features:
- Built with privacy in mind.
- Apps for Linux, Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS.
- Dozens of collaboration tools.
- 21-day free trial.
SpiderOak plans:
Unlike other services on this list, SpiderOak doesn’t offer a free plan. But they do offer a 21-day free trial. Their starter plan offers 150GB storage space for $6 per month.
Why SpiderOak is a good alternative to Dropbox:
SpiderOak.com offers a lot of advanced features and security benefits that Dropbox lacks.
8. IDrive
- Best cloud storage provider for entreprises
- Free plan and premium plans from $59.12 per year
- Website: https://www.idrive.com/
IDrive offers dozens of cloud storage solutions to cater to the needs of entreprises, resellers, professionals, and businesses. Their free plan comes with 5GB free storage space.
IDrive features:
- Apps for iOS, Mac, Android, and Windows.
- Collaborative tools and features.
- Backup or retrieve all your data in physical form once every year for free.
- Dozens of privacy and security features.
IDrive plans:
The free plan offers 5GB free storage space. Their premium plans start at $59.12 per year for the first year. It offers 2TB storage space and costs almost half what Dropbox does.
Why IDrive is a good alternative to Dropbox:
IDrive.com free plans offer 5GB of storage space and their premium plan offers 2TB storage for only $59.12 dollars for the first year.
Dropbox alternatives: Summary
If you are just looking for some free space to backup your personal files, I recommend Google Drive. It comes with 15GB of free storage and allows you to back up lower-quality versions of your pictures for free without it counting towards your storage quota.
If you want collaboration for your whole team, then I recommend going with Box as their service is built for collaborative teamwork.
If you the best security the market has to offer, then go with Tresorit. It is a Swiss company and offers Swiss privacy the country is known for.
All of these services come with apps for almost all devices and platforms including Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, so you can easily sync and access your files from anywhere on any device you own.
