Best Cloud Storage Services to Backup Your Data

The best cloud storage offers users quick, easy, and safe backups and storage of the most important data, files, photos, and many more. In spite of a long-lasting debate between local storage vs cloud storage, many technological enhancements now are inclined with cloud storage, such as value-for-money, user-friendly interfaces, and enhanced encryption security. If you are looking to use the best free cloud storage, then this article will answer your unanswered questions. Read below to know more about the best cloud storage free options.

Dropbox

Dropbox, one of the best options for best cloud storage for personal use, provides synced data so that users can access it anywhere. Even though it is relatively costly, unique features such as its Showcase, Paper, and HelloSign digital signature makes it stand out of the box. Despite those advantages, there are only a few competitors that beat Dropbox in the race of OS integration, value, and online editing.

All the Dropbox apps are free to install, and there are a lot of them. However, the storage is restricted if you do not shell out money. The free account offers you out with only 2 GB. You can get more shortage via referrals (an extra 500MB for every referral who joins, maximum 16 GB) and by other deeds such as adding your inputs to the user forum. Comparatively, different other best cloud storage service programs offer users much more than 2 GB, to begin with.

Features

• Easy backup
• Security and privacy
• Dropbox collaboration with different platforms
• Digital signing with HelloSign
• Simple sharing
• Easy Syncing

Pros

• Different integrations in Apps Center
• Users get apps for almost every OS
• Enhanced features for Pro users
• The service supports collaboration
• Comes with digital signatures

Cons

• Costly paid accounts
• The free version offers very little storage

Google Drive

When it comes to the best secure cloud storage, Google Drive is the name that pops up in the head. It is the best personal cloud storage device service with an excellent storage plan for free users. The service also allows users to create, store, edit, and collaborate on data. You can specify any folder on the PC for backup, and companies can save storage by not making redundant files on a local drive. Paid plans make upgrades to storage cheaper as compared to different options available in the market. Google Drive is actually the best cloud storage for backup and it performs well as it helps you back up, store, creates, and even edit files, whether you work as part of a team or solo.

The pricing plans for Google One begin at $1.99 for 100GB monthly. On the other hand, a 200 GB plan has a price tag of $2.99 monthly. And a $9.99-monthly plan elevates the limit to 2 TB. A 10 TB plan will have a price tag of $99.99 monthly. Google presently provides a huge 15 GB of free space. Users can also take benefits of perks such as deals on specific hotels found in Google Search and discounts on Google Play purchases.

Features

• Cloud and mobile features
• Desktop clients support backup & syncing of files

Pros

• Great productivity-suite collaboration
• Huge storage space for free users
• Variety of third-party integrations
• Comes with desktop-to-desktop file-syncing
• Cross-platform apps

Cons

• Privacy issues
• Consumer desktop utility saves everything on a local drive
• Lacks password-protection for shared files

Microsoft OneDrive

OneDrive is the next option in our list of cloud storage services. The service’s design and features are outstanding. The service offers great reliability and usability with different features such as wide platform support and online office apps. OneDrive has capable and attractive mobile and web interfaces, real-time collaborative editing, photo AI tagging and powerful search. Its deep integration with Microsoft 365 and Windows 10 makes it one of the best cloud storage services that you can get.

If you have a Microsoft account, then you already have a OneDrive account. Users with Live, Hotmail, Outlook.com, or Office 365 accounts also automatically get a OneDrive account. The free plan comes with 5 GB of storage space, and some PCs and smartphones add free storage on OneDrive. This is good as compared to Apple iCloud’s 1 GB and Dropbox’s 2 GB, but not good in comparison with 15 GB by Google Drive. Microsoft 365 users get added 1 TB with their $6.99-monthly plan, along with extra features such as password-protected and expiring shared links as well as ransomware protection. Another plan comes with 200 GB of storage for $1.99 monthly,

Features

• Folder and file syncing
• Easy device syncing
• Great folder backup
• Secured personal vault
• Outstanding media support
• Good mobile clients

Pros

• Clients for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac
• Good user interface
• Great online photo management and presentation
• Well integrated with Microsoft 365 and Windows 10
• Great document collaborative editing and file-sharing

Cons

• Only allows syncing of particular folders
• Less free storage as compared to other options

FAQs

What are the types of cloud storage?

Normally, there are 4 types of cloud storage services:

• Private Cloud Storage
• Public Cloud Storage
• Hybrid Storage
• Community cloud storage

Why cloud is so expensive?

Even though cloud services charge a fee for the services they offer, the main reason for such a high price is migration, required skill set, and cloud operations.

What is the difference between Cloud Storage vs Online Backup?

The difference between the two terms is that the ultimate aim of online backup is recovery during any disaster. On the other hand, cloud storage is usually best suited for quick file collaboration and access.

Conclusion

Having said that, you just had a look at the best free cloud storage services that you can use. Our list includes Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox.