Data Backup Digest

Many cloud storage providers have moved towards focussing on the enterprise customer. That’s where most of the money comes from, of course. But there are still those who are offering free cloud storage in 2019. We’re going to take a look at some of the biggest and see which is the best.

Google Drive

Google can afford to be generous with their storage, which is why they offer a hefty 15GB for the price of nothing on Google Drive. Although, you should be aware that if you use any other Google services, like Gmail or Photos, then your files from there will also count towards your Drive storage.

The service offers apps for Android and iOS and it obviously supports all of Google’s apps and productivity tools. You can also install the Backup and Sync desktop app which, as you might gather from the name, will replicate all your files into the cloud for redundancy, which works smoothly and efficiently.

Even if you’re not already in the Google ecosystem, Google Drive is a great choice if you’re looking for well established cloud storage with a beefy amount of gigabytes.

Microsoft OneDrive

OneDrive will undoubtedly appeal most to users of Windows 10 and any of Microsoft’s services. It just integrates so well with them that it becomes a breeze to use it. You can swiftly backup your computer files to OneDrive from Windows, along with saving directly into it from programs like Microsoft Office.

Free users get 5GB of storage, which isn’t as much as competitors, but it’s still a good amount. Plus, if you’re already subscribed to Office 365, then you get a huge 1TB storage capacity anyway.

One of the great features of OneDrive is its collaboration. You can share files with others, even if they don’t use OneDrive personally, and let them access and edit them. You and they can even work on the files without downloading them locally. It’s simple and works great.

Dropbox

Dropbox led the scene when it came to cloud storage. Although it wasn’t the first to offer it, Dropbox spread like wildfire and it wasn’t long before lots of people were using it as their provider. It’s gone deep into enterprise targeting nowadays and, while it’s by no means the best offering on the market for free use anymore, it’s still decent.

Dropbox offers 2GB of storage for free, which is certainly lagging behind competitors. But you can get more by referring friends – 500MB per referrer, up to a total of 16GB. Though good luck finding that many people who need a new cloud storage account.

Despite the lower storage capacity, Dropbox offers some neat features. Dropbox Paper is a tool that allows collaborative working on files, for example. You can also have users upload things directly into your account, plus you can edit files without downloading. Dropbox also supports a whole range of platforms, including uncommon ones like Linux and Kindle. It’s a great choice when you need compatibility across a range of devices.

Summary

From these traditional big three cloud storage providers, all offer their own features that might work best for you. If capacity is what you need, Google Drive is the answer. If you want simplicity with your Microsoft ecosystem, go for OneDrive. And if you need something that supports many different platforms, it’s Dropbox.