Data Backup Digest

Dropbox is one of the most popular cloud storage services out there, but it certainly isn’t the only one. A whole host of competitors have popped up over the years to give Dropbox a run for their money. Big corporations like Microsoft and Google are having a crack at cloud storage. If you’re looking for a different solution than Dropbox, take a look at this list for some good alternative options.

The three choices listed below are really just the tip of the iceberg. All of them offer free accounts, so be sure to try them all out before you commit to paying for one.

Box
Like its name, Box prides itself on being simple and easy to use. Whether it’s for personal, business or enterprise use, Box is totally scalable and can be employed in various situations. You can use the service for free and get 5GB of storage space with a 250MB individual file limit. If you want to pay (and if you’re using this in a business setting then that’s a given), you can dish out $15 per user per month for up to 500 users and a 1000GB limit. To get that unlimited you will need to contact Box’s team for pricing.

One of the good things about Box, compared to Dropbox, is that you can specify any folders that you want to sync. You don’t have to put files in a specific place for them to be available cross platform. One neat feature for enterprise users is the ability to enable custom branding, which will make it appear to clients that you’re hosting the file yourself (rather than sending it through Box).

Google Drive
Like Box, Google Drive offers you 5GB of storage for free. One reason you might consider using Drive is that it fits in with the Google infrastructure. The whole thing is built with things like Docs in mind, meaning that you can edit your files using the program and then upload them straight afterwards to be synced to the cloud.
Additional space is charged at a monthly rate, with 25GB costing $2.49 a month, 100GB is $4.99 a month and 16TB is $800 a month. If you’re looking for the higher end option then you may be better off seeking out prices elsewhere, especially against those who offer ‘unlimited’ space.

SugarSync
SugarSync makes a point that they don’t “box you in” and that all your files can be synced, no matter what folder they’re stored in. The message to Dropbox is pretty clear. The service offers similar features to others, such as support for a whole host of platforms and instant and automatic backup.
SugarSync also offers 5GB of storage space for free. You can pay $7.49 a month for 60GB, $9.99 for 100GB or $24.99 for 250GB. Business users can have 1TB for 3-24 users at $55 a month; anything extra and you’ll need to call sales for pricing. All of those monthly amounts can be discounted if you pay for a full year.