Data Backup Digest

OpenDrive dons itself as the “cloud workplace”. The service offers a number of cloud-based solutions that will help you manage your data and have greater access to it. Offering storage, backup and content management, OpenDrive is a powerful tool that a lot of users will be interested in. This article will explore the service, check out some of the in-depth features on offer and see whether it’s worth your money.

Users upload their data to OpenDrive’s cloud and will be able to access it from wherever they are at any time. The service is available online through your browser, on a Windows or Mac desktop, and on your iPhone or Android mobile device.

OpenDrive allows you to easily share your data, be it specific files or whole folders. You can add users to your account so that they can access everything directly, should you wish. The service also allows you to directly embed your files for use on websites or email, meaning that OpenDrive can be used as a private and public storage facility.

In terms of security, files are transferred through a 128 bit encrypted SSL connection. Premium users are able to upload files to an even more secure folder, where uploaded files are encrypted with AES-256 on-the-fly. The encryption key never leaves your computer and the files are encrypted before they’re sent to the OpenDrive server. It’s a shame that this has to be a paid feature, as highest security should really be the standard with cloud storage, but it’s a good feature for those on a higher membership tier.

OpenDrive is also available for businesses, allowing enterprises to create a virtual private network between all their devices, enabling sync or backup across the whole network. The software also integrates smoothly within the operating system, meaning that there’s no need for employees to be confused and they can go about their work as usual.

According to OpenDrive’s pricing page, they’ll match any competitor’s price. It’s not known whether this promise is actually withheld, but that’s a pretty bold marketing move if it’s true. There are three types of plans on offer: Basic, Personal and Business.

Basic is free and includes 5GB of storage with a file size limit of 100MB. The transfer speeds are also capped at 200KB/s and the only features you get are unlimited computer access, auto syncing and backup and online tools. For those looking to trial the service, it’s the plan to go for, but other services offer better free packages.

Personal costs $12.95/month ($129/year) and has unlimited storage and no limit on file size or speed. It also comes with additional features such as file encryption, redundant backup and file versioning. Business costs $29.95/month ($299/year) and comes with all the same features, plus the ability to set up accounts for different users, making it great in an enterprise environment.

You can also set up a custom plan, specifying the amount of storage (limit of 5TB), bandwidth (limit of 1TB) and user access (limit of 1000) you want.