10 superlative file-sharing services: Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, OneDrive, and more than

Most file-sharing services have evolved into full-blown collaboration platforms. We look at 10 online services ranging from basic to enterprise-level.

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Back in the pre-cloud days, sharing files involved using file transfer protocol applications or else copying files to a disc and then mailing it or walking it over to a colleague (affectionately known equally 'sneakernet'). Emails could also be sent (and many people still use electronic mail every bit their main "file-sharing" option), merely size limits on attachments and security concerns discouraged this practice.

Today'due south world of file sharing offers nearly endless options. Giants like Dropbox, Box, Google, Microsoft, and Apple, equally well as smaller companies like MediaFire and Tresorit, all offer online cloud storage options that include file sharing, synchronization across multiple devices, and collaboration features. Once you accept uploaded a file to one of these services, file-sharing is as easy as clicking a "share" button and so sending the link to a colleague via email. While most offering desktop and mobile applications, users tin can likewise upload, store, sync, and share files via a web browser.

The services we've chosen are listed hither in alphabetical club and cover a range of options, from basic services for consumers to enterprise-level services. This is non an exhaustive list of all services, but rather a sampling of the big players and some lesser-known vendors.

To cheque file transfer times for each, we uploaded a 245MB ZIP file using an net connection with an average upload speed of 86 megabits/second. (See "How nosotros tested.")

Box

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Information technology's nearly impossible to talk about Box without mentioning Dropbox (and vice versa), as the two are frequently pitted against each other. Box has always been geared toward businesses and enterprises, while Dropbox used to exist largely focused on consumers and SMBs. But both services at present include enterprise collaboration features and cloud content direction via integrations with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365/Function 365, and many others, along with enterprise-course security and management options.

There is a free plan for individudals that lets you lot kick the tires — it offers 10GB of storage, a 250MB file upload limit, and the ability to share these files with limited permissions. The file upload size limit is a bit strict if you are trying to share video files, but the 10GB storage limit is still pretty generous. Additionally, all of Box'south concern plans offer a 14-twenty-four hours free trial.

Free account storage space: 10GB

Gratuitous business relationship max file size: 250MB

Paid accounts : Personal Pro, 100GB storage, $ten/month; Business Starter, 100GB storage, $5/user/month; Business, unlimited storage, $15/user/month; Business Plus, unlimited storage, $25/user/calendar month; Enterprise, unlimited storage, $35/user/month; Enterprise Plus, unlimited storage, custom pricing. (All business organization plans require at to the lowest degree 3 users. Prices shown are for annual payments.)

Paid account max file size: Personal Pro, 5GB; Business Starter, 2GB; Business, 5GB; Business organisation Plus, 15GB; Enterprise, 50GB, Enterprise Plus, 150GB.

Additional features with business organisation plans: Born integrations with Slack (as well every bit Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace), plus 1 additional enterprise app integration; Box Sign (unlimited e-signatures via web app); Box Relay (workflow automation); data loss protection; two-factor authentication; SSO; Active Directory integration; other user management features. Higher-level plans offer additional enterprise app integrations; HIPAA/FedRAMP compliance; certificate watermarking; AI-powered threat detection; more.

Time to upload 245MB file: 35 seconds

Citrix ShareFile

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ShareFile, which Citrix acquired in 2011, creates a custom file-sharing site for your concern, so you can share files easily with clients, partners, co-workers, and others. For case, your accountant might use ShareFile to deeply share tax documents with you. The service offers lots of compelling features and tools for business concern users, including workflow management, document collaboration, e-signatures, and integration with Outlook and Gmail.

Security is robust, likewise, with enterprise-grade encryption and customizable permissions settings. The ShareFile dashboard makes information technology easy to add new users and toggle between personal and shared folders. Full-featured apps are available for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. There is no free plan, but you lot can try the Premium version for free for 30 days without having to enter a credit menu number. The company likewise offers a virtual data room for 5 employee users, which offers advanced security, sharing, and control for sensitive data.

Gratuitous business relationship storage space: North/A

Free account max file size: Due north/A

Paid accounts : Standard, unlimited storage, $50/month; Avant-garde, unlimited storage, $77/month; Premium, unlimited storage, $122/month; Virtual Information Room, 5GB storage, $338/month. All plans are for upwards to 5 employee users (boosted employee user fees are $10–$24/user/month) and unlimited client users. (Prices shown are for annual payments.)

Paid business relationship max file size: Standard, Advanced, and Premium, 100GB; Virtual Data Room, 5GB.

Other paid options include: Feedback and approvals workflow; activeness logs; versioning; third-party integrations including Microsoft 365/Office 365 collaboration.

Time to upload 245MB file: 1 minute, 38 seconds

Dropbox

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Every bit previously mentioned, Dropbox and Box are big players in the business marketplace, offering enterprise-level security and management features every bit well as a healthy ecosystem of integrated tertiary-political party apps that brand the services more robust. Both have continually evolved and improved to the betoken that, for most organizations, either i is a great option.

In recent years, Dropbox has been adding features aimed at boosting productivity and collaboration, such every bit the ability to create Microsoft Office or Google Docs/Sheets/Slides files from inside Dropbox and a new shared Spaces interface for team collaboration.

To try before you purchase, Dropbox's gratuitous Basic plan for individuals offers 2GB of storage. A 30-24-hour interval complimentary trial is available for all business plans.

Free business relationship storage space: 2GB

Free account max file size: No limit, merely must be smaller than your storage infinite quota.

Paid accounts : Personal plans include Plus (1 user, 2TB storage, $x per month) and Family unit (up to half dozen users, 2TB shared storage, $17/month). Work plans include Professional (1 user, 3TB storage, $xvi.sixty/calendar month); Standard (3+ users, 5TB storage, $12.50/user/calendar month); Advanced (three+ users, unlimited storage, $20/user/month). For enterprise plans, contact Dropbox Sales. (Prices shown are for annual payments.)

Boosted features with business plans: 180 days of file recovery and version history, 180-day history for Dropbox Rewind (recover from accidents/ransomware by reversing changes at folder or account level), remote device wipe, 2-gene authentication, document watermarking, shared link controls, file locking, branded sharing, priority e-mail support, and live chat back up. Higher-level plans offer HIPAA compliance, an admin console, SSO integration, inspect logs, more.

Time to upload 245MB file: 56 seconds

Google Drive

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If you're already invested in the Google ecosystem, Google Drive is a no-brainer, since it integrates with Google's productivity apps, such equally Google Docs. Fifty-fifty if you don't utilise other Google services, Google Drive is worth considering, as it gives users 15GB of free storage (shared with other Google services). Its rates are besides competitive — 200GB costs individuals just $thirty/yr.

With the Backup and Sync desktop client, you lot can choose which of your Windows or macOS computer folders to continually sync to Google Drive — you don't accept to go on files in a designated folder, as you do with some services. Permissions on shared files can get complicated — we've often shared a link with colleagues only to get a response saying that they can't admission the file. Just once you can access a file, collaborating on documents in existent time through Google's other productivity apps is as good as it gets.

Beyond the 15GB free program, Bulldoze is available to individuals through a Google 1 plan. Businesses tin opt for either a Google Workspace programme, which includes Bulldoze, Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and other productivity/collaboration apps, or Workspace Essentials, which includes all of the above except Gmail and Agenda. A 14-solar day free trial is bachelor for business plans.

Free business relationship storage space: 15GB

Free account max file size: 5TB (with some exceptions)

Paid accounts: Google 1 plans for individuals: 100GB, $2/month; 200GB, $3/month; 2TB, $10/month; 10TB, $50/month; 20TB, $100/month; 30TB, $150/month. Google Workspace Essentials plans for businesses: 100GB per user/2TB pooled deject storage, $viii/user/calendar month. Google Workspace plans for businesses: Business organization Starter: 30GB storage per user, $6/user/month; Business Standard: 2TB storage per user, $12/user/calendar month; Business Plus: 5TB storage per user, $18/user/calendar month; Enterprise (300+ users): unlimited storage, contact sales for pricing.

Boosted features with business organization plans: Security and management controls, 24/7 telephone and email back up, centralized admin console, audit and reporting. College-level plans offer avant-garde endpoint management, information loss prevention, context-aware access, more.

Time to upload 245MB file: 48 seconds

iCloud Drive

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Anyone who owns a Mac, iPhone, or iPad probable already has the costless 5GB of online storage via iCloud that comes with the creation of an AppleID, and those users can share folders and documents with other iCloud users. Although Apple does offer an iCloud app for Windows, it'due south probable that this mainly benefits Apple users who also apply a Windows PC; we don't actually meet people who are primarily Windows users signing upwardly for an iCloud account to use the service, particularly because iCloud does not have an Android app. Android device users could access iCloud via the web app, only they would likely employ Google'due south online cloud storage to back up their photos and videos anyway.

As with other online storage services, users can set upwards iCloud to automatically back up and sync specific folders from their estimator to their iCloud account, such every bit the Documents folder, Desktop folder, or others. Photos and videos from an iPhone or iPad can besides be automatically synchronized. Using this characteristic can speedily swallow upwardly the 5GB of gratis infinite, so information technology'southward likely that anyone using iCloud for such purposes would upgrade to a paid account. At $three per month for 200GB, it's still a relatively good bargain for the Apple faithful.

While iCloud users tin can use their personal accounts to share files with colleagues (and those files are encrypted in transit and at remainder), this is essentially a consumer service.

Free account storage space: 5GB

Free account max file size: 5GB in theory, as long as it doesn't exceed storage limits.

Paid accounts : 50GB, $1 per month; 200GB, $3/month; 2TB, $ten/month. Apple allows these plans to exist shared with family unit members (up to 5 other members). Those who subscribe to Apple services such as Apple Music or Apple TV+ may also be able to salvage money through Apple One bundling.

Paid business relationship max file size 50GB, as long equally it doesn't exceed storage limits.

Additional features with paid plans: Upgrading your storage amount doesn't requite you additional features, dissimilar with other online storage services.

Fourth dimension to upload 245MB file: 1 infinitesimal, 56 seconds