The Top 5 Online Storage Providers
Written by Jules90f
|
15 March 2010
| Property |
Dropbox.io
| ADrive
| SugarSync
| Mozy
| Box.net
|
| Rating |
5/5
|
5/5
|
5/5
|
4/5 |
4/5 |
Feature Sets
|
Nothing could be simpler; Just download the desktop app, install, then leave it to do the work
|
Premum plans offer file history that allows you to go back to a file's previous version and edit documents directly through the Zoho Online Document Editor
|
Integrated file versioning saves up to 5 versions of a file without taking up too much of your storage space
|
All plans feature strong security, traceable in part to Mozy's beginnings as an online backup service
|
Premium plans offer strong collaboration features, including creation of sub–accounts and workgroups
|
Pricing
|
Free |
Free; also offers different pricing plans, from $13.95 for 100GB to $139.95 for 1TB
|
Free for up to 2GB, pricing plans range from $4.99 for 30GB up to $24.99 for 250GB
|
Free for up to 2GB, unlimited storage space at $4.95 makes it the cheapest options
|
Free for up to 1GB, pricing plans range from $9.95 for 5GB to $25 for unlimited storage space |
Security
|
Secure file transfers, but file sharing is unsecure
|
Secure file transfer not available under the Free plan
|
Secure file transfer and file sharing on all plans
|
Secure file transfer
|
Secure file transfer and file sharing
|
| Cons |
Lack of collaboration features |
Basic free service does not cut it when it comes to security
|
No file searching capability
|
No file sharing
|
No drag-and-drop
|
Dropbox.io pioneered unattended file backup to its servers. All you have to do is install the Dropbox desktop program, designate a folder on your PC that will serve as your 'dropbox,' then forget about it. Dropbox will then take care of backing up the files you drop in the designated folder.
ADrive, one of the newer players in online storage, offers a free plan with 50GB storage, the biggest among the five. But file encryption is not available on the Free plan. You have to avail of the paying plans to get file encryption and other premium services.
SugarSync is the only one with file versioning capabilities, allowing you to go back to previous versions. What's more, only the latest version takes up precious storage space.
Mozy, one of the pioneers in online backup, also has the cheapest unlimited storage plan at $4.95 per month.
Lastly, Box.net is strong on collaboration features, and is often touted as a better alternative to Microsoft's Sharepoint platform.
