“The Cloud” has become a household term in today’s world. Everyone who has a computer, tablet or smartphone knows has heard of the cloud. Many people use a cloud service. The beauty of a cloud service is in storage capabilities. A cloud service allows you to store files that you either don’t have room for or don’t want to use an external drive for storage or need to share files with others.
Cloud storage makes file sharing very easy. Smartphones are now showing up with a cloud storage service already loaded in the app screen which allows the user automatically to save a copy of say a picture or video in the cloud storage. With all this new technology, how do you know which is the most reliable and the most secure? Here we will look at our top five picks for cloud storage services.
| Rank | Provider | Pros | Cons | Price | Extra |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DropBox |
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$9.99 / Month | DropBox Review Try DropBox |
| 2 | Google Drive |
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$9.99 / Month | Google Drive Review Try Google Drive |
| 3 | OneDrive |
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$6.99 / Month | SkyDrive Review Try SkyDrive |
| 4 | iCloud |
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$19.99 / Month | iCloud Review Try iCloud |
| 5 | Amazon cloud drive |
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$10 / Year | Amazon cloud drive Review Try Amazon cloud drive |
Drop Box
Drop Box is the reigning king of the cloud storage world. Despite the recent slip in the news, Drop box maintains that their service is safe and secure, and we believe them. The only truly work anywhere with anything cloud storage.
- Three different pricing plans. Free 2GB
- Apps available for ALL computers, phones, and tablets.
- Share with anyone; send links to specific files for those who don’t have Drop Box
- Access files saved on the Drop Box website.
- 256-Bit AES encryption.
- Share files between different devices; from an iPhone to an Android Tablet.
- Offers extra free storage options with various applications like enabling camera upload feature or the purchase of a Samsung Device.
- Works offline
Google Drive
Number two of our picks rein in Google Drive. If you have a Google email, then you have Google Drive. Free 15 GB of storage allows you to store anything anytime from anywhere so long as you have a Google email account. Google Drive packs a lot into their service
- Useable with Mac OS X, Windows, iOS, and Android; Smartphone, tablet or Computer
- Share files with anyone by invitation
- Works with Drive, Gmail and Google+ Photos
- Uses over 100 apps available in the Chrome Store
- Scans documents with Drive for Android
- Work offline
Microsoft SkyDrive
Microsoft is right up there with their cloud storage; SkyDrive also known as OneDrive. With a massive free storage; 15GB for individuals, SkyDrive is making headway in the cloud storage wars. SkyDrive works best with Windows 8 and now has updated apps for Android as well as upgraded apps for Mac OS X.
- 15 GB free
- Useable on PC, Mac, Tablets and Phones
- Works seamlessly with Office 2013
iCloud
If you have a Mac or any iOS device like iPhone, iPad or iPod, then the iCloud storage is what you have by default. If you have iTunes for PC, you can get iCloud as well, but it only works for the iTunes application.
- 5GB free storage
- Stores everything you purchase from the iStore automatically
- Not useable across all devices.
- Additional space can be purchase
Amazon Cloud Drive
Establishing the base of our pyramid is the Amazon cloud drive. A free service built right into your Amazon account; the cloud drive goes everywhere you do on every device you have. You get 5 GB of storage free to start, but you can add more storage when you need it.
- Useable across all devices and OS
- Unlimited storage with new generation Fire devices
- Built in app with Fire Phone, Fire tablets and Fire TV
- Drag and Drop and Automatic save option.
Whether you’re looking to save a few photos and music or integrate work and school files with team members, Cloud storage is the only way to fly. From Amazon Cloud to Drop Box, the sky is the limit when it comes to cloud storage. Our favorites are the cream of the crop and with better technology emerging every day, the options for cloud storage services are ever expanding.
If you wanna add more to this list, contact us.