Cloud-Based Storage: Which One and How Much?

Cloud storage provides services which make sure that your files are stored securely on the web and are ready to access anywhere with an Internet connection. These services can also sync the same files across all your devices, making sure that you have the most up-to-date edits and information. You can also use cloud storage to backup your computer, eliminating the need to sign up for another designated online backup service.

Instead of the constant hassle of emailing important documents back and forth to yourself, you can have peace of mind that your files have already been uploaded to the web without you having to lift a finger. In this story, we evaluate the latest cloud storage solutions based on the most required features, to help you choose the right one for your need.

File & folder share

The online file and folder sharing services are among the most useful techniques in use, regardless of their size. They provide a copy of the file or folder on the cloud, which can be used at any point of time. Now the difference amongst various services is that some provide file and folder sharing whereas others don't.

Back up & protection

Whether it's a hard disc failure, computer theft or unintentional deletion of data, it's very easy to lose data. In a cloud scenario, there are mainly two types of back up services provided to users. One is dedicated back up service where the users manually update and back up their data to the cloud, while the other is the cloud sync service which add a drive to the computer, the contents of which are automatically and invisibly synced online. For additional security, you have the option of password protection of files and folders shared on the cloud.

Desktop & mobile apps

Some online storage services provide a desktop app that you need to download onto your computer. You can upload local files to your online account through this desktop app, which often shows up as a virtual drive on your desktop. Likewise there are other storage services that provide apps for portable devices like mobiles and tablets. You can access your files from any computer that has an Internet connection.

Ease of use

Before going for a cloud service one should look for services that are powerful yet simple enough for the average consumer to understand and use. It should have simple and straight forward file uploading and software installation process. It shouldn't take too much time for uploading large sized files. You should be able to drag and drop contents within the desktop app in order to upload them to the online storage.

Storage space & price

An important point to consider when going for a cloud storage service is how much storage space is being provided?Different service providers have different pricing schemes. Initially, almost all of them give some amount of space for free. The best cloud services are those that provide unlimited storage for a flat monthly fee. This means you can store as many files as you want without the service ever capping your limit.

Operating Systems supported

There are various operating systems available, both for desktops and mobiles. All these have a vast number of users. Naturally, it becomes imperative for cloud services to provide cross platform compatibility to attract and support users from different platforms.

Box

Box is a cloud storage solution which provides online storage for all kinds of files. It can be accessed from any device: a computer, mobile or a tablet. It provides free online storage of 5 GB. Box storage service gives different data storage plans in three different categories i.e. Personal, Business & Enterprise IT. Uploading of files and folders on the cloud is very easy and fast. For free users, there is a limit of 100 MB for the size of files and folders that can be uploaded at a time. Users can create web documents, Google docs and spreadsheets. But there is no provision for automatic or scheduled backups. Also there is no desktop or mobile app for this solution. As a result, you cant drag and drop files and folders from your desktop to this solution. Box lets you impose constraints on authorization and permissions for shared files and folders. Thus you can decide what recipients do with those files, edit, delete or simply view them. Apart from Linux, Box is compatible with almost every platform like Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, BlackBerry, etc.

Bottomline : Box is for users who want an easy to use and intuitive user interface for uploading files & folders, impose restrictions over them and do not necessarily require automatic back ups.

Dropbox

Dropbox provides online storage for all types of files and folders, and these are also easily accessible, no matter what type of computer or device you are using. It provides free online storage of 2 GB which can be incremented by 500MB when you invite someone into using Dropbox. There are three more paid data usage schemes: 50 GB, 100GB and 1TB. However, before using Dropbox, you have to install the Dropbox application. Through this application, you can select the folders to be synched and also the location of the Dropbox folder on your system. The Dropbox folder contains two folders by default--public & photos, and PDF-which gives you the information about Dropbox and its usage. You can simply drag and drop files in this Drop Box folder and they will be synchronized with online storage. If you drop files in the public folder, they will be shared with everyone. The size limit for uploading a file is 300MB. Dropbox works equally well on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and BlackBerry. It provides sufficient support options if you need assistance.

Bottomline : A smartly designed UI and desktop client, ease of use, drag and drop facility, automatic back up, all OS compatibility, make Dropbox one of the most favorable options to go with.

4shared.com

4shared is more like a website which has the capability to be used as online back up. It is possible to back up both files and folders in 4shared. The types of files which can be handled by 4shared are music, videos, photos, games, office, web, mobile and Android. It provides 15 GB of free online storage space. You can upload any number of files within the storage limit but there is a limit to the file size, 2 GB. If the file is made public then anyone using Internet can access that file and if it is restricted then only registered users can view them. Apart from setting permissions you can also protect files with a password but that is not reliable as anyone over the Internet can view files uploaded by you. You cannot upload two or more files simultaneously. 4shared is available for Windows, Mac and Linux users. For mobile platform, they provide various apps. For $9.95/month you get 100 GB of storage space. There is a desktop app, but to use that app you have to first login to your account. There are free apps available for Android, iOS and BlackBerry platforms for using 4shared.

Bottomline : If you are looking for an online backup site which is reliable and secure then this solution isn't for you. However, if you love the file sharing aspect then you may consider this.

MyOtherDrive

My Other drive provides only 2 GB of online space, which is less as compared to other cloud storage solutions but its other features make it a very decent online storage service. You can upload files with a size limit of 100 MB. It uses an HTTPS connection which makes sure that data transfer and purchasing is done through a secure connection. Apart from file sharing, it lets you backup your files. There are two types of backups - archive and synchronized. You can either back up your data manually or can go for unattended backup which is automatic. Under automatic backup option you can schedule the backup and it will automatically back up your data and send you a notification through email upon successful completion. However, there is no desktop client and drag and drop feature. The interface of the File Manager of MyOtherDrive is quite simple. Using the options provided, you can straight away upload, backup and send files. You can also drag and drop files that you want to upload. The files that you will upload can be protected and shared with others. Also, if you have any important data that you do not want to share with anyone, then you can encrypt that data. It is compatible with only Windows and Mac OS.

Bottomline : An Average cloud storage solution which lags behind the other service providers in features and performance.

SkyDrive

Microsoft's Skydrive. It provides free cloud storage of 7GB and users can upload any type of file and folder. It is compatible with Windows, Mac OS and all major mobile platforms like android, iOS & blackberry. There are separate apps for windows phone, android, ipad, and iphone. You can create folders and upload files and can choose who all can access files and whether they can add, modify files in a folder. If it is your personal folder then it is by default protected using your Windows mail id or in other words you have to login using your Windows Live id to access those files and folders that you are sharing, can be accessed by your friends using their Windows mail ID. You can also create online word documents, spread sheets, OneNote and PowerPoint presentation and save them in folders. If you want to store data from other devices then you can get 5 GB of synched storage, but you need to have Windows Live mesh installed on your system. There is a desktop app, through which you can easily upload the files by dragging and dropping.

Bottomline : A complete cloud storage solution but for a naïve user, the configuration and installation of SkyDrive for the first time would not be easier.

YouSendIt

YouSendIt is very simple and useful file sharing service. It is a cloud service solution which is accessible virtually from anywhere and anytime. The service plans of storage and pricing is categorized in three different sections, namely Lite, Pro and Pro plus. Lite is the basic one which gives free storage of 2GB, whereas Pro and Pro plus provide 5GB and unlimited data storage respectively. The price for Pro plus is $14.99/month. The maximum upload file size limit for free user is 50MB. There are no complicated processes or technical procedures to perform to access online backup capabilities. YouSendIt takes care of it automatically while you manage your content. After uploading files to your YouSendIt folder, the syncing process immediately begins. A copy of the content is created in the cloud within seconds, placing it in a central location which you can access from a desktop, laptop or mobile device. For secure sharing of confidential documents, YouSendIt has a feature E-signatures which uses cryptography for digitally signing the page. There are desktop and mobile apps available for Windows, Mac, android, iOS and Blackberry. Through which you can easily drag and drop contents that needs to be uploaded over the cloud storage. Also you can keep track of downloading contents.

Bottomline : YouSendIt is a power-packed cloud storage solution with excellent e-signatured file sharing technique and is meant especially for Enterprise.

Google Drive

Google Drive has introduced cloud-based storage solutions for its users to keep their files stored and secured over the cloud. The contents are accessible from any compatible platform like Windows, Mac, iOS, android, Blackberry. It provides free storage of 5GB with an incredible file upload size limit of 10GB. It readily integrates with Google docs and supports easy creation and sharing of new files. It also automatically backup the content in the Google Drive. Files on the drive can be attached to Gmail messages with a link rather than the entire thing. Google claims over 30 file types can be viewed from inside the browser, including Illustrator and Photoshop, even if the parent application is not installed on the computer. There is a variety of apps integrated with Google Drive. For configuring Google Drive first you have add it to your Google account. After that you can start using and can download desktop client for Windows and Mac. It's very easy to upload file to the cloud storage by just dragging and dropping the content to the desktop client. As compared to some other cloud service, Google Drive is much cheaper, as price for 25GB is $2.49 and that for 100GB is $4.99. When you upgrade to a paid account, your Gmail account storage will also expand to 25GB.

Bottomline : Google Drive is an excellent performer as it integrates storage, Google+ and Google Docs into a nearly seamless cloud-based office suite.

Carbonite

Carbonite offers unlimited cloud backup and restore solution for home and small business users. The pricing is done in three different categories on the basis of storage needed and they are Home ($59/yr), HomePlus ($99/yr) and Homepremier ($149/yr). All of these provide file & folder backup and web & mobile access. Windows and Mac are supported in Home, otherwise only Windows is supported platform for other two categories. However, there are mobile apps for carbonite in android market, iOS and Blackberry world. Carbonite provide regular scheduled and incremental backup which means that backups only occur if changes to existing files have been made or new files have been added. Rather than using a dedicated file manager, Carbonite uses a right-click option in Windows Explorer to add files and folders to the backup, which works extremely elegantly. Carbonite also only provides one computer per subscription. This means while you can access your saved files from any computer, you can only fully back up one computer under your Carbonite subscription. Carbonite is very easy to use and install. There is one desktop client info center which is also very easy to handle. But there is no drag and drop facility for Carbonite users. It lacks the service of any file sharing capabilities and file versioning.

Bottomline : Carbonite provides unlimited backup at an attractive price but lacks other necessary features, so it is good for users who want to back every single bit from their computer.

Sugarsync

Sugarsync is one of the low cost cloud storage services in the market. It provides free storage of 5 GB and has different upgradable plans ranging from 30GB to 250GB. Each time you complete a task, you are gifted with free 125GB and when your 20 friends start using Sugarsync on your invitation, then you will get 2GB free storage. Sugarsync provide continuous real-time backups. So if you work on a file in the morning, then something happens and you need to restore the file a couple hours later, SugarSync is there for you. It can share files and folders very easily and there is no constraints on upload size limit. Sugarsync can handle almost all type of file including photos and videos. It can share with public links, collaborate with shared folders and can apply folder permissions and password protection over them. SugarSync keeps the previous five versions of your entire document in case you need to reference or recover them in the future. Only the most recent version of each of your files counts towards your storage limit. There is a desktop client which is very easy to install but there is no drag and drop feature. It runs well on any platform (except linux) and there are apps for android, blackberry and iOS.

Bottomline : If you want to sync and / or share a lot of stuff, in addition to backing up your most valuable files, then SugarSync is the service for you.

iCloud

iCloud is a cloud based storage service which is dedicated especially for Mac & iOS environment. Though it provides support for Windows pc but it doesn't support Linux operating system. Likewise in mobile environment it is only compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. To use iCloud, you have to first set it up with your Apple ID on a device with iOS5 or Mac with OS X Lion 10.7.2. It can handle almost all types of files like music, photos, documents etc. It has excellent automatic syncing service. iCloud can automatically download new music purchases to all your devices over Wi-Fi — or over a cellular network if you choose. One part of iCloud that you should definitely take advantage of is automatic backup. A second feature to jump on upon installing iCloud is Find My iPhone or Find My iPad. Turn it on, and it can help you locate or remotely wipe a lost or stolen phone or tablet. There is no limit as such on the amount of data to be uploaded. But there is no desktop client for dragging and dropping content directly to the cloud storage. Each account has 5 GB of free storage. Additional storage could be purchased in tiers of 10, 20, or 50 GB (50 GB being the maximum) for US$20 per 10 GB per year.

Bottomline : iCloud can be the ultimate choice for users having Mac or iOS device, as it has much more to offer than a regular cloud storage.

justcloud

justcloud provides a wide range of features that make cloud storage both easy and effective. An area where JustCloud unquestionably surpasses the competition is storage space, delivering unbeatable value-per-dollar with unlimited storage. You can set backups to occur on a specific schedule, such as daily, weekly or monthly. Additionally, you can initiate automatic backups, meaning the service automatically saves any changes to backed-up files and new files added to any backed-up folder. Also you can set the maximum file size to back up which ranges from 1MB to 5GB. But initially for trial there is only 15MB for backing up. Though almost all types of files can be backed up but if you want to add some other file type, you can do it. There is a option of secure connectivity. But data transmission is done using secure HTTPS only. With this, you can also encrypt and share the cloud data. Justcloud can utilize the Volume Shadow Copy service to backup files that are locked or in-use. You can download desktop client and use it for dragging and dropping the content. One of the advantages to using JustCloud is its easy-to-use interface. If you're unfamiliar with cloud storage, it will take a few minutes for you to learn how it works.

Bottomline : With unlimited storage and rich functionality, JustCloud proves to be one of the best all-around online storage services.

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