USB drives are outdated, not to mention the remains of CD/DVD technology. Cloud is the future of digital storage and, today, everyone knows this. Speaking about file hosting services, California-based DropBox serves as the flagship of the industry. However, although most popular, it is far from being the only such platform out there. With this in mind, if you ever find yourself in desperate need of a cloud storage service other than DropBox, here are five completely adequate alternatives.
1. OneDrive
If there is one thing Microsoft excels at, it is making their own versions of already successful trends. One quick glance at the Windows Phone or Xbox is all you’ll need to back up this statement. In this manner, OneDrive is nothing more than Microsoft’s DropBox. This service offers 15 GB of free storage space, which means that you will probably have enough space for most of your photos, videos and even music. Its greatest downside is that files in it are not sorted by any logical pattern.
2. Mega.co.nz
Once upon a time, Kim Dotcom’s Megaupload was almost as big as The Pirate Bay. Consequently, it had pretty much the same purpose, which ultimately brought to its demise. From its ashes, a mighty haven of piracy, Mega.co.nz, rose like a phoenix. Today, Mega can pride itself with over 15 million registered users worldwide. Unlike aforementioned OneDrive, this particular file hosting service offers up to 50 GB of free space. Still, its founder Kim Dotcom is no longer a part of Mega’s team, as he has gone his separate way and currently works on a brand new version of Megaupload.
3. pCloud
One of the greatest issues of cloud storage is the matter of security, and this is what puts pCloud head and shoulders above the rest. This entire industry has been polluted with myths and misconceptions of cloud not being safe enough for businesses. In order to demonstrate the security of their cloud storage, the team behind pCloud came up with the idea of making a crypto challenge. Namely, somewhere on their network, there was an encrypted folder with a hidden file. Those able to decrypt it would get $100,000. After six months and over 2800 hacking attempts, the challenge has remained unbeaten.
4. Amazon Cloud Drive
As a global conglomerate, Amazon didn’t miss out on the opportunity to try its fortune in this industry as well. Even though it offers only 5 GB of storage space, Amazon is a renowned brand and, as such, has tons of fans around the globe. This sentiment alone, as well as the habit of using Amazon’s other services, has greatly contributed to its popularity. A perfect example that not everything can be measured through offered features, even in this line of work.
5. E-Box
Last, but not the least important is E-Box. This particular service offers a lot of advantages over its competitors. One of them that may seem most unorthodox is that the company itself is based in the UK. For all those who fear the latest privacy infringement regulations by the US government, this can be extremely important. Furthermore, this storage service is extremely simple to use and its interface is compatible with any browser.
Conclusion:
As you can see, while all these companies provide services similar to that of DropBox, they are completely different. Every single one of them has their own set of flaws and advantages, as well as their target demographic. Also, like Amazon example (and even OneDrive) demonstrated, brand loyalty can sometimes speak louder than the objective performance. Which one of them suits you best is on you alone to decide. Like in the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, make sure to choose wisely in order not to regret your lack of judgment later on.
