Storing stuff on the cloud is continuing its upward trend.
No more costly infrastructure that breaks down, losing your important data. Videos, documents, photos, movies and personal files can all live on a cloud ready for instant access from wherever you are. Just log into your cloud storage account and everything is there when you need it.
But, there are so many cloud storage providers offering low-cost storage while keeping your data safe on their servers. Here are some of the top providers to help you join the right cloud cyberspace for you. And if you want your office setup with one of these services, we can integrate it into a plan with our managed it support service.
SugarSync
Get a free 30-day trial to check out whether SugarSync suits you. Prices start at $US7.49 ($AUD10) for 100 GB. You can back up any device, and backup an existing folder structure straight to your personal cloud. Add or edit a file using one machine, and have it instantly available across all your devices.
Simple to backup all your devices in real time so you can access your files from anywhere on any device – Android, Mac, PC or iOS. SugarSync gives you seamless access to your files on the road, at home and in the office. Start work on a project at home on a tablet or laptop. Go to the office in the morning and start work where you left off.
Dropbox
The best-known cloud storage provider, Dropbox, only offers 2 GB for free. Link your Dropbox to your social media accounts. When friends sign up, your free storage space increases to 16 GB. Prices start at $AUD11.58 a month for a massive 1 TB of cloud storage.
Dropbox is a common name in among the clouds. It is one of the oldest cloud storage providers. Dropbox is ideal for collaborating on work with people. It is intuitive and allows you to sync your files and share them with whoever you like. Data is accessed from any device, even if those you share with do not have an account. This is a low-cost, powerful solution for personal and casual use.
Prices for businesses start at $AUD14.17 a month for all the cloud storage you need. You read right. There are no limits on how much you store. It is available for Mac, Linux and Windows users. In fact, we can help you get this setup and syncing with our cloud service we now offer as well.
Google Drive
Google Drive generously offers 15 GB free cloud storage. Google provides low-cost, reliable storage with Mac and Windows options. If you need more than what comes free, it costs $1.99 ($AUS2.50) for 100 GB or 1 TB costs $US9.99 ($AUD13) a month.
It is convenient for people with Android devices as they come with preloaded with Google Drive. It is great for storing good quality photos on your phone. But, it is not easy to use. You can download a desktop app that allows you to drop files into Google Drive to upload.
The downside of this affordable option is Google can use your data for their own purposes. This is not so good for your privacy, when you pair cheap cloud storage along with Google’s many other apps including free email. Consider this when choosing the right cloud to buy.
OneDrive
OneDrive is the Windows solution combined into File Explorer. It is integrated into Windows 10 when you download it. It comes with free 5 GB of cloud storage. Adding another 50 GB will cost just $US1.99 ($AUD2.50) a month. Sync pictures across all your devices. There is a version available for iOS, Mac and Android machines.
Access your files from anywhere using any device. Use Microsoft OneDrive to collaborate and share with friends, family, and work colleagues using Word, PowerPoint, OneNote and Excel.
Mega
Mega is making its name claiming all data is encrypted before reaching it servers. With a huge 50 GB free cloud storage offered, its drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to use. Sign up for a mega pro package and get up to 4TB encrypted cloud storage from only €8.33 ($AUD11.80) a month. This New Zealand company, around since only 2013, believes everyone has a right to their privacy for a low cost.
Upload your files, videos and photos and sync the data automatically with all your devices. With Mega available for Linux, Windows and Mac it is a powerful app that has earned a good reputation for it stringent protection of your data. Its approach to data security is to design for security rather than just have security policies in place. Although Mega has ‘powerful end-to-end encryption’, it is still easy to use.
IDrive
IDrive gives you 5 GB of cloud storage on unlimited devices. For more space prices start at $US52 ($AUD69) for 1 TB for the first year. There is no free trial but the free 5 GB of free space never expires. Although only compatible with Mac and Windows, IDrive provides continuous file synching on all drives and devices. And, has good version support where you can revert as far back as 10 versions of a file, if you ever need.
Its web interface allows you to share stuff via Facebook, Twitter and email. Are you forever deleting the stuff you think you no longer want and later regret it? No more. Data is not deleted from the main server. IDrive’s Express service can send you an external hard drive with copies of all your data. No longer do you need to worry if you accidently delete your data, or your computer crashes and you lose the lot.
You can instantly restore your old files.
Privacy is also a strong point for IDrive. It has 256-bit AES encryption. It also has provision to use your own encryption key. Known only to you. No more can anyone hack into your private data.
Now you have some idea of the best cloud storage choices on the market, take the time to check them out. Get rid of your old physical hardware, and the expense of replacements and lost data. Consider moving all your data to your own personal cloud. Never lose anything again.