The advance of technological progress, thanks to the particular historical period we are living, has changed many aspects of our lives. Smart working and DAD, as well as the need to store large amounts of data and share them instantly, has given way to the spread of new features and possibilities. Among these, also cloud technology, which just recently has been the protagonist of an unprecedented spread and popularity. The reason is obvious: the storage “in the clouds”, whether for photos, videos, documents or personal files, offers the incomparable advantage to save, manage and view everything we need simply by connecting to the network, allowing the already mentioned sharing with other users online.
And if it is true that the offer has inevitably grown at the same pace, in this guide we will consequently analyze together which is the best cloud on the market. To do so, we’re going to explore the main cloud storage services, their peculiar characteristics, their functioning and obviously the associated costs beyond the basic free plan. The goal, through dedicated paragraphs, is to identify and then choose the one that best suits our needs.
Google Drive
The cloud storage service probably best known by the masses, and for many even the best cloud available on the market, is Google Drive, made by the Mountain View company already a giant search engine. If it is true that the commitment of Big G also goes into the Cloud Gaming with the innovative Google Stadia, in the same way it is natural that the cloud technology has been used as a basis to give life to a platform of storage and sharing as functional and optimized. Google Drive offers different storage spaces according to our specific needs.
The basic one, and completely free, allows us to take advantage of 15 GB of cloud space. Should we need additional storage, the American company has thought of developing additional paid packages, for the use of Google One subscribers. It starts from a minimum of 100 GB of online space, priced at 1.99 euros per month, up to a maximum of 2 TB of cloud space, priced instead at 9.99 euros per month.
To be noted for a more accurate assessment of the product is that the space of Drive is used, and consequently occupied, also by Google Photos and Gmail emails: consequently, you will understand that a subscription to Google One may be absolutely necessary for an optimal experience. One of the greatest strengths of Google Drive compared to the competition is that it interfaces with several additional tools that go to facilitate the creation and sharing of online documents, the reference being precisely to Google Docs as well as the presence of an interesting Bakcup and Synchronization feature that lets us always have at our disposal a backup copy of the files on our computer.
Not only that, Drive uses Google’s search capabilities and AI to predict even more effectively and quickly what the user is looking for. In terms of “mobility” things work smoothly too, considering that Google Drive can also be downloaded completely free of charge as an app for iOS and Android devices, just as we do for so many other apps in the App Store and Google Play catalogs.
iCloud
iCloud, as fans of Apple products will already know, is the default cloud storage service for all users who have chosen to buy devices from the bitten apple. In that of Cupertino, a platform has been created that provides 5 GB of free storage space. If you too are used to using Apple devices, you’ll be aware that this is a rather small memory, and that it will tend to be soon filled with all your files. Whether it´s photos, videos or important documents, iCloud space will need to be expanded to ensure maximum coverage and security of our data.
And of everything we want to store and share among the files we own, always present and available on iCloud Drive. Not only that, the problem of the few GB, becomes even more critical if we think that there are many applications of iOS and macOS that interface and exploit in a rather intensive way the well-known cloud storage of Tim Cook and his.
Unfortunately, as in the case of Google Drive, even on iCloud you can buy packages of additional memory, at prices for more rather affordable. Apple has come up with several subscription plans: the cheapest one allows you to get up to 50 GB of extra storage by paying 99 euro cents per month; the second among the official ones, instead, is priced at 2.99 euro per month for 200 GB of online space; the last one is the most comprehensive one, and, with its 9.99 euro per month for 2 TB of cloud space, represents the mandatory choice for those who make an immoderate use of Apple devices.
So it ranks among the best clouds for photos and among the best cloud storage in general, keeping in mind, however, that since it is a cloud storage service exclusive to Apple users, it is available on iOS, MacOS and Windows PCs but not as an application on Android.
Dropbox
Already known as a service for saving files online, Dropbox is also a high-performance cloud platform. By creating a free account, you’ll immediately have 2 GB of space at your disposal. Definitely few, especially these days, but compensated by a wide range of subscription plans that try to meet the needs of individuals and businesses. For individual users who need more storage space, the Californian company has thought of a Plus subscription, which puts 1 TB of space on the table by paying 9.99 euros per month or 99.99 euros per year, with advance billing.
More differentiated, then, the choice for professionals, who can opt for different pricing plans. First of all, we have Dropbox Standard, with 2 TB of cloud space at a cost of 60 euros per month or 600 euros per year, but with access allowed to only 5 users. Next comes Dropbox Advanced, with unlimited storage space and prices set at 90 euros per month or 900 euros per year. For Drobox Enterprise, however, companies should contact customer support for details on pricing for this type of enterprise subscription.
One of the most obvious limitations of Dropbox’s enterprise plans is mandating use for only 5 people in a team. Those who work in larger groups will see costs increase accordingly while keeping usable storage on the cloud unchanged. However, it must be said that, although it is not the best cloud ever, it is undoubtedly the most suitable for businesses. Very useful are in fact its tools dedicated to productivity and collaboration between colleagues or projects, think of Dropbox Paper for writing on the web.
There is also continuous technical assistance and an essential user interface, which with a pleasant and minimal graphics gives an experience easy to understand and use. Finally, it’s worth noting that Dropbox is available as a free app for both iOS and Android mobile devices, so you can access your files and documents on the go via tablet or smartphone.
OneDrive
Microsoft, too, with OneDrive, wanted to have its say among the best cloud storage of the moment. The platform made in Redmond offers 5 GB of storage space by activating a free account, but even in this case you can expand the service by subscribing to a paid subscription plan. Prices to upgrade to OneDrive Premium start at 65 euros per year, or 7 euros per month, and add 1 TB of space for storage on the “cloud”. For 99 euros per year, or 10 euros per month, the space available instead rises to 5 TB.
Not only that, as much as the costs may seem excessive to an audience of individuals, it is relevant to note that both subscriptions include the complete Microsoft Office package, which offers productivity tools such as Word, Excel, Power Point and One Note on both PCs and Macs. Single users, alternatively, can opt for the 50 GB subscription for just €2 per month.
Libero Drive and the others
The best free personal clouds also include Libero Drive, where you can save and share your files. The basic plan is 2 GB, while the paid one can be activated to have access to 10 GB of online storage. To use it, just log in with your Libero Mail account, click on the Drive tab at the top, and then click on the button to activate the service. To close, there are also other excellent cloud platforms in the industry, such as Mega. The service is owned by Kim Dotcom, former creator of Megaupload, and is the one that offers the most free storage space right out of the box, amounting to a whopping 50 GB.
The downside, however, is that storage automatically decreases after 30 days, dropping to 15 GB. If you want almost unlimited storage space, you can sign up for a subscription, with prices starting at €4.99 per month for 200GB and going up to €29.99 per month for 8TB storage.