I’ve finally decided I need to start backing up my files to the cloud, especially now I’m working for myself full-time, and I only have myself to blame if I lose anything…
So, I thought I would take a look at a few options, and make side-by-side comparisons based on the current options, prices, size limits etc. and this is what I’ve come up with:
Cloud storage comparisons for mac users 2016 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Drive | Dropbox | iCloud Drive | Knowhow | |
| Total storage for free | 15 GB | 2 GB (plus you can earn more- https://www.dropbox.com/help/15) | 5 GB – but this can be filled very quickly if you have several Apple devices as it is general used for back-up | N/A |
| 50 GB | N/A | N/A | £0.79 per month | N/A |
| 100 GB | $1.99 per month (£1.41 at time of writing) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 200 GB | N/A | £2.49 per month | N/A | |
| 1 TB | $9.99 per month (£7.06 at time of writing) | £7.99 per month or £79 per year for Dropbox Pro | £6.99 per month | N/A |
| 2 TB | N/A | N/A | N/A | £30 per year |
| 10 TB + | 10 TB : $99.99 (£70.67) per month 20 TB $199.99 (£141.34) per month 30TB $299.99 (£212.01) per month |
Unlimited starts from £11 per user per month (cheaper if paid in one lump sum for the year) for Dropbox Business | N/A | N/A |
| Pros | Integrates well with an existing Google account. Includes the syncing capabilities offered by services like dropbox. Impressive search features to be used by you and your clients including the ability to “read” images. | With dropbox pro you get: Instant syncing of files across devices, great apps, remote wiping on lost devices, set passwords and expiration dates on shared links and manage folder permissions | If you’re a mac user this seems the ideal choice, although there is now an app for PC users too. For those who need smaller storage space the lower priced options are attractive. | You won’t find 2 TB of storage this cheap anywhere else right now. Boasts Military graded data security |
| Cons | Confusing to navigate all the features. | More expensive compared to other cloud storage providers for the same amount of storage | Reports are that the syncing can be confusing as it doesn’t work like other file-syncing devices. | Complaints that it is extremely slow to backup online |
Feel free to leave comments on your own cloud hosting experience!