The best cloud storage providers

The advantages of secure online storage mean that cloud storage providers are equally attractive for both private users and companies. Renting additional storage space for files and documents of all kinds saves your hard drive space, and ensures that your work or home PC, or smartphone, have enough space for the operating system and installed programs. In addition, the files in cloud storage are available anytime, anywhere (and with any device). A computer’s hard drive does not offer the same luxury. To find out what’s important when choosing the right service and which providers offer the best cloud package, check out the following cloud storage comparison.

At first glance, there seems to be hardly any differences between the various storage services, which is why many turn to their prices when considering which option to choose. This is an important factor, but by no means the only one you should pay attention to. As with other web services, factors such as usability, or the security of your own data also play an important role. It may also be useful for companies to find out how well each cloud storage provider works for cooperative work. Finally, you should also take a close look at the reliability and support offered by the various providers.

The following criteria are what we will use to compare the various online file storage providers:

• Costs: Even the best cloud storage solutions shouldn’t get too pricey – even if there are so many possibilities for what they can do. Typically, providers offer a range of subscription models that differ mainly in terms of storage volume, but also in the range of functions offered. Therefore, it is recommended that you consider how much storage space you need in advance, and which features you really need – based on this information you can compare the different cloud storage providers properly. In most cases there is also a free basic tariff.
• Usability: Usability also plays an important role in cloud storage systems. You should be able to upload and download your files intuitively, no matter which device you are working with. This also applies to all collaborative working features provided by the service. If you want to share files with other users in the cloud, or work on documents together, you should be able to rely on a straightforward interface. If sharing in cloud storage is important to you, features such as tracking changes, and cross-device synchronization are especially important. The best cloud storage providers feature customized clients and apps with the best possible usability for the various devices.
• Security: Like any web application, cloud services are at risk to a certain degree. To prevent data loss or theft, it is the responsibility of a good provider to protect all files and user data well. Modern data centers, as well as firewalls and backup services are just as much a part of this as the encryption of the stored data and the data transfer itself. If data protection plays an important role for you, considering the server’s location becomes inevitable. Do you know where the data is physically stored? Otherwise, it cannot be guaranteed that sensitive information will be handled in compliance with data protection regulations.
• Reliability and support: With cloud storage, reliability and good support are even more important than with other online services. It is important that you always have access to your files and that you are informed in good time about any news, technical problems, and changes. Round the clock availability (online time) of the service is just as important as reliability – if you have to look around for a new service after half a year because your cloud storage is no longer offered, this can mean extra costs for you. The more established a provider is, the more professional the support, which should be available to you whenever you have questions and problems surrounding the online storage.

The perfect cloud storage would have a high level of security, simple and intuitive operation, and low offline times – but which provider checks all the boxes? Ideally, you’d also get a large amount of storage space for a low price. Depending on the intended use of cloud storage, and the know-how and financial situation of the user, there are various solutions that meet these requirements. We introduce you to some of the best cloud storage solutions.

HiDrive can be accessed via the web application or using the desktop or mobile apps for iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. When you’re using one of these apps, you can also access your data offline according to the last time you synchronized. You can also easily share files saved in HiDrive with friends and acquaintances via a share link.

Box also does well in terms of security and data protection. The cloud service supports customer-managed file encryption using the AWS (Amazon Web Services) key management service. Companies even have the option of backing up necessary encryption keys themselves by using an optional hardware security module (HSM). In order to comply with regional data protection guidelines, the cloud provider uses data centers of international partners (e.g., in Germany, Ireland, Japan and Australia).

Like many other cloud storage systems in this comparison, Box offers desktop clients for macOS and Windows as well as mobile apps for iOS and Android with which you can access your cloud storage (Box Drive) or create notes (Box Notes) from the device of your choice. Box provides up to 10 GB of storage space free of charge for its users (upload size limited to 250 MB per file). You can, however, upgrade to a paid plan for more space and faster uploads.

A glance into the main menu shows why Google’s program is one of the best cloud solutions for cooperative working, management and file or document editing of all kinds. With one click, you can upload or download files, and access the popular office services “Docs” in the form of file documents, tables, drawings, presentations, sites and “My Maps” – and you can also link to hundreds of third-party apps. Google Drive automatically synchronizes the stored data on all devices you use to access the cloud. For this purpose, applications for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android are available for free download if you do not want to use the web application.

One of Tresorit’s greatest strengths is its comprehensive and yet clearly arranged admin center. Here, you get the perfect overview of your storage space and the users or devices accessing it. You can also manage individual user accounts and define security policies, such as blocking access to certain devices or IP addresses, or enabling two-factor authentication.

The certified data centers (ISO-27001) used by Tresorit are located in Ireland, Germany, and the Netherlands. Compliance with European data protection guidelines is therefore not a problem. Private users receive 500 GB of storage for around $11 per month (upgradeable to up to 2.5 TB for $27 per month). The price for teams starts at $14 per user per month (1 TB per user). There is no free basic variant that distinguishes many cloud storage systems in comparison. However, Tresorit offers a free service to securely send large files (up to 5 GB).

While cloud storage is not shareable compared to other solutions (except the family edition), iCloud’s office services mentioned above allow for teamwork. To-do lists, schedules, presentations, etc. can be easily shared with other users, provided they also have an Apple ID. All your data is encrypted by Apple both during transmission and on the server (minimum 128-bit AES). Additional protection is provided by optional two-factor authentication, which links your cloud password with a six-digit verification code. This will be sent to a trustworthy device of your choice.

Dropbox Business is also part of the range, which is tailored to companies and provides access to additional administration and collaboration tools. For example, you can create user lists and define the access options for individual users. Activity reports tell you who shares, accesses, or deletes which files, and you can also see the space each person is using. For joint idea development and task management, Dropbox connects to the Microsoft Office suite, and has also integrated its own document tool “Paper”. Both during transmission (128-bit TLS) and on the server (256-bit AES), your files are encrypted by Dropbox. The data is stored on servers worldwide, making it virtually impossible to control security standards.

The business tariffs “express” and “standard” round off Livedrive’s portfolio. The former grants up to three users’ access to 2TB of storage and automatic backups ($35 per month), while the latter is aimed at teams of ten or more users (10TB for $110 per month). Team folders, where files can be shared, comments added and changes viewed, greatly improve the use of this shared storage. It does not matter from which device the access of the different participants takes place: desktop software for macOS and Windows is available as well as apps for iOS and Android. Alternatively, as with all cloud memories in the test, the path via the platform-independent web interface is possible.

Livedrive stores all data exclusively in certified data centers (ISO-27001) in Great Britain.

With online storage, you always have your important data with you. No matter what device you're using or where in the world you're working from - all you need is an internet connection and you'll have all your files at your fingertips. Cloud storage is also great for sharing documents or images. However, it does not offer much protection if your system is under threat from malware or experiences hardware errors.

An online backup is the right choice here. Your data is backed up to the cloud automatically and in regular intervals. You decide whether the service only backs up certain files and folders or creates copies of your entire system. If something does go wrong, there is no need to panic because the last backup may only be a few hours old. Both of these backup solutions can be worthwhile investing in in addition to your online storage.

MyDefender stores data in data centers with high security standards. The hardware is characterized by a high level of failure safety – security procedures such as ransomware protection and AES 256-bit encryption when uploading the backed-up data ensure the necessary data security and compliance with strict data protection guidelines.

Unlike most cloud storage alternatives, IONOS does not provide a free basic edition of its service. But the cheapest edition only costs $1 per month and includes 10 GB of data volume (one backup per device type). To protect an unlimited number of end devices, choose a more advanced package from $10 per month for 200 GB storage. MyDefender can be used with Windows computers as well as with macOS, Android, and iOS devices.

In an emergency, IONOS Cloud Backup gets your company back on track within just a few minutes. The flexible recovery mode and version management enable rollback to older files or and if necessary complete data transfer to a new hardware. The secured data, which is always transmitted via SSL/TLS connection, is always 256-bit AES encrypted, to ensure the best possible protection against unauthorized access. You can also compress your backup files if necessary, to make the most of the available storage space.

IONOS provides two different subscription packages. The standard package is a fixed monthly fee that provides a certain storage quota in return. For $5 a month you have 50 GB of storage space available for your backups. 100 GB are available for $9 per month and 250 GB for $22 per month. Alternatively, with the Flex package ($0.12 per GB/month) you pay for what you actually use. Regardless of the package you choose, IONOS will provide you with a personal customer advisor who will support you with the setup and remains available as a central point of contact if you have any problems.

The online storage comparison shows how diverse the selection of digital storage solutions is. Established providers such as iCloud Drive, Dropbox, and Google Drive prove to be cost-effective and feature-rich services with first-class links to useful office applications, but they cause headaches when it comes to data protection due to the rather vague information on the server locations. Backup services like MyDefender or Cloud Backup and Clouds like HiDrive, whose servers are located in Germany, can dispel these concerns – however, these two solutions also lack end-to-end encryption, as offered by Tresorit. Globally operating companies will find Box to be a more than convincing cloud service, which is also appealing when it comes to its collaborative features. Meanwhile, the American investor j2 Global is launching an interesting mix of backup and cloud storage solution with Livedrive, developed in the UK.