The Best Cloud Storage

Access your files anytime, anywhere, and from any device.

I’m a huge fan of using cloud storage and heavily depend on these services to store my files while keeping them secure and easily accessible at any time. I have used just about every different cloud provider that allows users a free account with free storage, which is basically all the major players in the cloud storage field.

I am sharing this information that was gained through research conducted on the best storage providers by Reviews.com. Find the article here.

According to the research, 45 different options (including 26 different apps) for cloud storage services were tested to find the pros and cons and to determine the best all around services.

The best cloud storage providers:

– Dropbox

Dropbox

Best For: Lightweight Users

Free Storage Space: 2GB

Cheapest Premium Option: $9.99 for 1TB

File-Size Limit: Varies

Server Location: United States

iOS App User Rating: 3.5

Android App User Rating: 4.4

Windows App User Rating: 3.5

– Google Drive

Google Drive

Best For: Teams and Collaboration

Free Storage Space: 15GB

Cheapest Premium Option: $1.99 for 100GB

File-Size Limit: 5TB

Server Location: Worldwide

iOS App User Rating: 4.5

Android App User Rating: 4.3

Windows App User Rating: 3.9

– OneDrive

OneDrive

Best For: Devoted Windows Users

Free Storage Space: 15GB

Cheapest Premium Option: $1.99 for 100GB

File-Size Limit: 10GB

Server Location: Worldwide

iOS App User Rating: 4

Android App User Rating: 4.4

Windows App User Rating: 4.2

– Box

Box

Best For: Enterprise Solutions

Free Storage Space: 10GB

Cheapest Premium Option: $10 for 100GB

File-Size Limit: Varies

Server Location: Worldwide

iOS App User Rating: 4

Android App User Rating: 4.2

Windows App User Rating: 4.4

The following is from the research done by Reviews.com

How We Found the Best Cloud Storage

We started by compiling a list of 45 different cloud-based software solutions and then we hit the books (well, the internet, that is). We read reviews from the top technology blogs, dissected user guides, toyed with a bunch of settings, and narrowed our list down to our top four recommendations using these five criteria:

1. We removed services that are focused primarily on media- and OS-level backups.

17 disqualified

Of the active users we surveyed, 53 percent primarily use cloud storage for media and file sharing, so our best picks had to be well-rounded, and not focused on automated, system-level backups.

2. We removed services that are just for business and have no personal option.

21 disqualified

Enterprise cloud solutions are technical, and include a plethora of features that most people either don’t need, or would find confusing, such as task management and user comments.

3. We cut all services without extensive support for OS X, Windows, Android, and iOS.

24 disqualified

A huge benefit of cloud storage is that it bridges the gap between operating systems. We only passed services that support all of the most common desktop and mobile operating systems.

4. We cut any cloud storage services that did not offer a freemium version.

33 disqualified

Offering a freemium version is obviously a great way for companies to win new users, but it’s also part of being the best cloud storage service. Not everyone is a power user, after all. And why pay when you don’t have to?

5. We cut any contenders that didn’t have an average of 3.5 stars or higher from the App Store, Google Play Store, and Windows Store.

41 disqualified

If there’s one thing that should be indicative of cloud storage, it’s mobility. Filtering out low-rated mobile apps was a great way to find out which companies really catered to their users. Of course, app scores change with every update and release, but as of our latest update all of our top contenders had high marks.