Cloud storage has evolved from an enterprise service into a service used by millions of households and small businesses all around the world. As users continue to accumulate countless documents, images, and video and audio files, demand for online storage services is on the rise. Once they load their files to the cloud, users want to be able to access those files from any location and device. In order to help you choose between the numerous options available, we conducted thorough research of the best cloud storage providers on the market and presented our findings below. Please note that all of the services listed are Mac compatible. See our rankings chart below, along with our latest cloud storage reviews, to help you choose the right service that best meets your needs.
Provider | Price | Learn More |
---|---|---|
Dropbox | $8.25/month | Read Review |
SugarSync | $7.49/month | Read Review |
Tresorit | $10.42/month | Read Review |
The research on this site has been conducted by a technically savvy team of reviewers. They understand the various features and technologies involved in cloud storage, and are therefore equipped to properly evaluate what each company has to offer. However, they also understand that typical users may not need many of the fancy features offered by the top cloud providers, and therefore give different weight to various attributes when they conduct their reviews. For this reason, you may notice that ease-of-use is given much more attention than security. This is not because they believe that security of your digital files is unimportant. Rather, they understand that the differences in the security measures taken by many of the best cloud storage services is negligible and of little consequence to most users. Ease-of-use, on the other hand, is a crucial attribute which can make or break your satisfaction with a service. We believe this balance between understanding the product and the consumer ultimately helps our users, and the cloud industry as a whole.
Cloud Storage Providers – The Top Brands
When most consumers think about the best known cloud storage companies, the names that usually come up are Mozy, Dropbox and Carbonite. As with many other categories, consumers often confuse the quality of a specific product or service with the skill of that company’s marketers. The best known brands in the online storage industry are those that have the largest advertising budgets. Mozy, for example, is owned by EMC, a Fortune 500 company with tens of thousands of employees. While our research on the best cloud storage providers did include looking into the company and technology resources behind the service, we decided to focus more on the value and overall user experience they provide to their consumers.
When evaluating a cloud storage company, we suggest you look at the full list of features they offer, as well as the support (and of course the price). The pricing models vary from company to company, but in general, most brands offer several packages from which to choose. The most basic packages offered are typically sufficient for consumers looking to store their personal files in the cloud. If you have many video and audio files, or if you are looking to purchase cloud storage for your small business, you may need to opt for one of the more expensive plans. Most of the the services listed in our rankings allow users to start off with a basic plan and upgrade later on if their online storage needs change.
Cloud Provider Rankings
This site analyzes, reviews and ranks many cloud storage providers in an effort to provide greater transparency into the offering that each company provides. The goal is to break through all the “marketing noise” you may encounter when looking at the website of a cloud company. We aim to provide detailed information and rankings on these companies, ultimately allowing you to find the right online storage provider for your needs. The rankings are based primarily on the pricing, features, ease-of-use, security, and customer support offered by each provider. After reading the reviews here, your are encouraged to visit the website of the cloud providers in our rankings in order to learn more and verify the information for yourself before making a purchase.
How We Evaluate Cloud Storage Providers
Features
Ease of Use
Pricing
Security