How Does Cloud Storage Work?

Cloud storage is a way of storing your files and folders on online servers, allowing you to access them from any location and on any device with an internet connection. Your data is stored on servers that belong to your cloud storage provider, which usually offers a web interface, desktop app or mobile app to access your information.



1. Google Drive cloud storage

Best for those who are using G Suite

SPECIFICATIONS

Free tier: 15 GB
Storage capacity: 2 TB
Number of devices: Unlimited

Pros

+Generous amount of free storage
+Integrated with Android devices

Cons

-Web interface isn’t the best

Google Drive is a natural choice for owners of Android devices as it's already integrated, but users of other platforms may appreciate the generous free storage too.



2. Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage

Best for those who are invested with Microsoft Office

SPECIFICATIONS

Free tier: 5 GB
Storage capacity: 6 TB
Number of devices: 30

Pros

+Comes with Microsoft 365
+Can edit files online without downloading them

Cons

-No advanced features

Like Google Drive's appeal to Google users, OneDrive will be a good fit for anyone who is committed to using Microsoft's services, offering neat integration with Outlook.com, the company's popular email platform, for instance.


3. Mega

Free tier: 20 GB
Storage capacity: 2 TB
Number of devices: 5

Pros

+Great free storage

Cons

-Time-limited rewards

MEGA is a good option for users who want to try cloud storage for free. MEGA’s focus is security, so zero-knowledge encryption is the absolute standard, with nobody but you having access to your files.



Free tier: 15 GB
Storage capacity: 1 TB
Number of devices: Unlimited

Pros

+Secure cloud storage
+Easy to use

Cons

-Lacks collaboration features

4Shared is a free, online file-sharing service that provides storage for music, video, and image files.



Free tier: 10GB
Storage capacity: Unlimited
Number of devices: Unlimited

Pros

+Secure cloud storage
+Easy to use

Cons

-Lacks collaboration features

Backblaze, like all online backup services, backs up existing data automatically when it's changed, as well as new data when added to a location you've chosen to back up. This means that every piece of important data you have is kept backed up to Backblaze's servers without any action on your part, after the initial setup, of course.



Free tier: 10 GB
Storage capacity: 3 TB
Number of devices: Unlimited

Pros

+Secure cloud storage
+Easy to use

Cons

-Russian privacy laws

Yandex Disk’s main feature is storing content in the cloud. That will help you avoid hard drive malfunctions and enable you to sync and share your files across devices. To do so, you can use the desktop, mobile or web app to upload files.



Free tier: 10 GB
Storage capacity: 100 TB
Number of devices: Unlimited

Pros

+Easy to use
+Secure cloud storage

Cons

-Too many ads

MediaFire makes it easy to share files. One of MediaFire’s benefits is its high upload cap. This means you can use MediaFire to share video files and other large files. However, its sharing features are very limited, especially for free users.



8. IDrive cloud storage

Best overall choice thanks to a rock-bottom price

SPECIFICATIONS

Free tier: 5 GB
Storage size: 50 TB
Number of devices: Unlimited

Pros

+Fast and capacious
+Easy to use
+Good Security

Cons

-No two-factor authentication

IDrive offers continuous syncing of your files, even those on network drives. The web interface supports sharing files by email, Facebook and Twitter. Cautious or click-happy users will be pleased to hear that files deleted from your computer are not automatically deleted from the server, so there's less danger of removing something important by accident.


9. pCloud cloud storage

Best for those who want to pay a one-off fee

SPECIFICATIONS

Free tier: 10GB
Storage size: 2TB
Number of devices: 5

Pros

+Affordable
+Elegant, intuitive interface
+Simple to use

Cons

-No collaboration tools

pCloud is one of the very few cloud services that offer lifetime subscriptions; you essentially get a virtual, permanent cloud drive. It describes itself as a "personal cloud space where you can store all your files and folders [with] a user-friendly interface that clearly shows where everything is located and what it does."


10. IceDrive cloud storage

Cleverly implemented secure cloud storage locker which is great value

SPECIFICATIONS

Free tier: 10GB
Storage capacity: 5TB
Number of devices: Unlimited

Pros

+Top-notch security
+Easy-to-use interface
+Impressive value, particularly lifetime options

Cons

-Lacks any collaboration features

IceDrive may only have been in the cloud storage business for a couple of years, but the firm offers a compelling solution, and one that’s rather different to the traditional cloud locker.


11. Dropbox

Free tier: 2GB
Storage capacity: Unlimited
Number of devices: Unlimited

Pros

+Collaboration with both Office & Google and Smart sync
+Integrated with Android devices

Cons

-No zero-knowledge encryption

Dropbox is a favorite in the cloud storage world because it's reliable, easy to use and a breeze to set up. Your photos, documents and files live in the cloud and you can get to them at any time from Dropbox's website, Windows, Mac and Linux, as well as iOS and Android. Dropbox's free tier is accessible across all the platforms.


12. Sync

Free tier: 5 GB
Storage capacity: 2 TB
Number of devices: 5

Pros

+Secure cloud storage
+Easy to use

Cons

-Lacks collaboration features

Sync.com is our best cloud service for many storage categories. We’ve put it up against all the other major players in a wide range of cloud storage comparisons, and more often than not, Sync.com is hitting the top.


Free tier: 5 GB
Storage capacity: 30 TB
Number of devices: Unlimited

Pros

+Secure cloud storage
+Easy to use

Cons

-Lacks collaboration features

Amazon Drive features basic file and folder sharing that can be initiated from the web interface, sync folder or mobile apps. You can share content by clicking on it and clicking the “share” button.





Thank you all...You can share your thoughts which service is best for you.