Cloud-based file storage technologies are now considered a must-have tool for the modern Internet user. Each of them has an account on one of the cloud drives: Google Drive, Yandex.Disk or Mail.ru. Most have at least two of these services. In this article, we will look at the main network file storage services, ways to increase disk space on them, and provide tips for their effective and safe use.
What is cloud storage
Local drives and memory cards are physically connected to our computer or tablet with wires. The network drives are physically located in special server centers, where a stable power supply and a comfortable temperature regime are provided. The local computer maintains connection with them via the Internet. When you enter your cloud drive through a browser or mobile client application, the system displays a list of files on the server. When a user transfers a file from the local My Documents folder to the Cloud Storage, the document is physically copied over the Internet and goes to the server.
Therefore, even after the physical destruction of the phone or computer, the files will remain safe and sound. They can be viewed through a web browser on any computer or tablet.
To assess the popularity of disk storages, it is enough to cite one fact of statistics. As of 2014, the most popular cloud was Google Drive. The storage works by default on all Android devices, except for Chinese ones, where access to Google is limited. Its users were 240 million people.
What you can use Cloud Disk for
The main tasks solved by users using network storages:
Developers are constantly improving the security of their services. The standard today is storing user files in encrypted form. Without a special key, this is a useless set of bytes.
The security of services should not be overestimated. In 2011, the reputable company IDC published its report, where it assesses the level of their secrecy and resistance to hacking as unsatisfactory. The experts recommended strengthening the level of authorization and encrypting files at the place of storage and in transit. Most developers have followed the recommendations and made changes to their applications.
Logging into the Cloud Storage can be protected by two-factor authorization: specifying a password and confirming the login using your phone. But most users only need one password.
When compiling this rating, the company's experts took into account technological solutions to ensure the security of user data and the presence of service failures in the past. Considering that all storages presented in the diagram have been operating for more than 5 years, the history of statistics of failure situations is comparable.
- The safest was recognized OneDrive... Experts added to the advantages of the service innovative security system when the keys to encrypted files and the data themselves are stored on separate servers. By gaining access to only one of these arrays, an attacker will not be able to gain benefits. As a reminder, OneDrive is targeted at the corporate market and is the default drive when you subscribe to Office365. Subscribers are allocated up to 100 GB immediately, while free users receive only 6 GB.
- The second most secure iCloud Drive... This cloud serves users of the apple ecosystem: iPhone, MacBook and other corporate solutions of the corporation. Data encryption is performed here both during storage and in transit. Overall, storage is reliable and comparable to OneDrive in terms of security, but earned a negative point for failure in 2014. Many users were attracted to this scandal. Private photos of the stars that were stored on their iPhone have gone online. if you use Apple technology, then you cannot do without a branded cloud. It backs up data and system settings of the phone and laptop. It helps to recover deleted photos and documents.
- Third place given Google drive... Reason - insufficiently high degree of security when storing files ... When transferring data to the server and to the client device, the traffic is encrypted. In the pluses of the cloud, experts have included two-factor authorization with password confirmation via SMS to the phone number specified during registration. Experts note that in business accounts designed for corporations, Google Drive provides an increased level of security comparable to OneDrive. It is recommended for ordinary users to encrypt confidential data on their own. For example, archive them with a password.
- The fourth place belongs to the Russian Yandex.Disk... The experts attributed a wide range of authorization methods to the security advantages of this cloud, including TouchID, pin-code and QR-code. An important advantage for ordinary users is scanning files for viruses ... The transfer channel at the Yandex storage is encrypted, like those of competitors. The only serious failure is considered to be an error in the client program of the service for Windows, made by the company's programmers in 2013. Users did not lose. They were allocated 200 GB of disk space for unlimited free use as compensation.
- The fifth place belongs to the old-timer of the market - DropBox... The lack of his security is no client side encryption ... In theory, this allows an attacker to intercept data as it travels from a local device to a server. In 2011, the DropBox service crashed. It lasted only 4 hours. During this period of time, it was possible to access the entire storage, and not just the data area of \u200b\u200ba particular user. But note that in 2011 there were simply no other competitors from the ranking. DropBox was a pioneer in network storage and was right for bugs.
How to get more free cloud storage space
All cloud storage is commercial. Their main task is to earn the money required to cover the costs of supporting the development team and developing the server infrastructure. Therefore, a limited amount of space is provided for free to users. To get additional free space for storing photos and documents, you will need to fulfill certain service conditions or participate in promotions.
For instance. Yandex.Disk offers 32 gigabytes of free space. autoloading photos on a mobile device.
Other cloud services also offer space expansion options for free:
- For inviting friends.
- For installing a cloud disk mobile application or program on a computer.
- Students and teachers for providing a photograph of a student card or a pass to the university. Yandex.Disk for this promotion allocates an additional 32 free gigabytes.
Also, cloud file storage services provide free space through an affiliate scheme. For example, when buying laptops or tablets of a particular brand.
A universal way to multiply cloud storage space for free is to create multiple accounts.
How to install a cloud drive on a computer
Three network storages are most suitable for a computer:
- Google Drive. It is chosen by active users of GMail services and a powerful Internet document and spreadsheet editor - Google Docs.
- Yandex.Disk. A good choice when you don't need to use Google services. This is a reliable Russian cloud drive, for which you can easily get up to 42 GB or more free space by turning on auto-upload of photos on your mobile device.
- OneDrive. Users of computers and laptops with Windows 10 operating system receive support for this network drive "on load". If you have a Windows account, 5 GB of space is allocated on OneDrive. In the shortcut This computer creates a folder of the same name, synchronized with the cloud.
Installation of the program on a computer is required only for the first two services. OneDrive support is implemented at the system level. Here is a step-by-step instruction for installing the application using Yandex.Disk as an example.
Every modern smartphone out of the box includes support for at least one cloud storage.
- Apple phones come with iCloud support for backing up settings, system files, and syncing photos. Additionally, you can connect the Yandex storage using the program downloaded and installed from the official Apple application store.
- Samsung phones include support for two clouds at once: the branded Samsung Cloud and Google Drive. The owners of smartphones of this brand have a Google account as Android users and a Samsung account for the manufacturer's branded services.
- Xiaomi phones out of the box communicate with Xiaomi's own MiCloud. Everything works by analogy with the iPhone: backups are made to the storage on the network and photos from the camera are sent.
- Windows Phone smartphones come with OneDrive access enabled. With an Office365 subscription, the available storage increases by 100 GB.
- Android smartphones from other manufacturers support one cloud storage - Google Drive.
You can purchase additional space by fulfilling the requirements of the services' shares or by purchasing it for money.
Please note that Android smartphones support Google Drive, but you will need to install separate mobile apps to work with Google Docs and Sheets. There is also a client program from Google Drive for easy navigation through the network storage. The latter is most often preinstalled on the phone.
If the capabilities of the pre-installed NAS are not enough for you, install a third-party one. The most popular are Yandex.Disk, DropBox, Mail.ru.
We will show the installation of the application for them using Yandex Drive as an example.
Come up with a strong password. Your private photos and videos are more likely to leak online if you come up with a simple password. A complex one can be generated using a special program or you can invent it yourself according to the following algorithm:! -! 123HELLO-WoRlD123! - !. This combination is easy to remember, but it is very difficult to break with a password.
Encrypt sensitive data before uploading it to the network. It is dangerous to store passwords and account keys in clear text. If there is no dedicated encryption software, please zip confidential files with a password before sending them to the network.
Use double authorization. A number of network attached storages support double authorization. You need to enter the password and confirm the entry by sending the code from the SMS sent by the service. This procedure seems less convenient, but provides more data protection.
History of cloud storage technologies
The phrase "cloud technologies" was first used in 1997. The new global global network required a new computing paradigm. Professor Ramnath Chellup of the University of Texas proposed a move to cloud computing as an alternative to increasing the power of local computing.
Real developments in terms of sharing resources on the network date back to 2000. We owe the commercial launch of the service on the new cloud-based operating system to Amazon. This happened in 2002.
Google has pioneered the implementation and development of browser-based cloud applications. The new technology has been launched on the market since 2009.
The idea of \u200b\u200bcreating a cloud storage on the Internet is described by its inventor Drew Houston as follows. The guy was sitting on a bus from Boston to New York, with a laptop, but no flash drive left at home. To overcome the misfortune, he began to think about accessing files wirelessly and came up with an application that implements this idea. The first DropBox code was written, according to this version of events, right on the bus.
According to the founder of DropBox, Steve Jobs wanted to acquire the project at the startup stage, but was refused. Today the company is worth approximately US $ 4 billion.
All subsequent network storages: iCloud, Google and Yandex, appeared much later. Their main promotion paradigm is the conditional free service. The user receives part of the gigabytes immediately, free of charge and unconditionally The rest must be purchased by subscription.
Modern cloud storage has become not only a place for storing information, but also offers a number of technological solutions for collaborating on files for people living in different parts of the world. The most popular tasks solved with their help, below.
Complain about content
Copyright infringement Spam Inappropriate content Broken links
A few days ago, Google began to pursue aggressive pricing in the cloud file storage market. The company left its competitors far behind, sharply dropping the cost of additional space on the "Disk": 100 gigabytes of space fell more than twice, and 1 terabyte - five times. How profitable the offer of an Internet search engine turned out to be - read in the comparative analysis of "clouds" from Vesti.Hytek.
Google drive
Launch year: 2012;
Available for free: 15 GB;
: no;
Tariffs: 100 GB - $ 1.99 / month, 1 TB - $ 9.99 / month, 10 TB - $ 99.99 / month, 20 TB - $ 199.99 / month, 30 TB - $ 299.99 / month ;
Platforms: Windows, OS X, Android, iOS;
Benefits: integrated online office, low prices, smart search;
disadvantages: there is no automatic and direct upload of photos to "Disk" from the mobile application, as in Dropbox. Instead, the company offers to use the backup function in the Google+ client, which is convenient for few. Data on Disk, like in iCloud, is encrypted using the AES encryption algorithm with a 128-bit key. This is a very reliable option, but information on competing services - Box, OneDrive and Dropbox - is more secure, they use 256-bit encryption;
Who suits: users "tied" to Google Internet services, owners of Android-smartphones and especially Chromebooks, since "Disk" is built into the operating system Chrome OS;
Assessment of Vesti.Hi-tech: 9/10 .
Google Drive is more than just a "virtual flash drive" that lets you download a file from one device and then open it on another. Every user who signs up a Google account, in addition to the "cloud", automatically gets access to a set of online office applications (word processor, spreadsheet and presentation editor) with the ability to edit documents right in the browser. You can store anything on Disk: photos and videos, music, PDF files, Photoshop, Microsoft Office. The search function, as you would expect from Google, is very powerful: you can search, for example, by the contents of scanned documents, Word files or emails in Gmail.
The features of Drive include unlimited storage of photos if their size does not exceed 2048x2048 pixels. In addition, documents created by Disk tools do not take up space. On the other hand, Drive keeps a record of all Gmail correspondence, as well as email attachments.
Dropbox
Launch year: 2008;
Available for free: 2 GB;
The ability to "earn" a place: Yes;
Tariffs: 100 GB - $ 9.99 / month, 200 GB - $ 19.99 / month, 500 GB - $ 49.99 / month;
Platforms: Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Kindle Fire;
Benefits: there is no limitation on the size of the uploaded file through the client; simple interface and configuration, cross-platform; Dropbox support is widely integrated into numerous iOS / Android apps;
disadvantages: if you need to rent more than 500 GB, you will have to buy a business account (at least 5 users);
Who suits: owners of mobile devices and computers with a variety of "operating systems". For those who need a light "cloud" to store files and, if necessary, quickly send links to them to friends. Due to its flexible pricing policy, Dropbox can become the choice of corporate users;
Assessment of Vesti.Hi-tech: 9/10 .
Unlike Google, this company builds its business exclusively around file storage. The Dropbox site has a very user-friendly interface with easy navigation, and numerous clients are extremely easy to set up. At the time of registration, users are given only 2 free gigabytes, but you can "earn" extra space (16 GB maximum) by inviting friends (500 MB per referral), connecting your account to Facebook and Twitter, uploading photos and videos, installing the Mailbox application, etc. P.
Yandex.Disk
Launch year: 2012;
Available for free: 10 GB;
The ability to "earn" a place: Yes;
Tariffs: 10 GB - 30 rubles / month, 100 GB - 150 rubles / month, 1 TB - 900 rubles / month;
Platforms: Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, Symbian, Windows Phone;
Benefits: fast file synchronization, better cross-platform;
disadvantages: poor integration with mobile applications;
Who suits: for the exchange of "large" files and those who prefer the services of "Yandex";
Assessment of Vesti.Hi-tech: 8/10 .
Developers of mobile applications (VLC, GoodReader, etc.) integrate Dropbox and Google Drive support on an equal footing, allowing you to download new videos and e-books directly from the "cloud". "Yandex.Disk" is a service from the most popular search engine in Runet - it is not popular with foreign developers, but its strength lies elsewhere. First, it provides a high sync speed because the company's servers are located in Russia, not the USA, which can be useful for exchanging "heavy" files. Secondly, you can connect to Yandex.Disk in a variety of ways, including using any WebDAV client, Windows Phone, and even the almost dead Symbian. Thirdly, the "cloud" will help you easily transfer information (SMS, contacts, call history) from an outdated phone (Java, Windows Mobile, etc.) to a new one (Android, iPhone).
The basic volume for storing content on Yandex.Disk is limited to 10 GB. To expand it, you can bring friends to the service (512 MB for each) and participate in various promotions. Now, for example, the Russian search engine gives 50 GB "top" to buyers of products from the Samsung ATIV series for a period of two years.
Launch year: 2013;
Available for free: 100 GB;
The ability to "earn" a place: no;
Tariffs: no;
Platforms: Windows, Linux, OS X, Android, iOS (iPhone only);
Benefits: huge base capacity;
disadvantages: not very functional at the moment;
Who suits: in the future - to users of Mail.ru services; in the meantime, those who want to have a lot of space "in reserve";
Assessment of Vesti.Hi-tech: 5/10 .
"[email protected]" is a very young service, opened only in 2013. In this regard, there are no paid options in it yet, and many functions are in development. For example, there is no client version for tablets, there is no integration with Mail.ru mail and no download of attachments from the "cloud", the web interface is not very convenient.
The service was launched late, so the company has no choice but to lure users with large volumes: no competing "cloud" offers the basic 100 GB. Moreover, in December last year, Mail.Ru decided on a generous gesture, promising pioneers a "free and forever" free terabyte. This promotion, however, was valid until January 20 and has already ended.
iCloud
Launch year: 2011;
Available for free: 5 GB;
The ability to "earn" a place: no;
Tariffs: 10 GB - 650 rubles / year, 20 GB - 1300 rubles / year, 50 GB - 3250 rubles / year;
Platforms: iOS, OS X;
BenefitsFree web office (Pages, Numbers, Keynote), easy setup
disadvantages: limited by Apple ecosystem, low free memory;
Who suits: owners of "apple" products;
Assessment of Vesti.Hi-tech: 5/10.
Apple's Cloud is not a "magic folder" on your computer where you can drag and drop the file you want. iCloud is a service that syncs a certain type of information exclusively between the products of the company itself. For example, having made a photo or video on an iPhone, you can save them to the cloud, but you will not be able to view the captured content on an Android or Windows smartphone.
iCloud is convenient, but only if you have multiple Apple devices — say, your MacBook and iPhone. After setting up the service, you can forget about transferring reminders, contacts and Safari bookmarks. However, if you want to take full advantage of iCloud, you still need to buy additional storage. 5 GB provided for free, even though purchases and photos are not counted, is clearly not enough to store all the necessary information: passwords from the "Keychain", events from the "Calendar", application data, letters from "Mail", backups of i-devices and other things.
Box
Launch year: 2005;
Available for free: 10 GB;
The ability to "earn" a place: no;
Tariffs: 100 GB - $ 10 / month;
Platforms: OS X, Windows, Android, BlackBerry, iOS;
Benefits: high reliability, flexible privacy settings;
disadvantages: strong limitation on the size of the downloadable file, no version history in the free subscription;
Who suits: business users;
Assessment of Vesti.Hi-tech: 7/10 .
Box is one of the oldest "clouds", but it is not as popular with ordinary Internet users as Dropbox. First, this service is focused on corporate and IT users. It offers them fine settings for access rights to files, shared folders with an "expiration date", ample opportunities for previewing and editing documents, FTP access, writing logs, etc. Secondly, the "weight" of one file in Box cannot exceed 250 MB, while the same Dropbox does not impose restrictions on downloading from a mobile client. Third, the free Box account does not support version history, i.e. You cannot "rewind" the contents of the file a couple of days ago.
And yet, Box is considered reliable storage. It uses 256-bit encryption, and all information is transferred to the "cloud" using a secure SSL protocol. The service is integrated (plugins required) with Microsoft Office, Salesforce, NetSuite and Adobe Lightroom, and in the browser version you can create simple text documents.
OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive)
Launch year: 2007;
Available for free: 7 GB;
The ability to "earn" a place: Yes;
Tariffs: for 50 GB - $ 25 / year (up to 200 GB);
Platforms: Windows, Windows Phone, OS X, Android, iOS;
Benefits: integration with the office suite Microsoft Office;
disadvantages: linking to a Microsoft account, which opens access to services that may not be needed (Outlook, Xbox Live, etc.);
Who suits: active users of Windows devices, including tablets and "winphones";
Assessment of Vesti.Hi-tech: 7/10 .
OneDrive, formerly known as SkyDrive, is Microsoft's "cloud" with the benefits that come with it. The service is provided with deep integration with computers and laptops based on Windows 8 and 8.1, Xbox and Windows smartphones. That being said, unlike closed iCloud, OneDrive can run on competing platforms. More importantly, OneDrive is tightly coupled with Windows applications (Office, Photos, etc.), which means that users can easily open and edit documents with a couple of taps.
You can get more space in two ways: invite a friend (additional 5 GB) and set up automatic synchronization of the file storage with the smartphone's photo gallery (another 3 GB).
In this article, we will tell you about the best cloud storage of 2017, which will allow you to store your information remotely, conveniently and securely.
For some computer owners, finding enough space to store all the data they have purchased is a real challenge. Some people invest in larger hard drives. Others prefer external storage devices such as flash drives or CDs. Desperate computer owners can delete entire folders from old files to make room for new information. But some choose to rely on the growing trend - cloud storage.
While cloud storage sounds like it has to do with weather fronts and storm systems, it does refer to storing data in a third-party storage system supported by a third party. Instead of storing information on your computer's hard drive or other local storage device, you store it in a remote database. The Internet provides a link between your computer and a database.
What is the difference between cloud storage and hard drive?
Cloud storage has several advantages over traditional data storage. for instanceif you store data in cloud storage, you will be able to retrieve that data from anywhere with internet access. You don't need to carry a physical storage device with you or use the same computer to save and retrieve your information. With the right storage system, you could even allow other people to access your data.
So, cloud storage is convenient and offers a lot of flexibility, but how do you choose it?
The best cloud storage of 2017
Dropbox - cross-platform and usability
Is one of the only services to offer customers Linux and Blackberry, alongside common operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS X, Android, iOS and Windows Phone.
The latest update adds the ability to sign PDFs directly from Dropbox, as well as some iOS-specific features like sharing files in iMessage and watching videos from Dropbox while working in another app on iPad.
The free account comes with a paltry 2GB. This is a lot for documents, but if you want to store any kind of media, then you will need more space. You can upgrade to the 1TB plan for $ 10 a month, but Dropbox offers 500MB of extra storage for every friend you invite to Dropbox. But the free account has a capacity limit of 16 GB.
You can get another 1 GB by setting up a mailbox account and you get 250 MB to get started with Dropbox basics. If you enable the camera upload function, you get 3 GB and automatically back up your smartphone and tablet photos to the cloud. We have seen situations where users have received 50 GB of Dropbox space for two years.
Dropbox works in a similar way to other cloud storage services. It creates a specially designated folder on your disk, which is then synchronized with the service. Therefore, if you want to upload any file to the cloud storage service, then you just need to transfer it. But on smartphones and PDA devices, this procedure is slightly different: you can select files for offline access on your tablet or smartphone (by default, they are all offline), and offline editing is one of the best that we have seen.
Folders and files can also be shared with other users, but you cannot set permissions for the Basic account, so your files can be edited and deleted not only by you, but also by other users of this service. A basic account isn't a complete disaster, though, as Dropbox backs up any file changes for 30 days.
If you pay RUB 600 per month, you will automatically receive a Dropbox Pro account, which will allow you to manage your files and rights to them.
Dropbox Verdict - To use it or not?
Dropbox is the best service of its kind and has many competitors. But nevertheless, he is the only one who ranks first in terms of convenience, comfort and cross-platform availability, which is very important and necessary today.
Microsoft OneDrive - convenient, accessible and native for Windows users
From Microsoft, it is a cloud storage service for Windows users as it is built into Windows 10. However, the main account only offers 5GB of free storage. That's enough for some people, but 15GB was available before. Of course, there are paid plans that offer 50GB of storage for as little as RUB 150 per month. And if you pay for the Office 365 Personal application for 4200 rubles per year, then you will automatically receive 1 TB of space.
OneDrive uses Microsoft's modern user interface design. You can create folders and files online, including in Office and OneNote formats, thanks to limited integration with Office Online. Selective sync was introduced with Windows 10, which means you don't need all of your OneDrive files to take up space on every laptop and PC.
There is also a feature that allows you to remotely access files on another computer through the OneDrive website. It should be noted that Microsoft reserves the right to check your files to find anything it deems inappropriate. These can be copyrighted materials or items of an explicit nature.
Microsoft OneDrive Verdict - To Use or Not?
If you're a Windows user, it makes sense to sign up for a free 5GB account, and if you're willing to spend a little, at least $ 150 per month for 50GB, then this service is for you.
Google Drive is a great storage service from Google
In the same way that OneDrive connects with Microsoft products and iCloud with Apple, Google Drive is at the heart of various online services that Google offers. You should definitely try it!
You get 15 GB of free space when you create a Google account - or link to an existing one. In fact, you already have a Google account if you use Gmail, Google Calendar, or even YouTube.
The storage space is shared between all of these services, so if you have large attachments in emails, they will be counted at 15GB and enabling automatic smartphone photo backups to Google+ will be the same.
Google used restrictions that you can upload photos no larger than 2048 x 2048 pixels and videos no longer than fifteen minutes.
Google Drive works the same way as most storage services, with a local folder on your computer associated with a duplicated cloud version. Version control is supported, as well as real-time collaboration on documents using the Google Docs application. Clients are available on PC and Mac, with mobile versions for Android and iOS.
Overall, the app's interface is reasonably smart and easy to navigate. You can select files to be available offline in mobile versions, and can be edited if they were created in Google Docs, and then synced when checked back online. For other formats (for example, Word), they must be opened in another application to create a duplicate.
Data stored on Google Drive, similar to Apple, is encrypted in 128-bit AES rather than the 256-bit used by Box, OneDrive, and Dropbox. Google claims that it won't search the contents of your information folder unless forced by law enforcement, and you can set up two-step verification on your account to add another layer of security.
Google Drive Verdict - To Use or Not?
If you live in the Google universe, then this is a really great option for storing your information.
Mega - New Zealand information storage service
Mega is a New Zealand-based company created in 2013 by German-born entrepreneur Kim Dotcom, who is no longer affiliated with the company.
Unlike some of its competitors, this service provides encryption in every part of the process. This way, whatever you send to the cloud is encrypted locally, on the route, and on the destination server.
Mega itself has no way of accessing your information since you hold the encryption key. The result of all this is that whatever you store on Mega can only be opened by you. To do this, there are local clients for Windows, OS X and Linux, as well as plugins for the Chrome and Firefox browser. Applications are available for all modern operating systems.
The standard free package provides a whopping 50GB of storage. If that's not enough, you can purchase 500GB for £ 6,000 a year, 2TB (£ 12,000 a year) or 4TB (£ 18,000 a year) and increase your bandwidth with each bundle so you can share files with friends and colleagues.
Mega Verdict - To Use or Not?
With generous free account, fast service, cross-platform appeal, and reliable use of the service. Mega is a very good choice for most people looking for a service to store their information online.
PCloud - Get 10GB Sign Up
Opening a new pCloud account will give you 10GB of free space (double that of OneDrive and the five basic Dropbox offerings). The capacity can be increased up to 20 GB by performing various actions such as recommending to friends (1 GB per person), completing the tutorial (3 GB) and various social media links, but the real temptation is the very reasonable prices for large storage options. For example, 500 GB will cost you about 200 rubles per month, while 2 TB (Premium Plus plan) can be purchased for 400 rubles per month. Among other things, there are clients available for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android, and you can also access your account via the website. Recently, iPhone has a handy auto delete feature that deletes photos from your phone after copying them to the cloud.
There are import options that can automatically transfer files from other cloud services, including Dropbox and Google Drive, which is handy when switching from one or just for an additional backup of important files.
As with all online repositories, you can share your content with friends or colleagues by submitting links or allowing access to folders and documents. They also provide permissions, so you can determine if someone can edit or just view the file. One of the good options for sharing information is the download link.
One of the more specialized features of pCloud is the folder Crypto Folderwhere you can place files you want to keep out of prying eyes, be it hackers or certain government agencies. The contents of this folder are encrypted locally on your device, and even pCloud employees cannot read it without your key.
PCloud Verdict - To Use or Not?
PCloud combines well with other cloud storage solutions, is easy to use and offers plenty of free storage space as well as very competitive pricing for high capacities. The Crypto folders option for security is also a nice feature, especially since it doesn't require encrypting the entire drive. Therefore, you should try this service.
Well, today we have reviewed the best cloud storage services of 2017. Therefore, now you need to make a choice.
Video: Cloud Comparison
Comparisons of various cloud storages are often found on the Internet, but they are not entirely objective, since most people start from the storage capacity and the availability of clients for iOS and Android, and no one thinks about the data transfer speed. We decided on personal experience to consider the 5 most popular "clouds" and test them for the speed of uploading and downloading files.
Tested OneDrive, Google drive, Yandex Disk, iCloud Driveand Dropbox... Uploading to the server and downloading files was carried out exclusively through the web version of the clients. All actions were performed through the Chrome browser on a Mac with a 100 Mbps Internet channel. Testing the speed of cloud storage consisted of two stages - uploading a 1.28 GB file to the cloud storage server, and then downloading the uploaded file back to the computer.
As time measurements showed, the slowest cloud storage of the five was OneDrive... It took 43 minutes 13 seconds to download a video weighing 1.27 GB into this "cloud", and to download back - 37 minutes 18 seconds. The fourth place was won by the legendary Dropbox, which is actually the "father" of all cloud storage. It took him 19 minutes 33 seconds to upload the file to the server, and 16 minutes 19 seconds to download.
The third and second places were divided among themselves Google drive and iCloud Drive... Measurements showed that the download time of a 1.27 GB file in the Google cloud storage was 3 minutes 2 seconds, while Apple's iCloud Drive coped with this task in 4 minutes 39 seconds. In terms of download time for a similar file, Apple's "cloud" won with a result of 2 minutes 7 seconds (this is a record among all 5 cloud storages), while Google Drive for a similar procedure took 2 minutes 49 seconds.
The first place is occupied by the Russian Yandex Disk, which showed the best result in terms of upload time to the server, and second after iCloud Drive in terms of file upload time to a computer. Uploading a file weighing 1.27 GB to the server took a record 2 minutes 34 seconds, while the download took 2 minutes 21 seconds.
For clarity, we created a small table to make it easier to navigate the data. It turns out that Yandex Disk cloud storage turned out to be the fastest in terms of upload time to the server, while iCloud Drive gave the shortest file download time.
Until March 10, inclusive, everyone has a unique opportunity Xiaomi Mi Band 3, spending only 2 minutes of their personal time on it.
Join us at
Users and businesses will continue to ditch cumbersome and expensive servers and opt for the cloud instead. Given the variety of available storage facilities, the choice should be approached very carefully.
Lifehacker suggests paying attention to services that provide maximum free space with reliable data protection and quality service. Prices shown are for starter plans only.
- The cost: 2 GB free, 1 TB for $ 8.25 / month. The standard Dropbox Business subscription costs $ 12.5 / month per user.
- Applications:
- Russian language support:there is.
Initially, this giant of cloud storage only gives access to 2 GB of free space. But it can be easily expanded to 16 GB: it is enough to link accounts on social networks and offer a referral link to several friends.
A Dropbox Business subscription allows you to use your corporate account for collaboration and also gives you unlimited space for your personal account. Moreover, you get a number of advanced features like file recovery and access level settings.
- The cost: 15 GB for free, 100 GB for 139 rubles per month.
- Applications:Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
- Russian language support:there is.
One of the most obvious options for owners of Android devices, since the application is natively installed on smartphones and tablets powered by Google OS. However, due to the considerable amount of free storage, the service can be attractive for owners of other devices.
Among the disadvantages is not the simplest interface of the browser version. But Windows and macOS users can download a much more convenient application.
3. Mega
- The cost: 50 GB free, 200 GB for 4.99 € per month.
- Applications:
- Russian language support:there is.
Another service with a generous free plan and a drag-and-drop interface. Mega has a convenient mobile application for downloading files, as well as desktop clients for synchronizing them.
According to the company, all data is encrypted on your device before ending up on servers. The source code for the Mega client is available on GitHub and can be reviewed by any expert. Therefore, the statement inspires confidence.
- The cost: 10 GB for free, another 10 GB for 30 rubles per month.
- Applications:Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, LG Smart TV.
- Russian language support:there is.
The cloud from Yandex works quickly and stably, constantly acquiring new functions. The service has a high speed of synchronization. Platform capabilities are built into some third-party applications.
Despite the presence of clients for all popular desktop and mobile platforms, the Yandex.Disk browser interface is also very practical. Also, the service has very good opportunities to expand the space through partnerships with companies. For example, if you are a Muscovite and use the OnLime tariff plan from Rostelecom, then the disk volume increases by 100 GB.
- The cost: 5 GB for free, 50 GB for 140 rubles per month, 1 TB for 269 or 339 rubles for a personal or family subscription to Office 365, respectively.
- Applications:Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Xbox.
- Russian language support:there is.
The former SkyDrive is built into the standard Windows 10 explorer. No need to download the app - everything is already downloaded for you.
The operating system's built-in Photos app can use OneDrive to sync all of your pictures between devices.
When installing a client for macOS, you should take into account not the most positive reviews about it.
In addition to regular pricing plans, Microsoft has Office 365 Personal and Office 365 Home products. Both subscriptions include 1 TB in the cloud, full versions of the Office apps for Windows and macOS, and a host of other benefits. The second option gives 1 TB to five users at once.
- The cost: 8 GB for free, 64 GB for 69 rubles per month.
- Applications:Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Windows Phone.
- Russian language support:there is.
The closest analogue of Yandex.Disk in terms of available features, web interface and supported platforms. It loses to its main competitor due to its extensive referral program. Benefits include more free storage.
Among other things, the service has a tool for quickly creating and saving screenshots in the cloud.
- The cost: 5 GB for free, 50 GB for 59 rubles per month.
- Applications:Windows.
- Russian language support:there is.
5GB of free space might not be enough, but iCloud is the most convenient way to back up your iPhone photos.
The service is integrated into the Finder on macOS - the desktop of all MacBooks. Documents created through the iWork office suite are also saved in iCloud and can be synced across devices. The platform also has an official client for Windows, with which you can keep files on your PC up to date.
8. Box
- The cost: 10 GB free, 100 GB for 8 € per month. Business subscription costs 12 euros per month.
- Applications:Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
- Russian language support:there is.
The platform quickly gained popularity and is supported by a number of popular work services such as Google Docs and Office 365. Box desktop clients let you not only sync but also edit files.
The company is actively promoting business subscriptions. It is she who appears in the center of the screen when you click on the registration button. The plan gives you access to advanced collaboration and unlimited space in the cloud.
- The cost: Free setup and use, space prices vary by hosting providers. Nextcloud Box costs 70 euros.
- Applications:Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- Russian language support:no.
The company itself is not a cloud storage provider, but offers free software to set up the cloud on your own server. The main advantage of this option is speed. You can also turn on encryption and not worry about files leaving your home network.
If you have no experience in setting up servers, you can buy a pre-configured option - Nextcloud Box. Inside the device is a 1 TB hard drive. It easily connects to an inexpensive single board computer. However, in order to get your hands on a mini-server, you have to use the services of third-party companies: there is no direct delivery to Russia and the CIS countries.
- The cost: 2 GB free, 250 GB for $ 9 per month.
- Applications:Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- Russian language support:no.
Another English-language platform that has long worked under the zero knowledge protocol. The implication was that the company interacts with user data without revealing its content in any way. Recently it turned out that there are some caveats here, and SpiderOak has dropped its main feature. But this did not stop striving to provide files.
The store has clients for all popular desktop and mobile platforms. It is possible to use the web client, but this is the least preferred option for privacy advocates, since this is how you give your password to SpiderOak employees.
- The cost: 5 GB free, 2 TB for $ 52.12 / year on special, then $ 69.5.
- Applications:Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Windows Phone.
- Russian language support:no.
The product maintains constant synchronization of all your files - even those stored on network drives. The web interface allows data sharing via email, Facebook and Twitter.
The advantage of IDrive is that files deleted from your computer from the cloud do not automatically disappear. The company also has an IDrive Express service: if you lose all your data, a hard drive will be delivered to you for quick recovery.
- The cost: 10 GB free, 500 GB for $ 3.99 / month, pCloud Crypto encryption price for $ 3.99 / month.
- Applications:Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- Russian language support:there is.
The service has restrictions on the speed of downloading files, but there is no limit on their size. The storage can be used from any platform - through an application or a website.
The company is registered in Switzerland, a country known for strict privacy laws. For an additional amount, you can use the pCloud Crypto service to encrypt individual files.
