Everyone should get their hands on a cloud storage provider of some sort. Whether this is for personal or business use, it’s important for the safety of your data. You see, the cloud lets you back data up to online servers that can be accessed from anywhere. It means that, if your physical devices fail, you’ve got a safe place for all your data to rest. So, there’s less risk of losing your data permanently.
At the same time, cloud storage providers also let you use this data wherever you are. In today’s world, this is such a crucial feature. We live in a society where remote working is more and more popular, meaning you’re more likely to spend time away from a specific device. Gone are the days of storing data on PCs or hard drives; the cloud is the way forward.
Of course, there are plenty of providers out there. So, how do you choose the right one? Here’s a selection of the best offerings in 2022 right now:
OneDrive
The cloud storage offering from Microsoft, OneDrive is built into every Windows PC out there. Already, this puts it at an advantage over the rest. It’s integrated into the Windows 10 operating system, making it super easy to automatically back files up to the cloud.
Perhaps the best thing about OneDrive is that it is free if you have Microsoft 365. For those that don’t know, this is basically the cloud services offered by Microsoft. It gives you access to things like Word, Excel, and Powerpoint in the cloud. If you do a lot of remote work, you will need a cloud-based office package like this, and it is proven to be excellent. The apps work like the normal ones on your PC, but you can edit and create from anywhere.
As a bonus, you get OneDrive thrown in for free, giving you up to 6TB of cloud storage. Oh, and here’s yet another bonus; it’s compatible with Xbox consoles too. If you’re an avid gamer, you can store some of your Xbox games in the cloud, keeping the save files nice and secure.
If you have a Windows device, it’s hard to see passed OneDrive as your cloud storage option. Yes, it is a bit basic and does lack a few features that you might find elsewhere. But, if you’re already using OneDrive and have a Microsoft account, this option makes a lot of sense.
Dropbox
Dropbox is one of the best options if you want personal cloud storage. There are plenty of affordable plans for you to use, but the free plan is good enough for most people. It gives you 2GB of free cloud storage, letting you access all of your files from any device. But, there are also different plans that you can pay for either monthly or annually. You can also find plans for professionals if you want a cloud storage option for your business.
In total, the plans go up to 5TB of cloud data storage. For the most part, this is more than enough for any individual and most businesses. All of your data is securely protected by encryptions as well, and it’s a very easy platform to use. You can even import files from Dropbox to BigQuery, which is super handy if you run a business and want to compare loads of different data sets at once.
All in all, this is a great option if you want something that’s both affordable and easy to use.
Google Drive
As expected, Google has its own cloud storage solution for people to use. This is powered by Google Workspace, which is their version of Microsoft 365. Here, you have things like Google Docs and Sheets to replace Office and Excel. It’s a cloud platform that makes collaboration much easier and simpler than ever before.
Arguably the best feature of Google Drive is that you get 15GB of free storage. This is more than enough for the majority of people and businesses to utilize. Also, Google Workspace is completely free to use as well, meaning you can save a lot of money by choosing this cloud storage solution.
The only downside is that the maximum storage capacity is 2TB, which might be a problem for larger organizations. Also, the web interface can be a bit challenging to use for some people. Nevertheless, this is certainly the best free option out there right now.
iDrive
Contrary to what you might think, iDrive has nothing to do with Apple. Instead, it’s an independent cloud storage provider for PCs, Macs, iPhones, Android devices, and everything else. It is regularly seen as one of the best options around, largely because it provides loads of storage at very cheap prices.
You can get 10TB of cloud storage for around $4 for the first year. Granted, this increases to $95.99 after this, but that’s still a reasonable price for so much storage. The platform is super easy to use and very fast, offering some of the best security encryption around. You get universal support for every device as well, so you don’t have to worry about issues on specific devices. For instance, if you use an Apple device, it can often be hard to get support from other cloud providers.
Overall, iDrive is a fantastic option if you need a lot of cloud data storage. With that being said, if you don’t require terabytes of data, it might not be the choice for you. There aren’t really any small capacities available, so keep that in mind.
Which cloud storage provider should you choose?
Realistically, you are in charge of this decision. You’ve seen the options above, so make your decision based on your needs. If you want a free option, Google Drive or Dropbox have the best free plans available. If you prefer Windows integration, OneDrive is the one for you. Or, if you need a lot of storage at a great price, iDrive is probably your best bet.
Consider the options, think about your requirements, and you’ll soon find the best cloud provider.
