Storing data online is an integral part of modern life, but with the wide variety of services available, it is often difficult to make the right choice. Many used the convenient Copy service from Barracuda Networks, but it announced that it will no longer work on May 1, 2016.
We've compiled a selection of the 13 best cloud storage services that compete with each other. You will find a description of the functionality of Google Drive, Dropbox, Mega, Tresorit, pCloud, OneDrive, etc.
Dropbox is the only service that supports Linux and Blackberry, along with regular Windows, Mac OS X, Android and standard iOS. An official application for Dropbox on Windows Phone has also been developed.
Memory
By default, the free basic account has 2 gigabytes of storage available. This is more than enough for documents. However, if you store media files, such as photos, music or videos, you will run out of space very quickly. You can upgrade your storage to up to 1TB (terabyte) for £7.99 per month, but Dropbox offers 500GB free for each friend you refer, up to a maximum of 16GB.
You can also get an additional 250 MB for free if you agree to view the Dropbox review. Activating uploading photos from your camera will give you an additional 3GB and will automatically save photos from your smartphone or tablet camera to the cloud.
Principle of operation
A special folder is created on your device or PC, which is then synchronized with the online version. This means that all your data will be available regardless of whether you have Internet access. However, this does not apply to mobile devices. On them you can make selected files available offline (without Internet access).
Folders and files can also be made public to other users. However, it is not possible to configure access rights in a basic account, i.e. files and folders can be edited or deleted by other users. However, this is not to say that the basic account is impossible to use: Dropbox saves any changes to files for 30 days. Therefore, if you need to restore a previous version or return a deleted file, this can be done easily.
Paid functionality
A paid Dropbox Pro account already allows you to customize access rights: you can make files read-only or set an access password, and also set an expiration date for files accessible via a link.
Safety
Security measures include two-factor authentication, as well as storing all files on Dropbox servers with 256-bit encryption, which, however, is performed on the Dropbox side, not on the user's device. SSL is used for data transfer.
conclusions
Dropbox remains the benchmark against which other services must compete. It may lack some of the features and features of its competitors, but it is very good and compatible with a huge number of applications.
Microsoft's OneDrive is a tempting offer for all Windows users.
Memory
Initially, the basic account included 15 GB of free storage, plus an additional 15 GB if you enable automatic photo uploads from your camera. Connecting to Office 365 provided unlimited storage space. However, the developers soon decided to make changes.
New users will only be able to get 5GB of free storage. Office 365 subscribers will have access to 1TB. The good news is that Microsoft is now offering a free annual account for Office 365 for those users who have more than 5GB of data stored on their OneDrive account. In this case, the amount of available space will increase to 1TB.
Principle of operation
OneDrive is built on a new design from Microsoft (Modern UI). You can choose between a “box” style or a classic “wood” style. Folders and files can be created online, including Office and OneNote formats thanks to Office Online integration technology. Windows 10 adds the ability to selectively sync, which means you no longer have to store all your files on all devices (laptops and PCs) at the same time.
The web version supports social networks. The most popular ones can be connected to your OneDrive account. This is unlikely to help speed up work with the service, but it will make it easier to share files with colleagues. When opening files, you can configure access rights for each user, ranging from read-only rights to full editing access. Permissions settings are available in the free version (unlike Dropbox, which is only available in the paid version of Dropbox Pro).
Another feature is the ability to remotely access files from another computer through the OneDrive website. If privacy is a critical concern to you, please note that Microsoft reserves the right to scan your files for potentially objectionable content (such as copyrighted content). Apple has a similar policy, only more harshly than its competitors.
conclusions
The changes that took place in 2016 were very disappointing. However, for those users who managed to save 30GB of free space for themselves, everything is not so bad. Before these changes, it was easy to recommend using OneDrive, but now this is no longer so obvious.
OneDrive is connected to Microsoft products, iCloud is connected to Apple services. Google Drive is also the heart of all online services that Google provides to users. In fact, you already have a Google Drive account if you use services like Gmail, Google Calendar or even YouTube.
Memory
After creating a Google account or connecting to an existing one, you get 15GB of free storage. The available space is common to all Google services, meaning if you have large attachments in email messages, they will take up the available 15 GB, the same goes for automatically uploading photos from your smartphone to Google+.
Previously, Google did not take into account any photos with a resolution lower than 2048x2048 and videos shorter than fifteen minutes, but now there are two options for uploading photos and videos:
- The “High quality” option is free and does not reduce the remaining storage space, providing “highest image quality in a reduced file size.”
- If you select the “Original” option (original quality), the files will be saved in their original form, but they will take up storage space.
Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Presentations, Drawings, and files shared by others don't take up space. You can't increase your available space by inviting friends. However, you can get free 100 GB for 2 years by purchasing a Chromebook :) The same applies to some Android smartphones. Google Music is a separate service that allows you to store 50,000 songs in the cloud for free without reducing your free disk space.
Principle of operation
The principle of Google Drive is similar to most cloud services: a local folder on a computer drive linked to a copy in the cloud. Support for versioning has been implemented, as well as collaborative editing of documents through the Google Docs application. Client apps are available on PC and Mac, mobile versions are available on Android and iOS, but the ongoing feud between Google and Microsoft means there is no Windows Phone support yet.
Selective synchronization is available, so you can choose which directories to sync with each device (PC or laptop).
In general, the application interface is convenient and easy to use; it is a simple file tree displaying the location of your data. You can determine which files will be available offline on your mobile device, and you can edit them without access to the Internet. If they were created in Google Docs, then when you reconnect they will be synchronized with the online version. Files of other formats (for example Word) must be edited in other applications, creating an additional copy of the file.
Safety
Just like Apple, files stored in Google Drive are protected with 128-bit AES encryption, while Box, OneDrive and Dropbox use 256-bit encryption. Google says it doesn't review stored data unless directed to do so by government agencies. For additional security, you can set up two-factor account verification.
conclusions
If you live in the Google universe, then Google Drive is the best solution for storing data in the cloud.
Mega is a New Zealand company founded by German entrepreneur Kim Dotcom in 2013, who is no longer employed by the company.
Memory
The standard free service package includes 50GB of space. If that's not enough, you can purchase 500GB for 99 Euros per year, 2TB for 199 Euros per year, or 4TB for 299 Euros per year. Each next level package improves file access speed.
Operating principle and safety
Mega places credential security at the forefront. Unlike some of its competitors, this service provides encryption at every step of the way. Therefore, everything you send to the cloud is already encrypted on the device, then in transit and on the destination server.
Mega itself has no means of accessing your data, because... the encryption key is with you. As a result, everything you store in Mega can only be accessed by you. To access data, you can use client programs for Windows, OS X and Linux; extensions for Chrome and Firefox browsers are also available. Applications are available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and even Blackberry.
Sharing files with other users in Mega is implemented in many ways similar to Google Drive and OneDrive. To send a file to someone, you need to send them an invitation and specify the access level (viewing, editing, etc.) You can also send links to recipients who are not Mega users, but in this case you also need to send an encryption key to access the files.
Some new secure features are also planned: video chat, voice calls, e-mail. All of these services will be encrypted on the users' side, making them more private than Skype or Google Hangouts.
conclusions
Offering great features with a free account, fast service, support for multiple platforms, and a high level of security, Mega is an excellent choice for most people choosing a cloud storage solution.
Memory
When you create an account with pCloud, you get an impressive 10GB of free storage space, which is twice as much as OneDrive offers, and five times as much as the free Dropbox account. The available space can be quickly increased up to 20GB by participating in various promotions, such as inviting friends (1GB is given for one invitation), viewing the system manual (3GB is given), and publishing links on social networks.
However, reasonable prices for expanding space look most attractive. 500GB will cost about $3.99, while 1TB will cost you about $7.99, which is the lowest price compared to competing services.
Operating principle and safety
Software clients are available for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android. You can also access your account through the website.
pCloud doesn't place any restrictions on file content, meaning you can upload whatever you want as long as there's enough space. Data loading uses advanced algorithms, synchronization is performed quickly and seamlessly. All data exchange between pCloud servers and the client device is protected using TLS/SSL encryption, so it can be considered secure.
As with most online storage services, you can share files with friends or colleagues by sending links or sharing directories and documents. All permissions settings are provided, so you can determine whether the recipient can edit the files or only view them.
pCloud supports file versioning, storing an infinite number of changes over a period of time. Users of a free account can access a version of the file no older than 30 days, while on a paid account this period is increased to 180 days.
One of the most specific features of pCloud is the so-called “Encrypted Folder” (Crypto Folder), in which you can place files that you want to hide from anyone, be it hackers or government agencies. The contents of this directory are encrypted on the device itself and no one, including pCloud employees, will be able to read it without your key.
pCloud uses 256-bit AES encryption for files and folders, the encryption key uses 4096-bit RSA algorithm. Not all files and folders are encrypted automatically; the files needed to be hidden must be placed in the Encrypted Directory. This means that your pCloud account always has both encrypted and unencrypted content on disk, making it easy to share non-sensitive documents, as well as the ability to restrict access to others.
Encrypted Directory is a feature that is not available by default and will cost you around $3.99 per month, but if you want a high level of security for your data, it's not a huge price to pay. Plus, you can try this feature for free with a 14-day trial period.
conclusions
pCloud is good, easy to use, and offers plenty of free file storage, as well as competitive pricing for more space. The “Encrypted Directory” feature for securely storing files is also quite interesting, especially considering that you usually do not need to encrypt the entire disk. Definitely a service worth trying.
There are many services that provide secure cloud storage, but Tresorit is definitely one of the best. Unfortunately, the free set of features available by default was disappointing.
Memory
It starts with 3GB of free space, but you are required to sign up for a free trial of the Platinum package, which costs £8 per month. This doesn't mean you have to pay for it, you can disable it later and return to your basic account, but we didn't like the mechanism itself. It really stood out when we compared this cloud service to others. The premium account includes 100GB of storage, support for document versioning, and access rights for shared files and directories.
Operating principle and safety
One of the reasons Tresorit is so secure is the way it encrypts files. Files are encrypted locally on your device (Windows or OSX), then transferred via TLS to Tresorit servers, where they remain encrypted. You keep the encryption keys and no one, not even Tresorit staff, will be able to access your data, thanks to the so-called “Zero-Knowledge” service policy. To enhance security, you can activate two-factor verification so that if your computer or ID in the system is stolen, your phone will also be required for access. The servers are hosted in the European Union and are governed by Swiss law, which protects them from the hands of any national authorities who decide that they have the right to access your personal data.
For corporate customers, a £16 plan includes 1TB of storage, the ability to delete documents remotely, prevent documents from being printed, copied or emailed, and set restrictions on how users can edit files.
Tresorit didn't skimp on the user interface design. Software clients for PC, web portal, mobile applications (Windows Phone, iOS, Android, and Blackberry) - everything looks great, is easy to use and works smoothly. In the PC client, you can move a folder from your hard drive to the Tresorit application, it will automatically encrypt and send the data to the cloud, and the folder itself will remain untouched on the computer drive. Or you can save the files directly to the “My Tresors” folder on your computer and they will be automatically available in the Tresorit app.
conclusions
Tresorit needs to do something about the awkward terms and conditions of the free account, but if you're looking for a secure way to store and share sensitive data with colleagues and friends, then this is a very useful service for you. Especially if you use a premium or corporate plan.
Due to the similar name, Box is often confused with Dropbox. However, Box is much older than its counterpart and was founded in 2005. Primarily, this is a service for businesses, but it also offers solutions for ordinary users.
Memory
The free package includes 10GB of storage space. However, everything is not as rosy as it seems: the maximum file size is limited to 250MB.
This is clearly less than the 10GB limit on OneDrive and DropBox and the 5TB limit on Google Drive. 250MB is more than enough for most documents and spreadsheets, even high-resolution photos, but can be a problem when storing videos.
The free account does not support file versioning (the ability to restore previous versions of files).
Upgrading to a Personal Pro account costs £7 per month and gives you 100GB of storage space, with a maximum file size limit of 5GB. Upgrading to the Starter business plan costs £3.50 per month. It also offers 100GB of storage, a maximum file size of 2GB, collaboration with 3-10 participants, support for document encryption, customizable permissions, and saving previous versions of files.
Principle of operation
Functionally, Box is quite good. The mobile app interface (available for iOS, Android, Windows, and Blackberry) is slick and well designed. There are many options for creating, uploading and sorting files.
The web portal gives you the ability to create new documents in Microsoft Office, Google Docs or web formats, which can be edited in Box using a free downloadable plugin.
One of the real benefits for businesses is the large range of additional applications that expand the capabilities of the Box service. There are programs that allow you to connect Office with Box so that all files are automatically saved in it, an FTP application that will allow you to transfer old data, and a huge number of other solutions, the full list is on the website.
conclusions
There's a lot to like about Box. The service is fast, reliable and offers 10GB of storage space, which is certainly an eye-catcher. But it's a shame that so many of the best features, like versioning, are only available to paid users.
Knowhow is a service offered by British company Currys PCWorld, but is actually a rebranded LiveDrive service. We've heard a lot about the reliability of LiveDrive, so starting to store data in such a service is a good decision.
Memory
There are three tariffs: 200GB, 2TB and 4TB. However, each tariff has different parameters available, such as the maximum number of devices, as well as the validity period of the tariff. It's quite confusing. It would be better to simplify the choice of tariff.
The most interesting offer, in our opinion, may be 2TB for five devices at £30 per year.
Principle of operation
The service includes the “Briefcase” function. A portfolio is a shared online storage space that is not associated with any specific computer. You can upload and download files to it through the web portal in the same way as in DropBox or OneDrive. These files can be accessed from your PC, phone or tablet, or through iOS, Android or Windows Phone applications.
The design is well thought out, the interface is simple and clear. Immediately after installation, the application performs a system backup. We would like to be able to choose which folders should be copied to the cloud first, although in principle this is not difficult to set up. However, a program that makes such decisions on its own without asking the user is underwhelming.
Safety
Knowhow encrypts data and transmits it using TLS to prevent any eavesdropping attempts, and Briefcase files are additionally encrypted on the user's device. Knowhow service files are stored unencrypted on servers, but Knowhow assures that the data is secure thanks to multi-layered protection. All servers are located in the UK.
conclusions
Knowhow Cloud offers truly useful data backup capabilities. If you have a large amount of data that you want to store securely in the cloud, then this service may be suitable. Although, for most people it may seem expensive and offer more storage space than necessary.
Since 2014, iCloud supports storing any documents and files, not just those created in Apple applications. It also provides access to them from a PC (via the iCloud app for Windows) in addition to iOS and OS X.
It's no surprise that there are no apps for Windows Phone, Android, or Blackberry, so if you don't own an iPhone or iPad, this service isn't for you.
Note that iCloud Photo Library and iCloud Drive are separate apps, which can be confusing.
Memory
The 5GB of free space available by default may not impress, however, this is only part of the capabilities that the service provides. It is also possible to reserve an iOS device online. You'll have to pay ~$1.15 per month for 50GB, ~$3.61 for 200GB, and ~$10.14 for 1TB.
Principle of operation
By default, the “Keynote”, “Numbers” and “Pages” folders are created on the iCloud drive, but you can create your own. Plenty of third-party apps support iCloud, and iOS 9 will finally bring an iCloud Drive app.
One of the recent additions was the ability to share files between applications, i.e. you can create a diagram and then place it in a presentation.
iCloud Drive also lets you start working on your iPad and then continue it on your computer. The functionality is somewhat poor, but synchronization between devices and the cloud is fast and reliable.
Safety
Most data is protected by what Apple says is “a minimum of 128-bit AES encryption,” while keychain passwords are protected by 256-bit encryption. Apple also reserves the right to review the contents of your files if it has reason to believe that they contain illegal or harmful material.
conclusions
iCloud Drive is starting to provide some of the best features that competitors like DropBox offer. However, it still lacks the ability to selectively sync, which some users may need. If you're an Apple user and willing to pay ~$1.15 per month for a paid account, then using iCloud Drive might make sense for you. If you use other operating systems, then it is better to look for something else.
Mozy is a fairly standard online storage service. You can choose which folders on your hard drive will be stored in the cloud, synchronization is performed automatically (immediately after downloading and installing the client application). Data can be accessed from other devices via a web portal or mobile application. The programs are available for Windows and OS X. iOS and Android platforms are also supported. Mozy has no plans to develop applications for Windows Phone or Linux yet.
Operating principle and memory
Mozy offers a very limited amount of free storage space and the ability to get more through a referral system (by inviting friends). Paid accounts start at $7.24 per month.
One of the useful features is 30-day versioning, where all changes to a file are stored for 30 days, and you can restore the old version before erroneous changes were made to the file. It is also possible to download all files stored in the cloud with one click, which can be very useful if you need to migrate to another computer. However, please note that there is a limit on the number of devices you can use. Lower-tier plans are limited to reserving one PC, although these files can be accessed over the Network from other devices. To support multiple computers, you'll need to upgrade to the ~$11.59 per month plan, which supports three computers and gives you 125GB of storage space.
There's nothing special to be found in the interface, but it's usable and stable. After installing Mozy Home, you simply move folders to the Mozy drive and it will automatically save a copy to the cloud. You can also choose which folders will be saved and make some other simple settings. Mobile applications are designed in a similar manner, giving way to functionality in their aesthetics. Performance is not great and we hope the mobile apps will get better in the near future. Otherwise, Mozy could easily be left behind by more optimized services.
Safety
Mozy offers two types of encryption (256-bit AES or 448-bit Blowfish), which is performed on the computer, not on the server, after sending over the Internet. As a result, it is much more difficult to intercept your data, since it is already encrypted at the time of transmission.
conclusions
Security is the area where Mozy has the most to offer. Versioning support is well implemented, local device encryption is always our preferred method, and the ability to restore data with one click is a nice addition. There's a lot of work to be done to perfect the design elements, and just 2GB of free space (though Dropbox and Spideroak offer the same) is very little these days. In conclusion, Mozy is designed to store your most valuable data, not everything, and can be a very useful tool in some cases.
If privacy is your top priority, then the best cloud service for you might be Spideroak. Most services encrypt data on their servers, but Spideroak takes a different approach.
Memory
The basic free account includes 2GB of storage, but unfortunately it's only valid for a 60-day trial.
Operating principle and safety
After registering and installing the client program (Windows, Mac and Linux are supported), you can move the files to a special folder on your computer, which will be immediately encrypted before synchronizing with Spideroak. This means that all your data is readable only by you, and even Spideroak employees cannot access it. Spideroak calls this “zero-knowledge privacy.”
Typically, this solution made it difficult to access data from different devices, not to mention sharing files with other users, but the developers of the service found a way around these problems. Spideroak Hive is the control center of your cloud. This app runs locally and has a similar style to the Dropbox folder on your desktop, although the interface is a little more complex.
In it you can see which devices you have the client program installed on and gain access to all Spideroak Hive folders for each of them. You can also use the menu to selectively backup local files, as well as get useful information on any activity on your account.
While competitors like Google Drive and OneDrive are tightly integrated with various services, Spideroak is designed only to safely store your data. This means no office applications or file sharing capabilities at all. You can safely send the recipient a secure link to the desired file from the Spideroak Hive program, although this requires you to obtain a special Share ID (free and easy) for additional data protection. This “obsession” with security extends throughout the entire system, even to the point of stern warnings when you decide to leave an application for a long time without logging out. Some people may be annoyed by this behavior of the program, but such notifications can be turned off, although getting a reminder once again is not so bad, and convenience often runs counter to security.
conclusions
Spideroak is completely focused on data security and privacy. If this is your most important requirement, then this service is definitely the best choice. It may lack integration with other services, but it does what it claims to do well.
Many people don't know that a large part of Amazon's business is related to cloud technologies (computing and data storage). Therefore, one cannot say about the Amazon Cloud Drive service that they do “this too.” However, Cloud Drive is simpler than its competitors and is designed only for backing up your photos and videos.
The service allows you to automatically save all pictures taken from your tablet and Fire smartphone to the cloud. The desktop application is available for PC or Mac and, once installed, simply looks like a folder into which you can drag and drop the files you need to save.
Memory
The free account includes 5GB of storage, which Amazon says allows you to store 2,000 photos, but if that's not enough, you can add 20GB for ~$8.67 per year, up to 1TB of storage for ~$462 per year. Please note that if you take pictures often and, especially, shoot video, then 5GB of space can be used up quite quickly.
In addition to the regular storage service, Amazon also includes a music storage service, Cloud Player, which allows you to store 250 songs online for free. Files can be accessed from a mobile device (Android or iOS) through the Amazon MP3 app with streaming or downloading options.
If you're an Amazon Prime member, you get unlimited photo storage on Cloud Drive.
Principle of operation
Cloud Drive's mobile services are quite modest and mainly focus on photo and video synchronization. Android and iOS users can download the Cloud Drive Photos app and be able to automatically send all photos from the camera to Amazon servers if there is a Wi-Fi network.
A very interesting solution was the lack of access to documents from mobile devices. If you add Word, PDF, or XLS files to the Cloud Drive folder on your PC, they will sync to the Cloud server, but will not be visible on your smartphone or tablet. Of course, you can open these files through the web portal using a browser, but when you decide to store all your data in one place, the inability to access documents from mobile devices is a very serious drawback of the service.
Amazon also offers a new service - “everything without restrictions” (Unlimited Everything). It works exactly like a traditional cloud storage service, meaning you can store documents, photos, music, videos, and basically anything you want. But without restrictions. At all. For $59.99 per year.
There is also a “photo without restrictions” service. Unlimited space for photos, as well as 5GB for videos and other files. Costs $11.99 per year.
Both offers have a trial period of 3 months.
Results
Cloud Drive evokes conflicting emotions. On the one hand, it is very useful for storing photos and videos on the Internet, which it does well, and offers additional space inexpensively. On the other hand, the lack of support for regular documents looks strange and does not allow us to recommend it.
Results
If you register on all popular cloud services, then in total you will have 100GB of free space. And, if you activate auto-upload of photos and invite friends, then even more.
All these services are different in some way, some of them can be called the best. We find Dropbox to be a very impressive service that is distinguished by the fact that it provides a lot of free space. The reason why it really stands out is because it is fully supported by a large number of applications and platforms. If you need to choose a cloud storage service, then you can say with all confidence that Dropbox is the first in the ranking. It is reliable and known to everyone as a very high quality product.
Google Drive and OneDrive are both good if you use a Chromebook or Microsoft Office respectively, because... they offer a lot of storage space at good prices. 1TB of OneDrive storage for Office users is truly impressive and almost offsets the cost of the program license. Although we're not impressed by the decision to cut free space on OneDrive, it leaves Google in a stronger position.
Mega stood out with its 50GB of free account space, and it should get even better once support for email, video and voice call encryption is fully implemented.
Finally, Tresorit and pCloud are modern services that deserve special attention. Security is extremely important these days, and both of these services offer a way to encrypt data that does not interfere with normal system operation and is easy to manage - especially on paid accounts. If you have a small business or work in a team where there is a need to collaborate with sensitive data, then these services are definitely worth paying attention to.
How to store personal data, work information, photos or videos in the Internet? We will give answers to these questions in today’s review, where we will also talk about what is cloud storage, what are the advantages of cloud services, and also compare the most used “clouds”
Those who are used to working with a computer know how tragic the situation is when the hard drive suddenly fails. Prudent users will say: “You need to dump important information onto a flash drive or external HDD drive.” Yes, but these are not all the data storage options that currently exist.
In fact, there are more practical and modern ways to save information. In this article we will focus on cloud storage, which is becoming more and more popular every year due to its convenience and simplicity.
What is cloud storage?
Cloud data storage is an online storage model where data is stored and processed on many system servers. This internal system of servers is not shown to the client, but is presented as one large virtual server, which is collectively called the cloud. Cloud storage guarantees data safety, even if one or more HDDs temporarily fail or become unavailable.1. Mega
A special feature of the Mega cloud file sharing service is that all content transmitted to the cloud or between users via the cloud is encrypted using the AES algorithm, and the keys are distributed using Friend-to-Friend technology, that is, between users who trust each other. Mega can also be called a generous cloud service, since it provides its users with 50 free gigabytes of space. The disadvantage of Mega is that it is in a worse position compared to other cloud storage flagships regarding the ability to work with different devices.
2.OneDrive
A development by Microsoft, which in the past was called SkyDrive. OneDrive positions itself as a cloud-based Internet file storage and sharing service. The advantage of this service is that it instantly integrates with Microsoft Office, which allows you to create, edit and save Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint and Word files using the Windows Live OneDrive service. What can really scare a user is the meager amount of free gigabytes that OneDrive offers. However, 5GB may be enough for some people.
3.Box
Box.net is a cloud storage service that allows you to store files online. Among the advantages of this cloud are the ability to collaborate with files, the function of sharing files and folders with colleagues from a mobile phone, as well as note-taking and improved search for Android devices. For users of a free account, 5 GB of space in the cloud is available, but there is a limit on the maximum size of uploaded files - the size of one should not exceed 250 MB.
4. DropBox
Cloud storage that has been around for a very long time. Using it, you can store data, give access to other users on the global network, and also synchronize access with different devices. The DropBox application can be installed on Windows, Mac, Linux or a mobile device. Many users note that working with the service is very simple.Also, a distinctive feature of this online storage is the editing of files with partial transfer. Thus, the application does not change the entire file, but only its edited parts, which makes using DropBox faster than its competitors.
Initially, the free account has only 2 GB available for storing information, but this space can be easily increased. To do this, you should complete several tasks, one of which is to invite a friend, for example. From time to time, the service launches promotions that also allow you to win a few extra gigabytes.
The disadvantages of DropBox are the temporary validity of promotional GB and the ability to synchronize only from the DropBox folder.
5. Yandex.Disk
Features of the service include the ability to store and share files, synchronization with multiple devices, as well as integration with Microsoft Office programs. Recently, there has been a function for automatically uploading photos and video files from digital cameras and external storage media to Yandex. Disk. By registering in this cloud storage, the user is provided with 10 free gigabytes, which will be available forever. You can also add a few GB by bringing friends to Yandex. Disk. So for each friend you will be given 512 MB.
6. Cloud Mail.Ru
I would like to immediately note that this is one of the youngest cloud storages, which began its existence in the summer of 2013. The Mail.Ru cloud has great prospects for the future. The service can run on almost all computer operating systems (Windows, Mac OS, Linux), as well as on mobile devices running Android and iOS. The capabilities of this cloud include: working with office documents thanks to integration with Microsoft Office, synchronization with mail, instant auto-upload of photos from mobile devices. The difference between Mail.Ru Cloud and other similar services is the provision of free 25 GB of data storage space.
7. Google Drive
Popular cloud storage from Google, which allows you to work with documents online, as well as upload about 30 types of files to the cloud. A very convenient service for those who are used to working with Google products. The user is provided with 15 free gigabytes, which can be accessed both through the regular web interface and through clients for Windows, Mac OS and Android, iOS.
8. Bitcasa
In 2013, former employees of Mastercard, VeriSign, Classmates.com and Mozy launched a full-fledged version of the cloud storage service. The main features of Bitcasa are encryption, which occurs on the user’s side; in this way, data arrives to the cloud already encrypted and securely protected. A distinctive feature is a built-in video player in which you can watch movies, clips, videos without installing them on your device. By registering, the user receives 5 GB for free. Bitcasa clients are available for mobile devices with iOS, Windows and Android operating systems, as well as for computers and laptops with OS X, Windows and Linux.
Users and businesses will continue to move away from bulky and expensive servers and instead choose the cloud to store files. Given the variety of storage options available, you should choose carefully.
Lifehacker suggests paying attention to services that provide maximum free space with reliable data protection and high-quality service. Prices shown are for starter plans only.
- Price: 2GB free, 1TB for $8.25 per month. The standard Dropbox Business subscription costs $12.50 per month per user.
- Applications:
- Russian language support: There is.
Initially, this cloud storage giant only gives you access to 2 GB of free space. But it can be easily expanded to 16 GB: just 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 customization of access levels.
- Price: 15 GB 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 based on Google's OS. However, due to the considerable amount of free storage, the service may also be attractive to owners of other devices.
Among the disadvantages is that the interface of the browser version is not the simplest. But Windows and macOS users can download a much more convenient application.
3. Mega
- Price: 50 GB free, 200 GB for 4.99 euros 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 it ends up on the servers. The Mega client source code is available on GitHub and can be reviewed by any expert. Therefore, the statement inspires confidence.
- Price: 10 GB 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, and is constantly acquiring new functions. The service has a high synchronization speed. The platform's 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. The service also has very good opportunities to expand space through partnerships with companies. For example, if you are a Muscovite and use the OnLime tariff plan from Rostelecom, then the disk capacity increases by 100 GB.
- Price: 5 GB free, 50 GB for 140 rubles per month, 1 TB for 269 or 339 rubles when you sign up 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 standard Windows 10 File Explorer. There's no need to download an app - everything is already downloaded for you.
The operating system's built-in Photos app can use OneDrive to sync all 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 the regular pricing plans, Microsoft has Office 365 Personal and Office 365 Home. Both subscriptions include 1 TB of cloud storage, full versions of Office apps for Windows and macOS, and a host of other benefits. The second option gives 1 TB to five users at once.
- Price: 8 GB 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 version interface and supported platforms. Loses to its main competitor due to its extensive referral program. Among the advantages is a larger amount of free storage.
Among other things, the service has a tool for quickly creating and saving screenshots in the cloud.
- Price: 5 GB free, 50 GB for 59 rubles per month.
- Applications: Windows.
- Russian language support: There is.
5GB of free space may not be enough, but iCloud is the most convenient way to back up your iPhone photos.
The service is integrated into the Finder program on macOS - the desktop of all MacBooks. Documents created through the iWork office suite are also saved in iCloud and can be synchronized between devices. The platform also has an official client for Windows, with which you can keep files on your PC up to date.
8.Box
- Price: 10 GB free, 100 GB for 8 euros 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 allow you to not only synchronize, but also edit files.
The company is actively promoting business subscriptions. It is the one that appears in the center of the screen when you click on the registration button. This plan gives you access to advanced collaboration features and unlimited cloud space.
- Price: Free setup and use, space prices vary by hosting provider. 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 does offer free software for setting up the cloud on your own server. The main advantage of this option is speed. You can also enable encryption and not worry about files leaving your home network.
If you do not have experience in setting up servers, you can buy a pre-configured option - Nextcloud Box. Inside the device there is a 1 TB hard drive. It easily connects to an inexpensive single board computer. True, in order to get your hands on a mini-server, you will have to use the services of third-party companies: there is no direct delivery to Russia and the CIS countries.
- Price: 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 operated under a zero-knowledge protocol. It was implied that the company interacts with user data without disclosing its content in any way. Recently it turned out that there are some caveats here, and SpiderOak abandoned its main feature. But this did not stop us from striving to provide files.
The repository has clients for all popular desktop and mobile platforms. You can use the web client, but for privacy advocates this is the least preferred option since it exposes your password to SpiderOak employees.
- Price: 5 GB free, 2 TB for $52.12 per year with special offer, then $69.5.
- Applications: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Windows Phone.
- Russian language support: No.
The product supports constant synchronization of all your files - even those stored on network drives. The web interface allows you to share data by mail, Facebook and Twitter.
The advantage of IDrive is that files deleted from the computer from the cloud do not automatically disappear. The company also has a service called IDrive Express: if you lose all your data, they will deliver a hard drive to you for quick recovery.
- Price: 10 GB free, 500 GB for $3.99 per month, pCloud Crypto encryption price: $3.99 per 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 website.
The company is registered in Switzerland, a country known for its strict privacy laws. For an additional amount, you can use the pCloud Crypto service to encrypt individual files.
And a year later, it’s safe to say that cloud storage and its position in the world have changed.
Many cloud storage services continue to evolve and develop for the better, while others, on the contrary, are losing user loyalty. There are also younger cloud storages that look extremely attractive. Although it’s nice that there are no longer such a huge number of new cloud storages, which appeared in huge quantities just a few years ago, “died” in the same huge quantities.
I’ll make a reservation right away that this top will only include cloud storage services that provide users with at least a little free space. There are also fully paid cloud storages that please with their quality, but they will not be included in this top.
Cloud storage from Microsoft, which replaced the closed SkyDrive. The storage is tightly integrated into the company's ecosystem and many applications. High speed, 15 GB of free space and integration with Microsoft Office Online. Everything was fine, but Microsoft managed to ruin the entire reputation of its storage.
Office 365 subscribers received unlimited storage on OneDrive. The description said 1 TB, but when the limit was reached, the available space was added automatically. Some users began to abuse the trust of Microsoft, as a result, hundreds of terabytes of data, all photos, the entire film library, heaps of games downloaded from torrents, and much more accumulated in their accounts. OneDrive was originally designed to be a tool for storing, collaborating, and transferring documents, not as a permanent repository for everything you relatively need. Microsoft was angered by this and the company took a step that undermined . There will be no unlimited accounts from the first quarter of 2016. The free 15 GB and bonus for automatically uploading photos were also seriously reduced. It is planned to give only 5 GB on a free basis, and the remaining 10 GB and the bonus will simply be taken away from users who did not manage this space in time, using certain manipulations.
The cancellation of unlimited accounts can still be justified, even a reduction in the free volume can be justified, but the fact that the company wants to take away the already existing free space has an extremely bad effect on further trust in OneDrive. As a result, we are left with cloud storage of lesser quality, but due to the lack of trust in it, only tenth place.
9. MEGA
Last year, MEGA cloud storage was much higher in the ranking. Over the course of a year, the web interface of the repository changed, there were problems with the operation of the repository itself, and in the end, Kim Dotcom, who once founded MEGA, announced that . Is it possible to trust a grieved husband from whom his creation was taken away? Not sure.
Among the minuses, it is worth noting that over the year the repository had problems with access, problems with synchronization, especially of a large number of documents and through the web interface. In addition, some noted that sometimes they could not access their files and the servers simply did not respond.
After the redesign, MEGA lost all these problems. Moreover, it received the function of encrypted calls between users of this service. And don't forget, MEGA still gives 50 GB of free space to all its users. But adding up all of the above, this storage cannot be called exemplary, although it has not sunk to the antics of OneDrive, hence the higher position.
Initially, in this place, when the draft version of the top was written, there was a cloud storage “in Safe”, which was recommended by readers in the comments to the 2015 top. By the end of 2015, “vSafe” announced its closure, and, as the developers assure, everyone was warned by mail. But for some reason this letter did not arrive and was not in the spam folder, so all the files were lost. It's sad, but we need to look for a more reliable alternative.
There was nothing better than SpiderOak. Cloud storage has been around for many years and differs from all of the above by its high level of confidentiality. Reliable encryption that has never been broken by attackers. Many secure smartphones and other gadgets that specialize in the security and safety of user data recommend SpiderOak.
SpiderOak has applications for a large number of operating systems. There are also some disadvantages, in particular, only 2 GB of available space is given for free. So, all that remains is to either store only the most valuable data in a more securely encrypted storage, or switch to a paid account. Many call SpiderOak the benchmark for encrypted cloud storage.
7.Box
More and more this storage is moving into the business segment. Data encryption, built-in note-taker and 10 GB of free space. All these are good indicators, along with stability, because Box can be called one of the oldest cloud storage services.
It’s just that the file size and many other indicators are significantly limited in the free version, and it’s not getting any better; the rules are becoming more and more stringent. If this continues, Box’s position and the loyalty of ordinary users will come to naught. However, on a paid account there is much more space and much fewer restrictions.
6.Copy
Copy storage pleases with its stability. It simply gives 15 GB of free space and works stably. No interruptions or other problems. It simply synchronizes all your data, which is the main criterion for any cloud storage.
However, this storage system lacks an ecosystem, connections with other services and applications, and the ability to open at least some types of files directly in the cloud, without the need to download them (now we are talking about the web version).
There are a lot of Apple device users and all of them are essentially iCloud users. ICloud stores settings, user data, synchronizes a huge number of files, and much more.
Even on Apple operating systems, problems can arise when working with iCloud. How to upload a file, why does the iCloud Drive application appear only after manipulating the settings? With the Windows version everything is even worse, and on other systems there is no such storage at all. The closed nature of iCloud does not allow us to rank it higher.
4. Yandex.Disk
One of the most popular repositories for Russian-speaking users. Over the past year, Yandex.Disk began to support more file formats, learned smart photo sorting, and received deep integration with Yandex.Mail. 10 GB of free space is also here to stay.
Don’t forget about the numerous promotions during which you also get free space. For example, you were pleasantly surprised when, after inserting a new flash drive, you suddenly received 30 GB of space for a year as a gift. In addition, after the recent update of Yandex.Disk, Microsoft Office Online, which means you can easily create and work with office documents directly in the browser.
3. Cloud Mail.Ru
The main competitor of Yandex.Disk, despite the fact that it launched much later, managed not only to catch up, but also overtook its competitor. If the first users who wanted to test the “raw” version of this storage received 1 TB of free space, beta testers received 100 GB, now they give only 25 GB, but the volume is no longer going to be reduced.
The storage not only provides a fairly large volume, which is more than enough to store documents, projects and photos, but also can work with office documents, thanks to integration with Microsoft Office Online. Don't forget about integration with mail either.
Last year's leader is still inferior in functionality to this year's leader. This is the case when the cloud storage itself has not changed, moreover, it has become much better over the year, but the competitor has become much better.
This is the oldest of the cloud storage services. In many ways, it was Dropbox that gave birth to this type of service. Over the course of the year, Dropbox acquired even greater support for formats, improved speed, added the ability to leave comments on files, and, thanks to cooperation with Microsoft, was integrated into Microsoft Office and Microsoft Office Online. Thanks to the latter, you can now also edit office documents directly in the browser. Built-in collective work with documents has also appeared
1. Google Drive
The undisputed leader among cloud storages. 15 GB is not the most important thing it gives. There is also a built-in office suite, Googel Docs, which supports many more formats than its main competitor, Microsoft Office Online. In terms of the number of supported formats, Google Drive is ahead of all its competitors. In addition, there are extensions that, if desired, can allow you to perform all the necessary actions with files: office work, listening to music, watching videos, working with archives, directly in the cloud storage, from the browser, without the need to download files to the device.
Videos and photos are not of very high quality and are not taken into account at all when calculating the occupied space. Also, the Android application, starting with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, begins to synchronize the settings of your phone, tablet or other gadget, making it easy to restore your data to a new device. Backups are also not taken into account when calculating available space in Google Drive.
As a result, we have cloud storage, the level of which no competitor has yet reached. The capabilities of Google Drive are impressive and its development is not stopping.
A cloud is usually a large object that occupies a large area. In the technical field, a cloud is a virtual remote service that provides users with data storage, application hosting, or physical space virtualization. Nowadays, cloud computing is used not only by large but also by small companies.
There are mainly three types of cloud services.
SaaS(Software as a Service, software as a service) - providing users with access to other public clouds of large organizations to store their data, for example, Gmail.
PaaS(Platform as a Service, platform as a service) - providing the ability to host and run applications on their clouds, for example, Google App Engine allows users to host their applications.
IaaS(Infrastructure as a Service, infrastructure as a service) - allows you to virtualize any machine and, using the client, the user can get the feeling of a real machine.
Cloud storage means storing the user's local files on special dedicated servers on the network that are designed for this. CompuServe was the first to offer its customers 128 kilobytes of disk space that could be used to store their files. Now this area is at the stage of active development and due to potential threats such as loss of data or information, hacking, and other similar cases, many organizations are releasing their cloud solutions that guarantee data confidentiality, this strengthens confidence in the success of cloud technologies.
In this article we will look at several solutions in this area. We will focus on open source software that is used by a huge number of people and large organizations. We will analyze only the best cloud services of 2016.
In the list of the best cloud storage services, OwnCloud is one of the first places. A Dropbox replacement for Linux users, it provides many features similar to those of Dropbox. Just like Dropbox, OwnCloud allows you to sync files between your local computer and a remote server.
Since it is an open source solution, users can get unlimited free storage space for their data by hosting this software on their server. The project started in January 2015 with the goal of providing an open source replacement for private, closed cloud storage. It is written in PHP, JavaScript, and is available for Windows, Linux and Mac OS, and there are also mobile applications for Android and iOS.
OwnCloud uses Webdav server for remote access and can integrate with a large number of databases, including SQLite, MariaDB, Oracle Database, PostgreeSQL.
A large number of functions are supported, such as encryption, file storage, music streaming, content sharing via URL, Mozilla synchronization server, RSS aggregator for reading news feeds, one-click installation of programs, viewing videos, PDFs, editing office documents and much more.
The latest version of OwnCloud 8.2 adds several new features such as an improved design, the ability to notify users, and a time limit for storing files in the trash.
2. Seafile
Another file hosting based on open source software. It is written in C and Python, the latest stable version is 4.4.3, released on October 15, 2015.
Seafile's best cloud storage providers provide a desktop client for Windows, Linux, and OS X, as well as mobile clients for Android, IOS, and Windows Phone. Along with the free implementation of the Community Edition, released under the GPL license, there is a professional edition under a commercial license that provides additional features - some user protocols and the ability to search for text.
The project switched to open source distribution in July 2011, which attracted a lot of attention. Its main functionality is data synchronization, with an emphasis on security. Key features: online file editing, differential synchronization, minimal network bandwidth usage, and client data encryption. It is these features that have made this software popular in many foreign universities: University of Mainz, University of Berlin and University of Strasbourg, as well as among many people around the world.
3.Pydio
This is a free cloud storage, or rather file hosting, formerly known as AjaXplorer. Its goal is to provide its users with file hosting, file sharing, and synchronization. The project was started in 2009 by Charles DeJue and since 2010 has been supplied on all NAS equipment from LaCie.
Pydio is written in PHP and JavaScript and is available for Windows, Linux, MacOS, and also Android. There are now about half a million downloads from Sourcefoge. The service is endorsed by companies such as RedHat and Oracle. This is one of the most popular cloud storage services on the market.
Pydio itself is simply a kernel that runs on a web server and can be accessed through any web browser. Webdav's interface makes it an ideal online file management solution, SSL/TLS encryption makes data transfer secure and maintains privacy. Also available is a text editor with syntax highlighting, audio and video playback, integration with Amazon S3, FTP, or MYSQL, an image editor, and file and folder sharing using public URLs.
4. Ceph
Ceph was originally developed by Sage Well as a PhD thesis, but in the fall of 2007 he continued working on the project and expanded the development team. In April 2014, Red Hat took part in development. Currently, eight versions of the program have been released, the last release took place on April 7, 2015. This is a distributed cluster written in C++ and Perl with a high degree of scalability and is also freely available.
Data can be brought into Ceph as a block device, a file, or as an object via the RADOS gateway, which supports Amazon S3 and OpenStack Swift.
These free cloud storage services are data secure, scalable and reliable, here are the additional features:
- Network file system with high performance
- Compatible with virtual machine clients
- Object-level mapping
Syncany, released about two years ago in March 2014, is one of the lightest on the list - the best cloud services of 2016 for data storage and file sharing systems. Currently under active development by Philipp Heckel and available as a command line tool for all systems. The GUI is still under development.
One of the most important things about Syncany is that it is just a tool. Therefore, you need to have your own storage accessible via FTP, SFTP, Webdav, Samba or Amazon S3.
6. Cozy
This tool provides not only file access and synchronization, but a complete package of features that will help you build your own application platform.
Like Syncany, Cozy provides flexibility to the user in terms of disk space. You can use your personal servers or trust data to Cozy servers. To function properly, this software requires two more projects - CouchDB for database storage and Whoosh for indexing. The program is available for all platforms, including smartphones.
The main features that make this solution one of the best: the ability to store all contacts, files, calendar in the cloud, and synchronize all this between a laptop and a smartphone.
Another notable feature is that Cozy is lightweight. A version of Cozy Light has been released that can even run on Raspberry Pi or cheap VPS hosting.
7. GlusterFS
GlusterFS is a network file system for storing files. The project was originally developed by Gluster Inc, but has now been taken over by Red Hat. Following a 2011 lawsuit from Gluster Inc, RedHat renamed its product Red Hat Gluster Storage. It is available for most platforms: Linux, OS X, NetBSD, OpenSolaris. The project was used as a basis for scientific research.
GlusterFS uses a client-server model, with servers deployed as storage clusters. The client can connect to the server using a native protocol over TCP/IP, Infiband or SDP and store files on the GlusterFS server. To ensure data storage reliability, file-based and replication-based data mirroring, load balancing, disk caching scheduling, etc. are used.
Another useful feature is that the data is stored in native file systems such as ext4, xfs, etc.
StackSync is a Dropbox-like tool that runs on OpenStack, designed to solve the problem of organizations to sync all their data in one place. It is written in Java and released under the GPLv3 license.
Its structure consists of three main components: a synchronization server, OpenStack, and a desktop or mobile client. The server handles metadata and logic, OpenStack is focused on data persistence, and desktop clients help users synchronize data with their personal cloud.
SyncStack uses various data optimizations that allow the system to scale to meet the needs of thousands of people to efficiently use cloud resources. Additional features: RESTFull API as a Swift module, which allows you to use mobile applications and applications from third-party developers to synchronize data. There is also a separation between data and metadata making this solution very flexible for deployment on different configurations.
Another prominent entry on the list of the best cloud storage services of 2016, Git-annex is a file synchronization solution developed by Joy Hess and released in October 2010. This solution also provides file sharing and synchronization, but does not rely on any commercial service or central server. It is written by Haskell and is available for Android, Linux, OS X and Windows.
Git-annex - manages the user's GIT repository without saving the session. Instead, it only stores links to files in the GIT repository, and manages the files associated with the link. It also provides file mirroring, which is necessary when restoring data.
In addition, this service provides instant access to files as soon as you need them. It should be noted that git-annex is available for many Linux distributions, Fedora, Ubuntu, Debain, etc.
10. Yandex.Disk
Yandex Disk is a cloud storage system and synchronization service released in April 2012 and available for all major platforms, including Windows, Linux, OS X, Android, iOS and Windows Phone. It allows users to sync their data between different devices and shares it with everyone on the internet.
Yandex Disk provides its users with many different functions: a built-in flash player, sharing files between users by exchanging links, synchronizing files between different devices, unlimited storage time, WebDav support.
11. Bitcasa
Developed by Bitcasa Inc, a California-based company, this is another cloud service for data storage and synchronization. Available for Windows, OS X, Android and Linux. Not all components of the program are open source, but it is still related to it, since it uses projects such as gcc/clang, libCurl, OpenSSL, APR, Rapid JSON, etc.
The main features are file storage, sharing, and encryption, which makes data storage much safer. It is these features that make it popular among customers from more than 140 countries around the world.
12.nas4free
NAS stands for Attached Network Storage or connected Internet storage. 4free means its free and free nature. The program was released in May 2012. This is a network server for storing data, with a user interface written in PHP. It supports i386/IA-32 and x86-64 architectures.
Nas4Free supports sharing between multiple operating systems, ZFS, data encryption, protocols such as Samba, CARP, Bridge, FTP, RSYNC, TFTP, NFS.
Unlike other programs, nas4free can be installed and run from USB, and can also be run from Live USB or LiveCD. Nas4free has won several awards, Project of the Month (August 2015) and Project of the Week (May 2015).
conclusions
These were all the most interesting and best cloud services of 2016 for storing and synchronizing data, they have either already gained great popularity over the years or have just been released and are ready to make their huge contribution to this industry. Our review of free cloud storage is complete. If you know of other great cloud services that you or your organization uses, please post in the comments.
