The Best Alternatives to Google Drive 2023
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Jan 4, 2023
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Google Drive is one of the most popular cloud storage systems. It gives users access to stored files. Google Drive has been the accepted cloud tool for quite some time. But only recently have there been rising concerns about Google collecting data. Allegedly the tech giant runs a large data farming operation. You might have come across headlines talking about Google’s scary privacy policy.
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The Best Alternatives to Google Drive 2023 - FastVPN
Google Drive is one of the most popular cloud storage systems. It gives users access to stored files. Google Drive has been the accepted cloud tool for quite some time. But only recently have there been rising concerns about Google collecting data. Allegedly the tech giant runs a large data farming operation. You might have come across headlines talking about Google’s scary privacy policy.
If you are concerned about the same, don’t fret! There are a plethora of Google Drive alternatives that you can choose from.
But first, let’s take a detailed look at why you should consider using the Google Drive alternative.
Reasons to Consider Google Drive AlternativesGoogle Drive Alternatives You Should Consider1. Sync.com2. Dropbox3. pCloud4. Icedrive5. Box6. NordLocker7. Amazon DriveImprove Your Online Security
Reasons to Consider Google Drive Alternatives
Other than privacy there are many other reasons to use Google Drive alternatives. Let’s take a look at them.
- Cost
With Google Drive, you can enjoy 15GB of free storage. If you are storing only a few documents or a few photos, that can be more than enough. But if you are a heavy user, you can exceed the 15GB limit very easily.
Google charges $1.99 per month for 100GB of storage. No doubt, it is cheap. But if you are looking to save money, you can shop around for some alternatives.
- Security
Like previously stated, the main concern of Google Drive is privacy and security. No, that’s not always a bad thing. Google will encrypt the file during the transition. But the issue is that Google’s servers store all the encryption keys. So, cybercriminals can hack into the server to get access to the encryption keys. But not just cybercriminals, the encryption keys can also be stored by law enforcement or the government. You can use a firewall and a VPN to avoid such issues.
- Manipulates Documents
The privacy agreement of Google states that they have a license to use, store, host, modify, reproduce, create deviate networks, publish, communicate, publicly display, and publicly distribute the documents you are uploading on Google Drive.
The privacy policy also states that when someone uses Google services, they are agreeing to share data with third parties that Google might be working with. These are vague statements, giving them the liberty to interpret the privacy policy as they deem fit. So, whatever you are storing on Google is basically Google’s property.
- More Vulnerable
Since Google Drive is linked to the Gmail account, if your Google account gets hacked, the hackers will easily be able to access everything you have stored in your Google Drive.
There have been instances when Google Drives have become the target of many social engineering attacks. Often phishing emails masked as notifications can trick you into giving your login details. Thus, you should use encrypted email providers to reduce such risks.
So, if you are concerned about losing your data to hackers and others, use Google Drive alternatives.
Google Drive Alternatives You Should Consider
Here is a list of Google drive alternatives to consider-
1. Sync.com
With time, Sync.com is becoming one of the most popular alternatives to Google Drive. Not only is it one of the most secure platforms but also the fastest. It comes with some effective storage features. Sync.com can be used for personal use, as well as business.
But what sets it apart from the others is the massive storage it provides. With cheaper plans, you can enjoy a storage space of 2TB. If you are using the storage for business purposes, avail the Teams Unlimited plan. It offers unlimited cloud storage. It allows two users to access the same storage.
The automatic data sync features back up the devices. It provides end-to-end encryption that ensures complete security. With Sync.com, you can get 180–365-day file recovery and history details.
If you want to test Sync.com before investing in it, use the free plan. It provides 5GB of free storage. However, the data transfer might be a little limited. The paid plan starts at $5 per month. The monthly payment options are highly flexible.
But navigating through Sync.com might be a little difficult in comparison to Google Drive or Dropbox. Also, it lacks some collaboration features.
What sets Sync.com apart from Google Drive are the massive storage features, impressive tech support, and great functionality.
2. Dropbox
Dropbox is a well-known cloud storage option that has been used since 2007. In fact, many were introduced to cloud storage through Dropbox.
It is a good alternative to Google Drive as it offers stronger encryption for the files that you are storing. Hence, it is more secure than Google Drive. When you are storing individually shared files, you can set a password on it. The two-factor authentication sets it apart from many cloud storage services.
You can sync Dropbox across your devices at a faster speed than Google Drive, thanks to its block-level copying. This means it can only sync all file changes instead of downloading or re-uploading the whole file.
But when you are dealing with large files, you might encounter slower speeds. Dropbox only offers 2GB of free storage speed. But you can increase it to 19GB by referring your friends.
3. pCloud
pCloud is a new cloud storage service but it has quickly become popular among the masses. If you check out the cloud storage service, you are surely going to be impressed. The interface is easier to navigate through.
pCloud comes with a built-in document viewer and media player that lets you open, view, and stream the files directly from the cloud storage, no matter where you are located. If you are a movie buff or like reminiscing old days by checking the memories, it serves as an incredible feature.
It has a selective sync feature that lets you choose the PC folder of your preference and just sync the things that are already in there. It is beneficial for people who don’t want to store their information in the cloud, automatically.
pCloud Crypto takes its security to a higher level. With this, you can encrypt the files on the desktop or mobile-first, before you store them. For unlocking the files, you have to use the unique key generated by CryptoPass. pCloud offers secure cloud backup for Mac and Windows PC. Overall, it is a good google drive alternative to consider.
4. Icedrive
Icedrive was launched in 2019. However, even after being new to the market, they have created a great impression on the users. Cloud storage comes with some incredible features, such as an intuitive interface and file synchronization. It uses Fort-Knox like security and affordable prices.
The most attractive feature of the drive is its physical hard drive integration and cloud storage. Thus, cloud storage functions like a physical hard drive. It means you don’t have to sync or worry about bandwidth consumption.
You can easily mount physical and cloud storage. Just download the desktop software to access and handle your cloud storage profile in the operating system. The steps are quite like a USB Stick and a physical hard disk.
Windows users will let you edit, upload, view, delete, and rename files from the virtual drive. The changes that you make will be synced to the cloud automatically.
The cloud storage lets you preview files and offers unrestricted previous version recovery. But with the free plan, you are going to get just 10GB of storage. Also, it isn’t integrated with any third-party apps.
If privacy, security, and encryption are important to you, Icedrive can be a better choice in comparison to Google Drive.
5. Box
Box is another popular cloud storage system focusing on the business aspect. It works on all browsers and you can use it for your business or personal needs. Sharing data is an easy process. It comes with an incredible backup and modern security system that ensures that your data is safe.
However, you have to keep in mind that the cloud storage system has been designed for businesses. Thus, with the integrative and collaborative tools, you can edit and share documents and offer real-time communication.
You can choose a Box plan as per your budget and what you are looking for. You will find an individual plan with a paid and free option costing $11.50 per month.
The real focus is that cloud storage is for businesses. There are different options in the business plan that starts from $5.51 per month but will go up to $27.26 per month.
In case you are a business owner looking for some sophisticated tools to manage data in the cloud, Google Drive might not be what you are looking for. So, try out Box as the Google drive alternative.
6. NordLocker
It’s a cloud storage system that offers end-to-end encryption. Both macOS and Windows users will be able to use it. You might have already understood from the name that it is a product of Nord Security.
The cloud storage system follows a zero-knowledge policy and is powered by modern-day encryption technologies. For guaranteeing ultimate security, it uses elliptic-curve cryptography and advanced ciphers, including EdDSA, plus Argon2, XChaCah20, AES256, and Poly1305.
NordLocker comes with a feature that can sync the file through a private cloud. Hence, you will be able to access it from anywhere you want. It will back up and encrypt the cloud locker data automatically.
With the free plan, you can get 3GB of storage space. If you want to get the premium plan, you will have to spend $3.99 per month. But by spending the amount, you can get 500GB of storage space. The most popular plan is $19.99 that offers users 2TB of storage space.
NordLocker offers state-of-art encryption that makes it a better choice than Google Drive.
7. Amazon Drive
Amazon’s cloud storage system is called Amazon Drive. With this, you get to enjoy secure file backup, on-demand photo prints, cloud storage, and file sharing. The print feature is available through the Amazon Print service. If you have to store all your memories, this can be the perfect cloud storage.
To use this cloud storage, you just have to get cloud storage in the Amazon account. There is a wide range of plans to choose from. It offers storage up to 30TB. Hence, you know it will cater to all your storage requirements.
If you are an Amazon Prime user, you can use a free plan. With Android and iOS apps, you will be able to access the files on the go. It can be integrated with FireTV. Hence, you can check slideshows of photos on the TV. There are many file-sharing options, including Facebook, Twitter, and email.
The free plan for cloud storage offers 5GB of storage space. But if that is not enough for you, upgrade to any one of the premium plans. There are over 13 different paid plans to choose from when it comes to Amazon Drive. The largest package offers 30TB cloud storage space and is going to cost you $1800 per year. But it doesn’t let you edit documents directly.
Amazon Drive offers more plans than Google Drive. This means you have the option to choose as per your requirement. Also, it is more versatile and cheaper. It offers a better way to store your files and then access them. You can easily set up Amazon Drive. Also, you get 5GB of storage space for storing the photos. It might not be the best choice out there when it comes to cloud storage but it is a good Google Drive alternative that you can check out if you want to store your videos and photos without any hassle.
Improve Your Online Security
To enjoy optimum security, you can use a VPN. It will establish a secure connection between you and the internet. Through the VPN, data traffic is routed through the encrypted tunnel. It will disguise the IP address while you are using the internet. So, your location is not visible to anyone. A VPN connection will also offer security against external attacks.
The VPN works as a filter turning data into something gibberish. So, even if someone gets access to the data over the internet, it is going to be useful. It will also protect your cloud storage. When you use a VPN, you can reduce the risk of data leakage.
