The Best Cloud Storage Reviews for Business in 2022
November 10, 2022
Victoria Donovan
Content Specialist at Sync
How does your team quickly share files, keep their work backed up, and access it all securely from anywhere? And how do you do it easily, without expensive hardware, a dedicated IT team, or a steep learning curve?
While document backup, file sharing, and team collaboration are certainly not new, more businesses are relying on all-in-one cloud storage solutions to keep their workflows flowing and their work safely backed up. Cloud storage is a business essential to help you get your best work done without slowdowns or downtime. As the saying goes, time is money.
Speaking of costs, some cloud storage solutions can get costly in a hurry–especially if you’ve got a large team, have complex compliance requirements, or simply have a lot of files. But not all solutions will break the bank, and this cloud storage review will outline the best all-in-one solutions to take your business to the next level.
What is cloud storage?
Cloud storage is a place to save your files and folders online ‘in the cloud’. You do your work on your computer, phone, or tablet like normal, and all your documents and files are automatically saved to the cloud and synced to all your devices while you work. Cloud storage is essential for keeping your files backed up, and makes sharing, team collaboration, and access from anywhere easy and secure.
For businesses of all sizes, cloud storage has proved to be a game-changer. From team collaboration, remote work, virtual data rooms, client file sharing, and document editing, the benefits are numerous.
When comparing cloud storage providers, you’ll notice free plans, personal plans, and business plans. Free and basic plans are good options for personal use, but for your business, you’ll benefit most from plans that include multi-user support and a full suite of business productivity tools.
What are the benefits of cloud storage?
Cloud storage helps you manage your documents and files across computers, devices, locations, and people. Using cloud storage is one of the best ways to streamline your workflows, which is beneficial when you’ve got a lot of file data to manage. Cloud storage will help you:
Lower costs by replacing on-site servers
Easily collaborate with coworkers and clients
Back up your files safely and automatically
Meet global data privacy and compliance regulations
Share files of any size and maintain control while you share
Access your files from any device at any time
Get customer support help when you need it
We recommend moving to cloud storage, no matter how many files you have, and especially if you have files stored in a variety of places. Cloud storage consolidates all your data and secures it all in one easy-to-access place. Your whole team can access what they need from anywhere, and this makes sharing and collaboration easy.
Cloud storage is perfect for everyone, regardless of technical skill. Your team will love how easy it is to access, edit, back up, and share files.
The best cloud storage providers in 2023
Here is a complete list of the top cloud storage providers with the absolute best features for businesses and teams:
From instantly backing up files to easily sharing and collaborating, Sync is the ultimate cloud storage solution, with the Pro Solo and Pro Teams plans being the all-around best for business productivity.
One must-have Sync feature is team shared folders. You can easily create folders on your Windows and Mac computer, iOS or Android mobile device, or from any web browser, and give anyone secure access, with view-only or edit permissions, per user, per folder.
Working on collaborative projects, setting up centralized folders, editing files together, and backing up data securely is so easy with Sync, even when everyone is using different computers and devices, or working from different locations.
On top of that, Sync includes desktop, mobile, and web apps that enable file access anywhere, a files-on-demand feature called CloudFiles to save space on your computer, file comments to get client feedback faster, and Vault backup to keep your data super safe, secure, and private.
Sync really does have everything you need to get your best work done.
Sync.com key features
File access from anywhere – with desktop apps for Windows and macOS, mobile apps for iOS and Android, and web-based access, you can access your files from multiple computers and devices easily
Sync CloudFiles – a files-on-demand feature that allows you to save space on your computer by storing files in the cloud only
Custom branding – put your company logo on full display when sharing, perfect for building trust with clients and customers
Centralized folder collaboration – set up group access to folders and files with permissions such as view-only and view-edit, which makes document editing and collaboration with all of your team members easy
Client file sharing – share files with clients easily, and the people you share with do not need a Sync account
Multi-user administration – set up all your employees on Sync and manage access control to files and folders per user, all with centralized billing
Automatic backup – keep all your company files backed up, including every version of every file, with quick and easy restore when you need it. Automatically backup videos and photos on your camera roll as well
Microsoft Office integration – work on your Docs, Spreadsheets, and PPTs in Sync from the desktop, mobile apps, and the web
Strong encryption – help protect your data from unauthorized access with end-to-end encrypted features and unique access controls that protect user privacy, without the need for additional software or add-ons
Sync.com pros
Significant cost savings for businesses of any size compared to competitors
Unlimited data transfer so you can share without surprise fees
Up to unlimited storage options
Strong encryption and data privacy compliance to keep your files secure
Excellent in-house customer support
Full suite of backup, sync, and sharing business productivity features
HIPAA compliance for healthcare providers included on top tier plans at no extra cost
Sync.com cons
Free plan doesn’t include all the business features
Phone support limited to Unlimited plan
Sync.com pricing
Free plan – 5GB for free
Pro Solo Basic – $8 per month for 2TB
Pro Solo Professional – $20 per month for 6TB
Pro Teams Standard – $6 per month/person for 1TB
Pro Teams Unlimited – $15 per month/person for unlimited storage
Dropbox is a popular cloud storage provider that offers a variety of plans for different use cases. Their business plans include a solid set of features for teams of any size. Dropbox integrates directly with your desktop, and includes mobile apps, and web access, making for easy file organization.
Dropbox key features
File access from anywhere – with desktop, mobile, and web-based access for easy access to your files
Password manager – store your passwords with Dropbox
Dropbox Paper – a proprietary editing app
Smartsync – files-on-demand allows you to save space on your computer by storing files in the cloud
File tagging – add hashtags to your files to help stay organized
Dropbox pros
Solid set of business productivity features
Multi-lingual support
Linux client
Active user forums
Dropbox Cons
Expensive for what you get
Hidden bandwidth limits when sharing can result in additional costs
Inconsistent customer support response times
Bloated feature set
Dropbox Pricing
Basic – 2GB for free
Plus – $9.99 per month for 2TB
Family – $16.99 per month for 2TB and up to 6 users
Professional – $16.58 per month for 3TB
Standard – $15 per month/person for 5TB
Advanced – $24 per month/person for unlimited storage
Box is an enterprise-focused cloud storage platform with a full suite of business productivity features well suited for organizations with thousands of employees or more.
Box key features
File access from anywhere – with desktop, mobile, and web-based access for easy access to your files
Box Relay – an automation tool that allows you to schedule workflows, such as sending and requesting files
App integrations – connect your files with apps like SalesForce, Netsuite, Okta, and ServiceNow easily
Insights – team administrators get built-in reports to track projects, users, and files
Box Sign – document signing and e-signature support
Box pros
Excellent for very large organizations and enterprise
1,500+ app integrations
Active directory and single sign-on support
Advanced compliance options including PCI-DSS
Box cons
Very expensive, not suitable for small or medium businesses
File sizes are limited, making Box a deal breaker if you work with large files
File scanning can be slow with large file sets
Box pricing
Individual – 10GB for Free
Personal Pro – $10 per month for 100GB
Business Starter – $5 per month/person for 100GB and up to 10 users
Business – $15 per month/person for unlimited storage
Business Plus – $25 per month/person for unlimited storage
Enterprise – $35 per month/person for unlimited storage
Next on the list is OneDrive, from Microsoft. OneDrive is a cloud-service feature integrated with Windows, that provides file synchronization, sharing and backup functionality. 5 GB of storage is included free on Windows, but you have to pay to access more storage or advanced features.
OneDrive key features
File access from anywhere – with desktop, mobile, and web-based access for easy access to your files
OneDrive Files on demand – save space on your computer by storing your files in the cloud
Microsoft Office integration – being a Microsoft product, OneDrive has first-class integration with Office and is even included on some Microsoft 365 Office app plans
Sharepoint integration – connect Sharepoint teams together easily
Teams – get HD Video conferencing via Microsoft Teams
OneDrive pros
Integrates well with other Microsoft products
Included as a feature with Windows 10
Differential sync transfers only changed parts of files
OneDrive cons
Limited customer support options
Bundled pricing forces you to make trade-offs or pay for apps you don’t need
Microsoft account required
OneDrive price
Basic – 5GB for Free
OneDrive Standalone – $0.99 per month for 50GB
Microsoft 365 Personal – $6.99 per month for 1TB
Microsoft 365 Family – $9.99 per month for 6TB and up to 6 people
OneDrive For Business 1 – $5 per month/user for 1TB
OneDrive For Business 2 – $10 per month/user for unlimited storage
Microsoft 365 Business Basic – $6 per month/user for 1TB
Microsoft 365 Business Standard – $12.50 per month/user for 1TB
Under the umbrella of Google products is Google Drive. There is a free version which is good for personal use, and additionally, they have a number of paid plans with more business-focused features.
Google Drive key features
File access from anywhere – with desktop, mobile, and web-based access for easy access to your files
Integration with Google productivity tools – works well with Google Docs, Google Meet, and Gmail
Chromebook compatibility – Google Drive is one of the only solutions that has a full suite of built-in Chromebook features
Google Drive pros
Generous 15 GB of free storage
Integrates well with other Google products, including Chromebook
Built-in spamware, malware, and virus protection
Google Drive cons
Company has bad track record of protecting user-privacy
Limited business productivity features compared to Sync, Dropbox, or Box.com
Confusing pricing and plan options that force you to purchase more than you need. Eg. Google One and Google Workspaces
A relative newcomer to the cloud storage arena, Internxt is another solution that puts a focus on data privacy protection with end-to-end encryption, with features designed more for personal use, but less for business use.
Internxt key features
File access from anywhere – with desktop, mobile, and web-based access for easy access to your files
Strong encryption – Internxt helps protect your data from unauthorized access with end-to-end encrypted features, without the need for additional software or add-ons
Photo storage – Internxt includes dedicated storage to keep photos organized
Internxt pros
Strong encryption that protects your privacy
Good customer service and active Reddit community
Linux support
Internxt cons
Limited business productivity features, not ideal for business use or collaboration
Filen describes their service as zero-knowledge, end-to-end encrypted cloud storage redefined. Filen is similar to Internxt in terms of features and their focus on personal use.
Filen key features
File access from anywhere – with desktop, mobile, and web-based access
Large file support – with advertised unlimited file sizes
Document previews – preview documents before your download them
Filen pros
Strong encryption that protects your privacy
Linux support
Unlimited bandwidth
Filen cons
Many user reports of slow speeds
Sparse feature set, not a good choice for business use-cases
Limited support options, with very few how-to articles and guides
Proton Drive comes from the same company that created Proton Mail. This service offers web-based cloud storage with better privacy compared to Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive.
Proton Drive key features
Strong encryption – protect your data from unauthorized access with end-to-end encrypted features, without the need for additional software or add-ons
Email included – an encrypted email address is included to help close the privacy loop
Open source – anyone can verify that the cloud storage encryption works as described
Proton Drive pros
Includes cloud storage and email
No size limit on shared files
Swiss privacy adds an additional layer of protection
Proton Drive cons
No desktop or mobile apps
No integrations with other software
Very limited storage space, not ideal for larger data sets
Proton Drive pricing
Proton Free – 1 GB for free
Drive Plus – $3.99 per month for 200 GB
Proton Unlimited – $9.99 per month for 500 GB
Mail Essentials – $6.99 per month/person for 15 GB each
Business – $10.99 per month/person for 500 GB each
Last on this list is Jottacloud, a cloud storage solution with headquarters in Norway. Jottacloud offers plans for individuals, families, and businesses.
Jottacloud key features
File access from anywhere – with desktop, mobile, and web-based access for easy access to your files
Photo backup – Jottacloud includes dedicated storage to keep photos backed up and organized
Bulk pricing for business users – businesses don’t pay separately for individual user licenses like other providers. Rather, businesses pay for a tiered amount of users
Jottacloud pros
Unlimited user plan for larger businesses
Zero emission, sustainable energy consumption
Apple TV app
Jottacloud cons
Business plans limited to 1 TB of storage
Bulk pricing for business users means you’re likely to be oversubscribed
Jottacloud pricing
Free – 5GB for free
Personal – €9.90 per month for Unlimited storage space
Home 1 – €6.90 per month for 1TB and up to 5 users
Home 5 – €13.50 per month for 5TB and up to 5 users
Home 10 – €59 per month for 10TB and up to 5 users
Home 20 – €115 per month for 20TB and up to 5 users
Business Free – 5GB for free for 2 users
Business Small – €12 per month 1TB for 2 users
Business Medium – €18 per month for 1TB for 10 users
Business Large – €49 per month for 1TB for unlimited users
Enhance your workflows with cloud storage
With all these reviews and information in mind, you now know how beneficial cloud storage can be for your business, and how critical it is to choose the best all-in-one cloud storage solution for you.
Some providers focus more on personal use, and some focus more on the storage, without the sharing and collaboration. In the end, the right cloud storage will make file backup, access from anywhere, remote work, sharing, and collaboration easy and secure.
If you’re looking to get started, try Sync free cloud storage and experience cloud storage that works for you. Get your business in Sync today!