5 Lesser Known Cloud Storage Services You Should Try Instead Of Dropbox

Although Dropbox is one of the cloud storage services users use most, it’s far from the only platform available to store your files. The internet offers many services for anyone who wants more space to save things away from their computer, including many little-known options that can help anyone who wants to avoid big companies like Google or Microsoft.

Even if you don’t subscribe to a cloud storage service yet, they can help a lot. Files stored on your phone or computer can face possible technical failures that may happen to those devices. Without warning, you could lose access to important photos or documents, which wouldn’t happen if they were also in the cloud.

Whether you want an alternative to it and other cloud storage services, since there’s simply no need for Dropbox anymore, or you’re looking for more options to consider, we selected the best choices for you. Our selection process took into consideration aspects like price, features, and reliability, and prioritized lesser-known platforms. You can read more about our criteria in-depth later on.

For anyone looking for more privacy, Sync is an excellent cloud storage alternative to Dropbox and other more popular options you can find. The Canadian service launched in 2011 and uses zero knowledge encryption, so even the company itself cannot access the files you upload to the cloud, although you should still encrypt your files before uploading them to the cloud for extra peace of mind. In addition, Sync stores all data on local servers in Canada, instead of relying on several servers spread around the world.

For that reason, depending on where you download your files, you may find slower download speeds, and Sync still falls short in some areas. It has no Linux app and no support for WebDAV, FTP, or NAS drives. In the end, it works best as a private space to upload sensitive or client files for the users who use it.

For pricing, Sync starts at $4 per month for the most basic 150GB plan, but plans can reach up to 5TB for users who need more storage. In addition, promotions are always available for anyone subscribing for the first time or interested in signing up annually. Another Sync advantage is that it makes file sharing easier with people who don’t have an account on the service, since it doesn’t require extra installations.

Another good alternative to Dropbox is Fillen, another cloud storage service you can consider subscribing to if you value privacy in how services handle your files. As with other options, it also uses zero knowledge encryption. In addition, it has open source code, so you can check how the service really works by looking at its mechanics.

In terms of pricing, Filen charges in euros, so paid plans start at €1,99 per month for 200GB and go up to €39,99 per month for 10TB. Even though Filen sets prices in euros, it accepts other methods, including PayPal, to complete payment. In addition, if you want to test the service for free, you receive 10GB, which can go up to 50GB through friend referrals.

On the other hand, Fillen still loses to Dropbox and Google Drive in collaboration and quick file sharing. If you want to subscribe to it for a company, for example, it may not make sense. In addition, it no longer offers customers lifetime plans like some of the best cloud alternatives users swear by, which made it an excellent option for anyone who didn’t want to spend every year on renewals.

If you want a little more simplicity to storing your files and plenty of space, Jottacloud is one of the best cloud storage services you’ll find outside the already well-known options. The service keeps files on servers in Norway, so they fall under European privacy laws. In addition, it also has an unlimited plan, which is rare in these cloud storage services, but great for anyone who needs to store many files.

At the same time, Jottacloud doesn’t use zero knowledge encryption, so, in theory, the company itself can access the files you have stored. The Unlimited Plan also has some limitations, mainly the upload speed reduction after you pass 5TB of storage. In addition, it loses to Dropbox when it comes to collaboration with other users.

As for prices, you can subscribe to the Unlimited service starting at $11.99 per month, while there are plans from 1TB to 5TB that you can share with up to 5 users. If you want to test it before subscribing, Jottacloud also offers users 5GB for free.

For users who want a cloud storage alternative focused on collaboration with other people, Koofr is a good choice. In fact, one of this service’s strengths is that it lets you edit several documents, such as Word files or Excel spreadsheets, straight through the browser, much like the free apps that can replace your Microsoft Office subscription. In addition, it lets more than one person edit the document in real time, which can help if used at work.

In addition, if you subscribe to other services, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive, you can sync all services inside Koofr itself. So, you can move files between services without needing to download everything to your computer first. That way, if you also subscribe to these services or use them for free, you can organize all your scattered documents in one place.

By default, if you want to have as much privacy as possible, such as zero knowledge, you need to use Koofr Vault, which works as a separate layer of the service for more sensitive files. In terms of price, plans start from €0,50 for 10GB up to €35 for 5TB of the service.

Icedrive is another alternative to Dropbox if you’re looking for a cloud storage service that feels simple and contemporary. Its biggest difference is the virtual drive, which lets you use the cloud as an external hard drive connected to the computer, without needing to download and sync files beforehand, making you wonder if hard drives are still worth buying at all. That way, you can open, edit, and delete files directly through the operating system, without taking up local space.

To ensure security, Icedrive uses Twofish encryption and offers the zero knowledge feature in its paid plans, which prevents even the company from accessing your files. However, the free plan doesn’t include this protection. In addition, Icedrive is progressively removing WebDAV support, which means it’s not a good option for anyone who depends on this feature for files.

Prices start at $59 per year for 2TB, with options that go up to 6TB for $149 per year, and promotions appear often. It also offers lifetime plans, with a one-time payment starting at $199 for 100GB. However, in terms of collaboration, it still doesn’t beat its competitors, especially for teams that work on documents often.

One of our main criteria was choosing reliable cloud storage services that aren’t among the most obvious Dropbox alternatives. Google Drive, Mega, and OneDrive are quite popular options, but the idea was to look for less known services that remain reliable and well liked by people who already subscribe. In addition, we prioritized options with a stronger focus on privacy, since more people now want to store sensitive files this way.

We also evaluated the value for money of each plan, choosing those that offer the best price per gigabyte and free space before a paid subscription. Collaboration features, such as real-time document editing or synchronization with other services, also served as another important point, since many users also use cloud storage for work, but not as a requirement. For that reason, we tried to choose options that work well for different target audiences.