Dropbox Review: Best Cross-Platform Cloud Storage ServiceByNovak Bozovic-January 13, 2018.824 Exclusive Dropbox Paper features-a resource for teamwork. Pricing Free version with limited features and 2Gb storage; payment plans start at $9.99/month for 1Tb storage Website Url Verdict Pros Excellent cross-platform support; Stellar mobile apps; Free photo uploads and imports; Two-factor authentication; Reliable overall service. Cons Very low free version storage; poor photo management; Expensive paid plans lower the value for money. Good option if you are looking for a reliable service which is excellent cross-platform. The lack of additional features however is troublesome. Compared with other services, they are also pricey. Rating 7/10 Let’s dive in the nitty-gritty now and take a detailed look at what Dropbox is all about. We present you with our review of the Dropbox.
Dropbox remains one of the easiest online file storage systems in use to this day. Although Dropbox has started to show age the current offer is not as robust and complete particularly the free one as some of its rivals the years of experience have made it one of the most reliable services out there. From large platform support to smooth synchronization all works without a single error.
Consistency with the platform
No matter which platform you use Dropbox has you covered. Credit:. Dropbox is one of those cloud storage services with the widest compatibility to the platform. Of course there is an online edition of the service where the collection of features and the interface are among the best out there. Then there are software programs all of which are capable and nonintrusive for Windows Mac and Linux. Eventually both iOs and Android are available on mobile devices. What makes Dropbox the best cross-platform solution is that it works equally well on all platforms with all its apps desktop and mobile. Especially on Mac Dropbox, second only to Apple’s native iCloud Drive really has the best integration. This is particularly important since most cloud storage providers lack the system-level and simple integration that Dropbox provides when providing client applications for Mac. Likewise you’ll be hard pressed to find fault on either site with Dropbox’s mobile apps. Configuration Phase
The notification tray badge displays alerts and recent files just a click away and more information such as the use of storage limit can be found through the context menu. Finally all local Dropbox preferences are also managed via the tray icon.
Use simple
.829 Once you’re done with the initial setup which doesn’t take more than 5 minutes and if you choose Selective Sync too you’ll hardly ever know that Dropbox is there. The software will continue to work in the background, keeping all of your Dropbox data updated with the cloud version as well as mobile apps depending on how you set them up. Any changes made to your files and folders will be synced to the server in real time. .830 With the latest versions of Microsoft Office Dropbox provides a helpful badge showing up side by side for Word Excel and PowerPoint files stored in Dropbox. This is Dropbox’s response to collaboration through Office documents, since the service lacks its own office suite. This badge allows you to share the current file by inserting or displaying comments from its Dropbox connection (for browsing), and allows for version control. The badge is optional so if not needed it can be concealed.
File Syncing Sharing.831 In nutshell Dropbox ranks excellent in file synchronization and pretty good in sharing features though there are better options for the latter. Grade: 8.5/10. Anything you put in your local Dropbox folder will be accessible through the cloud, and therefore on other devices where you have enabled and configured Dropbox. Also, you can use the Web version to connect files, and they will follow suit. A notable syncing function is how Dropbox handles photos especially on mobile apps. If you have Dropbox installed on your smartphone, the option to allow Camera Uploads is provided. This will automatically synchronize all images you take on your phone with Dropbox (and subsequently with your device if you’re looking for that). There’s a downside though: this is a one-way upload, so if you delete images from the gallery of your camera, they will remain in Dropbox. Also be careful that it can eat up your storage quota in a hurry, allowing camera uploads and particularly videos. Dropbox’s photo import also operates on a laptop where images from external media such as SD cards can be automatically captured and processed making it suitable for photographers. You have the option to share similar files with different people, too. It’s your Dropbox limit that will be used in this case but the other party will add files to make changes to your Dropbox, and have full editorial privileges.
Speed Efficiency
.832 Dropbox is your response if you are searching for the most secure cloud storage service. The service used the backend of Amazon Web Services (Aws) so downtimes are practically non-existent and speed throttling is usually not a problem. Nevertheless, Dropbox does employ sophisticated bandwidth management. Therefore the upload speeds will be adjusted based on your internet usage. So if your connection is busy uploads will be made at such a pace that it will not interfere with your usual use of the internet. Complete Bandwidth will be used in idle situations. Dropbox updates are always made to the maximum speed possible.
Dropbox Paper is the company’s own initiative to provide cloud-based collaboration software. But at this moment it’s fairly limited. Score: 7/10. Dropbox is relatively lacking in one region with the standard set of cloud storage options available: the absence of an office suite. Dropbox has created a collaborative service with Paper that seeks to bridge this gap by providing real-time communication and coordination capabilities in a variety of environments with its competition coming from the likes of Google Drive and OneDrive both of which have a whole ecosystem supporting them. Paper should work with models for full customisation, of which there is only a few or a blank slate. It’s easy to set up and deploy and works well enough for its function while not even close to being the best solution.
.835 Dropbox offers a variety of ways to get help: through the official social media profiles page or through email. Score: 9/10. Like any decent web service Dropbox has plenty of ways to get support these days. Dropbox Support Communities would be the most popular (or widely used) tool, which is essentially a platform where you can post your questions and get advice from either a user like yourself or a Dropbox Support Team member. The Society also serves as a useful base of knowledge for specific matters. Alternatively, there is the Twitter Dropbox handle which is not only helpful in getting assistance, but also in keeping up-to-date with the latest service innovations and news. Eventually, you can reach out directly to the support team via email in which case a formal representative will answer your question. Pricing
.836 While Dropbox offers a variety of different plans, it is not the most affordable choice on the market. Score: 6/10. Keeping in line with other services Dropbox operates on a freemium model offering its products both paid and free versions. You get 2Gb of storage space in the free version, and all the simple sharing and syncing features that we discussed above. The free account also works on mobile devices including the photo upload feature. Using occasional quests from Dropbox and referring your friends to the service, the meager 2Gb can be increased to a maximum of 16Gb in the free account. The Dropbox Professional package offers the same storage space, but adds some improvements, such as smart synchronization of your files, plus sharing controls for full-text image search, and more. Dropbox Professional that is more business in nature would make your pocket lighter by $19.99 a month or $199 annually. In its paid plans, Dropbox really needs to get up its game. What Dropbox Professional provides is what many other providers give much cheaper for, and even then the fact remains that Dropbox doesn’t really have a big document editing and ecosystem handling at its back. The paid plan offers a measly 2Gb storage it’s Standard option doesn’t really add a lot of bells and whistles and the Professional edition is clearly overpriced.
Verdict
Pros: Great cross-platform support; excellent mobile apps; smooth upload and import of photographs; two-factor authentication; overall reliable service. Cons: Very low free version storage; poor photo management beyond import / uploads; expensive paid plans lower value for money. Final Score: 8.7 in 10.