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Free Cloud Storage, Which One Is the Best?

With so many cloud storage providers out there such as Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud Drive, Amazon Cloud Drive and Dropbox but which one is the best for you?

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a big fan of Microsoft 365 and all the tools that come with it including cloud email, Lync, Yammer and SharePoint however as a leading managed IT services provider, we understand that there is many other cloud storage providers.

Recently Google gave users an additional 2 gigabytes of free storage space bring the grand total to 17 GB but is that enough or are there better services out there?

Just to recap, cloud storage allows users to securely store in the cloud and get away from storing files on a device.  Some of key features for using cloud storage includes the following ability access files from any device, create a backup and share documents easily.

Here is a breakdown on the most popular free cloud storage services available to Canadians.

Dropbox (www.dropbox.com) – If you would like to get more storage, Dropbox offers a bonus if you follow their Twitter.  You get 2 GB of free storage and no maximum file size from desktop or mobile apps however there is a 10 GB for uploads through website.  There is security encryption during transfer and storage using SSL and AES-256-bit encryption.

If you want more storage, you can get an extra 125MB for each of the following tasks:

  • Follow Dropbox on Twitter
  • Write a line in a form about why you love Dropbox.
  • Connecting your Twitter account.
  • Connect your Facebook account.
  • Get 500 MB for each friend you refer, up to 16 GB.
  • Get 1 GB for downloading Dropbox’s Mailbox app and signing in with your Dropbox account.

Amazon Cloud Drive (www.amazon.ca/clouddrive) – You get 5 GB of free storage and maximum file size is 2 GB.  They use security encryption of 128 bit RC4 encryption during transfer however you get unlimited photo storage if you are an Amazon Prime member.

ICloud Drive (www.apple.com/ca/icloud/icloud-drive/) – The good news here is that with Apple’s iCloud Drive, your purchased music, apps, books, TV shows and My Photo Stream don’t count against your 5 GB of free storage.  There is a maximum of 15 GB of file size and the security encryption is SSL and minimum of 128-bit AES encryption during transfer and storage, respectively.

Google Drive (https://drive.google.com/) – You get 15 GB and a maximum file size of 5 TB.  They use security encryption of SSL encryption during transfer.  If you want additional storage, if you perform a security check prior to Feb. 17.  You have to remember that Google documents, including sheets and presentations do not count against your storage space.

Microsoft OneDrive (https://onedrive.live.com) – Our favorite! Microsoft gives you 15 GB of free space and has a maximum file size of 10 GB.  They use security encryption of PFS encryption during transfer when accessing OneDrive online.  If you want extra storage you can subscribe to Microsoft 365 and get 1 TB.  You get 3 GB of extra storage by backing up your camera roll and 500 MB for each friend you refer, up to a maximum of 5 GB.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto providing industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

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