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Dropbox is a top-rated file sharing platform, with a free version. However, it might not meet everyone’s diverse needs. Check out these free Dropbox alternatives.
It offers 2TB storage space and costs almost half what Dropbox does. Why iDrive is a good alternative to Dropbox: iDrive.com free plans offer 5GB of storage space and their premium plan offers 2TB storage for only $59.12 dollars for the first year. AdirOffice Ultimate Drop Box Wall-Mounted Mailbox - Hanging Secured Postbox - Durable Spacious Key - Perfect for After Hours Deposits Payments Key and Letter Drops 4.5 out of 5 stars 290 $59.87 $ 59. 87 $59.95 $59.95. Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. Never email yourself a file again! Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. Never email yourself a file again!
Gone are the days when businesses relied on hard drives to store files and users had to plug in a thumb drive to move files from the office laptop to the home computer.
Today, we expect our files to be available on all our devices, with the latest version synced automatically. We also expect to be able to share files with a couple of clicks and have multiple people work together on a single file.
This has been made possible by the likes of file sharing software such as Dropbox, which offers free and paid file storage services. The platform currently has over 500 million users, of which only 13.2 million are paying users.
For the non-paying majority using Dropbox’s Basic (free) version, one of the biggest challenges, ironically, is space. Dropbox Basic offers a measly 2GB of free storage. It also caps the number of devices you can sync to three and does not offer full text search, shared link controls, or viewer history.
With that in mind, here are the four best free Dropbox alternatives for you to explore, all with at least 5GB of storage.
4 Best Dropbox alternatives for file sharing
To be shortlisted, products have to offer at least 5GB of free storage and have received 100 user reviews on Capterra’s software directory in the past two years. See the full selection criteria here.
Accordingly, we narrowed down our list of free Dropbox alternatives to the following four providers (arranged alphabetically):
1. Box
Dashboard view in Box (Source)
Box is a cloud-based file storage and sharing platform that is quite similar to Dropbox in its look and feel, as well as functionality. Both of them let you drag and drop files into the cloud and invite others to view, edit, and upload files to folders.
Some of the platform’s highlights include:
- View over 120 types of files, including Word, Excel, PDF, AI, EPS, PSD, and photos without downloading.
- Document and share ideas, discussions, and to-do lists with BoxNotes—a collaboration tool similar to Dropbox Paper.
- Control access to determine who can view and/or edit your documents.
- Integrate with over 1,400 third-party applications, including Microsoft Office 365, Google Suite, Slack, Salesforce, and DocuSign.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Ease of use and integration with multiple third-party tools. | Initial learning curve can be difficult. |
| Sync between mobile app and desktop are almost instant. | Limited editing and creating functionality built into the platform. |
How much storage does Box offer? | |
| The free version of Box offers 10GB storage. But there’s a 250MB limit on the size of individual files that can be uploaded. | |
2. Google Drive
MyDrive in Google Drive (Source)
If there’s one free Dropbox alternative that you’ve probably heard of, it’s Google Drive. Google offers this free file storage and sharing cloud to its 1.5 billion Gmail users. So, if you already have a Gmail or Google account, this is the obvious cloud storage option to go with.
Some of the platform’s highlights include:
- Connect with 100+ Drive Apps, including Slack, Airtable, Freshdesk, and Zipbooks.
- Save files directly to the cloud from email using the “Save to GoogleDrive” icon in Gmail.
- Find files quicker with the platform’s full-text and image search features.
- Use the “work offline” mode to work on files while off the Internet. The files get automatically synced to the cloud as soon as you go online.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Ability to access, edit, and save documents on the go. | On rare occasions, uploads and downloads can be slow. |
| Ability to move files quickly within the interface. | Files and folders are prone to becoming disorganized when used by multiple people. |
How much storage does Google Drive offer? | |
| Google Drive offers a whopping 15GB of free storage. However, the catch is that the storage is shared between Gmail, MyDrive, and Google Photos (storage for low-resolution photos is unlimited and not included in this 15GB). | |
3. OneDrive
OneDrive synced with desktop folders (Source)
OneDrive is a file storage platform offered by Microsoft. Just like Gmail users have access to Google Drive, OneDrive comes built-in with Windows 10. So, if you’re one of the 700 million Windows 10 users, you don’t even have to think of OneDrive as an additional service to sign up for.
Some of the platform’s highlights include:
- Auto-sync files—any files you save on your computer will get automatically uploaded to the cloud.
- Search files stored on the cloud via your browser. Also use the “files on demand” feature to download files to use when you’re not online.
- Control access to your files, share them with users via a link, and control what they can do with the files.
- Search the full text of files (not just filenames), with the “search and discover” feature.
- Automatically upload photos and videos from connected devices.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Easy to set up and use. | Autosave on files doesn’t work without an internet connection and you have to remember to manually save open files in case of lost connection. |
| Android app and browser access make cross-platform use effortless. | Setting auto-sync on Macs can be complicated. |
How much storage does OneDrive offer? | |
| OneDrive gives you 5GB of free storage with a Microsoft account. If you have a Microsoft Office 365 Home account, you get 1TB storage on OneDrive for up to six users. | |
4. Zoho Docs
File sync online and offline in Zoho Docs (Source)
Upgrade Dropbox Space
Zoho is usually recognized for its CRM software and invoicing software. However, it also has a not-so-widely-known file storage and sharing platform Zoho Docs, which is a viable Dropbox alternative.
Zoho Docs can be downloaded as a desktop app and from there it functions like OneDrive. It supports file types such as documents, presentations, spreadsheets, audio, and video. However, it doesn’t have the capability to host industry-specific file types, such as AutoCAD (.dxf), Photoshop (.psd), or Microsoft Project (.mpp).
Some of the platform’s highlights include:
- Use the built-in document editors—Writer, Sheet, and Show—to create and edit documents online.
- View as many as 25 iterations of a document in version history.
- Find information with full-text search.
- Control who accesses which files and if they can view/edit them.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Real-time collaboration between multiple users. | User interface can sometimes be slow to respond. |
| Preview files in the cloud, without the need to download. | To share files with external users who do not use Zoho Docs, users need to convert files to popular formats such as MS Office or Google Suite files. |
How much storage does Zoho Docs offer? | |
| The platform offers 5GB of free storage per user, and supports up to 25 users. However, the combined free storage caps at 25GB. | |
Next steps
Before choosing to implement Dropbox, we recommend exploring these free Dropbox alternatives for your business. You can also check out user reviews on our website for better insight into how users experience these solutions.
Read user reviews for:
Selection criteria:
- Storage: While Dropbox Basic offers only 2GB of free storage, in our research we discovered that a lot of Dropbox competitors offer anywhere from 5GB to 15GB storage in their free plans. For this list, we included products that offer at least 5GB of free storage.
- Security and privacy protocols: Dropbox uses 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to protect stored data, and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)/Transport Layer Security (TLS) to protect data during transfer. Both of those are widely used security protocols. Dropbox also has measures in place to protect user privacy, as well as detect any suspicious account activity, phishing, and malware. For this guide, we considered options that have similar protocols to maintain security and privacy of user data.
- Mobile apps: Dropbox offers both Android and iOS mobile apps. For this guide, we included options that offer a mobile app for at least one of the two platforms.
In addition to these qualifications, we checked for products that received over 100 reviews over the last two years.
Note: Listed pros and cons are derived from features listed on the product website and product user reviews on Gartner Digital Markets domains (Capterra, GetApp, and Software Advice). They do not represent the views of, nor constitute an endorsement by Capterra or its affiliates.
Promotion terms and eligibility
For how long is the promotional space valid?
The 25 GB of promotional space is valid for one year. After the one-year promotional period ends, the 2 GB of Dropbox Basic account space remains.
If I purchased multiple promotion-eligible devices, can I redeem the same offer multiple times?
Dropbox Spaces 2.0
No, you can only redeem this promotion once per Dropbox account.
Can I claim the promotional space with my existing Dropbox account?
Dropbox Download Free
No, only new users who sign up for Dropbox on their eligible devices can redeem the promotion.
Can I transfer my promotional space to another Dropbox account?
No, the promotional space is not transferrable after it has been redeemed.
Can I redeem promotion on a refurbished or used device?
No, the promotional space is only available to the original buyer of the eligible device.
Why am I not eligible for promotional space?
- You're not a new Dropbox user.
- You're trying to redeem the purchase for a second time.
- Your device did not come pre-loaded with Dropbox.
- You bought your device pre-owned or refurbished.
- Your device is not eligible due to country or retailer exclusions.
Redeeming the promotion
How do I redeem this promotion?
- Click Dropbox 25 GB in your Start menu.
- Create a Dropbox account. Once you've completed this step, Dropbox automatically installs and links to your computer.
- Complete five of the seven Get started steps.
I'm unable to redeem the promotional space on an eligible device—why?
If you're unable to redeem your promotional space on your eligible device, verify the following:
- Did you complete at least five of the seven steps from the Get started steps?
- Did you sign up for Dropbox using the installer pre-loaded on your computer? To be eligible, sign up for a new Dropbox account by clicking Dropbox 25 GB in the Start menu of your eligible device.
- Do you already have a Dropbox account? Only new Dropbox users can redeem the promotion.
- Have you redeemed another Dropbox-device promotion? If so, you are not eligible to redeem the promotion. You can only redeem the same type of promotional deal once.
How do I check to see if I’ve redeemed the promotion?
- Sign in to dropbox.com.
- Click your avatar.
- Click Settings.
- Click Plan.
- Under Earn more space, look for this promotion.
When the promotion ends
How do I check to see when my promotional space expires?
- Sign in to dropbox.com.
- Click your avatar.
- Click Settings.
- Click Plan.
- Under Earn more space, you can see this promotion and the expiration date.
What happens when my promotional space expires?
When your promotional space expires, your Dropbox space quota returns to what it was before. For example, if you have a Dropbox Basic account, your limit returns to 2 GB (along with any space you earned by referring people to Dropbox or through other promotions).
Spacious For Dropbox Free
If you're over your space quota after the promotional space expires, you'll no longer be able to save new files to Dropbox. To add space to your account, consider upgrading to Dropbox Plus.
Terms of the Dropbox 25 GB space promotion
Dropbox Basic Free
For eligible devices that have the Dropbox application installer pre-loaded, the promotion is available to the user on that device who (a) first signs up for a new Dropbox account and (b) completes Dropbox's Get started guide. The promotion is for a single Dropbox account to receive, for 1 year, an additional 25 GB of storage space in addition to the storage space Dropbox offers to users with free accounts. Each user is only eligible for one promotion of this type. The promotion may not be available to users who have previously received a Dropbox promotion through the purchase of a non-eligible device. When the 1 year promotional period ends, the 25 GB of promotional space added to the user's Dropbox service will be automatically removed. Use of Dropbox is subject to the Dropbox Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and other terms available at http://www.dropbox.com/terms. Promotion not available in China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, or the region of Crimea, or any other countries where the Dropbox Service is prohibited by law.