Guest post by Eric Greenwood.
It would have been hard to believe just a decade ago that we'd all be able to store our data on the Internet and access it from multiple devices including our phones. Yet, that's the reality of today. Believe it or not, there are even some free online storage options worth looking into.
A growing technology
Online storage has been the buzz on consumers' lips for the past year or so, with a number of companies offering services of this kind. Dropbox has popped on the scene, making it easy for users to access documents anywhere, anytime. With the release of iCloud, Apple is now bringing online storage and the underlying cloud computing technology to people's attention.
Subscription-based Freemium models
Most online storage services use a subscription model. That is, you pay a monthly or yearly fee in exchange for a certain amount of data storage. Some of the more popular online storage providers, however, are now using a so-called "freemium" model. Under this model, a smaller amount of storage is offered for free, but larger amounts can be had for a cost.
Leading free online storage vendors
There are a number of companies worth looking into in your search for storage. Here are a few of the best free ones we could find:
- Dropbox
Dropbox has become the market leader when it comes to online storage. While they weren't first to market, they were one of the first to offer storage based on the freemium model. You can have up to 2 GB of storage free, or you can pay a monthly rate of $9.99 for 50 GB. There's also a 100 GB option. Perhaps one of the things that led to Dropbox's rapid growth, however, is its referral model; for everyone you refer, your limit is increased by 250 MB. To this point, none of the other vendors have replicated this successfully. - Box
Box is to the business side of things what Dropbox is to the consumer side. Box focuses on offering online storage for companies. The service includes a number of collaboration tools, and the ability to share documents and other files. A personal account on Box is free, but accounts for businesses start at $15 per month. - SugarSync
This service integrates with your PC to sync specific folders. You can then access the files in those folders from any web-enabled device. SugarSync isn't strictly free; you can have a free 30-day trial, but after that you're looking at $4.99 per month for up to 30 GB of storage space. - OpenDrive
OpenDrive uses a drag-and-drop integration with Windows, making its use relatively seamless. A basic membership with up to 5 GB is free, and plans for more data start at $5 per month.
We haven't even touched on online backup services like Carbonite or MyPCBackup, but some consumers use those services as online storage, as well.
Ultimately, you need to find the online storage option that best suits your needs. If you like Windows integration, OpenDrive and Dropbox are excellent choices. If you collaborate with your business, Box might be the better choice. Really, it comes down to what you're looking for from online storage and how you're going to use it.
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