We’re not in an era where having cloud storage is a good idea. It’s efficient, doesn’t take up your internal storage, and it’s far more convenient than carrying a hard drive around everywhere. it also makes it easier to share files with other people. You can get ahead of the curve with these awesome cloud storage services and apps for Android! There are also some great free cloud storage apps here that don’t cost you anything! Prices are accurate as of the publish date, but they could change!
Amazon Drive is a good start for anyone who uses Amazon Prime. Those with Amazon Prime will already get 5GB of free storage along with unlimited backup for photos and videos. You can upgrade to unlimited storage for about $60 per year. You can also use it if you don’t have Amazon Prime but the 5GB of storage and unlimited photo backup will run you $12/year. The app is a bit buggy at times, but it works well enough and you can access your files online anytime.
Box.com is an up and comer in the cloud storage world. There are a variety of file management apps and others that have Box integration as well and that's nice. New users can sign up for personal accounts for free and get 10GB of free storage while $10/month gets you 100GB. Business prices range from $5-$15/month per user and include far more features. The app works pretty well and it puts an emphasis on simplicity and organization. Unfortunately, those who need more than 100GB may need to shop elsewhere.
Everybody knows about Dropbox and there’s a good chance that some of you have this app pre-installed on your devices already. The app comes with auto-photo upload, easy sharing options, the latest Android design elements, Microsoft Office support, and the ability to send files to others. It’s a very solid option with more features than most. Individual accounts get 2GB for free with options for 1TB for $9.99 per month along with a $19.99 option that provides the same space but with more features. Business users have other options available by contacting Dropbox.
Google Drive is one of the most respected and popular cloud storage apps available. Users get 15GB free out of the gate with unlimited photo and video backup via Google Photos if they so choose (with the proper quality settings). There is also an assortment of office apps available for documents, note taking, spreadsheets, and presentations. You can upgrade to 100GB ($1.99/month) or 1TB ($9.99) for fairly cheap and there is an option for 10TB as well ($99.99 per month). The office apps and cloud storage combo is a potent one and one that competitors have a hard time beating.
MediaFire started out as a file sharing service but has become a pretty decent cloud storage service in its own right. You can upload whatever you want and the service revolves around sharing and playing with those files in the cloud. Free users get 10GB. You can get 1TB for $7.50 per month (billed annually) or 100TB for $80 per month (billed quarterly). The app is a bit antiquated and a few users have had some issues, but it seems to work well enough overall. This is also an excellent cloud storage service for sharing files. Link creation is really easy.
Mega is the sequel to the now-defunct Megaupload, a cloud storage service that was taken down by the authorities a couple of years ago. Mega is an up-and-coming service that gives users 50GB for free. That's the largest sign-on bonus we've seen among all of these cloud storage apps and services. It comes with a range of storage options that span from 200GB to 8TB. The app is quite flashy but there are a few bugs here and there that some people have experienced. Its biggest feature is that it encrypts all files uploaded to it for added security and protection.
Microsoft OneDrive is a popular cloud storage option because it integrates directly with a variety of Windows products. For starters, can get 5GB of free cloud storage and you can upgrade to 50GB for $1.99 per month. OneDrive storage is also included in every Office 365 subscription, be it for personal use or for businesses. You can get a bundled package of OneDrive space and Microsoft Office 365 for $6.99 per month (1TB, one device) or $9.99 per month (5TB, five devices). That gives you Microsoft Office and online cloud storage space for an exceptionally reasonable price.
Resilio Sync (formerly BitTorrent Sync) is the best cloud storage solution for everyone that wants to do their own cloud storage. This app allows you to use your desktop, laptop, NAS, tablet, or even your own home-built server as a destination for your phone syncing. It operates exactly like Dropbox, Google Drive, etc, except you’ll be using your own machine to store everything. It’s an excellent option for those who are security conscious but still need cloud storage also. The only downside is that you’ll need to keep your receiving machine on all the time so that the syncing can be done. The best part is that the app is completely free and you’ll have as much storage as your receiving device can hold.
Tresorit is one of the newer and more expensive cloud storage options. However, it takes security very seriously. It features end-to-end encryption of every file uploaded to its service. Basic accounts get 1GB of storage. $12.50 per month earns you 200GB while $30 per month nets you 2TB. Additionally, the pro plans include far more security features than the free account. There are also additional options for businesses and enterprise use. It's a strong option for those who don't mind paying for it.
Upthere Home is one of the newer cloud storage apps on mobile. It's by Western Digital, the hard drive manufacturer. It works similarly to Google Photos rather than other types of cloud storage. It features automatic uploads of photos and videos with a UI centered around viewing such content. However, it does support other file types as well. This one also has simple pricing. The app features a single pricing option at $1.99 for 100GB of storage. It's simple, it works okay, and it's cheap. That may be good enough for many.
Who do you use for your cloud storage? If we missed any other great Android cloud storage options let us know about them in the comments below!
