5 Lesser-Known Cloud Storage Services You Should Try Instead of Dropbox

Although Dropbox is one of the most widely used cloud storage services among users, it is far from the only platform available for storing your files. The Internet offers many services to anyone who wants more space to save data on their computer, including many little-known options that can help anyone who wants to avoid big companies like Google or Microsoft.

Even if you don’t yet subscribe to a cloud storage service, they can be very useful. Files stored on your phone or computer may be subject to possible technical failures that may occur on these devices. Without warning, you could lose access to important photos or documents, which wouldn’t happen if they were also in the cloud.

Whether you want an alternative to this and other cloud storage services, since Dropbox simply isn’t needed anymore, or you’re looking for more options to consider, we’ve narrowed down the best choices for you. Our selection process took into account aspects such as price, features and reliability, and prioritized lesser-known platforms. You can read about our criteria in more detail later.

For anyone looking for more privacy, Sync is a great cloud storage alternative to Dropbox and other more popular options you may find. The Canadian service was launched in 2011 and uses zero-knowledge encryption, so even the company itself can’t access the files you upload to the cloud, although you should always encrypt your files before uploading them to the cloud for added peace of mind. Additionally, Sync stores all data on local servers in Canada, instead of relying on multiple servers spread around the world.

For this reason, depending on where you download your files, you may experience slower download speeds and synchronization remains insufficient in some areas. It doesn’t have a Linux app and doesn’t support WebDAV, FTP, or NAS drives. Ultimately, it works best as a private space to upload sensitive files or clients for users who use it.

For pricing, Sync starts at $4 per month for the most basic 150GB plan, but plans go up to 5TB for users who need more storage. Plus, promotions are always available for anyone subscribing for the first time or wanting to sign up every year. Another benefit of Sync is that it makes it easier to share files with people who don’t have an account on the service, since it doesn’t require additional installations.

Another good alternative to Dropbox is Fillen, another cloud storage service you can consider subscribing to if you value privacy in the way the services handle your files. As with other options, it also uses zero-knowledge encryption. Plus, it has open source code, so you can check how the service actually works by examining its mechanisms.

In terms of pricing, Filen charges in Euros, so paid plans start at €1.99 per month for 200 GB and go up to €39.99 per month for 10 TB. Although Filen prices in Euros, it accepts other methods, including PayPal, to make payment. Additionally, if you want to test the service for free, you receive 10 GB, which can go up to 50 GB thanks to friend referrals.

On the other hand, Fillen still loses to Dropbox and Google Drive in terms of collaboration and fast file sharing. If you want to subscribe to it for a company for example, it may not make sense. Plus, it no longer offers lifetime plans to customers like some of the best cloud alternatives that users swear by, making it a great option for anyone who doesn’t want to spend every year on renewals.

If you want a little more simplicity in storing your files and a lot of space, Jottacloud is one of the best cloud storage services you’ll find outside of the already known options. The service keeps the files on servers in Norway, so they fall under European privacy laws. Additionally, it also has an unlimited plan, which is rare in these cloud storage services, but ideal for anyone who needs to store a lot of files.

At the same time, Jottacloud does not use zero-knowledge encryption, so, in theory, the company itself can access the files you have stored. The unlimited plan also has some limitations, mainly reducing download speed after exceeding 5TB of storage. Additionally, it loses to Dropbox when it comes to collaborating with other users.

Price-wise, you can subscribe to the Unlimited service starting at $11.99 per month, while there are plans from 1TB to 5TB that you can share with up to 5 users. If you want to test it before subscribing, Jottacloud also offers users 5 GB free.

For users who want a cloud storage alternative focused on collaborating with other people, Koofr is a good choice. In fact, one of the best things about this service is that it allows you to edit multiple documents, such as Word files or Excel spreadsheets, directly through the browser, much like the free apps that can replace your Microsoft Office subscription. Additionally, it allows multiple people to edit the document in real time, which can be useful if used at work.

Additionally, if you subscribe to other services, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive, you can sync all services within Koofr itself. So you can move files between services without needing to download everything to your computer first. This way, if you also subscribe to these services or use them for free, you will be able to organize all your scattered documents in one place.

By default, if you want to have as much privacy as possible, such as zero knowledge, you should use Koofr Vault, which works as a separate layer of the service for more sensitive files. In terms of pricing, plans start from €0.50 for 10 GB up to €35 for 5 TB of service.

Icedrive is another Dropbox alternative if you are looking for a simple and contemporary cloud storage service. Its biggest difference is the virtual disk, which allows you to use the cloud as an external hard drive connected to the computer, without the need to download and sync files first, making you wonder if hard drives are still worth buying. This way you can open, edit and delete files directly through the operating system, without taking up local space.

To ensure security, Icedrive uses Twofish encryption and offers zero knowledge functionality in its paid plans, which even prevents the company from accessing your files. However, the free plan does not include this protection. Additionally, Icedrive is phasing out support for WebDAV, meaning it’s not a good option for anyone who depends on this feature for files.

Prices start at $59 per year for 2TB, with options up to 6TB for $149 per year, and promotions appear often. It also offers lifetime plans, with a one-time payment starting at $199 for 100GB. However, in terms of collaboration, it still doesn’t beat its competitors, especially for teams that often work on documents.

One of our main criteria was to choose reliable cloud storage services that aren’t among the more obvious Dropbox alternatives. Google Drive, Mega and OneDrive are very popular options, but the idea was to look for lesser-known services that are still reliable and popular with people who already subscribe. Additionally, we’ve prioritized options with a greater emphasis on privacy, as more people now want to store sensitive files this way.

We also evaluated the value for money of each plan, choosing those that offer the best price per gigabyte and free space before a paid subscription. Collaboration features, such as real-time document editing or synchronization with other services, are also another important point, as many users also use cloud storage for their work, but this is not a requirement. It is for this reason that we tried to choose options that work well for different target audiences.