To exchange files between computers and mobile gadgets, you no longer need cables and flash drives. If devices have Internet access, files can “fly” between them “on the cloud.” More precisely, they can “settle” in cloud storage, which is a collection of servers scattered around the world (united into one virtual - cloud server), where users place their data for a fee or for free. In the cloud, files are stored in exactly the same way as on a computer’s hard drive, but are accessible not from one, but from different devices that are able to connect to it.
Every second or third Internet user has already adopted cloud data storage technology and uses it with pleasure, but some still resort to flash drives. After all, not everyone knows about this opportunity, and some simply cannot decide which service to choose and how to use it. Well, let's figure it out together.
What are cloud storages from a user's point of view and how do they work?
If you look through the eyes of an inexperienced user, cloud storage is normal application. All it does is create a folder on the computer under its own name. But not simple. Everything you put into it is simultaneously copied to the same cloud Internet server and becomes accessible from other devices. The size of this folder is limited and can grow within the limits of the disk space allocated to you (on average from 2 GB).
If the cloud storage application is running and the computer (mobile gadget) is connected to global network, data on the hard drive and in the cloud are synchronized in real time. At battery life, and also when the application is not running, all changes are saved only in local folder. When the machine is connected to the Internet, access to the storage becomes possible, including through a browser.
Files and folders uploaded to the cloud are full-fledged web objects, the same as any content on Internet sites and FTP storages. You can link to them and share links with other people, even those who do not use this service. But only those to whom you have authorized it will be able to download or see an object from your storage. In the cloud, your data is hidden from prying eyes and is securely password protected.
The majority of cloud services have additional functionality - a file viewer, built-in document editors, tools for creating screenshots, etc. This, plus the amount of space provided, creates the main differences between them.
— a cloud data storage service that needs no introduction Windows users. Of course, in the latest releases of this OS (in the top ten), it actually climbs on top of everything on the screen, since it is configured to autorun by default.
For Windows users, the advantage of the Microsoft OneDrive service over its analogues is perhaps only one - it does not need to be installed. Also you don't need to create for it separate account— to log into the cloud, just enter your Microsoft account information.
The owner of one Microsoft OneDrive account provides 5 GB of free disk space to store any information. To get additional volume, you will have to pay extra. The maximum is 5 TB and costs 3,399 rubles per year, but this package includes not only disk space, but also the Office 365 app (home edition). More affordable tariff plans are 1 TB (2,699 rubles per year - storage and Office 365 personal) and 50 GB (140 rubles per month - storage only).
Additional features of all tariffs:
- Support for other operating systems - Mac OS X, iOS and Android.
- View and edit documents using built-in Office applications.
- Remote access to the entire contents of the computer (not just the OneDrive folder) on which the service is installed and your Microsoft account is used.
- Creation of photo albums.
- Built-in messenger (Skype).
- Creation and storage of text notes.
- Search.
Only paid versions:
- Creating links with a limited validity period.
- Offline folders.
- Multi-page scanning and saving documents to a PDF file.
In general, the service is not bad, but sometimes there are problems with logging in account. If you are going to work with the web version of the storage (via a browser) and log into it under a different IP address than you used before, Microsoft sometimes runs a check that the account belongs to you, which takes a lot of time.
There have also been complaints about user content being removed from OneDrive when Microsoft suspected it was unlicensed.
is one of the oldest cross-platform cloud storage services. Unlike the previous one, it supports all major operating systems, as well as some less commonly used ones, such as Symbian and MeeGo. The service is very easy to use, works quickly and stably.
A DropBox user is provided with only 2 GB of disk space for free to store personal files, but this volume can be doubled by creating and attaching another account to your account - a work one (which can actually be personal). Together you get 4 GB.
Switching between personal and work disk space on the DropBox website and in the application is carried out without logging out of your account (no need to enter your username and password each time). A separate folder is created on the computer for both accounts - 2 GB each.
DropBox, as expected, also has several pricing plans. About free it was said above, Paid ones are “Plus” (1 TB, $8.25 per month, intended for personal use), “Standard” (2 TB, $12.50 per month, for business), “Advanced” (unlimited capacity, $20 per month per user) and “Enterprise” (unlimited capacity, individually set price). The differences between the last two are in the set of additional options.
In addition to storage, free users have access to:
- Document collaboration service DropBox Paper.
- Ability to share links and create public folders.
- Log of file changes with the ability to restore them to the previous version (up to 30 days).
- Commenting on files - both your own and other users, if the file is available for viewing.
- Search function.
- Receiving notifications about events (customizable individually).
- Automatic uploading of photos from the camera (by the way, DropBox provided users with additional space for enabling this option some time ago).
- Select full or selective synchronization.
- Encryption of data during storage and transmission.
The possibilities of paid tariffs can be listed for a very long time, so we will only note the main ones:
- Remotely destroy data from DropBox on a lost or stolen device.
- Limit the link's validity period.
- Two-factor account authentication.
- Setting access levels to different data.
- Enhanced HIPAA/HITECH class information protection (secure storage of medical records).
- 24/7 technical support.
DropBox, if not the best, is a very worthy service. Despite the small amount of free space by today's standards, it is used by millions of people around the world.
Mega (Megasync)
As is clear from the description, Amazon Web Services is aimed only at the corporate sector and is not intended for storing albums with photographs of cats, although it is possible that someone uses it for this too. After all, cloud file storage - Amazon Glacier, like Yandex disk, provides users with 10 free GB. The cost of additional volume is $0.004 per 1 GB per month.
Comparing Amazon Glacier with the web resources described above is perhaps incorrect, since they have slightly different purposes. The functionality and capabilities of this service are determined by business objectives, including:
- Uninterrupted operation, increased reliability.
- Compliance with enhanced data protection standards.
- Multilingual interface.
- Unlimited volume (expansion for an additional fee).
- Ease of use and flexible settings.
- Integration with other Amazon Web Services.
Those who are interested in Amazon's capabilities can read the complete documentation for AWS products, which is located on the official website.
Mail.ru
It ranks second or third in the popularity rating of file web storage among Russian-speaking audiences. In terms of its range of capabilities, it is comparable to Google Drive and Yandex Disk: it, like them, contains web applications for creating and editing documents (texts, tables, presentations) and a screenshot (a utility for taking screenshots). It is also integrated with other Mail.ru projects - mail, social networks “My World” and “Odnoklassniki”, the “Mail. Dating”, etc., has a convenient file viewer with a flash player and is also very affordable (for those for whom the allocated volume is not enough).
Free disk space size Cloud Mail is 8 GB (previously this figure changed several times). The premium tariff for 64 GB costs 690 rubles per year. For 128 GB you will have to pay 1,490 rubles per year, for 256 GB - 2,290 rubles per year. The maximum volume is 512 GB, which will cost 3,790 rubles per year.
Other functions of the service are not much different from similar ones. This:
- Shared folders.
- Synchronization.
- Built-in search.
- Ability to share links.
The Mail.ru client application works on Windows, OS X, iOS and Android.
Cloud storage— a proprietary web service for owners of smartphones and tablets of the same manufacturer. Designed for storage backup copies data from mobile devices - multimedia content, OS files and other things at the discretion of the user.
Client Samsung app Cloud comes pre-installed on phones and tablets released later than the second half of 2016 (more precisely, after the release of Samsung Galaxy Note 7). Registering an account on the service is only possible through it, apparently to weed out outsiders.
The free storage capacity is 15 GB. An additional 50GB costs $0.99 per month, and 200GB costs $2.99.
iCloud (Apple)
- a favorite among cloud data storage users of Apple products. Of course, it’s free (though not very spacious) and integrated with other Apple services. The service is designed to store backup copies of data from iPhone, iPad and iPod, as well as user media files, mail and documents (the latter are automatically synchronized with the contents of iCloud Drive).
Free iCloud storage capacity is 5 GB. Additional storage retails for $0.99 for 50GB, $2.99 for 200GB, and $9.99 for 2TB.
The iCloud client app supports operating Mac systems OS X, iOS and Windows. There is no official application for Android, but owners of devices based on this OS can view mail from the Apple cloud on their device.
The top parade of cloud storages is completed by a Chinese service. As you can see from the screenshot, it is clearly not adapted for you and me. Why is it needed then, if there are domestic, European and American analogues that are more familiar to Russian-speaking people? The fact is that Baidu provides users with a whole terabyte of free disk space. For this reason, it is worth overcoming translation difficulties and other obstacles.
Registration on Baidu Cloud is significantly more labor-intensive than competitors. It requires confirmation with a code sent via SMS, but SMS from the Chinese server does not arrive to Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian numbers. Our fellow citizens have to get by with the help of rent virtual number phone, but that's not all. The second difficulty is that an account cannot be registered for some addresses email. In particular, on the services gmail (Google is blocked in China), fastmail and Yandex. And the third difficulty is the need to install the Baidu Cloud mobile application on your phone or tablet, since this is exactly what 1 TB is given for (when registering on a computer, you will receive only 5 GB). And it, as you understand, is entirely in Chinese.
Aren't you scared? Dare - and you will be rewarded. Information on how to create an account on Baidu yourself is available on the Internet.
Hello dear site readers! The Internet is developing at an amazing speed and now there is no need to store data on your computer when so many free cloud file storages have appeared all around.
By “cloud” we mean a dedicated space in the system of one of the services, where any registered user can upload any information, even personal data, without worrying about their safety.
But because of such abundance, the question arises: which system should the average user choose, which is the best?
Therefore, in this article I propose to conduct a small comparison (review) of the most popular cloud storages, which, in order to attract a larger audience, provide a free disk quota at high speed.
Why do we need cloud services?
Before I start talking about ten best systems, let's remember once again what the meaning of virtual disk space is and what benefits the user receives.
Cloud storage is a type of online storage where data is stored online on dedicated servers, access to which is provided only to clients and third parties with their permission.
In simple words, this is the same computer that you use at home, only a certain organization owns it and gives everyone free or for money hard drive space where you can upload/download files and other data if you have Internet access.
Advantages of online storage:
- Having access to files from anywhere in the world if you have access to the network.
- High speed data processing.
- Availability of applications for working with the cloud on PC and mobile device.
- Free place.
- File storage security.
Essentially using the services virtual service you get free hosting for storing files.
After registering in one of the systems, the user will be allocated a portion of disk space, which can be increased for an additional fee.
The user can work with the account either by directly visiting the site or by installing special applications to your computer and mobile devices, where all files hosted in the cloud will automatically be synchronized across all devices.
It turns out that no matter what device you access your cloud from, only the current set of files will always be available.
The best services for storing files online TOP 10
If you look at all the available services, you hardly have enough fingers, but only a few of them are still afloat, gaining popularity among users of the global network.
Let's take a closer look at the list of cloud storage services that I personally use and are worth paying attention to.
Yandex Disk
This is one of the most popular cloud storage services in the Russian-speaking segment, since most of us have automatically receive part of the memory in the cloud.
If you decide to use the service from Yandex to store files, then get ready to receive 10 GB of space for free, user-friendly interface and excellent synchronization.
Those who do not have enough allocated memory will have to pay extra according to the current tariffs:
- 10 GB - 30 rubles
- 100 GB - 80 rubles
- 1 TB — 200 rubles
There is also a referral program, where for each invited participant you will receive 512 MB of available memory, plus participation in current promotions will allow you to receive up to another 50 GB.
For example, for my email birthday the service credited me with +5 GB for life.
For the convenience of working with files, cloud users can install a program for PC (for Windows, Mac OS, Linux) and applications for mobile devices (for Android, iOS, Windows Phone) to perform all data operations on different devices.
Google Drive
This is a virtual cloud for storing user files from the foreign company Google, a leader in the IT industry.
If you delve deeper into the stories, the developers just remade former service to work with Google Docs Docs.
To get an account in Drive, you just need to register a mailbox in Google, although this rule applies to all foreign search engine services.
I don’t think this will be a problem for anyone, because after that all new users get 25 GB of space for free.
To expand disk space, be prepared to pay extra:
- 100 GB — 499 RUR/year
- 1 TB — 4990 rub/year
- 2 TB — 9990 rub/year
- 4 TB — 19990 rub/year
Personally, I still have an old account on Mail, when everyone was given 100 GB for free, but apparently the company realized that this was extremely unprofitable for them and decided to reduce the disk space by four times.
For those who are used to working with files not on the service side online, but via PC and mobile. devices, it is possible to download the program for any computer operating system (Windows, Mac OS X, Linux) and smartphone (iOS, Android, WinPhone).
DropBox
This is one of the oldest file storage services on the Internet, which is loved by many for its simplicity and support for a large number of file formats.
But alas, not everything is so rosy; one of the minuses is the small amount of space provided to new participants - 2 GB for free, and everything else for money:
- 1000 GB – $9.99/month
- As many GB as needed - $15 per user per month + tax
It is worth noting that you can use the cloud both on a computer (Windows OS) and smartphones (iOS, Android); you can learn more about it from the link provided.
OneDrive
This cloud storage, once known as SkyDrive, is a development by Microsoft, which constantly monitors its products without ceasing to improve them.
To get started, it is not necessary to register, it will be enough to log in to the related services Outlook.com or Xbox Live.
New members receive 15 GB of disk space for free. If you wish, you can increase the limit; just invite friends, where 500 MB will be credited for each new participant.
There is only one paid tariff:
- 50 GB for $1.99/month
Don't forget about synchronizing files on PC (Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 and Vista), mobile devices (iOS, Android, WPhone) and Xbox.
Mega
A relatively new file storage created by MEGA Encrypted Global Access, where all data is transferred to the server in encrypted form.
It turns out that even the cloud does not know what information users are working with.
It has also gained enormous popularity due to the large amount of allocated memory - 50 GB free for all new participants.
I think it’s very tempting to get so much disk space for free without inviting friends or other rules.
For those who are accustomed to working with large volumes of information for a monetary fee, you can always expand the limit.
- 200 GB – 4.99 €/month
- 500 GB – 9.99 €/month
- 2 TB – 19.99 €/month
- 4 TB – 29.99 €/month
For ease of synchronization Mega files developed computer, mobile and browser applications.
Box
This cloud service is known on the Internet more as a tool for conducting business tasks, but it will also be useful for ordinary users.
You will hardly have to worry about the safety of your data, since all information is transmitted to the servers via a secure SSL protocol, including 256-bit encryption.
But there is clearly a problem with the allocated space here - only 10 GB and maximum size transferred file should not exceed 250 MB.
You will have to pay money to increase the limit:
- 100 GB – 8 €/month (maximum transferred file size 5 GB)
You can synchronize files with your computer through a special one, and Box applications are provided for mobile devices.
4shared
This is a cloud file-sharing hosting that has been popular among users since 2005.
It is not necessary to create an account, just log in using your Facebook accounts,
Remember how you used to have to burn your photos to discs and hope that everything would be okay? Or how a little later they began to use flash drives and external hard drives? Now there is a much more reliable alternative - storing files on a cloud service. This is a kind of “rent” of space on a server, which can be located anywhere in the world. Its owner guarantees the safety, security and accessibility of all data posted there for a small fee - from 0 to several dollars per month. At the same time, each service has its own prices, capabilities, advantages and disadvantages. We conducted a study of the most popular cloud services in Ukraine, Russia and the USA to make it more convenient for you to choose the right one.
Yandex.Disk
Until recently, the cloud storage service Yandex.Disk was quite popular in Ukraine. However, along with the blocking, the number of its users has decreased significantly. Even with a VPN, this is not very convenient, since the speed of uploading and downloading files has decreased significantly.
You can increase the free disk space that is currently given upon registration by inviting friends and participating in periodic promotions from the service administration.
Advantages:
- Built-in security system.
- Low price compared to American storage services.
- Convenient modern interface in Russian.
- Play videos and music directly on cloud storage.
- Constantly updated and improved by developers.
Flaws:
- Low speed work via VPN due to blocking of the service in Ukraine.
- Linking to mail on Yandex.
- In the web version, you can upload no more than 2 GB at a time.
A new cloud service from a Ukrainian developer. It differs in that it is primarily focused on sharing files with other family members or work colleagues. In both tariffs, in addition to the usual storage various files in the cloud it is possible to leave tasks, notes, and mark the location of locations in pictures. The “Family” tariff allows you to additionally download medical records for storage.
There is a free 5 GB plan, which is quite suitable as a regular storage service. Paid plans with a large number additional functions can be activated for testing for 30 days. As of mid-2018, this is the only Ukrainian cloud that can boast of great functionality, a pleasant interface, stable operation and a low price for additional features. Perhaps this best choice for those who support Ukrainian manufacturers and developers.
Possibilities:
- Storage of various types of files: image, text, music and video.
- Printing from the cloud.
- Planning in the organizer.
- Setting tasks in the cloud for colleagues.
- Built-in weather service.
- Maintaining a private online blog.
Advantages:
- High speed.
- Interface in Russian.
- Quick registration - just enter your email.
- There is no connection to any mail service.
- Low price for great functionality.
- 30 days test period of paid tariffs.
Flaws:
- There is no way to add a comment to your own photo (photo caption).
- Small free disk space after registration - 5 GB.
- Lack of software for PC and mobile application, only web version for now.
Google Drive is a world-famous cloud file storage service from Google Corporation. Many people and companies use it to share files and photos via a link. It is convenient because there are many related services that you can work with online, and also because it is available for synchronization and work from any device running Windows or Android OS.
Advantages:
- A large amount of free disk space after registration - 15 GB.
- Several languages for the interface, including Russian.
- There is a program for working with a PC and a mobile application for working from a phone or tablet.
- Backup available.
- The service is connected to many other online services from Google.
- Offline work available.
- Play and view files from any device.
- Autosave.
Flaws:
- You need a Google mail account to which the cloud is linked.
- Quite high prices compared to Russian, Ukrainian and Chinese services if you need more space on the cloud.
Cloud Mail.Ru is a fairly well-known service that has previously been used by many residents of Ukraine. However, after blocking, this became not so convenient due to a noticeable decrease in download speed. Perhaps not everyone will refuse to use it, because thanks to periodic promotions, some users have up to 1 TB of free data storage space.
Advantages:
- Clear interface in Russian.
- High degree of protection of user data.
- Backup data.
- Automatic backup of photos and videos in the mobile application.
Flaws:
- Correct operation is promised only when using Mail.Ru mail.
- A large number of intrusive advertising.
- Low speed due to VPN for users from Ukraine.
- There may be a delay in receiving the code when registering a new account.
- The desktop application for PC is inferior to those of other services.
Mega
A big plus of the Mega cloud is 50 GB of disk space immediately after registration. This is the most generous offer for storing files of any type, which, however, can subsequently result in serious expenses, since the company’s tariffs for expansion are not low for package offers compared to those that are familiar to residents of Russia and Ukraine.
The Mega service is aimed at storing and sharing files, so it does not have a large number of additional features, like some competitors. But this is one of the most encrypted and secure sites; some users jokingly call it “a paranoid’s dream.”
- A large amount of free disk space after registration - 50 GB.
- A clear, concise interface in 40 languages, including Russian.
- High degree of encryption and protection of user data.
- You can register from any email.
- There are not only mobile applications, but also addons for Chrome, Firefox
Flaws:
- Few additional features.
- High tariffs compared to competitors if you need more than 50 GB of disk space.
- Average upload and download speeds.
One of the universal cloud data storage services, which in many of its functions is very similar to Google Drive, but in terms of ease of use it is still inferior to it and some other clouds. Although the interface is quite concise, it takes a little getting used to.
Additional disk space can be obtained by participating in promotions from the service administration. For example, previously they gave +15 GB for connecting autoload from the phone.
Possibilities:
- Upload any files, documents and photos.
- Joint viewing and work on files.
- The ability to open access to files for a fixed time.
- Full work with Microsoft Office online.
- Synchronization with computer or mobile devices.
- Work offline.
- Scanning and recognition of documents.
Advantages:
- Registration is possible using any email address or linked to a phone number.
- There is a Russian-language interface.
- There is a PC program and a mobile application.
- High speed of uploading and downloading data.
- Nice looking interface.
- Ability to work from any device.
Flaws:
- Quite a high price for users from Ukraine and Russia, if 5 GB is not enough.
- Usability takes some getting used to.
One of the most popular cloud services in the world, some experienced users they call it “reference”. Very convenient for collaboration in PowerPoint, Photoshop or Sketch. The created presentations and images will be displayed correctly for all participants in the process. Dropbox Paper is available for free for text, video, and audio projects.
You can increase your free cloud space by participating in various promotions that are often held by the service owners, or by completing tasks. For example, connecting auto-upload from the camera or inviting new users.
Possibilities:
- Convenient online collaboration on projects.
- Upload files for sharing or collaboration using a link.
- Uploading files photographed from the camera.
- Synchronization between several devices - computer, tablet and mobile.
- Convenient operation from mobile devices.
- View the history of changes in files.
Advantages:
- High data exchange speed.
- Work online.
- A large number of settings for synchronization and collaboration.
- Strong encryption right in the cloud.
- Registration is possible through a Google account.
- Recovers files deleted within 30 days (120 days for the PRO version).
- Search by text (only for PRO version).
- Regular updates.
- It is convenient to add comments to files and determine which of them will be shared and which will only be accessible to the account owner.
Flaws:
- High price - from 8.25 €, if 2 GB is not enough or necessary additional features, not available in the basic version.
iCloud is cloud storage for users of Apple products. Like all services or equipment from this manufacturer and developer, it is highly reliable and has an appropriate price. This application or program is already installed on all Apple devices - you just need to set up an account to get started.
Possibilities:
- Storing photos and videos from Apple devices.
- Sharing access to files that are on the cloud service, with appropriate settings.
- Synchronization between different Apple devices if you have one account.
- Play media files from iCloud on various devices.
- Sync bookmarks from different devices.
Advantages:
- Storing contacts and events from the calendar of devices that are synchronized with iCloud.
- High degree of data security with two-factor authentication.
- There is a Russian-language interface.
- Smart automatic synchronization.
- A “light” version of the photos remains on the device, which reduces the amount of space taken up on the phone.
- Synchronization with Apple applications.
- Simultaneous work of several users.
- Intuitive usability.
- Quick and convenient account creation linked to Apple ID.
- There is a backup.
- You can read SMS and MMS messages.
- View mail and calendar.
Flaws:
- 5GB quickly becomes insufficient if you regularly use at least one Apple device.
- Even the Windows PC version does not work with Windows XP and Windows Vista.
- There is no web interface, work through the program on a mobile device or computer.
A specialized service for storing and sharing photos and videos. There is no way to upload or create other types of files, but it is the largest free photo hosting site on the Internet. Immediately after installation, the program scans the device and offers to upload the found files to the cloud.
The ability to create interest groups and correspondence between users gives the system a special charm, and the 1 TB of absolutely free disk space wins the heart!
Possibilities:
- Uploading and downloading photos and videos.
- Creating collections from photographs.
- Exchange photos through links to them between users.
- You can create a short URL for photo collections or a single file.
- View collections of photos after posting the HTML code on your website or blog without uploading to that platform.
- Adding comments to individual objects in the photo.
- Search by one or more keywords.
- You can open a photo for viewing only by individual users.
- Subscribe to interesting profiles.
- Auto-grouping of photos by topic (sometimes the program makes mistakes).
Advantages:
- A large amount of free cloud space is available immediately after registration - 1 TB.
- You can view other people's public photos and videos, like, subscribe to profiles, and correspond with other users (social network elements).
- Search your own storage and open files other accounts.
- You can create a photo book from uploaded photos.
- High speed of service.
- Doesn't upload photo replays to the server.
Flaws:
- Registration or login only through a Yahoo account.
- There is no way to store other types of files - only photos and videos.
- 9 interface languages, no Russian.
- No video download via PC.
- Videos can only be uploaded up to 1 GB in size.
- IN free version there is advertising.
The only cloud service on our list that is completely paid since 2015. Previously, users had the opportunity to connect to the cloud with a free 5 GB space. Since 2015, this is no longer the case, but instead, the amount of information stored is not limited to any specific amount of memory. You just need to choose one of two tariffs and forget about any restrictions. The $12 per year plan can only store photos, while the $60 plan can store any type of file.
Amazon Cloud Drive is used primarily by Kindle tablet users. They are not common in Ukraine and Russia.
Possibilities:
- Uploading photos or any files to storage.
- Automatic synchronization with Kindle devices.
Advantages:
- The first 3 months of using the cloud are free.
- No restrictions on uploading photos to the cloud.
- No restrictions on uploading any files to the cloud (second tariff plan for $59.99 per year).
- Data backup.
- Encryption of the connection.
Flaws:
- Paid file storage only, minimum price is $11.99 per year.
- There is no Russian interface, only English.
- There is no automatic loading of new files from selected folders.
Which cloud service to choose?
Ukrainians should choose a cloud service based on their goals:
- To work on joint projects (business or freelance) We recommend Dipfo, Dropbox or Google Drive. The last service has the least intuitive interface, although it has the largest free disk space - 15 GB. But it is worth remembering that this cloud is not “tailored” for team work, so debugging work processes will take time to understand and configure everything for the convenience of all participants. Dropbox and Dipfo are better suited for business, but the former has a high price, and 2 GB in the free version is clearly not enough to manage several projects in a team, especially if you need to work with graphic files. Dipfo for business is much more affordable - only $5 per year for the opportunity to collaborate with setting tasks, making lists, a collective organizer, preparing travel sheets, reports, maintaining a company blog and communicating within the service via built-in chat. An additional fun feature is a built-in weather forecast calendar for cities.
- For family viewing of photos and albums, storing files and medical records Dipfo with the Family plan for $5 per year is ideal. The interface is easy to understand and is the only family-friendly resource. In all other cloud services you can configure sharing to individual files, but this will take a little more time. Plus Dipfo is the only cloud that supports maintaining medical records of family members. Ukrainians should also pay attention to this service because by using it, they support the developers of their own country.
- For storing photos and communicating with other people Flickr is your best bet: fast, convenient, free, popular, with lots of storage space. But it's not suitable for work. Absolutely.
- For storing photos and files various types In small quantities, you can use absolutely any cloud service; almost all of them provide free plans for 2-15 GB. Although the same Amazon Cloud Drive and iCloud are quite specific, as they are aimed at users of certain devices, Flickr is “tailored” for photos and videos, and Yandex.Disk, Cloud Mail.Ru and Mega do not work too quickly.
Summary comparison table of file storages
| Options | Dipfo | Yandex.Disk | Mega | ||||||||||||||||
| Free amount of cloud space | 5 GB | 10 GB | 15 GB | 8 GB | 5 GB | 50 GB | 2 GB | 5 GB | 1TB | No | |||||||||
| Windows/Linux support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Uploading photos, text files, music and videos | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Geodata for photos | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | |||||||||
| Adding a comment or description to files | Yes | No | Yes | No | yes, tags | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |||||||||
| Built-in photo editor | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | |||||||||
| Maximum upload file size | No | 2 GB | 10 GB | 2 GB | 4 GB | No | No | No | No | No | |||||||||
| Ease of use (usability) | easily | easily | easily | easily | average | average | easily | average | average | average | |||||||||
| PC client | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | |||||||||
| Mobile application | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Built-in chat for communication | Yes | No | Yes | No | Skype built in | No | No | No | Yes | No | |||||||||
| Built-in organizer | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | |||||||||
| Tariffs | $0.5 per month or $5 per year for any of the two paid plans | 30 rubles for 10 GB, 80 rubles for 100 GB, 200 rubles per TB monthly | $1.99 for 100 GB, $9.99 for 1 TB per month and more | 69 rubles for 64 GB, 149 rubles for 128 GB per month and more | 140 rubles for 50 GB, 269 rubles for 1 TB with advanced features per month and more | $4.99 for 200 GB, $9.99 for 1 TB per month and more | from 8.25 € for 1 TB per month | 59 rubles for 50 GB, 149 rubles for 200 GB per month and above | for free | $11.99 or $59.99 per year | |||||||||
| Developer country | Ukraine | Russia | USA | Russia | USA | New Zealand | USA | USA | Korea | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Setting goals | yes, in paid plans | No | No | No | No | No | No | yes, organizer | No | No | |||||||||
| Medical card | yes, in the "Family" tariff | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
In the age of high technology and globalization of the Internet, which modern people cannot do without, you want to easily and conveniently have access to your files from any device, so the easiest way is to have cloud storage. Many users may have a question: “how to upload files to the cloud?”
We’ll deal with this now :)
This article will tell you the main ways to place files in popular cloud storage services.
1.Google Drive
It has the ability to download files of any format, and its feature is online work with documents provided by the service (more about online editing Word files can be read ).
You can upload files and photos to the cloud using:
- Computer
By dragging: you need to open the page drive.google.com you need to install Google Drive on Windows or Mac, find the folder in internal memory computer and drag the necessary files into it, after which they will be available in your cloud.
2.Yandex.Disk
Is free and convenient cloud service, especially if you are used to using products from Yandex. Trump card of this repository its integration with office suite , also has the ability to edit photos using the built-in graphic editor.
- Computer
By dragging: you need to open the page disk.yandex.ru (you must be registered) in the browser and drag files (folders) from your computer to the cloud storage folder area. necessary install Yandex.Disk on Windows or Mac, find a folder in the computer’s internal memory and drag the necessary files into it, after which they will be synchronized and become available in your cloud.
3.OneDrive
is cloud storage from Microsoft , is a built-in service in the operating system Windows 10 , which allows documents and photos on your computer to automatically sync with the cloud ( this function can be disabled in settings). The trick is support integrated into OneDrive. (You can read more about online editing of Excel files )
You can upload files to the cloud using the devices listed below.
- Computer
Website: you need to log into your account, then go to the folder in which you would like to place your file and click the buttonAdd.Next, you need to select the files you need and clickOpen.You can also perform the procedure for downloading files by simply dragging and dropping, which was described above.OneDrive: needs to be installed OneDrive on Windows 7, Vista (in Windows 10 the application is already built into the system) or Mac, find a folder in the internal memory of the computer and drag the necessary files into it, after which they will be synchronized and become available in your cloud.
From Microsoft Office and Office 365: the necessary file can be instantly saved to the cloud without closing the document, for this in the menuFile select an item Save as, after- OneDriveand specify the folder where you want to save the file.
4. Dropbox
– simple and easy-to-use cloud data storage. The main ideology is synchronization and data exchange. The trick is to create download histories so that after deleting a file, it can be restored; There is also a file modification history that is stored for 30 days.
You can upload files to the cloud using:
- Computer
Application:When installing the application, a folder is created (approximate location: C:\Users\Panda\Dropbox ), into which you can drag any files or photos, as well as entire folders from your computer (P.S. Remember that the allowable space in the cloud is not infinite :)
Website:log in to your account on the site dropbox.com , click on the download icon, in the window that appears, clickSelect files, now feel free to select what you wanted to put in the cloud and clickStart downloading(file size should not exceed 20 GB).
- Android, IOS and Windows phone devices
First, you need to install the application on your device from the App Store.
Android:in the application, open the folder in which you would like to save the files, click on the icon“+” in the bottom corner of the screen. Choose, or Upload files(you can select files from any partition of the device), clickDownload (Open)
IPhone:in the application, click on the icon“+”. Next Upload photo, or Create or upload a file,then click: in the first caseNext, select a folder to upload photos, clickDownload. IN for the second case just clickUpload file.
Windows phone:on at the moment Only Photos can be uploaded due to restrictions operating system. To do this, in the Dropbox app, click on the folder icon and select a location to upload your files. Click on the download icon on the app bar, select a photo from your device's gallery. You can also download from the device Gallery.
5.Cloud Mail.ru
Hello friends! Today's article is about Mail.Ru cloud storage. Let's look at how to use the cloud via the web interface:
How to upload files there and share links to them;
How to create folders and configure access to them;
How to move, rename and delete files.
How to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations directly in the cloud.
And other subtleties of use.
The beauty of any cloud storage is that it gives you additional space to store your files online.
No need to clutter up your computer again.
It’s convenient to share files with other people (just open access via a link).
And since I have a mailbox on Mile, I decided to use this storage as well. Moreover, 25 GB of memory is available for free here. Insert from 2018 - now they give 8 GB for free.
In general, this is all theory. And we will move on to practice.
Watch my video instructions for working with the Mail.Ru cloud below:
So, as you already understand, to gain access to the cloud on Mail.Ru you need to register a mailbox here. By doing this, you create your account through which you can use other Mail services, including cloud storage.
Although it is not necessary to register a mailbox, you can use Mail to log into your mail located on another service. I showed this in the video (watch from the 11th minute 46th second). Thus, your mailbox, for example on Yandex, will open in the Mail.ru interface and you will also be able to use the cloud.
To go to the cloud, being on home page Mail.Ru, you need to click on the “All projects” tab and select “Cloud”.
Initially, pictures and a video file are already loaded there, which you can delete. Delete files possibly in several ways. If you need to delete several files at once, mark them with a checkmark and click on the “Delete” button at the top.
Or right-click on the file and select “Delete”. Again, if you have marked several files, they will all be deleted.
And one nuance - in the Mail.ru cloud there is no basket into which deleted files, as on the same Yandex disk. From there we can restore them. We delete it from the cloud immediately!
To add files from your computer to the cloud, use the “Download” button in the upper left corner.
You can upload using the “Select files on your computer” button, or drag them into the upload window with the mouse. There is a limitation – the uploaded file size is up to 2 GB.
Next to the “Download” button we see the “Create” button. We use it for creating folders, documents (Word), tables (Excel) or presentations ( power point) directly in the cloud.
If you want to organize your files in the cloud, then create special folders for them. To move file to folder, select it with a checkmark, right-click, select “Move”.
A window will open in which you can select a folder to move or immediately create a new one.
Generally, right button We can use mice for different actions on files– delete, move, copy, download, generate a link for other people or send by mail. It's very convenient.
By the way, if you need download several files from the cloud at once. You select them with checkmarks and they will be automatically packed into one archive for downloading.
If you share a file temporarily and then want to remove this link, select required file mouse, right-click and select “Delete link”.
All your files to which you have shared access can also be found in the " Sharing».
If a link to a file from the Mail.Ru cloud was shared with you, then you can download it immediately or save it to your cloud. You will have the option to specify a folder (where you want to save this file) or you can create a new folder for it.
Now a few words about setting up access to folders. You can share any folder with the ability to edit. That is, other users will also be able to add files to this folder.
To set up access to a folder, check the box and click on the “Set up access” tab.
Editing access can only be made available to individual members you invite via email.
If you are going to send an invitation to a user with a mailbox other than Mail.ru, then he will receive the invitation only if he logs into his mail via Mail. More about this Here.
At home mailbox this user will see a prompt like this:
Having accepted it in his cloud, in the “Sharing” section, he will find the folder that you opened for him and will be able to add his files to it. You, in turn, will see all the changes he made in your folder.
I wish you success!
Best regards, Victoria
