Strong Dropbox Alternatives To Consider

With over 25 million users, around 200 million files shared per day and some estimating their worth at nearly $5 billion, it's safe to say that Dropbox is probably the most popular Web-based file hosting service available today.

However, this does not mean that Dropbox is the only option that you have to host files for your business online. In fact, over the last few months, the service has been under scrutiny for what many claim are potentially major problems with their security features. If these allegations concern you, or you just want to try something different, it may be worth looking into one of the other cloud-based online storage units on the Web. After all, you have plenty to choose from.

Of course, not all file hosting is created equal. Some systems are better for storing media, some are more business-oriented and some focus more on security. That is why Website Magazine has put together this list of three of the best Dropbox alternatives available today for your business.

Box
This is probably your safest bet as far as Dropbox alternatives go. It's a simple interface that allows for easy sharing of content (as a link or folder) with anyone inside or outside of your company. They offer 5+ GB of storage to start for free, with a 25 MB file size limit, and you can get up to 500 GB of storage for your business if needed, which is the most offered by any service on this list. However, Box really displays their superiority with their mobile prowess. With free apps available for the iPhone and iPad and a ton of mobile capabilities, Box is the best mobile file hosting service out there. In the end, though, Box is really a business-focused service; they are especially great for enterprise customers who will require more than three users to have access to the service and they seem geared towards companies with distributed working teams. Among their many features are the ability to share project files, add comments, assign tasks, start discussions and create new content.

SugarSync
SugarSync is the closest alternative to Dropbox available from a feature and price standpoint. Unlike Dropbox, however, SugarSync offers 5 GB of storage for free and then provides paid personal and enterprise packages beyond that. It is a folder sync system that allows users to back up their data online and then access that data across multiple platforms, which makes your files available on any connected sync point or via a Web browser. This also includes mobile syncing; so, when you're out and you come across some important content or data, you can autmatically add it to your storage unit. It also lets users separate photos from files, which is something you can't do in Dropbox. Other features include: a file editor within the Web app, media streaming, folders selection, permissions/passwords settings and file versioning.

SpiderOak
Again, this sync, share and backup service has a lot of the same features as Dropbox, but with one big difference. The focus for SpiderOak is on their "zero knowledge" security features. In fact, this is the best file hosting service available on the Web for those businesses whose biggest concern is security. One of their top security features is two-factor authentication, which provides an additional layer of security on top of regular password protection. Like Dropbox, they provide 2 GB of free storage. As far as sharing features go, they allow you to sync to mulitple computers, provide version history of your files and have mobile apps for both iOS and Android. They also have what are called "Share Rooms," which are kind of like Google+ circles in that they allow you to put people in "rooms" and then select which rooms are able to view certain files, which is a natural extension of their focus on security. SpiderOak also provides users with a ton of information their files by saving the complete version history and it is easily accessible and easy to find by date-stamp.