Gone are the days when people used to carry hard drives to store files and waste hours copying the data. People were in search of the best options to keep their data secure, then the introduction of the best cloud storage apps for Android and iOS changed the whole scenario.
These apps have created a huge impact on the personal and professional lives of people. Also, considering their high demand, the value of cloud data storage companies is growing rapidly.
So, if your phone’s storage is full or your PC’s hard drive is getting slower, it’s time you look for the best cloud storage apps.
However, it’s been a while since people started using these cloud storage apps for Android, and the market is full of them. So, today you have to consider your budget, storage requirements, and the features of a cloud storage app before using it.
Saving you all time and effort, this write-up will mention the top 11 storage apps for Android. So, without any further ado, let’s begin with the first one.
Google Drive
Google Drive is one of the most common and versatile cloud storage apps you can find. It offers 15 GB of free storage, which is more than some of its competitors.
You can easily link it with other Google Workplace apps, and it also provides a Backup function. Coming to security, Google Drive comes with two-factor authentication, which is a common demand for most users.
Google Drive has a ton of features from which you can avail of multiple benefits. Some of them are:
- Collaboration Tools
- Automatic Backup
- Email Management
- Real-Time Synchronization
- Role-Based Permissions
- Content Library
- Drag & Drop
- SSL Security
- Document Capture
- Offline Access
These features can definitely be helpful for you, but you won’t get the complete PC backup option.
As Google Drive gives you 15 GB of free space, it automatically acts as a free storage app for Android and iOS. However, if you still need more space, you can consider the following plans:
Storage Capacity | Monthly Charges |
15 GB | Free |
100 GB | $1.99 |
1 TB | $9.99 |
10 TB | $99.99 |
20 TB | $199.99 |
30 TB | $299.99 |
Considering the prices and features, Google Drive can be one of the best storage apps for Android. From small business owners to non-profit organizations, it’s a very useful app for several types of users.
Microsoft OneDrive
Microsoft OneDrive is the best cloud storage option for regular Microsoft Office app users. If you’re considering it, you can get 5 GB of free storage, in which you can create a backup of your photos as well.
Another major reason why OneDrive has been able to keep it up as a storage app is its simplicity. Moreover, it offers the Office 365 plan, which allows up to six people to use all the features, and it doesn’t matter if there’s an iPhone user among them.
If you’re planning to use OneDrive, you’ll get the benefits of these features:
- Personal Vault
- Family Plan
- Reporting & Statistics
- Archiving & Retention
- Automatic Backup
- Third-Party Integrations
- Backup and Recovery
- Asset Library
- Asset Sharing
- Version Control
These features can be more beneficial if you integrate OneDrive with Microsoft 365.
If you want to use OneDrive for personal use, the free plan would be perfect. However, the business plans are:
Plan | Monthly Price |
OneDrive for Business Plan 1 | $5 |
Microsoft 365 Business Basic | $5 |
OneDrive for Business Plan 2 | $10 |
Microsoft 365 Business Standard | $12.50 |
You find the prices mentioned to be on the cheaper side, but there’s an annual commitment with each plan.
IDrive
When choosing the best storage apps for Android, you might feel concerned about the need for cloud backup service. Yes, you can save the data in the cloud storage app, but what about the data in the cloud?
In that case, IDrive provides you with a physical hard disk. You’ll get it through the mail, and they may provide all your backed-up data in it. This is highly essential when you’re backing up terabytes of data, but unfortunately, get stuck due to poor connection when you start retrieving it.
Several users may find issues with the IDrive’s security features. It provides a key to the main user and locks the data. No one can access those files, if they don’t have the key. If you somehow lost the key, you’ll lose access to your files.
The features IDrive comes equipped with are pretty much similar to the other best storage apps for Android and iOS, but some stand out, like
- HIPAA Compliance
- Email Alerts
- Incremental Backup
- Disaster Recovery
- Access Controls/Permissions
- VM Backup
- Multiple Format Support
- Self Service Portal
- Remote Server Options
- Policy Management
With the help of such features, you can surely call IDrive a value-for-money cloud storage app. The pricing below will help you make sure whether it’s a value-for-money app or not.
IDrive comes with a plethora of plans designed specifically for personal use, teams, and businesses. With that said, let’s take a look at the plans with the charges:
- 4 Personal Plans – Available at $7.95/month and goes up to $49.95/month.
- 9 Team Plans – You need to pay $9.95/month for the basic one and $79.95/month for the top Team Plan.
- 8 Business Plans – Starting with $49.9/month and going up to $1159.95/month.
With the plans created separately for personal and professional use, you can use IDrive effectively for business purposes as well.
MEGA
MEGA was introduced as a sequel to the controversial cloud storage app “MegaUpload.” If your main concern is storage rather than features, when you’re choosing an app for cloud storage for Android, MEGA seems to be the best.
MEGA gives you 20 GB of storage the moment you sign up. Considering the space provided, it is more than any other cloud storage app on this list.
MEGA is not known for its features, as there are not many. However, the ones it provides are enough to make it a reliable app.
- End-to-end Data Encryption
- Device Synchronization
- Administrative Reports
- Data Analysis
Some of the features are only accessible if you have a Pro or Business account. Moreover, some users complain about its customer support.
As mentioned earlier, there’s a free account that provides 20 GB of storage. There are four Pro plans (mentioned below) and a Business account, which gives you unlimited storage space (for “genuine business purposes” only) at $16.32 per month. However, the account needs a minimum of three users.
The PRO plans are:
Plan | Available Storage | Monthly Price |
Pro Lite | 400 GB | $6.09 |
Pro I | 2 TB | $12.20 |
Pro II | 8 TB | $24.41 |
Pro III | 16 TB | $36.62 |
Considering the prices, MEGA fits well for personal use because you can use other cloud storage apps available at better rates. The features are also great for security purposes, but it lacks 2FA and file versioning.
Dropbox
Dropbox is one of the oldest and most popular storage options people have been using since 2007. It is best for personal and business use because of its simplicity. You can seek benefits from its easy sharing feature, auto-photo upload, MS Office support, search engine optimization feature, and more just after you log in to Dropbox.
Among all other cloud storage for Android apps, Dropbox takes credit for its simplicity. In addition, it is full of features that make it even more beneficial for professional use.
Dropbox comes with a long list of features, the ones you must know are:
- Approval Process Control
- SSL Security
- Two-Factor Authentication
- Text Editing
- SEO Management
- Historical Reporting
- Encryption
- Email Management
- HIPAA compliance
- Customizable Branding
Dropbox also provides another service called Paper and you can integrate it with Zapier.
Dropbox comes with five different plans created according to the purpose and number of users:
Plan | Storage | Monthly Price | Number of Users |
Plus | 2 TB | $11.99 | 1 |
Family | 2 TB | $19.99 | Up to 6 |
Professional | 3 TB | $19.99 | 1 |
Standard | 5 TB | $18 | 3+ |
Advanced | As much as needed | $30 | 3+ |
Some users think Dropbox is pretty expensive as per the storage options. So, you can consider it if the budget and features suit your requirements.
Icedrive
Launched in 2019, Icedrive is pretty new to the competition. The storage app is trying to establish itself in the industry with the help of competitive pricing and some unique features. So, you can consider Icedrive whether you’re searching for a web-based or cloud-based storage app.
Icedrive comes with a sleek interface and great security options. Also, it is extremely fast when it comes to creating a backup and uploading files.
Icedrive comes with a few unique features:
- 2F Algorithm
- Zero-Knowledge Encryption
- Fast Processing
With the help of these features only, it has been succeeding in the market and is able to attract new users.
Icedrive provides you with three different plans, and all of them come with Client-side Encryption.
Plan | Storage | Monthly Price | Annual Price |
LITE | 150 GB | $1.67 | $19.99 |
PRO | 1 TB | $4.17 | $49.99 |
PRO+ | 5 TB | $15.00 | $179.99 |
Many users find Icedrive expensive, and some feel like it should’ve offered more plans. However, security and privacy are the two decisive factors to consider it.
Nextcloud
Nextcloud is for users that want an open-source DIY storage option. Which means, it allows you to host your own cloud server. The cloud server needs no extra software and can be set up without the help of any existing servers and hard drives.
If you’re using it for office work, employees can easily access the files and make changes to them if they like. In addition, they can also lock any file, which ensures high security.
Nextcloud offers you the following features, making it one of the best cloud storage apps for Android:
- Document Editing
- Teleconferencing
- Calendar Management
- Audit Management
- Live Chat
- Real-Time Synchronization
- Workflow Management
The features might prove to be helpful, but setting up Nextcloud can be a challenging task. However, considering the fact that it’s a DIY cloud storage app, you can use it for creating presentations, attending work meetings, and webinars.
Nextcloud has three pricing plans offering different benefits:
Plan | Price/User/Year | Number of Max Users |
Basic | $38.67 | 100 |
Standard | $69.82 | 100 |
Premium | $102.58 | 100 |
The plans mentioned above are for up to 100 users only. If you want to exceed the number of users to 200, the basic plan starts at $30.61/user/year.
Resilio Sync
Resilio Sync is somewhat similar to Nextcloud as it allows the users to do their own cloud storage. It is one of the best cloud storage apps for those highly concerned about file security.
You just have to set up Resilio, and it will take care of all file syncing smoothly. The files are so perfectly synced among the servers that you can easily distribute them among professionals or users.
The key features of Resilio Sync are:
- ETL – Extract Transfer Load
- Local Server Options
- Activity Dashboard
- Compatibility Testing
- Multiple Data Sources
- Reporting/Analytics
- SSL Security
- Two-Way Synchronization
- Visual Analytics
- Reporting & Statistics
With this range of useful features, Resilio Sync is the best cloud storage app for small and large companies.
Resilio provides three different plans according to the user criterion:
Plan | Price | User Criterion |
Sync Home | $59.9 / One-time | Personal Use |
Sync Family | $99.9 / One-time | Family Members |
Sync Business | $35 / Month | Business Use |
Resilio also offers a free trial and if you like the app, you can pay for its plans later.
pCloud
Most users hesitate to pay monthly for cloud storage services and prefer to pay annually. If you’re one of them, pCloud can be of huge help as you can buy its cloud storage for a lifetime!
It is one of the best cloud storage apps for Android and iOS that comes equipped with several useful features.
pCloud mostly has all the required features, especially the ones you find in reliable cloud storage apps for Android phones. However, the best features of pCloud are:
- Offline Access
- Asset Sharing
- Backup and Recovery
- Historical Reporting
- Two-Factor Authentication
- SSL Security
- Workflow Management
- File Recovery
- Automatic Backup
- Access Controls/Permissions
Apart from all of these features, you also get a built-in media player.
If you want to pay annually, you can buy 500 GB Storage for $49.99, and 2 TB for $99.99. For lifetime plans, consider the table below:
Lifetime Plan | Storage | One-time Price |
Premium | 500 GB | $199 |
Premium Plus | 2 TB | $399 |
Custom Plan | 10 TB | $1190 |
You can request or upgrade to a higher lifetime plan if you feel like you need storage. However, you’ll have to pay the full price of the plan despite paying for the current plan already. Moreover, you’ll have to pay extra for Crypto and Extended History.
However, you must know that the prices shown are at a discounted price according to the website. They may change in the future.
Amazon Drive
Amazon Drive is an excellent cloud storage app for Amazon Prime users. So, if you buy a prime membership from this e-commerce giant, you’ll get 5 GB of storage for free. Despite the fact that Amazon is a renowned service provider, it only provides 5BG of storage for free, and that too if you buy a Prime membership.
Another plus point of Amazon Drive is it gives you unlimited full-resolution photo storage. So, if you’re into photography or love to click pictures, this is the cloud storage you need to keep your collection secure.
Amazon Drive comes with all essential features, but there’s nothing special to offer. With that said, these are the key features of Amazon Drive:
- Automatic Backup
- Data Sharing & Management
- Mobile Access
- Drag & Drop
- Data Import/Export
- Document Management
These features are only available if you’re an Amazon Prime member and using Amazon Cloud Drive. If you don’t wish to be a member, you must look for other alternatives.
Amazon Drive offers multiple plans as per the storage options. You can pay monthly up to 2 TB plan, after that you’ll need to pay annually.
Plan | Monthly Price | Yearly Price |
5 GB | Free | – |
100 GB Plan | $1.99 | $19.99 |
1 TB Plan | $6.99 | $59.99 |
2 TB Plan | $11.99 | $119.98 |
3 TB Plan | – | $179.97 |
4 TB Plan | – | $239.96 |
5 TB Plan | – | $299.95 |
6 TB Plan | – | $359.94 |
7 TB Plan | – | $419.93 |
8 TB Plan | – | $479.92 |
9 TB Plan | – | $539.91 |
10 TB Plan | – | $599.90 |
20 TB Plan | – | $1199.80 |
30 TB Plan | – | $1799.70 |
As a user, you must stay updated with the pricing as Amazon keeps on changing prices for its cloud storage services.
Proton Drive
Proton is a renowned privacy-first company that provides an array of applications to its users. It launched Proton Drive in 2022, and the cloud storage app for Android is making its mark in the industry because of its secure functioning.
As the cloud storage app is pretty focused on security and encryption, you can’t expect it to be good at sharing and collaboration.
Proton Drive lacks many useful features that the best storage apps for Android and iOS may provide. However, you can still consider it for the limited but effective features it offers.
- Bandwidth Management
- Folder Sync
- File Link Sharing
- Password Protection
- Deleted File Retention
- Two-Factor Authentication
- Email Support
Proton Drive has been launched recently but is able to achieve a reputation among the best storage apps for Android. And, its effective features are the reason behind it.
Proton Drive comes with four different plans, including a free plan. You can choose to pay monthly, annually, or biennially. The plans according to monthly payment are
Plan | Storage | Monthly Price |
Proton Free | 1 GB | Free |
Drive Plus | 200 GB | $5.36 |
Proton Unlimited | 500 GB | $12.87 |
Proton Family | 3 TB | $32.19 |
With every plan, you get a 30-day refund guarantee in case you are not satisfied.
So, with this list of the best cloud storage apps, you can create backups for your essential documents. Whether you need an app for personal use or official use, you can surely find it among the ones shortlisted.
Wrapping Up
There are other cloud storage options as well that you can consider, depending on your usage. You can easily make your choice by figuring out what you need a backup for and how frequently you’ll be making updates to it.
However, this list was created in no particular order and is based on two key factors – price and features. Some apps are better at features and others are more affordable. So, you can make a decision and choose the best storage app for Android or iOS.
However, with advancements made in the cloud storage industry, new and updated apps are sure to be introduced in the market. Thankfully, the criteria for selecting these apps are going to be the same!
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Categories: Technology
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI