dropbox business plan price

Dropbox's business plans now cost more and offer less than they did last year

If you've spent any time at all in the Dropbox web interface, you've probably noticed the company's ever-present pitches to try Dropbox for Business. Last year, I wrote a critique of Dropbox's business offering (as well as cloud drive solutions from Google, Microsoft, and Apple).

The TL;DR version of my critique was that, to use Dropbox for Business, you needed to buy a minimum of five seats. More problematic was a clause found in the small print: to take advantage of the so-called unlimited storage offered on the plan, you had to reach out to Dropbox's support team and beg for anything over 1TB per user.

Since then, Dropbox's business plans have changed -- and not for the better.

There are now two Dropbox for Business plans : "Standard" and "Advanced." There remains, as well, the individual paid plan, Dropbox Plus. My wife and I pay for two Dropbox Plus plans, one for each of us.

Dropbox plans for 2017

To make sure you understand the base offering, let's talk about the personal program. Dropbox Plus is $99/year per user. With this plan, you get 1TB of storage per user. You also get 30 days of file recovery, plus a bunch of supporting features.

Large amounts don't grow on trees

Last year's Dropbox for Business plan cost $150/user, but you had to have at least five users. This year's plan still costs $150/user, but you only need to have three users. So, at least there's that. However, that's where the good news ends.

In my article last year , I complained that while Dropbox for Business claimed unlimited storage, the fine print said, "Teams start off with 1 TB (1,000 GB) of space per user. If you need more space, simply contact us through the admin console, and we'll work with you to accommodate your storage needs at no additional cost."

I didn't like the idea that Dropbox for Business customers had to request more storage. I could see that derailing pretty quickly. It added a speed bump requiring some level of administrative management to determine just when more storage was needed, and when it would be time to pitch Dropbox for it, in order for it to actually show up when needed.

That problem has been "solved" for the new Dropbox for Business Standard plan. There is no longer an unlimited storage offering for the $150/user per year program. Instead, no matter how many users you have signed up for the Standard plan, Dropbox puts a 2TB ceiling on the available storage. Total.

They now call it "shared storage," but no matter how you look at it, it's a bad deal. Let's do the math.

For my two users of the Plus plan, I pay $198 ($99 times two). If you want Dropbox for Business Standard plan, your minimum yearly spend is $450 ($150 times three) and you get the same storage as I'm getting with my two personal accounts, but paying $252 more for the privilege. Yowzah!

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And that's just for three users. If you had five users, you'd be paying $750, but still only getting that same total 2TB of storage.

If we're comparing last year's plan to this year, user-to-user, last year you would have spent $750 for five users, but gotten as much storage as you could have begged for. This year, you'd be spending $750, but slammed into a 2TB ceiling.

Please sir, I want some more

But what if you're a real, live business and you can't exist on 2TB of storage? Dropbox has an answer for your company in their Advanced plan. With some exceptions, the Advanced plan in 2017 is pretty much what the Business plan was in 2016, except it's more expensive and offers less. Yeah. I'm not kidding.

The one good thing compared to 2016 is that you can get into the Advanced plan with only three users, compared to the required five for the 2016 Business plan. But the new Advanced plan costs $240/year per user, instead of $150. That means the base buy-in is a teensy bit less. With three users, the Advanced plan is $720 while last year's Business plan with five users was $750.

Both last year's Business plan and this year's Advanced plan offer "unlimited storage," which is Dropbox-speak for "as much storage as we think you're really going to need, if you ask us nicely." So, at least there's not a 2TB-no-matter-what ceiling in the Advanced plan, compared to this year's Dropbox for Business Standard plan.

But let's compare users to users. If you had five users last year with so-called unlimited storage, you'd be paying $750. This year, at $240/year per user, you're paying $1,200 for those same five users. Yep, the new plan added a whole new digit to the cost.

Oh, and remember I said that not only did it cost more, but it offered less? That's next.

I've got to go back, I want to go back

One of the features I've relied on with Dropbox (and, in fact, which has saved my butt more than once), is the file recovery feature. File recovery is Dropbox's form of versioning, and you can go back in time to pull an older version of a file, or a file you've deleted. For me, it sure has come in handy.

For the individual Plus plan, Dropbox offers 30 days of versioning. But, if you want a year worth of versioning, you can add it for $39. This is in marked contrast to both the 2017 Business Standard and Advanced plans.

Last year's Business Plan listed versioning as "unlimited file recovery." That meant you could go back for as long as the account had existed, and recover versions. The 2017 Dropbox for Business Standard plan, and the new Advanced plan, both only provide 120 days of file recovery. Period.

I reached out to a Dropbox rep through chat and asked if it would be possible to upgrade the business account to what's called the "Extended Version History" option in the individual Plus plan. I was told no. If you're using the Business Standard or Advanced plan and you need to go back 121 days, you better have a DeLorean. Because neither Dropbox for Business plan will go back in time that far for you.

Consider yourself... one of the family

Cloud storage is turning out to be a mixed bet. If your needs are minimal, it's a great idea. But if you have a lot to store, you run into both transmission time limitations and what I call the "cloud storage ceiling".

In the case of Dropbox, the actual technological solution is still quite viable. I rely on my Plus account to keep all my main work-a-day document files in sync, and it works well. But there's no way, even with my small two-person family operation, that we could use Dropbox for all our storage needs.

The new Dropbox Business Standard plan is, in my humble opinion, nearly valueless for all but those who store very little data. If your company relies mostly on text-based documents, and you have very few team members, it might work. But as soon as you increase your team size, or your documents grow, you're going to outgrow the 2017 Dropbox Business Standard plan.

Instead, you really have two choices: the Plus plan for each of your team members, or the Advanced plan. If you're concerned about versioning, it might make sense to upgrade the Plus plan to Extended Version History, and simply buy one plan for each team member. Yes, you lose out on the additional team management features offered, but those features only become relevant if you have enough storage to do your job.

Alternatively, you can up your spend, get used to begging for more space from Dropbox support, and go for the Advanced program.

To mix even more movie references, I'll say this. There is...another. I've been looking at NAS solutions with the Synology box , and I'm bringing in some additional NAS boxes. Those machines can store, at minimum, about 10TB, for about the price of one year of Dropbox Advanced. They also have some powerful cloud syncing and backup capabilities.

The Synology solution replicates the dynamic file syncing found in Dropbox, but to the NAS instead of the cloud. If you add in the Cloud Sync capability I discussed back in January, it might be possible to build a substantially more robust storage solution, and not have to channel your inner Oliver Twist to do it.

Hybrid cloud storage, first look: Synology DS916+ super-NAS

Stay tuned. I've got more coming on NAS devices. And if you have thoughts on the new Dropbox business plans, let me know in the comments below or via your favorite social network.

You can follow my day-to-day project updates on social media. Be sure to follow me on Twitter at @DavidGewirtz , on Facebook at Facebook.com/DavidGewirtz , on Instagram at Instagram.com/DavidGewirtz , and on YouTube at YouTube.com/DavidGewirtzTV .

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Office Technology | Versus

Box vs Dropbox: Which Is Better for Small Business

Published August 16, 2023

Published Aug 16, 2023

REVIEWED BY: Corey McCraw

WRITTEN BY: Silvana Peters

This article is part of a larger series on Unified Communications .

Box vs Dropbox at a Glance

Best alternatives, best for pricing: box.

• Best for Security & Data Privacy: Tie
• Best for User Interface: Dropbox
• Best for File & Collaboration: Dropbox
• Best for Mobility & Access: Dropbox

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How we evaluated box vs dropbox, bottom line.

Dropbox beats Box in this head-to-head challenge, thanks to its excellent user-first interface and automatic file synchronization across devices. On the other hand, Box is a low-cost option offering a free plan with 10GB of data storage that a small business may find suitable for its needs. This Box vs Dropbox comparison found that the best cloud storage platforms offer high data storage, file sharing, user management, and enterprise-grade security.

Based on our comparison, the best use cases for Box vs Dropbox are as follows:

• Box : Better for advanced business solutions and unlimited storage
• Dropbox : Better for everyday use and mobile accessibility

Dropbox and Box are two powerhouse cloud storage solutions, but they lack advanced unified communication (UC) capabilities beyond cloud storage and file sharing. Here’s a great alternative if you are looking for a free-to-use option with ecosystem integrations that expand your business communication stack.

• Google Drive via Google Workspace : Best for native Google users looking for a free cloud storage solution and access to productivity tools

Aside from Box and Dropbox, several cloud storage solutions in the market respond to different business needs. Dropbox and Box are storage-first solutions, but neither are all-in-one UC solutions nor offer zero-knowledge technology. Before choosing a cloud service provider, double-check to ensure they offer all the tools you need to minimize using multiple platforms.

To save you time and money, here are a few Box and Dropbox alternatives to consider:

• Google Drive via Google Workspace : This is an excellent cloud storage and file management platform. It’s secure, easy to use, and works seamlessly with Google Workspace. Get 15GB of free Google Drive storage when you sign up for a Google account. If you require more storage, easily upgrade to a Google One account.
• Microsoft OneDrive : If you’re looking for a platform with Microsoft and Windows integration, OneDrive is your best bet. OneDrive’s business plans start at $5 per user monthly and come with 1TB total storage, file sharing, mobile apps, data encryption, and 24/7 support.
• Sync.com : This is an excellent option with enterprise-grade security features, specifically, a zero-knowledge encryption policy, available even in the free plan. This means you are the sole owner of your data. Sync.com’s free plan has 5GB of storage and basic sharing features.

Do you want to learn more about security and encryption? Check out our article on UC security to find out its significance to small business operations and your company’s UC strategy.

When it comes to Box vs Dropbox pricing and value for money, Box wins because of its more affordable business plan pricing and unlimited storage unlocks at a lower price. While both providers offer free plans, Box’s free-to-use plan comes with 10GB of storage, much higher than Dropbox’s 2GB. Box also offers its business starter plan, ideal for small companies, at just $7 while Dropbox’s Standard plan for smaller teams starts at $18 per user, monthly.

Box’s business plan options with monthly pricing. (Source: Box )

If you’re a business owner looking for unlimited storage, Box is the way to go. Both providers offer unlimited storage, but it’s only available under Dropbox’s highest plan, priced at $30 per user. Box also makes unlimited storage available under its Business plan, which starts at $20 per user. This means businesses that require unlimited storage are better off with Box.

While Dropbox comes out as the more expensive option in this round, small teams that don’t need high-volume storage should consider Dropbox’s Family plan. At only $19.99 per month, it lets up to six users share 2TB of storage. It comes with multidevice access, unlimited signing, and 30-day file recovery and history.

Best for Security & Data Privacy: Tie

In terms of Box vs Dropbox security, both have similar enterprise-grade security features, including 256-bit and SSL/TLS encryption. They offer at rest and in transit encryption and two-factor authentication as an additional layer of protection. Box and Dropbox have file-level security features like file and folder password protections and access expirations. Also, Box and Dropbox have online security resources like how-to guides to help users maximize features.

Dropbox offers alerts and notifications to update you on security risks and updates. (Source: Dropbox )

Box extended two-factor authorization to external users. (Source: Box )

Both providers support Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance. Dropbox is on our list of top HIPAA-compliant cloud storage providers , and Box’s Enterprise plans are HIPAA-eligible. These two options support SSO (single sign-on), allowing users to log into different applications using one set of credentials.

Best for User Interface (UI): Dropbox

Dropbox trumps Box when it comes to usability because of its clean and easy-to-understand design. As a file organizational platform, there isn’t much on its interface that the average user can’t decipher. Users can drag and drop files easily from their desktops to the web browser interface without a second thought. It has a consistent UI across all platforms, and we observed that the app categorizes information, making it easy for users to locate what they’re looking for.

Dropbox’s drag-and-drop bar makes it easy to upload files to the cloud.

The Box browser interface with a detailed sidebar.

Dropbox has a casual, friendly aesthetic that makes users feel comfortable when using the platform. While it has a similar format as Box, Dropbox takes the lead because it also has a details pane, letting you do more with one click. Comparatively, Box’s UI is clear and easy to navigate, but its drag-and-drop bar is smaller and a bit more hidden than Dropbox’s. It also presents less to the viewer on the main page, so it takes more effort to search for files.

Check out our Dropbox review for more about this popular file hosting service.

Best for File & Collaboration: Dropbox

Dropbox excels when it comes to file syncing and collaboration because it offers block-level syncing, which Box does not. Dropbox’s Smart Sync feature enables users to access, edit, and collaborate on files without downloading, saving time and desktop space. It also lets users set expiration dates on links and directly send files to specific people. Dropbox also offers a very generous 100GB data transfer limit.

Dropbox’s multiple folder permissions let you choose whether recipients have editing or view-only access. (Source: Dropbox )

While Box lags behind Dropbox, it offers great features like password-protected files and file request tools. Exercise more control over your files with granular sharing permissions and access controls. Box Sign allows from 100 to unlimited document signatures per year, depending on your plan. It offers extensive app connections with over 1,500 integrations for security, collaboration, productivity, and workflows.

Best for Mobility & Access: Dropbox

When it comes to mobile access, Dropbox edges over Box because of its automatic mobile upload and synchronization across all linked devices. Unlike Box, Dropbox offers media backup and organization, including automatic upload from mobile devices. Set screenshot backups by setting your mobile and desktop app to send screenshots to your Dropbox account instantly. The mobile app scans receipts and documents, turning content into scanned PDFs.

Dropbox’s home screen updates users on the latest file and folder updates. (Source: Dropbox )

Like Dropbox, Box has desktop and mobile apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and Apple, but it lacks the seamless mobile sync and backup feature of Dropbox. However, it offers instant and intelligent content capture using optical character recognition (OCR) technology that recognizes text and turns it into scanned PDFs.

What is the difference between cloud storage and online backup?

Cloud storage is geared towards file access and collaboration, while online backup focuses on safeguarding hard drives and disaster recovery. Both cloud storage and online backup are used to store and safeguard data on servers in off-site locations.

What are the disadvantages of cloud storage?

Cloud storage is highly dependent on internet connectivity, and extra storage often comes at a cost. However, with the proper infrastructure and service provider, you can offset these challenges and risks and focus on its benefits, including cost-effectiveness, accessibility, and convenience.

Can multiple people share a Dropbox account?

Yes, Dropbox offers individual and shared plans for families and small teams. Businesses can opt for the Family plan, which includes six individual accounts, shared billing, and a Family Room folder for group sharing and coordination. Smaller teams are better off with the Standard plan with 5TB, file and account recovery, and automatic computer backup. You need at least three users to avail yourself of the Standard plan.

We compared Dropbox vs Box as cloud storage solutions to find out what sets each provider apart. We examined their strengths and weaknesses, including their unique functionalities, and weighed that against practical feedback from users on legitimate review websites. From there, we scored each provider based on factors that matter most to small businesses, such as pricing, feature, integrations, ease of use, and expert score.

Here’s a complete breakdown of these factors:

• Pricing: We compared Box vs Dropbox monthly per-user pricing and the inclusive features at each tier. Free trials and discounts for annual pre-payments and volume purchases were also figured into our review.
• General features: When comparing Dropbox vs Box, we considered the tools essential to a cloud storage solution, such as file sharing, user management, and integrations. We also checked which provider has more security capabilities and better customer support.
• Ease of use: We tested both platforms to determine how easy it is to set up, upload and download, file share, and adjust security settings. In addition, we evaluated each provider based on ease of setup and implementation.
• Data and security: As we compared Box.com vs Dropbox, we looked at the features related to data and security, specifically types of encryption offered as well as file control measures like password protections. We also favored the provider that supports HIPAA compliance.
• Expert score: We analyzed each product’s overall value by looking at the feature set and total costs. We also examine user reviews to determine the popularity of both providers while considering our personal experiences.

When comparing Box vs Dropbox, we found that both popular cloud storage solutions offer similar security and file-sharing features that small businesses appreciate. Dropbox is an ideal solution for professionals and small teams looking for an easy-to-use platform that supports mobile access and file sharing. Box is better for enterprise-level businesses needing unlimited storage. Sign up for Dropbox’s free plan today and see if it’s the right solution for you.

Visit Dropbox

About the Author

Find Silvana On LinkedIn

Silvana Peters

Silvana is an office technology writer at Fit Small Business, focusing on unified communications, virtual phone systems, and voice-over-internet protocol. She’s passionate about giving small business owners the information they need to succeed. Silvana’s been engaged by various businesses and organizations to produce technical reports and content ranging from current events, business, technology, lifestyle, and development.

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Dropbox Pricing Plans & Costs Guide

by Daniel Raymond · December 17, 2023

Dropbox is a cloud-based file storage platform that allows users to share and access files across devices with fluidity. Its functionality extends beyond basic storage, offering features that promote collaboration and teamwork. Through shared folders, users can work together on the same files efficiently.

Table of Contents

How Much Does Dropbox Cost?

Dropbox pricing plans are competitive and affordable. The plans give users access to collaborative features and accessibility across all devices. Dropbox provides a user-friendly and feature-rich experience. The different tiers allow users to choose according to their budget and desired features. Dropbox pricing plans include the following:

• Dropbox Basic (free) – a starting point for individuals with basic storage requirements
• Dropbox Plus ($9.99 per month) – for solo users needing an extensive storage capacity
• Dropbox Essentials ($18 per month) – for single users requiring advanced storage, collaboration, and content management needs
• Dropbox Business ($20 per user, per month) – for small teams and businesses managing a larger volume of files
• Dropbox Business Plus ($26 per user, per month) – for medium to large organizations with a focus on administrative features and security protocols
• Dropbox Enterprise (Contact Dropbox) – for enterprises with complex needs in managing their data and collaboration workflows

If you are looking for a full-blown project management tool beyond shared storage, consider AceProject as an option. AceProject offers solid project management features and cloud storage with pricing that does not charge on a per-user basis.

Dropbox Basic Plan (free)

Dropbox Basic plan serves as a baseline for individuals seeking personal cloud storage. It is free to use and includes enough storage space for personal projects. It suits solo users who want to store and access files across devices.

INCLUDED IN BASIC:

• Storage – Includes 2GB for users to store and share files.
• Basic functionality – Tools for a solo user to store, organize, and access files securely.

Dropbox Plus Plan ($9.99 per month)

Dropbox Plus plan enhances the individual user experience with file management features. It is suitable for those who demand more from their cloud storage solution. Plus, it provides affordability and enhanced functionality, costing $9.99 per month if billed annually or $11.99 monthly.

EVERYTHING IN BASIC, AND:

• Storage – Includes 2TB for users with diverse storage needs.
• Large File Delivery – facilitates the sharing of files by allowing users to send files of up to 2GB in size.
• File Recovery – Includes a grace period to restore deleted files within a 30-day window.

Dropbox Essentials Plan ($18 per month)

Dropbox Essentials plan is ideal for single users who need expanded storage, enhanced collaboration, and additional file management tools. It is for users who require a robust and feature-rich cloud storage solution. Dropbox Essentials plan costs $18 monthly if billed annually or $22 monthly.

EVERYTHING IN PLUS, AND:

• Storage – 3TB storage to manage a significant volume of files for documents, media, and other data types.
• Large File Delivery – Users can share large files with a maximum size of up to 100GB.
• File Recovery – Provides an extended grace period of 180 days for recovering accidentally deleted files.
• Track File Engagement – Includes monitoring views, downloads, and other activities related to shared content, offering valuable analytics for collaboration and sharing initiatives.
• Unlimited Signature Requests – Users can send and receive unlimited signature requests.
• PDF Editing – Users can edit PDF documents directly within the platform and add annotations or comments.
• Record, Review, and Edit Video – Includes video-related features within the platform.

Dropbox Business Plan ($20 per user per month)

Dropbox Business plan is for small teams and businesses needing centralized administration. Efficient file-sharing and collaboration features support harmonious teamwork within organizational structures through increased storage capacity and business-oriented tools. Dropbox Business plan costs $20 per user per month if billed annually or $24 per user monthly.

EVERYTHING IN ESSENTIALS, AND:

• Users – Caters to the collaborative needs of 3 or more users.
• Storage – Starts at 9TB shared storage for 3 users and 3TB for every actively used license within the team, with up to 1,000TB total storage.
• Admins – Streamline the administrative aspects of team accounts to secure collaboration.
• Visible Shared Content – Administrators can enforce control over the shared content.

Dropbox Business Plus Plan ($26 per user per month)

Dropbox Business Plus plan offers an elevated set of features that meet the demands of organizations. This plan includes tiered admin roles, enhanced security measures, and a one-year file recovery period. This plan is ideal for teams with higher levels of complexity in their file-sharing and collaboration workflows. Dropbox Business plan costs $26 per user per month if billed annually or $32 per user monthly.

EVERYTHING IN BUSINESS, AND:

• Storage – Starts at 15TB shared storage for 3 users and 3TB for every actively used license within the team, with up to 1,000TB total storage.
• Large File Delivery – Users can distribute high-capacity files and large multimedia projects with a maximum size of up to 250GB.
• File Recovery – 1-year grace period for restoring deleted files.
• Tiered Admin Roles – Includes levels of administrative control for different access rights.
• Suspicious Activity Alerts – Includes notifications to administrators of any unusual or unauthorized activities.
• Compliance Tracking – Provides tools to monitor and ensure adherence to compliance standards.

Dropbox Enterprise Plan (Contact Dropbox)

Dropbox Enterprise plan is the highest tier of Dropbox pricing plans. It is for businesses with the most extensive requirements. This top-tier plan provides a customizable solution, offering advanced security features. It also provides compliance support and dedicated priority customer support. Dropbox Enterprise meets large enterprises’ unique and stringent demands in complex and regulated environments. If you are interested in Dropbox’s Enterprise plan, you can contact them to request a quote.

EVERYTHING IN BUSINESS PLUS, AND:

• Storage – Get the necessary storage and collaboration space for your team’s requirements.
• Device Controls – Control with enterprise mobility management and network control.
• Domain Ownership – Secure your team’s domain and have insights and account capture.
• Enhanced Support – 24/7 availability through phone, chat, or email, and an assigned customer support manager.
• Team Training – Provides hands-on training to ensure effective use of Dropbox.

Before choosing a Dropbox pricing plan, assess your organization’s needs. Factors to consider are storage needs, collaboration requirements, budget constraints, and security considerations. Future scalability is also one thing to keep in mind.

Carefully analyze these to select the plan that best aligns with your unique preferences and requirements. You can also read our Top 10 Cons & Disadvantages of Using Dropbox for a better perspective.

Source: Dropbox Pricing Official Website

Daniel Raymond

Daniel Raymond, a project manager with over 20 years of experience, is the former CEO of a successful software company called Websystems. With a strong background in managing complex projects, he applied his expertise to develop AceProject.com and Bridge24.com , innovative project management tools designed to streamline processes and improve productivity. Throughout his career, Daniel has consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence and a passion for empowering teams to achieve their goals.

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Dropbox Pricing: Costs and Pricing Models

Disclaimer: We source public information for Dropbox Business’s pricing, including its own site. All pricing information within this resource is accurate at the time of publication.

Dropbox Business is a cloud-based document management system that allows users to store files and share them with others. It offers plans for both individual and business use, as well as a free 30-day trial.

In this post, we’ll discuss pricing for Dropbox Business in more detail.

Does Dropbox Business offer a free plan?

Dropbox Business doesn’t offer a free plan for offices, but an individual user can sign up for a free plan if they don’t need more than 2 GB of storage. There’s also a 30-day free trial of any of the pricing plans mentioned below.

How Much is Dropbox Business?

Dropbox Business has four plans (billed annually). The Essentials plan is $18 per month for a single user. It includes 3 TB of storage and many basic features. The Business plan costs $20 per user, per month for more than three users and includes 9 TB of storage for the entire team.

The Business Plus plan accommodates 15 TB of storage at $26 per user, per month. The Enterprise plan has customizable storage and number of users. That plan requires a quote.

Dropbox Business offers many features, including an unlimited number of users. Prospects that are looking for unlimited storage can check out the Advanced or Enterprise plans. They can sign up for a free trial, purchase any of the subscription plans or contact Dropbox to learn more.

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Pricing for Dropbox Business

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Dropbox Business has 1 pricing plan

• Yes, has free trial
• Yes, has free version

Popular alternatives to Dropbox Business

Looking to learn more about File Sharing software similar to Dropbox Business ? Check out these popular alternatives that are closest in terms of key features, functionality, and benefits.

by Microsoft

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What do others say about Dropbox Business pricing?

Well the overall business experience of the dropbox is just amazing its like who can't afford the price for they have free version too well it's great.

There are not a lot of glitches in this tool. It is a great storage solution for any organization that is looking for a cost effective tool with great features.

I suspect that it could be vulnerable to malware if anyone on the team uploads an infected file.

Looking for a passive aggressive way to make someone miserable, Dropbox is the tool for you.

How should I be thinking about software pricing?

The Dropbox Family plan: an overview

With Dropbox Family, each member of the plan has their own Dropbox account. They can manage their own files and folders and decide what to share with other Family members. A single person, the Family manager, will manage the billing and memberships for the entire Family plan. 

Dropbox stores your files online in the cloud. Each Family plan member can access and share the files and folders stored in their Dropbox accounts from any device, using the Dropbox desktop app , mobile app , and dropbox.com .

Learn more about Dropbox Family

Managing a Dropbox Family plan

Sharing files and folders with Dropbox Family

How to cancel or leave a Dropbox Family plan

Troubleshooting issues with Dropbox Family

Dropbox Family plan FAQs

Dropbox Family features

Dropbox Family gives customers access to all of the same features available in both the Dropbox Basic and Dropbox Plus plans, plus access to the shared "Family Room" folder. These features help you organize, share, and protect your family’s important files, from documents to photos.  

"Family Room" folder The " Family Room folder " is a place where your family can organize and access all types of files, from receipts and tax documents to photos and school work. When you upload or create files and folders inside the Family Room folder, all Family plan members will automatically have access to them.  

Online-only files and folders Online-only files and folders help save hard drive space on your computer. Content stored as online-only can be accessed when connected to the Internet from dropbox.com, the Dropbox desktop app, and Dropbox mobile app.  

Dropbox Vault  Dropbox Vault is a feature that lets you create a location in Dropbox with an additional layer of security for your most sensitive files. You can share your vault with trusted contacts and, like a Dropbox folder, you can access it from anywhere you use Dropbox.  

Dropbox Passwords Dropbox Passwords is a, mobile app, and browser extension that stores and syncs your passwords across devices. You can use Passwords to save your account usernames and passwords, suggest new passwords, sync logins across your devices, and autofill them when you log into websites and mobile apps.  

Dropbox Backup Dropbox Backup allows you to automatically back up key folders from your computer and external hard drive to Dropbox. With Dropbox Backup, you can also restore files and folders from your backups onto a new computer. You can access your backed up files and folders here .  

Dropbox Paper Dropbox Paper is an online document workspace where you can edit and format text, plus organize and display media and other files. You can use Paper to create and safely store your own documents, or easily share with your Family members. You can create and open Paper docs from anywhere you use Dropbox including dropbox.com, the Dropbox desktop app, and the Dropbox and Paper mobile apps.  

Camera uploads Camera uploads  lets you automatically upload photos from your mobile device to your own Dropbox account. Once you enable camera uploads, your photos are saved in a folder called "Camera Uploads". You can access this folder from anywhere you use Dropbox and move or share your photos like any other files in your Dropbox account. Note: Photos uploaded to your account aren't automatically shared with other Family plan members.  

Full-text search Full-text search  helps you find files using keywords and file types, rather than only file names. You can search for files and folders in your own Dropbox account as well as content that has been shared with you by other Family members. You can use full-text search anywhere you use Dropbox.  

File recovery File version history  helps you  recover any file edits or deletions  made within the last 30 days. An additional tool,  Dropbox Rewind , lets you undo a large number of changes or revert your entire Dropbox account to an earlier state. You can only recover, restore, and Rewind files and folders from your individual account on dropbox.com  

Remote wipe Remote wipe  helps protect your data if a device is lost or stolen. With remote wipe, you can delete the entire Dropbox folder from a device the next time it connects to the internet. You can only use the remote wipe option from dropbox.com.  

Security Dropbox is designed with  multiple layers of protection  to secure your files. You can take the extra step of  enabling two-step verification  (also known as two factor authentication or 2FA) to keep your account safe. With two-step verification you’ll need a security code, in addition to your password, to sign in to your account or link a new device. You can only enable two-step verification from dropbox.com and will need a mobile device capable of receiving security codes via text message or an authenticator app.

Setting up your Dropbox Family plan

As the manager of a Dropbox Family plan, you can invite up to 5 more members, ages 13 years or older in the United States and 16 or older anywhere else, to join your plan. If invited members don’t already have their own Dropbox account, they can create one when they accept your invitation. 

• Log in  to dropbox.com.
• Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the top-right corner.
• Click  Settings .
• Click  Family.

From here,   you can invite new members by email or with a link, check the status of invites, delete unanswered invites, and remove members from the plan.

• Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the top-right corner.
• Click  Plan .

From here, you can see how much storage space has been used, and how usage is divided between individual files and shared files.

Learn more about managing your Family plan .

Sharing files and folders with Family members

The Family plan provides a total of 2 TB of storage space that members can use for their own files and folders. Each Family member can add files and folders to their own accounts from their computer or mobile device.

Learn more about adding files to your Dropbox account  from your desktop  or  mobile device .

Plan members can also share files and folders with each other without using additional storage space. When sharing content, you can decide whether others can edit or only view the things you share. Dropbox is accessible with the Dropbox  desktop app ,  mobile app , and on  dropbox.com , so your Family members can share content no matter what device or operating system they use. 

• Log in to dropbox.com.
• Hover over the item you’d like to share.
• Click the share icon (rectangle with an up arrow).
• After To , type the email or name of the person (or people) you’d like to share with.
• Select Can view or Can edit from the dropdown menu.
• Click Share file or Share folder . Recipients will then receive an email with a link to the content you shared.
• If a link hasn't been created, click Create .
• Click Copy link .
• The link will be copied to your clipboard. You can then paste it into an email, chat, or any other communication channel.

Learn more about sharing files and folders with your Family plan .

How can I get the Dropbox Family plan?

If you already have a Dropbox account, you can switch to the Family plan in your account settings:

• Click Settings .
• Click Plan .
• Click Change Plan and follow the prompts to switch to Family.

If you don’t already have a Dropbox account, you can purchase the Family plan directly. 

Who can I invite to my Dropbox Family plan?

Anyone ages 13 years or older in the United States and 16 or older anywhere else can be invited to Dropbox Family, up to 6 members in total. If they don’t already have a Dropbox account, invited members can create one when they join a Family plan. 

Can the other members of my Family plan see the files I save to Dropbox?

Each member of your Dropbox Family plan has their own, private account. Only the files you choose to share can be viewed or edited by others. 

Note: If you create or move files or folders inside a shared folder or the ” Family Room ” folder, they'll automatically be shared with everyone who has access to the folder.

How can I get support from Dropbox?

Family plan members can get help from the Dropbox help center, Quick Start Guides , community , and by email . Family managers can also request chat support .

Read more Dropbox Family plan FAQs

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Family plan FAQs

Get answers to common questions about the Dropbox Family plan, such as how to manage your plan, how to share files and folders, and how to leave a plan.

As a Dropbox Family plan manager, you can invite or remove members, check storage space, and more. Learn how to manage your Family plan.

Troubleshoot joining a Family plan

Learn how to troubleshoot issues when joining a Dropbox Family plan. See how to solve error messages like “invite not available.”

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Introducing Dropbox Enterprise

By Rob Baesman

Published on November 04, 2015

The Dropbox employees love, built for enterprises

• Scalable deployment tools. Many companies already have strong Dropbox adoption from employees using personal accounts. With domain verification and account capture, admins can accelerate user migration to enterprise accounts in a few clicks.
• Increased visibility and control . With domain insights, admins gain visibility into any personal Dropbox usage taking place on their company domain. Additionally our new collaboration insights feature lets admins easily monitor how employees are using Dropbox with external collaborators.
• Enterprise-grade services and support. Customers have unlimited access to the Dropbox API to seamlessly integrate Dropbox with existing IT systems, plus access to our platform team for support on custom integrations. We’re also providing customers with an assigned customer manager and world-class services for help with deployment, data migration, and user training.

HIPAA-regulated businesses can now use Dropbox

New security features, now available in early access

• Suspended user state offers greater control and flexibility when employees leave the company by letting admins disable a user’s access to their account before deleting it.
• Sign in as user gives team admins the ability to log in to an employee’s account to maintain business continuity and ensure company policies are met while providing a clear audit trail of activity.
• Custom branding lets businesses add a logo to shared link pages so that recipients can quickly identify that the information they’re seeing comes from your company.

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Welcome Dr. Andrew Moore to the Dropbox Board of Directors!

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Unlimited signature requests with no hidden fees

Make paperwork painless with mobile-friendly, adaptive forms. With 50 free transactions per month, quickly collect complex information—no coding necessary.

Add your own signature to documents as many times as you want.

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Allows you to tamper-proof individual documents within a signature request. Each document will have its own digital seal after it's signed.

Get eSignature capability within the tools you already use, so you don’t have to switch between applications. Send signature requests and store signed documents in Dropbox, Google, Microsoft, and many more.

Send without limits! With Dropbox Sign, there is no worrying about overages or sending out too many signature requests—you’ll always have as much as you need.

We take a proactive stance toward information security and privacy. Compliant with SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, eIDAS, GDPR, and more. Use 2FA for an added layer of protection. Plus all documents are stored and encrypted at rest using AES 256-bit encryption.

Quickly prepare any document for signature by adding fields for signature blocks, text fields, checkboxes, dates, and more. Add validation rules to fields and collect more accurate information from signers.

Streamline every signature request by turning your most frequently used documents into templates.

Seamlessly collect file attachments from signers as part of the signature request.

Capture handwritten electronic signatures in person on any mobile device.

Convert your template to a URL to share with your signer in an email or on your site.

All customers have access to email and chat support with our caring and knowledgeable customer support team. Paid options are also available on Standard & Premium plans

Non-editable audit trails ensure that every action on your documents is tracked and time stamped.

We take a proactive stance toward information security and privacy. Compliant with SOC 2 type II, ISO 27001, eIDAS, GDPR, and more.

Both senders and signers can use our product from end-to-end in 22 different languages.

Track responses, receive email notifications, and send automatic email reminders to your recipients.

A command center where admins can manage documents, control team security settings, and view customized reports. Assign team roles to help centralize the control over user and document permissions.

Keep your signature requests on brand by adding your company logo and custom messaging.

Send out individual signature requests to a large list of different recipients with a single click.

View reports on usage statistics, like how many signature requests have been sent and signed.

Get full eSignature capability within the tools you already use. Send signature requests, create templates, and store signed documents without ever leaving Salesforce, Microsoft SharePoint, Oracle, and more.

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Fields like conditional logic, drop-downs, masked fields, clickable links, and more provide signers with a more intuitive signing experience.

Customize the signer experience. Includes features like signer reassignment, variable signers, and more.

Gain insight into document turnaround times, status, and more with customizable reports and CSV downloads.

Allows companies to store completed documents in one of our global data residency options.

Stay secure and in control as your organization grows by empowering various teams within an organization to use eSignatures based on their unique needs and branding.

Meet the most secure form of eSignatures under eIDAS with Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES).

Get near real-time insight into how your users execute and perform signature requests and what percentage get completed, declined, or canceled.

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1 By accepting the offer, you’ll agree to the Offer Terms: You’ll receive 15% off your first three months of an eligible monthly plan, or 30% off for the first year of an eligible annual plan. After that and until you cancel your subscription, billing will resume at the regular price until you cancel. This offer cannot be combined with other promotions or be applied if a coupon is currently associated with your account. ‍ If you change your plan, you’ll lose this promotion. Previous charges won’t be refunded when you cancel unless legally required.

2 Additional cost add-on, contact sales for details. For a full list of features, visit our features page .

3 Dropbox Forms and Dropbox Sign have separate team settings and permissions. Learn how to manage Dropbox Forms team settings.

Curious about the differences between Sign and Forms?

Just need to sign a document, full list of features, planning to use our api, spend less time context switching and more time working from the apps you already use.

With user-friendly solutions that plug into the same tools you use on a daily basis, you can now do all of your work in one integrated workspace. Here are a few of our customers’ favorite productivity partners:

Frequently asked questions

Are Dropbox Sign's eSignatures legally binding?

eSignatures from Dropbox Sign are legally binding under the ESIGN Act of 2000, providing the same legal standing as pen and paper alternatives. A non-editable audit trail is affixed to each and every Dropbox Sign signature request, ensuring that every action is fully tracked and time-stamped. Security is hugely important for us here at Dropbox Sign, and we want users to be confident that sensitive documents carry both trust and legality.

Will my monthly/annual subscription be renewed automatically?

Yes, your subscription will automatically be renewed unless you change or cancel your account, which you can do in a matter of seconds from your account settings.

Who is not a sender?

Someone who just receives and responds to a signature request isn't considered a sender. They don't need a Dropbox Sign account prior to signing and it doesn't cost them anything to sign a document.

Who is a sender?

A sender is someone who uploads, signs, and sends documents using Dropbox Sign and/or requests signatures from others using Dropbox Sign.

What is a template?

Templates are used for documents that need to be reused and sent out for signature multiple times. When preparing a document for signature, users can choose to save as a template. Creating a template saves the prepared fields to the document making future sends quick and easy. Sending out a template for signature is fast because the fields are already prepared on the document, eliminating the need to start from scratch each time.

What does the 30-day free trial mean?

30-day trials give you access to features only available in our paid plans so that you can experience all the benefits of eSignature. If you decide to end your trial within 30 days, we won't charge you.

I still need help. Where can I go?

Didn't find an answer to your question? Email our support team . We're happy to help!

Do the people I send documents to need to pay anything?

No, nothing. Ever. They get an email notifying them of the signature request and all they need to do is open the document and sign. There is nothing they need to pay or special training they need to have. Signing is quick and easy. Once they've signed, both of you automatically receive a copy of the document.

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Dropbox vs Google Drive vs Onedrive: Comparing the Big Three in 2024

Cloudwards.net may earn a small commission from some purchases made through our site. However, any earnings do not affect how we review services. Learn more about our editorial integrity and research process .

Choosing the right cloud storage service is tough, especially when you have to pick between the most popular clouds in the world. In this Dropbox vs Google Drive vs OneDrive comparison, we’ll look at how these cloud storage services fare across several categories — including collaboration, file sharing, storage options, pricing and more — to determine the winner.

Last Updated: 15 Feb'24 2024-02-15T16:21:10+00:00

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

If you were to ask someone to rank and contrast cloud storage services, it would be a good bet that comparing Dropbox vs Google Drive vs OneDrive would get a mention.

It’s no surprise why. Dropbox is the cloud storage service that really popularized the concept, and Microsoft and Google are two of the biggest players in the software sphere. If you’re thinking about signing up for cloud storage, you might wonder who wins in a battle between Dropbox vs Google Drive vs OneDrive on pricing, features and more.

Key Takeaways:

• In the battle of Dropbox vs Google Drive vs OneDrive, it’s hard to call a winner, as the best service will depend on your cloud storage needs.
• Google Drive offers the largest free plan and the cheapest paid cloud file storage of the three.
• None of the services are particularly secure, but OneDrive offers a secure folder locked by an extra level of two-factor authentication.
• In the end, the results are a true toss-up between Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox, with each service scoring three points in different categories.
• 1000 GB / 1TB
• 2000 GB / 2TB
• 3000 GB / 3TB or more
• Basic encryption is fine
• Zero-knowledge encryption
• Sync Folder
• File Link Sharing
• Folder Sharing
• Subscription
• one-time payment

We’ll hopefully help you decide for yourself in this Dropbox vs Google Drive vs OneDrive comparison — three of the best cloud storage services available. If you want a snapshot version of this piece, check out our video below. For a closer look at each service, you can check out our full Dropbox review , Google Drive review and OneDrive review .

Cloudwards.net updated the pricing information and images. The Dropbox vs Google Drive vs OneDrive comparison now correctly reflects the changes to Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.

Cloud Storage Alternatives

Which is better: dropbox vs google drive vs onedrive.

These are three huge names in cloud storage, so which one comes out on top as the better cloud storage provider? The quick answer is a disappointing “it depends.” Well, at least of these three: Google Drive vs Dropbox vs OneDrive. However, Sync.com is our absolute favorite (read our Sync.com review to find out why).

OneDrive for Ease of Use and Mobile App Support

Microsoft OneDrive is easy to use and offers fast syncing — you can also manage multiple OneDrive accounts . Although it’s not the best cloud storage provider on the market, it still offers better security features than the other two providers.

Dropbox for File Syncing and File Sharing

Meanwhile, Dropbox scores very highly for features, especially if you’re looking for a product that’s ideal for collaborating on both Microsoft Office and Google Workspace documents. However, it does have some flaws, especially for Mac and iOS users, which we’ll cover in further detail.

Google Drive for Features, Customer Support and Pricing

Lastly, Google Drive offers the most free storage space and has better customer service, but there are well-known privacy issues (read our guide to Google Drive alternatives ).

Before we go into more detail, here’s a quick explanation of how this comparison will work.

Setting Up a Battle: Dropbox vs OneDrive vs Google Drive Comparison

To try and make this comparison as fair as possible, we’ve divided it up into nine key areas that we feel are the most important when choosing a cloud storage provider. We’ll compare the providers across each of these areas: features, pricing, file sync, file sharing, ease of use, mobile app support, security, privacy and customer support.

At the end of each round, we’ll declare a winner, if there is one. If the round is too close to call, it may end in a two- or three-way tie. At the end of the nine rounds, we’ll add up all the scores and declare an overall winner. Without further ado, let the battle commence.

1. Features

First, let’s take a gander at the features these cloud storage providers offer. We’ll compare them not only on the features each offers out of the box but also on third-party app integrations. We’re especially interested in how these cloud services can facilitate productivity and collaboration.

Microsoft OneDrive Features

OneDrive is a Microsoft cloud storage product, so it plays very nicely with other Microsoft apps. For example, if you receive an attachment in Outlook, you can right-click and save it directly to any OneDrive folder of your choice. As part of Microsoft 365, OneDrive comes with all the perks of integrating natively with both Microsoft’s apps, like the Office 365 suite, as well as Windows itself.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any third-party integrations to speak of unless you’re on the business version of OneDrive. While there are apps that work with OneDrive, it’s more of a case of the apps having integration with OneDrive, rather than the other way around. This is also the case with Google Drive and Dropbox, as you’ll see further down in this comparison.

Google Drive Features

Likewise, Google Drive works seamlessly with other Google Workspace apps, such as Google Docs and Google Sheets. Integration with Gmail is also excellent. You can attach a file from your Google Drive directly from within the “compose” window.

Where Google Drive beats Microsoft OneDrive is integration with third-party services, meaning you don’t have to rely on Google’s default feature set. You can use third-party media players, photo and video editors, accounting software and more in your Google Drive interface.

Dropbox Features

Unlike Google Drive and OneDrive, Dropbox cloud storage doesn’t have its own office suite or email client, but it does offer a note-taking app, as well as a document signer, a file transfer service and a password manager. It even lets you take and share screenshots and screen recordings.

However, because of its lack of office apps, you might expect Dropbox to be less useful as a collaborative tool. In fact, the opposite is true, as Dropbox works with files from both Microsoft and Google.

If you want to switch between services, Dropbox makes this easy. Rather than having to decide which service you’d prefer to use, Dropbox allows you to use both.

As for integration with other third-party apps, Dropbox has its own app store where you can find add-ons for everything from project management apps like Trello and IFTTT to full-on design apps like Canva, Procreate and even AutoCAD.

Collaboration: Google Drive vs OneDrive vs Dropbox

All three of these cloud storage providers offer excellent collaboration tools, which is why we recommend each service on our best cloud storage for collaboration short list. This isn’t really surprising, as two of the cloud storage providers are responsible for some of the most popular office apps out there.

Collaborating With Microsoft OneDrive

OneDrive provides seamless integration with Microsoft 365 apps, as we’ve mentioned. If you share an Office document with others, you can all work on it simultaneously. You’ll see who else is working on the file, as well as any changes they make in real time. All changes automatically save to your OneDrive account.

Microsoft 365 also gives you access to Microsoft Teams. This opens all kinds of avenues for collaboration, using OneDrive’s integration with the Office 365 suite of document editors in tandem with the robust Teams communication platform. OneDrive integrates with Skype as well, letting you share and preview documents directly within the app (though, why are you still using Skype?).

Google Drive Collaboration Options

Google Drive integration works in a similar fashion, using Google’s own office apps, such as Google Docs and Google Sheets. You can see other collaborators viewing the file, with their name appearing as a different-colored cursor as they add new text.

Google also offers a communication tool in the form of Google Meet. Although it’s not quite as flexible as Teams, you can integrate third-party add-ons to expand its functionality. Plus, if you get Google Drive as part of Google Workspace, integration between services becomes even tighter, letting you collaborate on Google Drive documents from within other Google apps.

Dropbox Integration With Google and Microsoft Apps

Click on any Google document in your Dropbox cloud storage, and it will open it in the relevant Google app. You can collaborate in exactly the same way as you can with Google documents in Google Drive, but your changes will automatically save to Dropbox. The one niggle we have with this is that your Google email has to match your Dropbox email for the integration to work.

Dropbox also lets you collaborate on Microsoft Office files in exactly the same way as you would in OneDrive. You can even open Microsoft file formats in Google Docs, Sheets or Slides and make edits. The files will still save in your Dropbox storage in the original Microsoft formats. You can even share files directly to Teams, just like you can with OneDrive.

There isn’t much between OneDrive and Google Drive here. However, with support for additional third-party services, Google Drive pushes out OneDrive to be the overall winner here.

All three providers offer some level of free storage, as well as various perks that come with a paid account. If you’re not looking to store a huge amount of data, then there are well-priced cloud storage options from all three providers. In fact, all three cloud storage services make it onto our list of the best 1TB cloud storage providers . First, let’s take a look at what each service offers for free.

Dropbox vs Google Drive vs OneDrive: Free Storage Space

Dropbox and OneDrive don’t really offer too much free cloud storage space. Dropbox offers a measly 2GB for free , while OneDrive offers only 5GB . Both services are similar in that they limit certain features from free accounts.

The free version of OneDrive has limited sharing features and a limit of three files for your “personal vault” (we’ll look into these features in a bit). Similarly, a free Dropbox account has no advanced sharing features or access to the Dropbox Vault, and although Dropbox still keeps a 30-day version history of your files, you can’t use the full “account rewind” feature for free.

Google Drive comes out the highest of our three contenders in our rundown of the best free cloud storage providers , offering a generous 15GB of free storage . Besides beating both OneDrive and Dropbox in terms of sheer free storage space, the free version of Google Drive has no limitations like the other two cloud storage services do.

Paid Pricing Plans Comparison

Paid tiers are where things get more complicated. Looking at prices alone, Dropbox is by far the most expensive cloud storage option in this comparison, while Google Drive is the cheapest, with OneDrive in the middle of the pack. All three cloud storage solutions offer a discount for a yearly subscription, so we’ll compare prices with the discount applied.

Dropbox Pricing Plans

Dropbox has only one personal plan, the Dropbox Plus plan . It costs $9.99 per month for 2TB of cloud storage space and adds all the perks missing from the free plan. There’s also the shared Family plan, which costs $16.99 a month for 2TB of shared file storage space.

You can add up to six users to this plan and get a common “family room” for mutually accessed files.

We won’t look too deep into how the business plans are priced, as those are targeted toward companies and, well, business users. Dropbox’s Professional plan is the only business plan that’s fit for a single user, offering 3TB of storage for $16.58 per month. The other business plans come with upwards of 5TB of cloud storage and advanced user administration features but aren’t fit for personal use.

There’s also a Dropbox Enterprise plan, but this is a customizable solution for large businesses, so you’ll need to contact Dropbox for a quote. It may be worth your while to check out Dropbox’s business version if that’s your use case, as Dropbox Business is an excellent enterprise cloud storage .

• 1 user Signature requests and eSignature templates
• 3 users minimum

Microsoft OneDrive Pricing Plans

Looking at the OneDrive storage plans, you get cheap cloud storage, plus access to other Microsoft apps, but the cap for storage is low — only 1TB. There’s only one OneDrive subscription option, with 100GB for just $1.99 per month , although this doesn’t come with access to Office apps. To get more storage than that, you have to get a Microsoft 365 plan.

Like Dropbox, Microsoft 365 offers a personal and a family plan . The Personal plan costs around $5.83 per month for 1TB of storage, plus offers access to the Microsoft Office suite. The Family plan covers up to six users for around $8.33 per month, with each user getting 1TB of OneDrive storage and full use of the Office suite.

Microsoft’s OneDrive has two business packages that aren’t part of Microsoft 365 and come without any auxiliary apps. However, the Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan is much more attractive, costing only $5 per user and adding useful apps, like Microsoft SharePoint and Teams, as well as the obligatory Office apps.

In addition, it offers 1TB of OneDrive file storage per person. You can read our SharePoint vs OneDrive guide to learn how the two compare.

• For one person
• Comes with Office 365 Personal
• Comes with Office 365 Home
• Price per user

Google Drive Storage Pricing Plans

Google Drive offers the cheapest file storage of the bunch, so it’s a no-brainer between Dropbox prices vs Google Drive prices. Plus, unlike Microsoft’s Office, Google’s document editors are completely free to use (though the less-capable online versions of Office apps are free).

The simplest way to increase your Google Drive storage is to purchase a Google One plan. This lets you share your account with five other users, as well as access some bizarre offerings, like discounted stays at certain hotels. You can upgrade your Google Drive storage to 100GB for around $1.67 per month , 200GB for $2.45 per month or 2TB for $8.33 per month.

For an improved collaborative experience, you can upgrade your Google account by grabbing a Google Workspace plan to share with co-workers. With Google Workspace, you can get 2TB of Google Drive storage per user for $12 per month per user. However, you can increase your storage to 5TB per user for $18 per month per user or get a custom Enterprise plan by contacting Google.

Unlimited Storage Is Not All It Seems

If you’re looking for unlimited cloud storage, we recommend taking a look at the best unlimited online storage providers . All three providers in this comparison offer what they call “unlimited storage,” but that isn’t necessarily the full picture.

Google Workspace’s Enterprise plan promises “as much storage as you need,” but Google seems suspiciously obtuse about what exactly this means. The Dropbox Business Advanced and Enterprise plans use similar wording, with no clarity as to whether both offer truly unlimited storage.

Likewise, the OneDrive Business (Plan 2) offers unlimited storage but with asterisks upon asterisks that indicate you’ll have to jump through several hoops before getting full use of that storage.

Since Google Drive offers the largest amount of free storage and the cheapest 2TB personal option, Google Drive is the winner on pricing. 

3. File Sync

Dropbox is the company that first popularized the sync folder model used by all three providers. It sets up a sync folder on your computer for you to use, with any files or folders placed in that folder synced to the cloud.

Selective Syncing

All three providers offer selective sync. This allows you to choose which folders sync to your hard drive and which remain solely in the cloud to save space on your drive. Unsynced folders will not be visible on your computer.

Dropbox gets around this with its Smart Sync option, which is available for all paid plans. It’s a great feature that helped Dropbox get to the very top of our list of the best cloud storage with sync. It allows you to set files as “online only,” meaning the files will show in your sync folder on your computer but won’t take up space on your drive.

OneDrive has a similar system called Files On-Demand. If you download an online-only file, it will remain on your hard drive after you close it. You’ll need to right-click and choose “free up space” to return it to online only.

Disappointingly, Google Drive doesn’t offer an option like Dropbox’s Smart Sync. If you don’t want files taking up space on your hard drive, you won’t be able to see them in your Google Drive folder.

Block-Level Sync

One of the most important factors when choosing a cloud storage provider is the sync speed and whether or not the provider you choose uses block-level sync. This splits up each file into smaller pieces. When you make a change to the file, only the part that you change syncs, which removes the need to sync the whole file again.

This can significantly speed up sync times, especially for large files. If you’re using your storage more for smaller files, then check out our list of the best cloud storage for documents .

Both Dropbox and OneDrive use block-level sync. OneDrive used to only use this method for its own Microsoft Office file formats but now applies block-level sync to most major file types. Google Drive still doesn’t use block-level file copying, however.

Version History

Version history is another useful feature of cloud storage. It allows you to revert files to previous versions if you’re not happy with the changes you’ve made. Dropbox offers version history for up to 30 days on its personal plans, while its business plans get 180-day versioning.

OneDrive limits version history to 30 days for personal accounts. For business accounts, the default is to store up to 500 versions. Google Drive keeps previous versions of files for up to 30 days or until you reach 100 versions. However, you can also select individual versions to keep forever.

Account Rewind Options

Dropbox also offers a feature called “rewind.” This allows you to revert to a previous version of your entire Dropbox account if you have issues, such as a virus. OneDrive has a similar feature called “files restore” included in personal and business plans, with a maximum limit of 30 days.

Google Drive doesn’t offer the same capability. You can see a list of recent activity across all of your files and revert to earlier versions of individual files, but there’s no way to restore the entire drive to a previous state.

Both Dropbox and OneDrive offer smart syncing and rewind features, which Google Drive can’t match, although it does offer versioning by file. Google Drive also fails to use block-level sync, unlike the other two providers. There isn’t much between them, but with a longer file history on offer, Dropbox is the better option.

4. File Sharing

All three providers make file sharing simple by creating shareable links. Dropbox and Google Drive even squeaked onto our list of the best cloud storage for sharing , although other paid providers like pCloud beat it.

Each service gives you the option to determine whether the recipient can edit or view a file. Google Drive also allows you to set who can comment on the document.

Dropbox and OneDrive also allow you to password-protect your links and set expiration dates to provide temporary access. This isn’t something that Google Drive allows you to do unless you have a paid Google Drive for Business account.

File sharing through links is a simple but effective method that makes things easy for the sender and recipient. This is one of the reasons why all three providers appear on our list of the best cloud storage for multiple users .

Large File Sharing

When it comes to sharing large files, there are some differences in the maximum file size you can upload. If you’ve got a lot of large files you want to store, then take a look at our rundown of the best cloud storage for large files .

OneDrive will let you upload and share files up to 250GB in size (see our OneDrive file size limit guide ). Your recipient won’t need a Microsoft account or have to sign in to see the file.

Google Drive lets you upload files up to 5TB in size unless these are documents, spreadsheets or presentations, where other file limits apply .

Dropbox has a special option for large file sharing, called Dropbox Transfer. It lets you send files up to 100MB in size by default or up to 250GB with the Creative Tools add-on. These files aren’t kept in your Dropbox account and don’t take up any space. Learn more in our comprehensive Dropbox file size limit guide.

Thanks to its extensive sharing features, as well as its file transfer service, Dropbox wins this round.

5. Ease of Use

OneDrive and Google Drive offer desktop apps for both Windows and macOS, but neither has a Linux desktop app. OneDrive comes preinstalled on Windows 10, but you’ll need to sign in to use it.

No matter what operating system you’re using, you’ll find a Dropbox app for it. Unlike Google Drive and OneDrive, Dropbox also offers a Linux client, and it’s of the best cloud storage services for Linux users.

All three providers use the same tried-and-tested method to sync folders, with an accessible system tray or menu bar icon that allows you to quickly change settings. The experience is pretty similar across all three platforms.

Usability Issues

However, a small issue we have with this is iconography. In a stunning sign of originality, Google Drive and OneDrive both use icons in the shape of a cloud, and these look (to our eyes) fairly similar. If you use multiple clouds, this may cause a fair bit of confusion. Dropbox, at least, uses a fairly distinctive box icon.

Dropbox used to have an issue for Mac users, in that it doesn’t list folders first and instead listed every file and folder alphabetically, regardless of type. Luckily, Dropbox seems to have fixed this, so that folders show up first before files, and all are listed alphabetically.

Still, you might still want to look elsewhere if you’re a Mac user . With near-flawless interfaces, OneDrive and Google Drive are better, although OneDrive wins here for its Windows integration .

6. Mobile Apps

All three providers offer mobile apps for Android and iOS. On the whole, these all appear fairly similar, although the Dropbox app has a serious flaw in the iOS version, as we’ll see shortly.

We’ve seen solid performance from all three apps on Android, with all three making our best cloud storage for Android short list. All three cloud storage services also have stellar iOS mobile apps .

In the Google Drive mobile app, the “home” tab shows suggested files, according to your usage. You can also view your My Drive folder, any synced computers, shared and starred files, as well as any shared drives if you’re on Google Workspace.

The Dropbox and OneDrive apps are similar and include a photos page that allows you to search your photos. You can install Google Photos (a free online storage for photos ) if you want more similar functionality for your Google Drive images. The OneDrive and Dropbox apps also include an account section, where you can see relevant information, such as how much storage you’re currently using.

For general use, all three apps are fairly similar. However, Dropbox and OneDrive offer useful scanning features that Google doesn’t. With more functionality and slightly better features, OneDrive nudges past Google Drive to be the winner here, although all three apps offer a pretty good experience on mobile devices.

7. Security

We’ll start this round with a clear point: it doesn’t matter where you sit in the OneDrive vs Dropbox vs Google Drive debate because none of these services are brilliant for security. We’ll explain why (you can also read our piece on Dropbox’s security issues , though).

The gold standard for security in cloud storage is zero-knowledge encryption. This type of encryption means that your provider doesn’t store a copy of your encryption key. So, the cloud storage service can’t decrypt your files even if it wanted to, which is the case with one of our favorite cloud storage providers, Icedrive .

Sadly, none of these three providers offer zero-knowledge encryption. If you’re looking for additional security, check out our guide to the best zero-knowledge cloud services . Another option is to use third-party encryption software, such as Cryptomator, which can encrypt your files before you upload them to the cloud.

Encryption Protocols

Although none of our providers offer zero-knowledge encryption, they do all offer industry-standard levels of security in other areas. OneDrive for Business uses AES 256-bit encryption for data at rest and SSL/TLS connections for data in transit. For personal accounts, data is encrypted in transit and at rest, but Microsoft doesn’t specify exactly what encryption it uses.

Google Drive uses both AES 128-bit and AES 256-bit encryption for data at rest, although it’s not clear when it uses each protocol. In addition, data in transit is encrypted with the TLS protocol. Dropbox uses AES 256-bit encryption for data at rest and SSL/TLS for data in transit.

Additional Security Features

Even with services that offer zero-knowledge encryption, your account is only as safe as your password. We always recommend using strong passwords, which may be more difficult to remember, but you can keep them safe by using a password manager to save them.

Another layer of protection you can use is two-factor authentication , which all three cloud storage services offer. When you log in, you’ll need to provide a second layer of proof that it’s really you to access your data.

OneDrive’s Personal Vault

OneDrive has recently introduced a new feature called “personal vault,” which forces you to use a PIN number, fingerprint, face or an SMS message to open it. It will also automatically lock after 20 minutes of inactivity. “Personal vault” files on Windows 10 sync to a BitLocker-encrypted area of your hard drive. There’s no similar protection for Mac, however.

In terms of security, none of the providers offer zero-knowledge encryption, so neither is ever going to be the best cloud storage for encryption in our eyes. OneDrive ekes by with a win in this round, thanks to offering extra protection via its “personal vault.”

As with security, none of the providers here have a great reputation when it comes to privacy, either. If you’re looking for a cloud storage provider that respects your privacy, then there are better options out there.

Google Drive Privacy Policy

The Google privacy policy states that it will “collect the content you create, upload or receive from others when using our services” and includes emails, documents you create and comments you make on Google platforms like YouTube. Google states that it collects this data to provide better services as well as personalized ads.

OneDrive Privacy Policy

OneDrive is a little less intrusive. The Microsoft privacy policy states that it doesn’t “use what you say in email, chat, video calls or voicemail, or your documents, photos or other personal files to target ads to you.” Despite this, with no zero-knowledge encryption and files based in the U.S., Microsoft engineers can access your files if required to do so.

Dropbox Privacy Policy

Dropbox’s privacy policy states that it collects your data for a number of reasons, including “investigating and preventing security issues and abuse of the Dropbox services or Dropbox users.” It also admits that the data analyzed includes “your stuff,” which is “what you decide to store in your Dropbox account” — meaning your files.

Not only that but it also discloses your data to “trusted” third parties that include Amazon Web Services, Google and Zendesk. Dropbox was also famously hacked in 2012 , with a leak of nearly 70 million user passwords, although it has upped its game since then.

This means that whichever service you use, you might have a complete stranger sifting through your files, which is not an appealing thought.

The PRISM Revelations

In 2013, Edward Snowden disclosed classified NSA documents to The Washington Post and The Guardian. Part of the revelations included information about PRISM, an NSA surveillance program, and the companies that were part of the program. These companies included Facebook, Yahoo, Apple, YouTube and, most importantly for this comparison, Google and Microsoft.

The leaked documents claimed that PRISM allowed the NSA to collect the contents of emails, calls and files stored in the cloud. All the companies named were quick to clarify the situation. Microsoft stated that it allowed access to customer data  “only in response to government demands, and we only ever comply with orders for requests about specific accounts or identifiers”.

Google’s co-founder, Larry Page, responded by saying he hadn’t even heard of PRISM , and that “we provide user data to governments only in accordance with the law. Our legal team reviews each and every request, and frequently pushes back when requests are overly broad or don’t follow the correct process.” If that scares you, look elsewhere.

Dropbox was not listed as one of the companies participating in the program, but the leaked documents did state that there were plans to add Dropbox as a partner. The company’s response was to say that it was “not part of any such program and remains committed to protecting our users’ privacy.”

A Lose-Lose-Lose Situation

Even without PRISM, American legislation, such as the Patriot Act , allows agencies to request data from cloud storage services. Since none of these providers offer zero-knowledge encryption, any information disclosed will be fully accessible by those agencies.

Finding a winner is tough, as none of the providers paint itself in glory when it comes to privacy. Google and Microsoft are notorious for harvesting and using your data, and Dropbox is the only one of the three to have had a major hacking incident.

This might just be the toughest round to call. We’d generally advise any privacy-minded individual away from all three services and steer them toward a safer choice, like Icedrive, pCloud or Sync.com . That said, we’ll call this one for Dropbox, simply because it doesn’t make a business out of selling your data to advertisers.

Moral of the story: if you’re worried about privacy, encrypt your files with encryption software .

9. Customer Support

Dropbox and Google Drive offer email, phone and 24/7 live chat support. During tests, Dropbox live chat responded almost immediately.

The quality of the support was reasonable, although they were unable to offer a resolution to the Mac and iOS app issues other than suggesting that we put it forward as a feature request.

Google also responded in less than a minute. The responses were useful, in general, although they were unable to tell us what kind of encryption the service used. They also sent follow-up emails that offered some more useful information relating to the query, which was a nice touch.

OneDrive’s Less-Than-Useful Support

OneDrive is far less helpful. Your first port of call is a less-than-useful virtual assistant. When you request to talk to an agent, you can request a live chat.

During working hours, we had a response within five minutes, with a link to chat with a Microsoft OneDrive expert. According to the company, these are “skilled professionals” chosen to answer questions rather than Microsoft employees.

The first time we tried this, we received a useful response. The second time, we received out-of-date information. You’re better off searching on Google.

Both Dropbox and Google Drive offered round-the-clock live chat support, but trying to chat with a human on OneDrive was quite a challenge. With immediate support and helpful follow-up emails, Google Drive takes this round.

The Verdict: Google Drive vs OneDrive vs Dropbox

It was always going to be a decision based on the smallest of margins. If you’ve read this in full, you’ll see a pattern: almost all of our categories had near ties, and with a result of 3-3-3 for Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive, the situation is still unclear.

Google Drive Won:

• Customer support

OneDrive Won:

• Ease of use
• Mobile app support
• Security (barely)

Dropbox Won:

• File Sharing
• Privacy (barely)

With three points each, the competitors of this Dropbox vs Google Drive vs OneDrive battle remain tied. In the end, it really depends on what you’re looking for in a cloud storage provider.

Winner : Three-Way Tie

If you’re worried about pricing, Google Drive is a great option, with more storage and services offered for the price you pay, as well as a good free plan at the bottom. In other areas, like file syncing and sharing, Dropbox and OneDrive shared the glory, with both providing full account versioning and easy link sharing.

OneDrive offers block-level sync for files, with a “personal vault” for your most sensitive documents, which is why it nudged ahead in our security round. It also did well in plenty of other areas, including offering the best interface for mobile and desktop users, with Google Drive closely matching it.

For customer support, Google was the winner there, with Dropbox offering a strongly useful alternative and OneDrive falling behind.

We’re always keen to hear your thoughts on any of the providers in this Dropbox vs Google Drive vs OneDrive comparison. Which is your favorite? Do you agree with our judging, or would you rather see a different winner? Leave your comments below and, as always, thanks for reading.

FAQ: Comparing Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive

It’s a close call, and it really depends on what your needs are. OneDrive offers more value than Google Drive and Dropbox, as it comes bundled with the offline versions of the Office suite. Meanwhile, the other two only let you collaborate on files online. However, Google Drive is a cheaper option overall with a larger free plan, and Dropbox is more flexible.

If your budget isn’t restricted, file sharing is one of your priorities, and you really need to collaborate using Google Docs and Microsoft Word, then you might be better off using Dropbox. In most other instances, OneDrive should be a better option.

If you don’t need too much space, you could make use of Google Drive’s free account, which comes with 15GB of storage. As most folks don’t backup too much data to the cloud, there should be ample room for personal use and much more than what OneDrive offers for free.

OneDrive has a free account with 5GB of storage, but you can expand that storage with a paid plan.

While neither will win any security accolades, OneDrive is marginally safer than Google Drive and Dropbox, thanks to its private vault feature, which adds a PIN-protected folder to your cloud storage.

At my old job we used Dropbox and Drive extensively. From that experience I knew that Dropbox was a disaster that I would not use again willingly. When trying to choose between Drive and OneDrive for personal use, I consulted this article. The article makes it seem like the two are a toss-up, so I choose OneDrive because it also comes with the Microsoft suite. GIANT MISTAKE! As soon as I started to upload folders and files it OneDrive, the weaknesses immediately appeared. You can select folders to sync, but only if they are the folders “Photos” or “Documents”. No way to change this to whatever folders you wish. When uploading, you could only drag a folder to upload one level deep, meaning if your folder had a couple of layers of sub folders, those sub folders and their files would not upload. In Drive, if you try and upload something a second time, Google will offer you multiple options of what to do (overwrite, keep both, put it somewhere else). OneDrive leaves you with a confusing mess of files and folders. If you are working purely in a Microsoft environment, then perhaps OneDrive works well. Otherwise, Google Drive is the most flexible and useful of these three systems.

If you like dealing with constant headaches, buggy and poorly written software and tech support who’s only answer is to reinstall the app every second week, then OneDrive is for you!!

For me its Dropbox all the way due to its market leading syncing – For me timely instant syncing is important to access documents quickly due to nature of my work. I also use bought a one off microsoft suite package (rather than 365) which appears to be a few microseconds less laggy and is quick. Also it saves considerable money and after 5 years if feel desperate (which i doubt) I can always purchase another one off package – happy days

OneDrive and Dropbox both let you restrict which folders are cloned, however DropBox makes it exceedingly difficult.

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How to pitch to investors when fundraising (and close the deal)

Any pitch is a high-stakes event, so how do you give yourself the best chance? Learn the secrets to successful pitching in this complete guide.

DocSend’s Startup Index reveals changing trends among venture capitalists. The data reveals investors now take just 3 minutes to think about your deck. And that’s if you’re successful. 

Simply put, if your pitch deck doesn’t immediately charm investors, chances are you’ve already missed your opportunity. So, what do investors want, and how do you give yourself an edge?

Join us, as we reveal all—and learn how to pitch to investors, with our complete guide to creating an unforgettable investment pitch.

Jump into a section for your next pitch

What do investors look for in a pitch?

• Give your elevator pitch
• Tell your story
• Show your market research
• Introduce and demonstrate your product or service
• Explain the revenue and business model
• Clarify how you will attract business
• Pitch your team
• Explain your financial projections
• Justify your fundraising needs
• Illustrate your exit strategy
• Common mistakes

What investors want is a simple, data-driven drill-down on the math of your business—with a clear overview of your ideas. Here are the main criteria that investors will expect:

• Your idea —no idea, no pitch, and another ‘no’ on your (probably) long list
• Your USP —unless you’ve invented something investors want to know how you’re different
• Financial projections —DocSend research says granular data is a common demand today
• A business plan —details on where the money is going, again the more granular the better
• A top-notch pitch deck —it’s crucial that this is easily digestible and concise

How to prepare before making a pitch

Identify potential investors 

You need to prepare yourself with a solid investor candidate search, which will depend on the type of business you have. 

The most important consideration in your search will be the type of investor, which is usually one of the following types:

• Venture capitalists —who provide private equity funding
• Angel investors —who are normally high-net-worth individuals
• Personal investors —who might include anyone within your company network

There are also peer-to-peer investors and, of course, banks.

Assess the current investing climate

After you decide on the investor, you need to look at the current investing landscape. DocSend data reveals the following insights:

• Investors are increasingly more selective
• There has been an economic downturn alongside an expansion of competition
• Investors are looking for niche underrepresented groups, such as the LGBTQ community

This means the landscape is tougher than ever. You’ll have to compete ever harder than ever for a shrinking pool of funds. 

And you’ll have less time to catch investors’ attention, the data shows that from 2021 to 2022 the time venture capitalists spend on a successful deck is lower from 3:30 to 2:45. Mere minutes! 

Every second counts. And an attention span drop of 20% is only going to add pressure to the situation. 

Get your story straight

Now that you know who the investors are and what to expect, the focus can turn to you.

During a pitch, investors will likely have a barrage of questions ready for you. Questions like:

• “Why this particular type of investment?”
• “What’s stopping you from going to a bank?”
• “Why come to me in particular as an investor?”

You’ll need good answers as to why you want their money specifically. Understand your circumstances, know if you are an early-stage or a growth-stage startup if you need pre-seed or seed fundraising—and prepare yourself for questions.

All of this gives you ammo for whatever type of investor you’re pitching. You’re not ready to pitch if you don’t know their priorities, your position—and ultimately how you can make money together.

Build your charisma and confidence

Ever wish you could get an objective view of yourself when you’re getting ready for a big presentation? With Dropbox Capture , you can practice your charisma and share your deck with your team, using the screen recorder to record your pitch and then play it back to critique yourself.

How to make a pitch to investors

It’s a lot of work to understand who you are pitching to and why. So, assuming you have that in mind, we can focus on how to pitch. Use the following tips for a better chance of success.

1. Deliver your elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is the condensed version of all the information you are about to present. Investors want a roadmap of where you are heading during the pitch in about 30 seconds.

Make sure your snappy, smooth but serious elevator pitch can hit the following points:

• The nature of your business, your company structure, founders, and other details
• Your product or service, anything relevant to what your company provides
• Your value proposition, the benefits that your product or service delivers

Above all else, be prepared—you have to be ready to deliver your pitch in any situation. You never know where you might need to explain your idea to a potential investor.

2. Tell your story

Try to share the desire and the dreams that inspired you to start pursuing the idea—and hopefully, when you’re done, they will be rooting for you and want to see you succeed.

Everything you say at this stage will require data to back up your claims. Information on audience segmentation, financial projections, and other numbers will help to sell your company story.

So, when planning the story slides of your deck, make sure you include the following:

• The consumer problem or market gap you see
• How your company and the investor's funding will solve this problem
• Your audience or customer base, who your business will help, and how
• Why your business needs funding at this point more than any other

3. Show your market research

Grounding your product in hard data will make it less of an idea and more of a plan. This part of the pitch can create a sense of urgency for the investor, who will see the plan is ready for action.

Make sure you cover the following in your market research slides for a successful deck:

• Competition, demonstrate how competitive your market is—investors don’t like too much saturation but too little may indicate your plan is unviable
• Industry status, including market history up to the pitch-and sector projections beyond
• Audience or target customers, who are they and what are their values, wants, or needs?
• Market growth potential
• How to avoid risks in the market, whether that is legal, regulatory, or other potential pitfalls

4. Introduce and demonstrate your product or service

While an investor will broadly understand the product at this stage, it’s time to get into some detail. The most important thing is some kind of demo, where the investor will see, try, or use the product or service.

A demo in a pitch for a digital service or physical product will require careful preparation and testing. For example, if you’re pitching an app, you’ll want to be absolutely certain that its core functions can be demoed flawlessly during the pitch.

You should iron out any kinks before you get to the pitch! An investor wants a real-time experience so you better check and re-check, right up until the moment of truth.

5. Explain the revenue and business model

If your pitch has investors sold on the idea, everything now rests on one factor—the business model. This is the slide that investors will care about more than any other in your deck.

So, aim to include the following details to show how your business will make them money:

• Price points for each product or service
• Fee structure, is it a per-item charge or a monthly/yearly subscription?
• Services or product classes and their pricing, such as a premium plan for business
• How the prices fit into your revenue goals, selling X number of products to achieve Y
• Projections for return on investment, including the amounts and when to expect it

This can be the clincher stage for many investments pay close attention here, as astute investors will be aware of irregularities and ask plenty of questions.

[ Try Dropbox Sign ]

6. Clarify how you will attract business

Investors don’t back projects without major audience demand.

You need to keep your approach to acquiring new business and key metrics as the focus of these slides. Make sure you include the following details on how you will attract new business.

• Marketing channels you will use, such as social media, direct sales, digital and traditional PR
• Growth metrics, like customer acquisition cost (CAC), customer retention rate (CRR), and conversion rate
• Sales process breakdown, what is the journey from a lead to a sale for the company?

Investors are looking for growth potential, so they will be very familiar with metrics and the different stages of the sales process. Prepare for questions and know the metrics inside out!

7. Pitch your team

Aside from the idea, state of the market, and financials, an investor wants to know that their money is in good hands. You need to sell the merits of your team so the investor can trust your abilities.

The DocSend data demonstrates that both seed and pre-seed decks are more successful when teams are introduced towards the beginning. The fact that decks with team slides toward the end are less successful indicates just how important a team is to investors! Consider moving it up in your deck to make sure you succeed.

Keep the following in mind for a better pitch result:

• Celebrate your team's skills, experience, and qualifications
• Don’t deny any shortcomings you may currently have-and explain how you will deal with them
• Chart the next steps, ambitions, and improvements of your team as part of the pitch

8. Explain your financial projections

You need to project your revenue goals over the next 3 to 5 years. Break down the revenue per product and be certain to carefully explain how and when the business will see these numbers.

A revenue projection slide should be concise. Make sure you don’t get swept up in numbers. Keep it simple.

9. Justify your fundraising needs

All investors will prefer to give you a lower level of funding if that’s what your idea requires. You have to make investors understand why you need the funding you are asking for.

Make sure you cover the following to justify what you ask for and to help close the deal.

• Current funding levels, how much you have to date, and where this came from
• Ownership levels, what stake will investors get and what is the current equity distribution?
• How much more investment do you need to achieve your goals?
• Where the money will go and what you will use it for
• The position of the business, once the funding runs out

This is a good point in the pitch to remind everyone how shrewd and trustworthy you will be with the investor's money. Make everyone in the room comfortable with what they are about to offer.

10. Illustrate your exit strategy

As fundraising progresses from the seed stages, you’ll find investors are eager to know what the exit strategy is for the business: a large company may acquire you, the management might want to buy out the stake—or maybe you will go public.

Whatever the exit plan looks like, explain to the investor why it makes sense for the company and what it means for their investment. Investors may not care about the method of exit, but they’ll want to know how they’ll get their money back 5 or 10 years down the line.

What are some common mistakes made when pitching to investors?

We want to give you a positive list of things to do to make your pitch great, but there are a few things to avoid too. Try to avoid the following common fundraising pitch pitfalls:

• Not understanding your audience or customer
• Not doing the market research
• Not being transparent with the data you have or your sources
• Not leaving enough time for questions during the meeting
• Not following up with people in the pitch after the meeting
• Not listening to investor feedback or refining your deck after an unsuccessful pitch

Pitching can be a lot of build-up with a whirlwind of activity that follows—or a fast “no”. Prepare for each stage as if it was the final step, which is stepping into the room and delivering.

How can Dropbox help me pitch to investors?

Dropbox makes it easy to share, collaborate and work on your deck. When your pitch lands the investment you need, DocSend can make sending files quick, simple, and safe. 

Try Dropbox Capture to record screens during your pitch meetings and preparation, or the pitch itself. You can also use Dropbox Sign to get legally-binding eSignatures, so whether you are preparing a pitch or have a winning agreement to send—you can rely on our tools at every stage.

Nail your next investment pitch

Our practical guide will give you the best chance of success in your pitch. Combine a strong pitch with our powerful products, and you’ll be ready for a “yes” in your funding journey.

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We will consider any offers from customers and advise the ideal option, with the help of which we will competently organize the work and get the final result even better than we expected.

What is the best custom essay writing service?

In the modern world, there is no problem finding a person who will write an essay for a student tired of studying. But you must understand that individuals do not guarantee you the quality of work and good writing. They can steal your money at any time and disappear from sight.

The best service of professional essay writing companies is that the staff give you guarantees that you will receive the text at the specified time at a reasonable cost. You have the right to make the necessary adjustments and monitor the progress of the task at all levels.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Google Drive vs. Dropbox: which is best in 2024?

G oogle Drive and Dropbox are two of the most popular cloud storage providers, if not some of the best . They offer a range of exciting features, from secure file storage and transfer, to free storage, file syncing, extensions, chat-app integration, and more. But while they might go toe to toe on some cloud storage specifications, there are others where one is the clear winner. The question is, which one is the best in 2024?

Let’s take a close look at Google Drive and Dropbox to see how their latest head to head turns out.

Google Drive wins the free storage battle

Both Dropbox and Google Drive offer free storage space for those who would like to try out their respective services before putting down a few dollars a month for something more expansive and permanent. Google Drive comes standard, with 15GB of free space, far more than Dropbox’s initial free storage offering of just 2GB.

Although that does give Google a notable edge in this section, Dropbox offers several ways to increase your free storage. Basic (free) accounts can earn an additional 500MB of storage space for each friend or family member referred to the service, up to 16GB. It also has free trials available for its premium subscription packages, so if you want to try out one of the paid options with masses of storage space, you can for a limited time.

While the additional earned storage space leads to Dropbox offering more free space than Google Drive, referring hoards of friends isn’t a simple task. Especially in today’s world, most people who want cloud storage already have it. It’s good that Dropbox has that option, but ultimately, Google Drive’s free storage is simply better.

For paid storage, it’s a draw between Drive and Dropbox

If you want to store anything beyond a few gigabytes, it doesn’t matter which cloud storage solution you opt for; you’re going to have to pay for it. Both Google Drive and Dropbox offer premium subscription services, giving you much more remote storage, and a range of pricing tiers with different features and, crucially, different quantities of cloud storage.

Dropbox currently offers two sets of plans: One set offers storage and other tools, and the other set offers primarily storage. For the purposes of the guide, we’re only going to focus on the set of Dropbox plans that primarily offer storage . The Dropbox Plus account offers 2TB of storage space, which adds remote device wipe and multi-factor authentication (which is essential for keeping files secure these days). It’ll set you back $120 for the year or $12 a month. There’s also the option of a Professional account, which costs $17 (per month if billed yearly) and offers 3TB of storage space plus watermarking and shared link controls.

Dropbox also offers Standard and Advanced accounts for teams and business users, including additional file recovery time, viewer history, and device approvals. The Standard accounts are limited to 5TB of storage for a team for $15 per user monthly (when billed yearly). The Advanced subscription used to offer unlimited storage, but has since restricted that to a-still-whopping 15TB for the team. It’s much more expensive, though, costing $24 per user per month when paid annually or $30 per user per month when paid monthly. They also come with a wealth of team management options, including tools such as single-sign-on integrations and tiered admin roles. Dropbox also offers an Enterprise plan, but you’ll need to contact them for pricing.

On the other hand, for personal users, Google Drive simply offers three primary tiers of pricing after the free option, all under its Google One service. The first is called Basic and it’s a $2 per month plan that provides 100GB, access to Google experts, and dark web monitoring. Google’s Standard plan is no longer available, with Google now only offering two further subscription tiers. The next is Premium, which offers 2TB for $10 per month and access to three Google Workspace premium features, as well as cashback in the Google Store and additional features for Google Photo editing.

The next higher tier is AI Premium, which offers the same 2TB of storage space, but with additional Google Gemini features , including the latest model at the time of writing, Ultra 1.0

Ultimately, Google Drive and Dropbox both have their advantages when it comes to pricing. If 100GB of space will suffice, Google Drive’s $2 a month option is the best bet. But if you need much more storage due to creative projects or business needs, Dropbox may be the way to go since its paid plans start at $12 per month for 2TB when billed monthly. In this case, it’s a bit of a draw because who wins this category is based on what your exact storage needs are. If it’s more personal, Google Drive’s Google One service might be best. More professional? Dropbox might be the one for you.

For more AI features and integration with Google’s other products? That’s a no brainer.

Dropbox edges out Drive with file syncing

Dropbox can sync files across multiple devices and operating systems, including all primary desktop and mobile platforms. As Cloudwards breaks down in its comparison, its Linux support and “smart-sync” set Dropbox apart from the competition, as it means only changes are synchronized, not the entire file or folder.

In comparison, Google Drive’s syncing supports multiple devices and operating systems, though it doesn’t support Linux natively. Some workarounds make it so, but it’s not an officially supported platform for file syncing. While it does let you select specific files to sync, it doesn’t support syncing of file changes, often called “block-level” synchronization. That means it needs to re-upload or download entire files to sync them.

Dropbox wins again with file sharing

File sharing is of paramount importance to many cloud storage customers, as it makes it much easier to send large files or folders to groups of people.

Google Drive lets you share files and folders using the mobile app or in the web browser interface, with direct links or the option to email access to your trusted share partner. It also offers the opportunity to give viewing and editing permissions to those you share with, letting you customize the power they have. The only downside is that without passwords or expiry dates on those links, they do present a potential security problem if you don’t move your shared files or folders in the future.

Dropbox offers just as much flexibility with designating shared folders and files. However, Professional, Standard, and Advanced account holders can set passwords and expiry dates on links, which help protect your data long-term. You can also set user edit permissions with a Standard or Advanced account.

Dropbox’s share page also makes it easy to see which folders and files you’ve made accessible to others. Ultimately, that, combined with better security protections for user data, makes Dropbox the better choice.

Outside support and productivity options

Google Drive can quickly save and store Gmail attachments and twin stored images with Google Photos, and it makes collaboration easier through Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. The Google Workspace Marketplace has a variety of third-party apps for Google Drive, giving the cloud storage solution a lot more potential than some of its competitors.

Dropbox has also developed its own products and partnerships. Dropbox has lots of extensions that offer support for various email clients and chat apps (like Gmail and Microsoft Teams, respectively), and allow users to do things like sign documents or send faxes.

Plus, Dropbox has added its apps over the years to compete with Google more directly. That includes Dropbox Paper for creating content and Dropbox Transfer for sending large files securely. Notably, the service also recently released a new Desktop app to assemble all its services into a cleaner interface that makes them more usable and integrates Dropbox more fully with operating system capabilities.

Dropbox has come a long way here and again is more friendly for complex or enterprise-level businesses. Still, it’s also very convenient that Google keeps everything in the Google family. It’s a draw: The winner here ultimately depends on what you need.

Dropbox just barely beats Drive in security and privacy

In a world of post-Snowden revelations and regular hacks of major organizations, ensuring your remote data and privacy are protected is a major consideration for many cloud storage customers.

For its part, Dropbox encrypts your data with SSL/TLS encryption while files are in motion and then to a 256-bit AES standard when at rest. It also offers multi-factor authentication for account access, to prevent unauthorized users from gaining access. Paying customers can also remotely wipe sync files should they lose a relevant device. Version rollback even lets you replace updated files for differing periods of time depending on your package, offering some measure of protection against ransomware.

Google Drive offers comparable security features, though it uses 256-bit AES encryption with files in transit and when at rest. It also supports two-factor authentication and Cloud Identity features for businesses.

Overall, Dropbox has a slight lead here. And that’s largely because it offers more security and accident protection features than Google’s Workspace and One plans and offers clear explanations of those features.

Dropbox wins the tight race

Google Drive and Dropbox have an intense rivalry, each system trying to win more users with excellent free service options or the best new paid upgrades. Despite tough competition, we find that Dropbox is a superior cloud storage system to Google Drive.

That said, there are some cases where Google Drive may better serve your needs. For newcomers to storage systems with limited experience, scarce funds, and little file content, Google Drive is the best option to try out, as it has a free version with a lot more perks than Dropbox.  Seasoned Google users will have no problems navigating through and understanding the format of Google Drive. While Google users might prefer what’s familiar to them, we still think Dropbox is the best service.

Business users will find Dropbox especially advantageous because it has features like terabytes of storage in all of its paid plans, robust file syncing and sharing, and a helpful password protection feature for shared files. If you want to use Google’s AI services though, paying a little extra for storage gets you access to some of its latest developments, which are well worth considering.