Surely you’ve ever heard of cloud storage and the increasing number of platforms offering this service. But … do you really know what it is?
From English cloud storage, cloud storage is a service that allows us to securely store all types of data, documents or files on online servers that are normally managed by a service provider. This is the same as saying that we are “hiring” a private space on the network where we store our information. And hiring is not always synonymous with paying for it, since most storage platforms that we are going to present to you have free versions, yes, with a space limit.
Using these services has two main advantages . On the one hand, we free up space on our mobile phones, tablets and computers that we would normally use and, on the other hand, we can access the documents and files stored through any device just by entering the platform. In addition, later we can share everything saved with whoever we want , so the utility is even greater.
So, if you are one of those who likes to save all possible images, documents and files, don’t miss this article.
The top 5 cloud storage platforms
Dropbox
Dropbox pioneered the world of online storage. It appeared in 2007, when talking about “the cloud” 
seemed like something from the future and, today, it has more than 500 million registered users. Although since its launch, a multitude of new platforms have appeared that want to compete with it, Dropbox continues to be the most used .
Dropbox offers 2GB of free space , which can be increased up to 1TB for € 8.25 per month. Of all the platforms we are going to present, it is the one with the least free space available to the client. However, this drawback is overcome by the rest of the utilities it presents. And it is that Dropbox, unlike the rest, is compatible with practically all operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android) and does not impose a limit on uploads to the user.
In addition, it has a fast interface and functions to share the files we store with whoever we want. Another great advantage of this platform is that it offers a multitude of services and applications integrated into your folders.
Google Drive
Google has not wanted to be left behind in the world of cloud storage and has developed Google Drive , a platform with a multitude of functionalities that, for many, is little used. And it is that Google Drive is currently the one with the most GB of free storage space , specifically 15 . In addition, as a point in favor, the expansion possibilities are diverse depending on the needs of each user and affordable for all budgets: up to 100GB for 1.99 euros per month, 1TB for 9.99 euros per month, 10TB for 99, 99 euros per month, 20TB for 199.99 euros per month and 30TB for 299.99 euros per month.
Drive is also compatible with Windows, Android and iOS and, in addition, it has a great integration with the rest of Google services: it allows the use of Google documents, spreadsheets and presentations, direct download of Gmail documents and search images via text in Google Photos .
But if there is an attribute that sets it apart from the rest is the collaborative work capacity it presents, which is much greater. The most notable drawback would be the upload limit, which is 5TB.
OneDrive
OneDrive is the cloud storage service developed by Microsoft . We cannot say that this tool is at the Dropbox or Google Drive level, but it is true that it has improved a lot since its launch. The 
free storage space is considerable, up to 5GB , and the possibilities for expansion are also greater. The platform allows you to contract additional space of 50GB for 2 euros a month, 1TB for 7 euros a month and 5TB for 10 euros a month. Within these payment methods we can also choose to include Office and Office 365, a possibility that in the long run can save us some money.
As a disadvantage, it has a limit of uploads of 10GB and the compatibility it shows is lower , although it does not usually present problems with Windows, iOS and Android.
iCloud Drive
Apple is an expert in joining any new technology service that comes onto the market, so it is not surprising that it has also developed its own online storage platform, iCloud Drive . This does not stand out from its competitors neither for its pros nor for its cons, although it has a main disadvantage and that is that it is only 100% compatible with macOS and iOS systems.
It also does not stand out for a large free storage space, since it only offers 5GB that can be expanded to 50GB for 0.99 euros per month, to 200GB for 2.99 euros per month, to 1TB for 9.99 euros per month and to 2TB for 19.99 euros per month.
Its strong point is the synchronization between Apple devices , which offers an advantage for those who have the mobile phone, computer and tablet of this manufacturer.
Box
Box is the last platform that we are going to talk about today. It is a service that was very groundbreaking at launch, although it has currently stalled. It has been too long without evolving and it has focused too much on companies to continue aspiring to win the private market.
It is compatible with Windows, Android and iOS and offers a free storage space of 10GB that can be expanded to 100GB for 8 euros per month.
As outstanding features, it has encryption, permission control, versioning and collaboration in real time . These functionalities have meant that the tool is very useful for companies and, in fact, it has a faithful community of professional users for whom it has more flexible payment plans.
The best cloud storage option?
Today we find a multitude of cloud storage platforms that allow us to free up space on our devices, keep documents and files always available and share them more easily with our contacts.
Dropbox and Google Drive are the most used , and it is not surprising considering that they offer the most advantages both for their free storage space and for the compatibility they present with different operating systems or the facilities they provide to share everything. saved.
Even so, there are platforms for all tastes, the only thing we must do is analyze which of them meets our needs and start using it.
