There have been a lot of changes
recently in the world of online storage. These include Microsoft's SkyOrive
becoming OneDrive and upping Its tree
storage allowance to 7GB; Mega completing Its line-up of apps and sync tools,
bringing It In line with its rivals; and Google Drive reducing Its upgrade
prices, making It a very attractive place, to store hundreds of gigabytes-worth
of tiles.
Here, we’ve compared our top five
cloud-storage services to see which ones offer the best value, using
both the tree limited- storage offers and the paid-for versions that give you
lots more space at remarkably affordable prices.
Google
dropped its prices in March and it now offers the best value for storage and
syncing. You get 15GB of space for free with upgrades available for 100GB
(E1.19 per month) and 1TB (C5.97 per month). If you only need 50GB or less,
Mega is better value, but Google’s free option is still very generous and once
you’re past the 50GB mark, its better value for money than Mega.
You
can set up an association between folders on your PC and on Drive, and have the
same folders or different ones syncing on various PCs. The web interface is a
bit confusing - Drive originally used labels rather than folders, and some of
this still affects the interface. For example, recently updated files rise to
the top, while folders can disappear off screen, which is unnerving if you’re
used to a Windows-like structure.
No-one
beats Mega's mammoth free cloud-storage offering of 50GB which is more space
than you may ever need. But once you cross the 50GB limit. There’s a big leap
up to its first paid-for package of 500GB at £825 per month.
It’s
good value if you’re at the 500GB end, and second only to Google Drive, but it’s
a hefty price hike if you only need another 50GB. Mega has mobile apps for
Android and iOS though the latter looks blocky on an Pad. The sync tool is
simple to use and there are browser add-ons for Chrome and Firefox, Our main
concern with the service is regarding founder Kim Dotcoms track record. His
previous clouds torage service Megaupload was shut down because it was overrun
by illegal movie and music file sharers, and there’s no guarantee that this won’t
happen again.
Dropbox
is wonderfully easy to use but this pioneer of online storage is getting left
behind by the cost of its upgrades. You start off with a comparatively measly
2GB of free storage space, which can be boosted to 16GB if you pester your friends and
family into joining the service. After that, prices rise steeply and are
consistently higher than those of the other services in this test. at almost every
level.
However,
there’s no denying that Dropbox is tops for clarity. simplicity and options.
The website works like Windows, so you can do clever things like drag and drop,
and open proper right-click menus. Its mobile apps are well designed and easy
to use. The sync tool opens a folder for sharing everything in the cloud, or
you can set up syncing individual folders if you prefer.
Microsoft’s
SkyDrive became OneDrive late last year. following a legal tussle with BSkyB.
At the same time, its prices were updated and you can now get 7GB for free, and
add another 20GB for five users if you pay £79.99 per year for an Office 365
subscription. Without that, it’s the second most expensive service, starting at
£2.99 per month for 50GB and rising to £7.99 per month for 200GB.
Microsoft
has built OneDrive’s syncing tool directly into the Windows 8.1 File Explorer,
so you can expand the folder tree in the left column as you would a physically
attached drive. Non-Windows 8.1 computers need to download a sync tool. OneDrive
is the only service in this Group Test to offer a Windows Phone app, as well as
Android and iOS.
If
you're already an Amazon customer, Cloud Drive offers some interesting unique features:
you can store your music purchases for free without using up your storage
allowance, and it includes digital versions of any CDs you’ve bought on Amazon.
You
get 5GB for free, which is better than Dropbox but less than the other
services. Upgrade prices are similar to Google’s En the mid•range, but if you
go beyond 200GB. Amazon gets very pricey - £24.90 per month for 1TB compared to
Google’s £5.97. The software apps and website are basic. On your PC, you get a
sync folder and a notification-area icon with few choices over what to sync.
The mobile apps only let you sync your phones photos and the website is
unsatisfyingly clunky compared to the other services tested here.
