When it comes to the best cloud storage for business, our ever-changing and fast-paced working world is becoming more digital every month, so finding the best cloud storage for your business is highly important. Protecting your company’s files and data has never been more integral to business success.
In a comparison of cloud storage vs local storage, specifically when comparing pre-existing local hardware and infrastructure, it’s clear that the modern technology holds many advantages. Businesses are now regularly backing up to the cloud, because data needs are shifting thanks to the clear shift to less centralized, more secure providers from local storage and hardware.
Many providers of the best cloud storage for business offer top-level security alongside file sharing and cloud sync elements, all of which are key to businesses balancing hybrid workforces and disparate teams. There are many options however, so it’s imperative to choose one that provides adequate storage, and keeps important data safe and secure, alongside top-level customer service and support.
We’ve examined and ranked the best cloud storage for business based on how each provider meets key elements: strong security; high-performance cloud infrastructures and cloud sync tools; and file access anywhere, anytime, and from any device. We also analyzed and compared file size limits, maximum storage capacities offered, pricing and any additional features, as well as ease of use.
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The top 3 best cloud storage for businesses
1. Egnyte: the best cloud storage for business
Egnyte’s enterprise-level cloud storage for medium to large businesses ensures files are backed up and stored effectively. Its management tools, integrations with third-party apps, and API support are highly-rated, while strong security and a tidy user interface complement excellent support and top-value pricing.
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2. Box for Business: top for security and integrations
Box for Business enables businesses to enjoy simple collaboration and file-sharing, offering standout third-party integration, strong security, and encryption. Its neat user interface and easy-to-use Android and iOS apps are positive additions to comprehensive support, while the Business Plus plan is very competitive, offering great value for businesses that choose it.
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3. Dropbox Business: the leader in file-sharing
Dropbox remains one of the world’s best-known and leading cloud storage services, its unobtrusive dashboard ensuring it remains simple to use. Its freedom to choose third-party applications for integration is a factor not to be underestimated, especially in comparison to business cloud storage competitors.
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Which is the best cloud storage for business?
When it comes to the best cloud storage for business, Egnyte is our top pick, as its excellent software and synchronization, sharing for any file types, user-friendly collaboration systems and third-party integration elevate it above the rest, alongside the option to keep sensitive data on on-premise servers for extra security.
Our list of providers of the best cloud storage for business also includes the highly-competitive Box for Business, Dropbox for Business, SpiderOak, and Tresorit.
The best cloud storage for businesses available now
Established in 2007, Egnyte provides quality software for every business’s file synchronization and sharing need. You can stow any type of data in the cloud both locally and online, whereas more sensitive data can be kept on on-premise servers for additional security.
The company’s content services include a user-friendly collaboration system, which allows teams to work wherever and in whichever way they want. The service can be fully-integrated with platforms like Microsoft 365, providing internal and remote employees with access to important files.
As for pricing, the ‘Team’ plan, aimed at groups of one to 10 employees, begins at $10 per employee a month, and offers 1TB storage for files up to 10GB in size. Egnyte’s ‘Business’ option kicks off at $20 per employee on a monthly basis, covers 10 to 100 employees, and provides 1TB online storage plus 10GB per employee, while the maximum file size is again 10GB.
The ‘Enterprise’ and ‘Enterprise Lite’ plans require you to contact Egnyte for a custom quote, but offer additional benefits like unusual behavior detection, security issue alerting, content lifecycle management, AI-based content classification, behavior-based ransomware detection, and more. If there’s any downside, it’s that online critics have pointed out concerns over long loading times for certain files, namely photos.
To learn more about why we ranked this first for business cloud storage, read our Egnyte review.
With almost a decade and a half under its belt, Box is a mainstay in the cloud content management and file sharing scene. Its strong points are broad management abilities and an emphasis on security.
The UI makes feel you at home right from the start, and is quite easy to navigate. Access to settings, files, and folders is regulated through the user dashboard, where admins can keep an eye on all users, track activity, and manage sharing options.
Users can access files through the Box Drive client, available for Mac and Windows, and also from its Android client. The service is supported by a variety of commonly used app packages, including Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.
Price-wise, the Starter plan is the entry package, starting at $5 per user a month. This gets you 100GB secure storage alongside 2GB maximum file size upload, with a maximum of 10 users (the minimum is three users for all plans).
The Business plan starts at $15 per user a month, and incorporates unlimited storage, 5GB maximum file size upload, advanced security, customization and reporting, and no limit on the maximum number of users. There’s also a Business Plus package that costs $25 per user a month, offering unlimited storage, 5GB maximum file size upload, advanced admin controls and capabilities, and unlimited external collaborators.
As for the final package, Enterprise, this is priced at $37 per user a month, and includes extras such as unlimited integrations, password policy enforcement, document watermarking, and more. Box offers a 14-day free trial for all packages, with one common complaint being that the service is missing online editing functionality for external users: thus access is restricted to read-only.
You can read our full Box for Business review to find out more about what we made of the service.
What characterizes Dropbox Business and makes it such a popular choice is its ease of use. There are no compatibility issues with different file types, and cross-platform functionality across most devices and apps, along with the drag-and-drop action for the desktop app, makes this one of the easiest services to use.
Users can freely share content via links, even if the person you’re sharing it with is not a Dropbox user. The business iteration allows you to connect your personal account, so as to have all your files in one place, with its automatic camera upload feature recently made available for business users.
Administrators can gain insights into the status of each team member from the dashboard, as well as modify how they share and manage files, set access permissions, and monitor usage. Third-party support is high level, with apps such as Microsoft Office and Slack part of the package.
Speaking of packages, Dropbox Business offers three different tiers. The Standard plan will cost you $12.50 per user a month, starting at three users, and includes 3TB of space for secure storage, 120 days of file recovery, 2FA, and more.
The Advanced package builds on this, starting at $20 per user a month with unlimited storage, advanced admin controls, and user management tools. To subscribe to the Enterprise tier, it’s necessary to contact Dropbox directly and work out a deal.
There is a 30-day free trial available, for which you will have to provide your payment credentials: after this, you’ll be automatically bumped up to a paid plan and charged. One consistent complaint from users however was the absence of online editing tools. Read our comprehensive Dropbox Business review to find out more.
SpiderOak serves as a collaboration tool, online backup and file hosting service, leveraging a cloud-based server to allow its users to access, synchronize, and share data.
Not only does it boast high-level data security and privacy, but it also provides cloud storage, online backup and sharing services using a ‘zero knowledge’ privacy environment (at least the company claims so). There’s also a 21-day free trial available, so you can see how the service works and test it before making a final decision.
Considering the focus is on security and privacy, SpiderOak didn’t waste much energy on intricate design. Its interface is pretty simple and straightforward, with a convenient drag-and-drop feature that helps you organize files quickly and efficiently.
The centralized device management dashboard grants users easy access to settings for all applications, such as sharing and backup selection, allowing them to manage their accounts, set group permissions and monitor usage.
In terms of pricing for businesses, a minimum of 500 users is required to qualify for the enterprise package, and you will need to contact SpiderOak’s sales team for a quote. As per the online community, SpiderOak is said to lack many of the collaboration tools that can be found with other cloud storage providers.
Find out more about SpiderOak’s business capabilities in our SpiderOak review.
Hailing from Hungary and Switzerland, Tresorit is a cloud storage provider with a focus on increased security and strong data encryption for businesses, as well as personal users.
It will primarily entice businesses whose main priority is keeping online data safely stored, as Tresorit offers ‘zero-knowledge’ encryption. This means that only the people you choose can have access to your data. Moreover, its 2FA login provides an additional layer of security for your account.
Let’s talk pricing: the ‘Standard’ plan costs $14.20 a month, per user, billed annually. You get 1TB of encrypted storage per user, syncing of existing folder structure, secure access for up to 10 devices per user, and a few other features.
The ‘Plus’ plan starts at $19 monthly per user, on the annual billing basis, and includes data residency options, enhanced collaboration and tracking, and support via phone. It also increases the storage per user to 2TB.
The ‘Enterprise’ option will cost you $23.70 a month, and is perfect for businesses with more than 50 users. Additional features include admin API, personalized staff training and custom deployment. If you decide on this option, you will need to contact the Tresorit team directly in order to sign up.
All Tresorit’s packages are accompanied by a 14-day free trial. While it might be considered a bit pricey, keep in mind that it offers a higher scale of security compared to other similar services, as well as additional features, so it’s probably worth it. Find out more by reading our Tresorit review.
What is cloud storage for business?
Cloud storage works by storing data on a physical drive, before making the data accessible via an online software platform to users whenever and wherever they want to view it.
Many business cloud storage providers rank among the best apps to share files as a result, and fall into one of two camps: self-hosted, utilizing on-premises (on-prem) infrastructure; or storage as a service (StaaS), using externally managed, third-party infrastructure. A combination is known as hybrid cloud storage.
StaaS providers achieve economy of scale by managing advanced, expansive data centers, and thus can provide large, affordable levels of storage. In comparison to self-hosted services, StaaS providers are always more affordable per TB, and are known as storage and syncing platforms because they’re designed for collaboration.
They provide the ability to seamlessly upload and access data, as well as edit or share it, from any connected device. Cloud sync technology meanwhile encompasses link sharing and file versioning, allowing for simple sharing of documents within and across businesses.
Users can track document changes and incorporate colleague edits, allowing StaaS products to provide a cohesive and integrated digital environment.
How to choose the best cloud storage for business
When looking for the best cloud storage for business, you must ensure that the provider you choose offers stable, highly secure storage, and is able to protect company data – often both sensitive and important – at all times.
Look for services offering end-to-end encryption and zero-knowledge architecture. Both security elements are integral, with the former meaning providers are almost hack-proof, but the latter is particularly significant, because your cloud storage service is unable to access your data, even if law enforcement authorities compel them to.
Many services offer in-transit and at-rest encryption, so data is totally indecipherable even if a cybercriminal intercepted it. Both your data and the infrastructure housing it are protected, with StaaS organizations housing servers in highly secure data centers with 24/7 security, biometric authorization for entry, and frequent security auditing.
These safeguards are particularly crucial for enterprise and business cloud storage, especially if you’re operating in privacy or data-sensitive industries. It’s non-negotiable at this level to invest in cloud storage providing the very best security, especially if you’re planning on going cloud-native.
Data center locations are key too, as different countries have different privacy laws, so you’ll need to ensure data is stored in a country that complies with the data privacy obligations of your business. This is where the best web hosting services cross over with cloud, specifically the best cloud hosting providers, because regional cloud hosting is affected in the same way.
As well as security, administrator controls for businesses using StaaS providers (which covers covers most business cloud storage services) enable managers and IT staff to oversee access and system usage. Elements such as 2FA, roles-based permissions, access management, and auditing are just some of the controls available, and StaaS providers also utilize cloud sync technology to offer collaborative functionality as well as seamless digital workflows.
