Several large companies have deployed cloud storage products recently: Amazon Cloud Drive, Google Apps for Business ( including cloud storage is only part), Windows live SkyDrive, iCloud and Apple, which are not available until the fall. On NextAdvisor, we review the backup services online, some of which may also be classified as cloud storage. We will use SugarSync, the more like a cloud online backup services that we review, for example. What is the difference? What is the best? Let's find out.
monthly starting price
- Amazon: Free with account
- Google: $ 5
- Windows: Free with account
- Apple: Free iOS on iPad, iPhone or iPod touch
- SugarSync: $ 4.99
GB of storage included
- Amazon: 5GB
- Google: 1GB
- Windows: 25GB, individual files limited to 100MB
- Apple: 5GB
- SugarSync: 30GB
Data Security
- Amazon: SSL encryption; only eight devices allowed to access your music via Cloud Player
- Google: progress and wide limits functionality to other Google products, like Gmail and Google Calendar; SSL enforcement for secure HTTPS access
- Windows: configured by the permissions set by the user; all content is marked as "public" by default
- Apple: could not allow the previous data to be downloaded if purchased with or created using an Apple product; permits calendar sharing;
- SugarSync: triple-encrypted; optional passwords for shared storage
General
- Amazon: Amazon Cloud Player listen to music files, including MP3 downloaded on Amazon
- Google: part of Google Apps for Business, so the storage limited cloud to Google Docs
- Windows: Collaboration Doc Word, even if you do not have Microsoft office; simple sharing to social networks
- Apple: Keeps email, contacts, calendars and applications updated on all your Apple devices; push files to all your Apple devices; no data encryption
- SugarSync: Backup external hard drives; mobile applications allow you to stream music stored remotely, view documents, and upload photos to the SugarSync account
Bottom Line
Although each cloud storage service has unique characteristics, none of them automatically backup your computer you must manually add new files to be stored in the cloud. This is the main advantage of SugarSync: You can schedule automatic backups of your computer after you tell SugarSync folders for backup. Windows and Google allow you to work on your documents in the cloud without save to your computer first, but because you keep your data not only in the cloud, but also on your computer when you use online backup, you will be able to work on even when you are not connected to the Internet.
SugarSync starts at $ 4.99 per month for 30GB of storage space, equivalent to $ 0.17 / GB. Only Google has a more expensive option, but the clouds of Google storage is not the object of its business application packet. However, the price is the other features and the ability to have a lot of space; SugarSync begins to 30GB, but the higher someone else (Windows) is going 25GB. You can use SugarSync on multiple platforms, unlike iCloud, which works only on Apple devices. SugarSync has better file security, so you know nobody can see your data, unless you want to. The mobile application is unique, you must be on your computer with Internet access for most cloud storage services.
Other backup options in line with similar characteristics include Mozy and SpiderOak. If you do not have to worry about a computer's data, we suggest you look in Carbonite.
Cloud storage can be useful for data that you can replace it if necessary, but if you really need to keep the files on your hard drive safe, secure and accessible, SugarSync is the way to go.