Dropbox is an easy-to-use cloud storage and synchronization service that’s an excellent solution for businesses. When Dropbox was founded in 2008, it aimed to replace the clunky USB drive as a file storage solution: 13 years later, it’s clear that not only did Dropbox succeed in that aim, but it is one of the most ubiquitous cloud storage services available on the market today.
In this Dropbox review, we’ll determine whether this is one of the best cloud storage solutions for individuals and businesses. After we’ve analyzed the service on factors including price, features, and function, you can decide if Dropbox is right for you.
Dropbox: Plans and pricing
Dropbox’s first pricing tier is totally free. If you won’t use Dropbox for storing work files, and want to only use it occasionally, it’s likely the 2GB of storage that’s inclusive to the free plan will be good enough. There are two other personal levels and then three business levels available.
Many freelancers who work with small-sized files (like writers) will be fine only paying for the Plus Plan, which is $9.99 per month. It provides 2TB of storage and enables you to send files up to 2GB per transfer. The Family Plan has the same storage and transfer capabilities as the Plus Plan, but for six individual users, and costs $16.99 per month.
A Dropbox Business Plan is most suitable for business users. Freelancers who work with large files (like photographers and videographers) will prefer the Individual Professional plan, which costs $19.99 per month and provides 3TB of storage and a 100GB transfer size.
Meanwhile, the Business Standard Plan for teams costs $10 per user a month, and allows for 3TB of storage and 2GB file transfers. This likely won’t meet the needs of many medium-sized businesses, who will find the Advanced Business Plan preferable. It provides unlimited cloud storage and 100GB transfers at $15 per user, per month.
Dropbox’s most expensive plan is the Enterprise Plan, and an exact cost is only available on request. It builds on the Business Standard Plan, allowing for greater admin monitoring to detect insider threats and offering more extensive support options.
Dropbox: Features
Dropbox is a file storage service with a variety of features that make it not just a good storage solution, but also an exceptional piece of workplace management software.
Use Dropbox to back up any file you save with the Dropbox dashboard (which seamlessly integrates with Mac and Windows operating systems). Files are synced across all devices connected with your Dropbox account, and you can recover deleted files for up to 180 days.
Dropbox transfer allows you to securely send files that you don’t want to collaborate on. Senders can password protect files for security and observe how many times the transferred file was downloaded or viewed.
Business users will appreciate Dropbox’s calendar integration, which suggests meeting times based on its knowledge of your schedule, and content relevant to your meeting topic/attendants. Dropbox allows application integration with most productivity applications, including Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, so your team has a unified home for work.
Dropbox enables integration with leading workplace communications software, including Slack and Zoom, so you can conduct chats or calls within the Dropbox platform and comment on projects there.
Dropbox: Interface and in use
Once you’ve signed up, simply download the Dropbox application relevant to your operating system or cellphone. Although you can decide just to use Dropbox on a browser, Dropbox’s desktop application smoothly integrates with the Windows system tray and the Mac menu, so using files on Dropbox feels as though you’re working on a local file.
Dropbox: Support
Only users on paid plans have access to email support, and on personal paid plans, email and live chat support is the extent of support you receive.
However, business users have access to email, chat, and phone support, which is available 24/7, including national holidays. However, only Enterprise users enjoy 24/7 phone support and advanced admin training.
Dropbox: Security
Dropbox incorporates many layers of security into its processes. All files at rest are encrypted to the 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), while files in transit are protected with Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS), to create a secure tunnel that’s protected to AES. Admins can also choose to enhance login security by requiring two-factor authentication.
Alternatives to Dropbox
Google Workspace and Microsoft OneDrive are Dropbox’s biggest competitors for business users. Unlike Dropbox, they are one-stop-shops for businesses as they provide communications and workflow management software as part of a subscription package.
In contrast, on Dropbox you must integrate third-party communications and workflow management applications, to build your own workplace management suite. Meanwhile, Apple’s iCloud likely makes Dropbox irrelevant to many Mac users, as the cloud storage facility is automatically enabled on Mac devices.
However, Mac users who need to save Microsoft Office or Google Drive files for work will typically prefer Dropbox to manually uploading files to iCloud. You can read our Apple iCloud review for more information on the cloud platform.
Dropbox: Final verdict
Dropbox has remained one of the world’s leading cloud storage solutions since it was founded in 2008. As Dropbox’s dashboard is entirely unobtrusive, it remains one of the easiest to use cloud storage solutions available. Unlike Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, Dropbox gives you the freedom to choose which applications you integrate with it, a freedom which shouldn’t be underestimated.
However, combining Dropbox with multiple other pieces of workplace software may prove more expensive for business users than choosing a competitor who offers a complete package of workplace management tools.
Further reading on cloud storage
Read our Dropbox Business review to see what we made of the company's business offering, and our comparison features pitting Google Drive vs Dropbox; OneDrive for Business vs Dropbox Business vs Google Drive Enterprise; and IDrive vs Dropbox vs pCloud.