Sync Com Review 2022 – Buyer’s Guide

Pro

  • Great Newcomer VPN
  • Easy To Use Client
  • Great Selection Of Servers

Contra

  • No possibility to choose specific server


Sync Com is undoubtedly one of the best and most famous cloud storage providers. It is a perfect combination of security, high speed, hassle-free usage, and all of these at an affordable price. One of the core reasons why Sync Com is tremendously hyped is that – you don’t have to be a tech expert to handle this interface. It is hassle-free and easy to use.

Sync Com Features

Sync Com brings to you some of the top-notch cloud storage provider features at the most affordable price range. Sync Com helps to combine the best attributes of file and folder security. Let us have a look at the best features of Sync Com

  • Zero-Knowledge Provider: This is one of the revolutionary strategies when it comes to the security of your files. Sync Com does not control your data. The complete control of data lies with the user. Even the encryption keys are under the discretion of the user. It is you and only you who are entitled to decryption and can access your data. This feature is also helpful for third-party integration filters.
  • Collaboration Features: With the Sync Com premium subscription, you can explore all the built-in features of Sync Com and have a view of MS Office, images, and pdf files. The speed for these actions is indeed slow but the price you pay for the subscription is mostly for security. The integration of Sync Com and Office365 makes it easier to work on files and upload them directly on the web.
  • Versioning: Sync Com offers a free versioning trial for all the free account holers for 30 days. The file versioning feature of Sync Com is amazing. It stores all the previous file versions and the deleted ones. The best part is that these don’t add to the storage. The file-to-file basis of the versioning feature is highly commendable.
  • Unlimited File Size: This is by far the best feature of Sync Com. Sync com has no restrictions on the file and folder size covered. You can upload unlimited file and folder sizes on Sync Com and that makes it one of the best cloud storage providers for large sizes that are difficult to deal with other cloud storage providers.

File Sharing and Sync

This is one of the major parameters on which any cloud provider is rated. File syncing features of Sync Com are outstanding. By default, all the files are synced properly. Along with file syncing, the file-sharing features are also brilliant. There are two ways in which you can sync files on Sync Com. First, by inserting them into your Sync.com folder or by making use of a web panel to upload them manually. If you want to save space, you can use selectively sync features to store various online files without syncing them into your device to clear the space.

Sync Com Pricing

The core reason why Sync Com has such a large user base. It offers amazing features at an affordable price. The features you would expect in a top-tier cloud service provider are all present in Sync Com yet the prices are reasonable. Also, there are plenty of plans to choose from that make this provider far more accessible to a wide range of people. You can go for any plan that suits you with a different period and different rates. Also, the free trial plan of Sync Com is a real-time hit. Many people believe in trying the service of the provider before opting for a paid subscription and that is a genuine requirement. You can go with the mini-plans, solo plans, basic plans, or even business plans if your needs are huge. With such a massive plethora of plan availability, it is easy to choose and get the best plan for yourself under the best budget.

Usability Of Sync Com- Ease Of Use

Sync Com soars high in terms of popularity because it is very easy to use. Who will use a cloud provider? Will it only be the tech-savvies? The answer is No. Everyone will use it and Sync Com has particularly taken care of this fact in designing the usability interface. Right from singing to getting started with the activities, Sync Com is reasonably easy to use. Moreover, the interface has pop-up instructions that can easily guide even the amateurs to achieve their desired actions in no time. Of course, there is plenty of room for development but the existing interface is pretty good. The backup and coordination of various other activities on Sync Com and accessibility are very easy to navigate and operate.

Speed

As discussed previously Sync Com has end-to-end encryption and this has an impact on the performance of file downloads. Now, the truth is that Sync Com practically lies behind in the race than many of the other providers in terms of speed. In fact to make your experience better Sync Com rec commends using a desktop or laptop and a very strong internet connection for uploading any file that is larger than 5 GB in size. It takes almost 35-38 mins to upload a 1GB file, with an upload speed of 6Mbps and a download speed of 80Mbps. If speed is what you are after, then definitely there are better options than Sync Com.

Security

The compromise in speed in Sync Com is practically due to the strong security. Sync Com provides one of the most secure services for online file storage. As discussed previously, the zero-knowledge system of Sync Com is an incredibly trustworthy system for storing and sharing various files. Even the free plans have the facility of zero encryption. Hacking of files and unwanted interruptions or security breaches are not possible on Sync Com. In a nutshell, Sync Com is the best in terms of security.

Privacy

Sync Com is popular;y celebrated for its privacy settings. With the end-to-end encryption and zero-knowledge feature used by Sync Cm, even Sync Com cannot access your files. The only way to access your data is through the use of a decryption key. As mentioned earlier, the control of the creation and maintenance of this decryption key exclusively lies with the user. The best part is that, even if the server security gets breached at some point, the files and folders that the user had stored on the server will remain secure. Another noteworthy mention at this point is the privacy policies adopted by Sync Com for all its plans – they are one of the best in the industry with a clear transparency

Sync Com – Customer Service

Sync Com offers very good customer service to all the clients. In case you face any problem with using Sync Com or performing any action on it, the customer service will he;p you out. It has one of the least response times in the industry. Tye help center of Sync Com is quite cooperative and you can also go through their elaborate FAQ section that answers most of the general queries.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Very strong security parameters
  • Affordable pricing
  • Freedom of dealing with Unlimited sizes of files
  • Transparent privacy policy
  • Versioning features
  • Free trial plans

Cons

  • Slow speed
  • No option for monthly payment modes

Final Verdict

If you are genuinely in search of a cloud storage provider that has excellent security features at competitive pricing, this is the best one to go for. The best part is that you can opt for a free trial and explore the features to check whether it perfectly suits your needs.

FAQ – Sync Com

Overall Sync Com Rating

3.2
Rated 3.2 out of 5
3.2 out of 5 stars (based on 11 reviews)
Excellent0%
Very good46%
Average36%
Poor9%
Terrible9%

What Users Say About Sync Com

Good VPN For A Fair Price

Rated 5 out of 5
August 25, 2021

Excellent VPN to bypass geo restrictions I can recommend it!

Avatar for Josh Sonnenbaum
Josh Sonnenbaum


Already Sync Com User? Leave A Review

pCloud Review 2022 – Buyer’s Guide

Pro

  • Great Newcomer VPN
  • Easy To Use Client
  • Great Selection Of Servers

Contra

  • No possibility to choose specific server


If you have ever searched on any search engine regarding which is the best cloud storage option, then pCloud must have caught your eyes. There are a plethora of factors that make pCloud indeed one of the best and most popular. You can sync any folder with the help of pCloud without bringing about a change in the structure of the folder, you can also decide by yourself which are the files you would like to protect with the use of zero-knowledge encryption.

Doesn’t that already sound amazing? Don’t be even more surprised when you know that pCloud uses a virtual hard drive for space extension that too up to 2 TB.

Before you get boggles with much such information, let us have a detailed look at why pCloud is one of the best cloud storage options right now:

Features Of pCloud

The file syncing feature of pCloud is indeed one of the most buzzed features of this cloud storage system. However, this is not the only noteworthy feature. There are plenty of others as well. Let us have a look at the unique features of pCloud that distinguishes it from other cloud storage:

Media Features: There is probably not one pCloud user who would not mention how much they love the music player of pCloud. Use the pCloud audio player to play your favorite music tracks either online or from your cloud storage. Connect it with your smartphone app for better access. You can enjoy all the features present in dedicated music applications.

Rewind: pCloud rewind is another crucial feature of this cloud storage If you have deleted any file by mistake or it has been removed for some reason, you can easily get it back through the pCloud Rewind feature. However, this feature comes with the pCloud paid version and not the free account. With pCloud premium, one can rewind files for up to 30 days. After being restored, the files are not automatically organized, you have to arrange them all.

pCloud Save: Another useful feature of pCloud is this Save feature. pCloud gets extended with your browser – be it chrome, firefox, etc. With the pCloud browser extension and the save feature, you can easily save any image or information directly from the browser search result to the folder named “pCloud Save Folder”. With this pCloud save feature one can also set backup for images from various social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Pricing Of pCloud

The price of pCloud is indeed one of the best in the market. Sync com is the only cloud storage that is cheaper than pCloud. You can avail yourself of some great plans at cheap prices. Such amazing features at affordable prices are indeed one of the best according to market standards. Like most of the other cloud storage providers, pCloud offers a free trial plan that you can use well to explore all the features of this cloud storage provider, and only if you like it, invest in the premium plans. Along with affordable packages, pCloud also offers various lucrative discounts like 5 GB extra space when you verify your email account to get started. There are multiple tiers of the paid plans as well. Also, you can avail of the lifetime membership which becomes much more affordable. For business houses, you can avail of the pCloud Business Plans. The business plans come with many additional features that are customized for access by a team of employees. Overall, pCloud is value for money

Ease of Use

pCloud is quite easy to use. Right from signing up to using the features, there aren’t many complex steps involved. It is mostly straightforward. There are few areas of improvement but those loopholes are not grave and do not interrupt the overall functioning of the cloud storage provider. For enhancing the ease of use, one can use the pCloud Web that allows you to access all your files seven if you are not in the vicinity of your system. With this web folder, you can access all your files easily. For better usability, pCloud also has a mobile app. This mobile app is perfect for both android and iOs interfaces. The wen interface and mobile app have an almost similar layout for ease of understanding, operation, and access. If you want you can modify a few files for offline access.

File Sharing and Sync

In this aspect of sharing and syncing files, pCloud performs extremely well and is probably the best in the industry. pCloud uses a virtual model of drive and that makes it incredibly easy to share and sync files and folders on your computer. The ease and agility of the file share option in pCloud are one of the best in the market and outs it far ahead of its competitors. The virtual drive model eliminates all the problems associated with the redundancy of online storage. pCloud Drive is extremely well adapted to sync everything with your PC even when you are not around. That makes file sharing and syncing incredibly easy with pCloud.

Speed

The performance of pCloud on grounds of speed is pretty satisfactory. With a download speed of 80 Mbps and upload speed of 6 Mbps, the upload time of 1 GB file takes close to 24 mins and the download of 1 GB file takes 1min 30 sec approximately. The speed is unlimited by default, however, you can always modify the speed from pCloud settings that are especially useful when handling files of very large size. Another amazing feature that pCloud uses to enhance the speed is the block-level sync. With proper settings, speed is never a restraint for pCloud.

Security

pCloud also offers a zero-knowledge encryption feature. This means even pCloud will not be able to access your files without your permission and knowledge because the decryption key will lie only with the user. You can save your files and even your crypto with this extra security tier and it works perfectly well to prevent any data theft and mitigate identity theft or any security breaches. You can always protect sensitive data and files securely in separate folders.

Privacy

Privacy features of pCloud are good but there are few areas one needs to take note of. pCloud is a Swiss company and is based on the laws prevailing in Switzerland which needs a mention. Also, pCloud tracks your IP address. Though the disclaimer is made very prominent at the beginning itself you must have a note that third parties may also access a part of your data. You can stay confident about the crypto you store on pCloud because that is completely encrypted.

Customer Service Of pCloud

The only bad thing about pCloud is probably its customer service. There is an elaborate help page dedicated to customer help but in reality, that hardly helps. The biggest flaw in the customer service section of pCloud is probably that there is no live chat support which makes it extremely difficult for customers to reach out to the company executives in case they need help. You can get in touch with them via the email service.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Value for money
  • Easy and hassle-free file sharing and syncing options
  • Integrated media player
  • Bitcoin payments are available easily
  • Zero-knowledge encryption

Cons

  • Inadequate customer service
  • Lack of document registration

Final Verdict

pCloud is a good competitor in the cloud storage industry. Multiple features distinguish it from regular competitors. Overall it is value for money. However, there are multiple rooms for improvement.

FAQ – pCloud

Overall pCloud Rating

0.0
Rated 0 out of 5
0 out of 5 stars (based on 0 reviews)
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What Users Say About pCloud

Good VPN For A Fair Price

Rated 5 out of 5
August 25, 2021

Excellent VPN to bypass geo restrictions I can recommend it!

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Josh Sonnenbaum


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Mega Review 2022 – Buyer’s Guide

Pro

  • Great Newcomer VPN
  • Easy To Use Client
  • Great Selection Of Servers

Contra

  • No possibility to choose specific server


Cloud storage has become an essential part of everyone’s life. Everyone uses cloud storage services to share digital documents and multimedia files from remote computing devices from businesses to individuals. People also use cloud storage services to create a backup drive for their essential data. When you store a file on the cloud, you can access it anytime from any device of your preference.

Choosing the right cloud service is essential, and you will find many services these days. Some cloud services are free like Google Drive. Google Drive is beneficial for individuals, though it does not offer exceptional data security. Mega Cloud storage has become popular of late. Find information about this cloud storage service in the following section.

About Mega Cloud Service

In 2013, Kim Dotcom had launched this cloud service. When launching the service, Kim Dotcom had claimed that Mega Cloud Service comes with top-class security. With most cloud services, security has been a matter of concern for the users. But, Mega Cloud Service assures top-notch data security through end-to-end encryption.

Before launching Mega Cloud Storage, Kim Dotcom had another cloud storage service, namely Megaupload. However, Megaupload used to be a file-sharing service with many drawbacks. Unfortunately, the service provider discontinued Megaupload in 2012. After a year, the company came with the new cloud storage service known as Mega. The cloud storage service is about to complete a decade of existence, and it has become quite popular among cloud storage users.

Among the leading cloud services, Dropbox is the most popular service with around 500 million users worldwide. Mega has emerged as a competitor Dropbox, as the company claims to have more than 130 million users. Find features, pricing, and other aspects of the service below.

Features Of Mega Cloud

Mega cloud service comes with many unique and advanced features. The biggest rivals of this service provider are Google Drive and Dropbox. So, you can expect similar features available with Mega cloud service.

Mega Cloud Service comes with end-to-end encryption. Due to the end-to-end encryption, users can obtain better security. Files stored on the cloud storage will stay prevented from any unwanted third-party access. Nevertheless, hacking and phishing will not be easy with mega Cloud services.

You can use a browser to access your account. Desktop users can download and install the desktop application, which will help you manage your uploading and downloading activities. Smartphone users can find Mega file-sharing applications in Play Store.

Plans and Pricing

Mega cloud service has both free and premium plans. The best thing is that the free plan comes with arrays of features. The premium plans have more features, though free plans are suitable for individuals. If you want cloud service for professional reasons, you should switch to premium plans. Find the details of the plans below.

  • Free Plan: Mega free plan for cloud storage comes with 20 GB storage space. When you compare the storage space with others, you will find that Mega storage space is higher than others. If you use a desktop app, you will get an additional free top-up of 5 GB storage for a year. Using the mobile app will give you another free 5 GB storage for one year.
  • Premium Plans: The Mega premium plans have been designed for small and medium scale businesses. The premium plan starts at $4.94 per year with 400 GB of storage. Depending on the requirements, an enterprise can move to the higher plans with more storage space. The highest storage plan offers 16000 GB of storage space.

Ease of Use

Mega desktop app has a minimalistic and straightforward interface. However, it also looks a little outdated compared to the interfaces of the other cloud storage services. The interface has been kept in such a manner for many years to render user-friendliness.

Even though the interface looks simple, it gives exceptional user-friendliness to the users. You can easily find the features on the dashboard. Instructions are clear and well-visible. Mega cloud service deserves a decent rating on the “ease of use” parameter for all these reasons.

You can access your Mega account through a browser, and using Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers are recommended. The Mega dashboard you access through the browser is smart and minimalist. You will easily find the navigation features and options on the screen.

Users’ experience will not be different with the mobile app of Mega cloud service. The mobile application is fast and free of bugs.

File Sharing and Sync

Users will not find problems with the file sharing and syncing process. You can share files and folders in many ways while using this cloud storage service. The most prominent method of sharing a file is creating a link for the receiver. Share the link to the receiver, and the person will be able to download the file.

When you share a document with someone, you can limit the access of controls of the receivers. For example, you can share a read-only document with someone through the Mega cloud storage service.

Along with arrays of sharing features, you will notice the absence of a few key elements. For example, you can set the download limit for the files shared with someone. The person can download the file as many times as he wants.

For syncing files and folders, the Mega cloud storage service comes with the MEGAsync application. Using this app, you can create folders on your local drive. In this folder, you can share the files that will be synced with other devices. You can sync both files and folders using the application from the Mega cloud storage service.

Speed

Uploading and downloading speeds with Mega are decent. If you have an excellent interest connection, you will find no hassles in sharing large files. When tested with a 1GB file, Mega rendered 6 Mbps upload speed, while the download speed was 32 Mbps.

Security

The access to Google drive is not secured. But, the Mega cloud storage service is different. The cloud service has a secured access point, which will get authenticated through a two-tier login system. You have to give a password and OTP (received on your cell phone) for login. Mega cloud storage service also offers excellent security to files or folders through end-to-end encryption.

Privacy

Mega cloud service makes collaborations easier and more secure. Collaborations allow the users to avail the real-time sharing facility. Through real-time sharing, the users can exchange confidential documents or information with each other.

When you share the download links with someone, the link will come in an encrypted format. Users can add passwords to add more security to the downloadable files. Overall, Mega comes with advanced security and privacy features.

Customer Service Of Mega Cloud

Mega has a dedicated customer service department, and it is accessible for 24 hours. So, users can call and express their concerns anytime. You cannot reach the technical support experts through live chatting.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • A high storage space with a free account
  • Advanced collaboration tools
  • Top-class file security
  • Decent upload and download speed
  • Offline access

Cons

  • Password recovery is complicated
  • No live chat support
  • No file download limit control

Final Verdict

Overall, the mega cloud service offers a decent cloud storage facility. The free account comes with all significant features, and thus you individuals can use Mega for free for file sharing. Businesses can choose premium plans, and those plans are affordable for small businesses. If you are looking for a decent and reliable cloud storage service, Mega is a good option.

FAQ – Mega Cloud

Overall Mega Cloud Rating

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Rated 0 out of 5
0 out of 5 stars (based on 0 reviews)
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Very good0%
Average0%
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What Users Say About Mega Cloud

Good VPN For A Fair Price

Rated 5 out of 5
August 25, 2021

Excellent VPN to bypass geo restrictions I can recommend it!

Avatar for Josh Sonnenbaum
Josh Sonnenbaum


Already Mega Cloud User? Leave A Review

Icedrive Review 2022 – Buyer’s Guide

Pro

  • Great Newcomer VPN
  • Easy To Use Client
  • Great Selection Of Servers

Contra

  • No possibility to choose specific server


Icedrive has been one of the cloud storage that aims at making cloud storage seem like having a physical hard drive. The company claims this to be revolutionary software. By using Icedrive you can get access to cloud storage easily on the hard drive of your device, and it won’t take up any space. Sounds interesting right?

When we speak of the overall cloud market, Icedrive is certainly a newer addition and was found in the year 2019. In the review below, we shall be taking a look at the different features it provides and then you decide if it will be the right choice for you!

Features Of Icedrive

Even after being a relatively new storage service, the software still provides a pretty useful feature. They have implemented encryption in a way that doesn’t just make it impressive but highly practical as well. Their approach for sync is different and provides the choice to keep files off the hard drive you have that frees space on your computer.

Their free plan is amazing, but still lacks some of the desired features. When you go for the paid subscription you can encrypt important files, and this keeps them private and secure.  Icedrive has made encryption easy. You can see a different tab called ‘encrypted’ where one can keep all private files safe. You also have the choice to upload other files but you won’t be able to move any of the uploaded files in this folder.

Their virtual drive is another great feature.  It allows your interaction with all of the other online files in a manner as though they were present on the computer. You will be able to rename, delete, copy and upload files and all of them get synced with the cloud.

Pricing

Again this is another attractive feature of Icedrive. They provide a value for money service. They have a free plan that provides 10 GB of storage. Even their paid plans are economical and this is especially true when you need large storage with excellent security features.  They have interesting lifetime plans, where you just have to pay one-time fees. Here are the details:

  • Lite: $ 59 for 150 GB storage
  • Pro: $149 for 1TB of cloud storage
  • Pro+: $ 499 for 5TB of cloud storage

Of course, you can go ahead with monthly and yearly plans if you just want to try them out. But we highly recommend lifetime plans if you are looking for something that saves you money!

Ease of Use

The interface design of Icedrive is in one word just stunning. It’s extremely modern and sleek with charming matte gradients in greens and blues that fit the icy image the brand has. Apart from that, the interface is fairly simple to use. You will find everything is spaced as one expects and the functions they have as assumed. This means that there is practically no0learning needed.

Users primarily have 4 ways of using Icedrive.

  • Their website,
  • Mobile app for iOS and Android and
  • Desktop application for Mac and Windows both

Their desktop application stays portable and this means that there isn’t a need for installation. However, the virtual drive does need both reboot and installation.

File Sharing and Sync

Icedrive provides some interesting choices when we speak of file syncing. Although you get several ways of accessing files online, there isn’t an actual folder for file sync. Instead, you get to sync any file on the device you have.

File sharing is standard, and there are some added features like links that are password protected. But there is scope for improvement as well. For instance, the sharing system of Icedrive is very basic. When you click over a file you get options for sharing. That is through the mail and link sharing.

As there isn’t any try file sync, there is just an icon created that you will be able to complete interactions with. When you open that file on the desktop app or your virtual drive, it gets downloaded but doesn’t stay permanently, this makes sure that storage space is free. Additionally, when you install a virtual drive you will have the choice of syncing any of the folders from the hard drive to your cloud.

Speed Of Icedrive

Icedrive does manage to provide work with great speed, both for downloads and uploads. Of course, this is also going to depend on the proximity with servers. That means for people in U.S.A, Germany, and the UK. We performed a test with a 1 GB file and the uploading speed came out to be of about 28 minutes and downloading speed was of five minutes.

This means that you will get a fast service. This doesn’t mean that there won’t be any lag. Additionally, you don’t get block-level sync. Therefore any changes needed on a large file will mean that one has to re-upload.

Security

Privacy and security are one of the strongest points the service has to offer you. Icedrive makes use of the Twofish protocol for encrypting all of the files. This is better than the AES protocol that you get with other storage providers.

As per the company when they use a lesser-known protocol for encryption, you get higher security as most hackers aren’t aware of it. Icedrive provides you with looking at encrypted files that aren’t normally possible.

This is done by sending encrypted data to you that’s downloaded temporarily and then decrypted from your side. This allows file preview although it isn’t possible with all kinds of file formats.

Privacy

Icedrive shines in the area of privacy. None of your data without your permission is kept with them. Also, only you can download the personal data for exactly looking at what all is available with them.

As they don’t use third-party apps like Google Analytics, you can be sure that whatever changes you make over Icedrive has been only known to you. Their privacy policy states that data is always kept secured and not given to any third party.

Icedrive is UK based and this means that it complies with privacy laws of the UK and GDPR compliant too. Overall all of the services by Icedrive stays private and your data stays safe through zero-knowledge encryption.

Customer Service

Icedrive lacks in this feature. They only provide you with the option of ticket submission for customer service. There isn’t any chat support or call support either. Initially, the support team was quick with their response. But for the past few months, the response time has slowed down. Surely we believe that their team must be working on it and shall come with more ways of getting customer issues resolved.

Pros and Cons

Here are the top benefits and disadvantages of Icedrive!

Pros

  • Top-notch security and privacy
  • Excellent user interface
  • Affordable plans with a free plan as well
  • High privacy with zero-knowledge encryption

Cons

  • Needs improvement in customer support service
  • No sync at the block level

Final Verdict

Even though Icedrive is still very new, it does seem promising. This is the perfect choice for people that are keeping privacy and security as their top requirement. In case you are thinking of pricing, you can always go ahead with their free plan that also provides good storage. Surely their paid subscriptions will provide you excellent value for each penny you spend too.

Some features need more work. However, as far as we see the kind of features the platform provides, it won’t be wrong to say that Icedrive is going to be the most popular cloud storage provider shortly.

FAQ – Icedrive

Overall Icedrive VPN Rating

0.0
Rated 0 out of 5
0 out of 5 stars (based on 0 reviews)
Excellent0%
Very good0%
Average0%
Poor0%
Terrible0%

What Users Say About Icedrive

Good VPN For A Fair Price

Rated 5 out of 5
August 25, 2021

Excellent VPN to bypass geo restrictions I can recommend it!

Avatar for Josh Sonnenbaum
Josh Sonnenbaum


Already Icedrive User? Leave A Review

Google Drive Review 2022 – Buyer’s Guide

Pro

  • Great Newcomer VPN
  • Easy To Use Client
  • Great Selection Of Servers

Contra

  • No possibility to choose specific server


A company that doesn’t need any introduction in the digital era is Google. Google Drive provides amazing versatility when we speak of options for cloud storage. It can integrate with several apps and works smoothly with applications linked with G Suite. This includes your Slides, Google Docs, and Sheets. 

All of the collaboration features of Drive can help in replacing the best cloud services we know of. Google Drive provides excellent free plans that come with storage space of 15 GB and almost all of us use it. Additionally, unlike other service provides all of their features are free for use as well and isn’t this enough to make it the best cloud storage? Well, let’s take a closer look at our Google Drive review right here!

Features Of Google Drive

When you make your Google Account, you automatically get the Google Drive account as well. This will be the place where all emails get saved on Gmail, photo and video backup on Google photos and there can be a possibility where you aren’t aware that you already have a Google Drive account.

Google Drive functions most all big OS. There is a different version for Mac and Windows. The mobile variant works well on iOS and Android. 

There are several attractive features. As this comes from Google, it will be working smoothly with the huge Google ecosystem that includes Google Home, Gmail, and the most critical Google Workspace suite. You can get collaborated with co-workers for all cloud-based documents.

Pricing Of Google Drive

As we mentioned that all users have a free storage space of 15 GB and one can use all features as well. You can further as per the need expand the current drive space of up to 30 TB and all of them will be paid subscriptions.

  • 15 GB: Free plan
  • 100 GB:  $ 1.99 per month
  • 200 GB:  $ 2.99 per month
  • 2 TB: $ 9.99 per month
  • 10 TB: $ 49.99 per month
  • 20 TB: $ 99.99 per month
  • 30 TB: $ 149.99 per month

Keep in mind that these are monthly plans and you can go for yearly subscriptions for some discounts.

Ease of Use

Google Drive comes with a user-friendly storage service. As it’s a Google Product, ease in usage is an expected feature. The interface is decently designed. The main way of accessing Google Drive is through your browser. The browser interface is clean and elegant while being useful and informative.

Everything here is responsive and fast, and all actions get backed up through smooth animation. This makes every click seem important. Goggle Drive is mainly present on the browser, but you have the option of downloading for Windows PC and Mac.

Additionally, there is a mobile application available for iOS and Android users both.

File Sharing and Sync

Google Drive provides you with the best capabilities when we speak of file sharing. But there are some features where it lacks when we speak of its competitors. Through Google Drive, file sharing stays to be a simple task.

There are two main ways of folder and file sharing on Google Drive. The easiest and first way is through the option of “get shareable link”. This is going to create a link and can be used for sharing the file on social media or through email to a specific person.

The desktop app of Google Drive automatically syncs all of the cloud files over your drive folder. Additionally, you can also select folders to be synced on Drive and there isn’t a need for manual upload. You can also backup your Android phone data here. All of the contact, image, and setting data get saved automatically.

Speed Of Google Drive

Google presently has servers across the world. This also means that you should be having server access near you. The good news here is that the speed will depend on your distance from the servers.

The upload speeds are fine, but when we speak of download speeds, they can be called mediocre and can improve. In our speed test of 1 GB file, the download speed was 32 Mbps, and for upload 6Mbps. It took 28 minutes for upload and download took slightly more than 6 minutes.

For such a big company that has a huge server network, this performance is average and certainly needs improvements.

Security

Google stays amongst the biggest player in the tech industry. This also means that technically speaking their security factor should also be the best. All of your files saved over Google Drive stay encrypted. But remember that Google also has the encryption keys as their default choice. So although the encryption feature is strong all of your files and data can get decrypted whenever needed.

There is a use of two-factor authentication for making sure your logins stay protected. When you enable this setting, there will be a need for confirming the logins by responding to your mobile notification. This will make sure that only you have the security of logging in to your account, even in case someone else has your password and username details.

Privacy

When we speak of Privacy, Google Drive doesn’t hold an amazing reputation. They have even violated their privacy policy and service terms in past. One of the instances was that 2019 scandal where an employee that was reviewing the user input through Google assistant had leaked over 1000 conversations to another news outlet in Belgium.

So remember that anything that you will upload on Google Drive does get scanned. This is usually for checking for viruses, harmful content, or violations of copyright. Although they do claim that they aren’t using any of the information of such scans for advertising usage, we are aware by the above example, that this cannot be always trusted.

Even if we think that Google isn’t using all of the information for providing you with targeted ads, just the thought that Google employees are allowed to see the private files is enough to cause us to be concerned.

Customer Service

This is an area where Google Drive excels from its competitors. You get 24/7 customer support through phone, email, and chat. Additionally, the help center also answers all of the questions on different topics. These are organized neatly and include helpful images, videos, and links for related topics. On the user forum, you can also get assistance from community and expert Google employees.

Pros and Cons

Let’s take a look at the Pros and Cons of Google Drive:

Pros

  • Free 15 GB of data and features for all
  • Amazing for work collaborations
  • Several third-party apps
  • Integration of Google Workspace
  • Excellence customer support
  • Simple and swift to use

Cons

  • There can be privacy concerns
  • There isn’t any block-level syncing

Final Verdict Of Google Drive

As you can see from the review, Google Drive is certainly one of the most capable platforms for cloud storage. The collaboration capacity is impressive. Very few competitors can come close with its Google Workspace integration and there are endless options when we speak of file sharing.

However, although your data stays encrypted on Google Drive, their privacy policy is poor. Even after this most people across the world have been depending on Google services. All of the critical data is made available for Google employees that scan your information and can sell that data to advertisers easily.

So, in case, your main priority is strict data privacy, then Google Drive might not be the best for you. Apart from that, this is one of the most useful cloud service providers with excellent features.

FAQ – Google Drive

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The Best 5 Cloud Storage Services

According to industrial sources, more than 55% of internet users use cloud storage to share files. Almost everyone uses Google Drive for sharing documents and other files. This digital platform developed by Google is an example of cloud storage. From businesses to individuals, everyone needs professional and reliable cloud storage platforms.

In this article, we will discuss the top 5 cloud storage services and their features.

Sync.com

If you look for a secured cloud platform, Sync is the option for you. The platform offers excellent security due to the encrypted storage facility. You can share files with anyone, while no third-party users will not access those files. For sending confidential documents, businesses and individuals can rely on this platform. Some of the noteworthy features of this cloud storage service are :

  • The platform comes with advanced share control options, a download restriction feature, 365-day history of sharing, etc.
  • Other crucial features include document previews, file requests, offline access, auto camera upload, etc.
  • Users can share an unlimited number of files. There will be no third-party tracking on the files shared by the users.
  • The platform comes with compliance from GDPR, HIPAA, etc. Through end-to-end encryption, it delivers seamless security.

Sync is not a free platform, though it is affordable. The only problem is that the cloud service does not have any monthly billing option. You have to go for the default yearly subscription plans.

Live Drive

Live Drive is a cloud-sharing platform with an additional feature for creating an online backup drive for your crucial files. The good thing is that the service offers a complete online backup solution. For data backup, the service comes with facilities such as business backup, personal backup, reseller backup, etc.

  • You can use LiveDrive to make backup simplified and automated. Users need to schedule the backup at their convenience.
  • For data security, the cloud service features two-step verification for login. You have to log in through the password and an OTP.
  • Using team folders, you can easily collaborate with your teams. For freelancers and startups, such features are helpful.

The service is affordable, and it comes with a 14-day trial. The platform is compatible with operating systems such as Windows, Android, iOS, and other leading operating systems.

IDrive

IDrive is also a well-known cloud storage facility available for buyers. You can access the cloud storage space through your handheld device or desktop. For handheld device users, it comes with an application. The app is compatible with both Android and iOS. Some extraordinary features of IDrive are:

  • You can create unlimited and automated backups with your IDrive account. Schedule the backups as per your time preferences.
  • 256-bit AES encryption assures excellent data security. No third-party users can access your data on IDrive.
  • IDrive gives 30 days to recover the deleted files. If you have mistakenly deleted an important document, you can recover it within 30 days.

Dropbox

When it comes to cloud storage, everyone knows about Dropbox. Among various cloud-based document sharing platforms, Dropbox is well-known to the users. This cloud storage service has existed for more than a decade. Thus, you can expect trustworthiness from this service provider.

  • You can share all types of files with another Dropbox user. For example, you can share images, PowerPoint presentations, videos, MP3 audio files, and many more.
  • Dropbox gives more controlling features to the admin. The admin can restrict the rights of the users on Dropbox.
  • You can share big or small files anytime with anyone through Dropbox. You can keep the file as long as you want.

NextCloud

Technically, NextCloud is a little different from other cloud-hosted services. Instead of an online sharing platform, you can call NextCloud a platform for self-hosted file synchronization. It comes with free software which you need to install on your computer. Through this software, you can control, share, and monitor files with other NextCloud users.

  • NextCloud works faster than other cloud storage platforms. File sharing happens quickly due to the self-hosted system.
  • Both individuals and businesses can use the platform. Freelancers will find an excellent convenience in sharing files with their clients.
  • NextCloud is an open-source platform. Thus, you can download and install it on your computer without paying anything for the cloud storage and sharing service.

Conclusion

Sharing and collaborations have become more accessible due to cloud storage services. While choosing a cloud storage service, you need to consider parameters such as security, storage space, affordability, and other features.