Cloud storage is a method for companies and businesses to store data online. This allows the user to access that whenever needed. (1)
Introduction of cloud storage
In cloud storage, the data of the company is stored in a physical drive. With the help of online software, that data is easily accessible whenever needed. It is available in three forms:
- Self-hosted
- Storage as a service
- Hybrid cloud storage
Self-hosted cloud storage
It utilizes on-premises infrastructure with no external storage. The business itself is responsible for hosting the servers on-site, and owner will manage the service.
Storage as a service (StaaS)
It uses infrastructure that is managed externally. It permits economy of scale as well as affordable and generous storage levels. Such services are also called storage and syncing platforms.
Hybrid cloud storage
It is the hybrid of both cloud networking and on-prem infrastructure, using the vitalities of both for additional security.
The security level of cloud storage
A secure cloud storage service gives encryption and leading security. While considering security, two main features to analyze are zero-knowledge architecture and end-to-end encryption. The provider of cloud storage must be hackproof and should not allow even staff to access data without legal permission. If end-to-end encryption is not offered by the provider then a company must look for at-rest and in-transit encryption.
Benefits of cloud storage (2)
- This allows a user to easily upload his file and store it without any expertise.
- It saves multiple copies of data to avoid permanent loss.
- Through an online storage platform, one can lower the cost of internal resources.
- It is a convenient method of sharing files with other users.
- With the help of the synchronization feature, one can access his data through any device.
Best providers of cloud storage
- IDrive
It is considered an appropriate cloud storage provider for premium users. It provides highly protected storage at an affordable price. One of its biggest advantages is that it also serves network drives such as mobiles devices and servers. A person can share his files via Twitter, Facebook, and email. If someone wants cloud storage for backup purposes, then he might find IDrive express best the best provider because it offers a hard disk drive. With the help of this physical drive, one can retrieve his all data in case he lost it. Deleting any data from hardware does not mean it would be deleted from cloud storage as well. So there is a risk of complete loss of valuable data. If we talk about cloud storage for photos, IDrive again holds the top rank. Photo-minded people will surely be happy knowing that IDrive offers a face recognition feature. It recognizes the face and syncs it automatically across all the connected devices.
Pricing plans
- $79.5 per user per year. This plan provides 5TB storage and unlimited devices
- $99.5 per year for 5 users, 5 computers. This plan provides 5TB storage
- Google Drive
For google-minded users, it proves the best cloud storage. For professional and personal projects, it is the natural go-to for android users and Google Workspace, due to its versatility and integrations. The office suite is used to create and save spreadsheets, documents, presentations, and more. Via Google photos, it stores high-quality pictures taken from mobile. Its web interface is not user-friendly and is poorly executed. Native clients permit Mac and Windows users to store their files easily through the drag-and-drop feature. It offers search and Al technology with generous storage space. Some of its drawbacks include a lack of file expiration and password protection.
Pricing plans
It offers paid as well as non-paid services. In free plans, it offers storage space for up to 15GB. Google One is used to buy paid plans. Paid plans include:
- $1.99 per month for 100 GB
- $19.99 per year for 100 GB
- $2.99 per month for 200 GB with 3% cashback from Google store
- $29.99 per year for 200 GB with 3% cashback from Google store
- $9.99 per month for storage of up to 2TB with 10% cashback
- $99.99 per year for storage up to 2TB storage with 10% cashback
- $6 per user for 30GB for one month
- $12 per
Every subscription can be shared easily with approximately 5 other users.
- Nextcloud
For DIY users, Nextcloud is considered an appropriate selection. Rather than the online provider of cloud storage, Nextcloudself-hosted content collaboration, and file sync platform. One can install free software on the server and can administer services related to cloud storage. The advantage of using a self-hosted platform is one can keep his data on his servers, offering faster performance and complete control. For those who are beginners and do not have servers, the service provides pre-configured hardware to run Nextcloud. It is an open-source platform that provides ultimate security features and secures storage.
Pricing plans
Nextcloud offers three pricing plans:
- The basic plan based on 100 userscosts $42.60 per user for one year. The basic plan based on 200 users costs $33.72 per user for one year.
- Standard plan based on 100 users cost $76.90 per user for one year and that based on 200 users cost $57.38 per user for one year.
- Premium plan based on 100 users costs $112.99 per user for one year and that based on 200 users costs $88.14 per user for one year.
The third party can optimize, deploy, and maintain Nextcloud installation for a company. If the business is having a minimum of 50 users, then it can select Nextcloud enterprise, which is a production-ready, pre-configured version.
- pCloud
For large files, it is considered the best go-to provider. It offers unlimited file size, providing a vast media file storage space. With pCloud Transfer, one can transfer 5GB for free. This covers mobile platforms, desktops, and web-based platforms. The media player is built-in and provides speedy performance.
Pricing plans
pCloud provides subscriptions for a lifetime. It offers three plans:
- The premium plan that costs $4.99-$9.99 per month for 500GB
- Premium plus plan that costs $47.88-$95.88 per year for 2TB
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