As another high profile competitor in the online storage market launches a free online storage facility it begs the question, to free? or not to free?
Free online storage is a great option for computer users who have minimal backup needs. Various providers offer up to 5GB of free storage which can be accessed via an internet connection. There are a few on the market with solid reputations, so if you aren’t looking to backup much these maybe the providers for you. Free online backup can also make the process of sharing files with friends and colleagues much simpler. Instead of the tiresome process of uploaded and emailing individual files, you can invite who ever it is you are looking to store files with to access your files via your PC backup provider.
Everyone loves something free but sometimes paying will get you that little bit more.
Online storage options can vary in price depending on the size of storage you are receiving. Most work on a monthly payment or yearly subscription basis. Costs can vary according to the amount of storage you are looking for, but be sure to keep an eye out for those who offer unlimited storage at a fixed cost. These are particularly useful if your storage needs are a bit erratic or you have a lot of data to backup. Paid for online storage can offer other advantages too, most come with a plethora of features available as standard which can revolutionize the way your backup your files and share your data. Sharing with others follows the same principal whether you pay for the service or not but automated backup is solely a feature of paid for online storage. By backing up everything online, whether it totals 5GB or 5TB, programming your system to backup automatically guarantees none of your files will be lost. It also means you no longer have to remember to manually backup your files.
In the end I don’t think it comes down to a case of ‘to free or not to free’ but instead to choose the right online storage provider for your needs. If your needs are limited or you want to use online storage purely to make sharing files easier then opt for a free provider. But if you want more from online storage, more features, more possibilities and more security then online storage is more than worth paying for.
