Best free cloud storage 2018

Cloud storage services are transforming the way teams collaborate, share and store information. They let you access files from any location and device, while also ensuring important information is stored securely.

And while the storage you choose will depend on your team size, most services on the market will prove similar features and even a freemium model or trial, so you can test various services.

Here are the best free cloud storage services 2018.

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If your office primarily uses Google anyway, you’ll no doubt be familiar with its excellent G-suite, which integrates its cloud storage ( Google Drive) with Docs, Sheets and Slides.

Google’s collaborative nature means that it’s so easy to save shared files to Google Drive and access them from multiple locations, ideal for businesses with remote workers or CIO that often travel.

In terms of security, Google Drive encrypts files with a 128-bit AES encryption and can automatically backup files from the G-Suite, great for protecting information loss.

Google Drive offers 15GB of storage per user on its free plan.

Alternatively, it also you can opt for a standard package (starting at £1.59 per month) or for 1TB of data, go for the £7,99 per month plan. Google pricing does up to £79,99 for a whopping 10TB of data.

No cloud comparison would be complete without Dropbox. This scalable cloud storage provider is great for small businesses wanting to store documents online safely.

This free tool lets users view, upload and share files with anyone, even if they don’t have an account. What’s more, it has a Microsoft Office Online feature which lets users edit files from their browser without having them stored.

Dropbox also enables users to sign PDFs, share files in iMessage and watch Dropbox videos.

Dropbox’s basic (free) account provides users with 2GB of storage, but you can top this limit up but completing certain tasks such as inviting friends to the service and following the company on Twitter.

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With Box you’ll receive 10GB of free storage, although you’ll need to on its personal plan and each file upload will need to be smaller than 250MB.

Box users can create, edit and view files with team members from any location and device and integrate with Office365, Google Apps and Slack.

This should ensure users can access files and communication with team members while across different departments or locations.

Security-wise, Box encrypts user’s files, assuring overall privacy. (See also: Best file management tools for business users 2017.)

Ideal for small businesses already using Microsoft, OneDrive offers up to 15GB of free storage.

OneDrive lets users share, view and edit files while offline; great for working remotely or on trips abroad.

You’ll be able to choose from public and shared storage, meaning only certain team members can view a folder.

OneDrive integrates Office Online so users can create files using Word, Excel and PowerPoint. This is great for users managing budgets, giving presentations and holding team conferences.

The latest update sends notifications on edits made while also providing automatic tags for photos. What’s more, it provides online demos for those working on larger projects.

If you’re using a Windows 10 device, OneDrive will be preinstalled so you’ll be able to get going with it in no time.

If you have a MacBook or iPhone, you’ll no doubt already have access to iCloud. If you have an Apple ID, then you will benefit from 5GB of free cloud storage.

iCloud will back up all of your files overnight when you’re connected to Wi-Fi, this includes all information from Apple’s range of business products such as Apple calendar, notes, photos, iWork documents and iCloud Mail.

You can up your storage with plans starting at £0.79 per month for 50GB of storage, all the way to 2TB for £6.99 per month.

Backblaze is a secure file sharing and collaboration tool allowing users up to 10GB of cloud storage.

This free tool offers solid file backup and archiving capabilities and pulls files into ‘snapshots’, meaning users can preview documents without taking the time to search archives.

It has a capacity feature which lets users to set their usage size and sends notifications via text or email when they have reached the storage limit.

Backblaze offers 24/7 customer support and will send detailed reports to users on their data stored, uploaded and downloaded.

Available on iOS, Mac and Android it allows users to access files while working offline, great for those that take trips often.

iDrive is ideal for smaller businesses with unlimited backup and up to 5GB of free file storage.

It has 256-bit AES encryption and ‘iDrive One’ a feature which stores and backups files securely.

This free tool sends activity reports to users and supports backup status reports. This is ideal for monitoring user workloads and improving team performance.

iDrive users can get additional storage by posting links on social platforms, referrals or upgrading to paid-for plans.

pCloud has an import feature which lets users transfer files from their Dropbox and Google Drive accounts.

It stores edited versions of files for up to 180 days which is great for protecting company data, which may need to be restored at a later date.

Like Google Drive, pCloud uses a 256-bit AES encryption and lets users hide folders using its Crypto feature.

You’ll get 20GB of storage on its free plan or upgrade to its premium plan for 500GB for a £110.99 one-off payment.

Available on iOS and Android, MediaFire offers users up to 10GB of file storage.

Its FileDrop feature lets you create public folders so team members can share and add files to your account.

MediaFire offers unlimited bandwidth with users being able to view, edit and upload files up to 25GB.

What’s more, users can get additional storage by sharing links on social platforms or you can of course, upgrading to paid plans which start at around £6 per month.