Comparison of cloud services for data storage. Which cloud storage should you choose? The best cloud data storage services for free

Website. Today, as promised, we continue the topic of cloud data storage.

The last article was the beginning of this extensive topic.

And I will present to your attention the best free cloud storage. Now many companies are trying to create clouds for the convenience of transferring and storing heavy files.

Rating of the best free cloud storages

In order not to get lost in searching for good sites for saving files, I have provided a list of the most popular free cloud storages.

I would like to note that these Internet storage sites are extremely popular among most users. And for blogging and further monetization of personal platforms, this is a good bonus in the deck of necessary platforms. So, meet the 9 best cloud data storage services.

9 Best Cloud Data Storages

• 1. Cloud Mail ru

Cloud Mail ru (http://cloud.mail.ru) - complete trust, as well as the maximum volume of disk array (100 gigabytes for data storage).

This service is the undisputed leader in the family of cloud storage services on a free basis.

Wherever you are, you can always use the necessary file using a laptop or personal mobile device as a working tool.

The Mail ru cloud is designed for any platform, be it Windows, Linux 64-32 bit, MacOS, Android.

You can study this service more clearly and get the full amount of necessary information at http://help.mail.ru/cloud_web.

By the way, just recently this service announced a new opportunity for developing shared folders with other users. You can mutually drop the necessary information into the created folders.

How will this method be useful for you? This is a potentially convenient option to successfully complete an archive with photos from memorable events.

Your cooperation will provide an opportunity to collect your favorite photographs in a common folder and carry out group work on the development and completion of documents.

Any interesting moments from the life of common parties can be sent to the archive of a common folder. This is a good opportunity for students to complete various manuals and notes.

In other words, this option is quite convenient and efficient.

Mega

• 2. Cloud data storageMega

Mega cloud data storage, with the ability to use 50 GB for personal needs. Having managed to invite one of your visitors to the service, you will receive additional gigabytes.

As they say, there is a good opportunity to get additional free memory thanks to advertising of this service.

All your files are encrypted on your personal computer, and Mega has no way to view the backed up data set. Web address https://mega.co.nz.

So, you have 50 GB in reserve and attract interested users to Mega to increase the disk array. Believe me, an excellent service for most bloggers.

MediaFire

• 3. File storageMediaFire

MediaFire File Storage (https://www.mediafire.com). 10 GB of personal space. You get 8 GB of load for announcing the service on social networks or from invited clients.

SkyDrive

• 4. Online data storageSkyDrive

Internet data storage SkyDrive is designed for the Windows 8 platform.

The idea to create this service belongs to Microsoft, which allows you not to worry about the lack of interaction with this operating system and installed programs developed for this platform.

With a license for Windows 8-8.1, the SkyDrive service gives you 25 GB of personal storage. Without a licensed program, the client has a smaller memory size - 7 gigabytes.

Copy

• 5. Network storageCopy

Network storage Copy (https://www.copy.com), with the ability to accept 15 GB for personal needs. The cloud interface includes a full set of necessary functions, which allows you not to get lost when visiting this service for the first time.

Copy cloud storage works with all platforms and also gives you the ability to encrypt your files.

The referral program allows you to increase your personal reserve with an additional 5 gigabytes of disk space.

4Sync

• 6. 4Sync cloud storage

Cloud storage 4Sync (http://ru.4sync.com/) is a cloud service quite convenient in its parameters and well-known among Runet users. Online storage is designed for most platforms. Working with 4Sync, you get 15 GB of free space. The rest of the reserve is purchased for money.

Google Disk

• 7.Google Disk

Google Drive (https://www.google.com) is directly associated with Google, where online services (Gmail, Docs) are directly integrated with the named storage. The resulting size for a block of various materials is 15 GB.

You can download Google Drive on various mobile devices. This will give you the opportunity to work from any place you choose. But there are a number of disadvantages of this file storage.

By putting personal documents in a folder, you are deprived of standard protection, which once again calls into question the storage of private information. If blogosphere your strong point, then without a doubt you have an inbox on Google.

In this case, mail, Google documents, images will automatically take up space on the Google Drive service. That is why 15 GB is a fairly relative size for this “cloud”.

True, by creating a new account on Google without email services and other additional services, you can maintain the original storage size.

Yandex Disk

• 8. Yandex Disk

Yandex Disk is a domestic cloud network storage located at https://disk.yandex.ru.

It is this storage of files on the Internet that is especially popular among the majority of Russian users on the Internet.

The Yandex company constantly refreshes the mechanism of the personal system, developing new platforms, analyzing and sorting according to various criteria a fairly large number of virtual platforms (blogs, websites, online stores, etc.).

That is why in the next article after this I will dwell in more detail on the functionality of Yandex Disk file storage.

Namely, I will consider how to use this “cloud” for personal needs, and in the process of blogging. And we’ll tell you how to save a set of necessary files on Yandex Disk.

Don’t forget, in order not to miss a post about Yandex Disk, click on the blog news site.

Dropbox

• 9. Dropbox

Dropbox is a universal file storage with a wide range of applications, where it is possible to synchronize data both on a group of computers and on mobile devices.

The interface of this service will be understandable to any novice user. www dropbox com is a cloud storage address with a rather unobtrusive and pleasant design.

After registering on the cloud storage website, you need to install the dropbox program by going to .

The created folder with a set of various information will be synchronized between the Dropbox storage and any computer put into operation.

Thanks to the wi-fi connection, it is possible to use email while working from any portable device. The only problem is the small size of the offered space for storing files on the Internet.

2 GB of free personal storage. The remaining size can be purchased for money or increased through a referral program.

9 Best Cloud Data Storages - Conclusion

The clear line of other cloud data storages is blurred due to the small amount of workspace. The greatest preference is given to the free services listed above. Now you know the 9 best cloud data storage services.

Use them and feel the convenience in your daily work. If the information was useful to you, then please click on the social network buttons below, and let your friends also know about the 9 best cloud data storages.

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Your priceless collection of photos in the “cloud”. But what if you want to upload not only photos from your last trip to Europe, but also all other files, including documents, music and even movies? Fortunately, modern technologies allow you to keep all your belongings in one service. You just need to make the right choice, which is what we will do today.

Nowadays there are quite a lot of “cloud” storages. These are mainly services from the largest technology corporations, but third-party developers are also not wasting their time and are gradually capturing the promising market. To begin with, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the most popular “clouds” at the moment.

Convenient and incredibly fast service. Files download almost instantly - this is very useful if you need to send a large document by mail. With the help of simple manipulations (all of them are on the Disk website), the free free space in the service can be increased to 50 gigabytes, plus another 0.5 GB for each invitee.

Buyers of a Sony Xperia Tablet S tablet or a Sony VAIO laptop are provided with an additional 40 and 30 gigabytes, respectively. Before this, Yandex held a promotion in which it gave another 250 GB to buyers of Samsung ultrabooks, but it has already ended.

In general, Yandex.Disk has everything a cloud storage needs. Nice web interface for iOS, Android, WP, Mac and Windows, the opportunity to get treasured gigabytes for free. And the cost of additional space is not too high - 30 rubles per month for 10 GB, 150 rubles for 100 GB or 900 rubles for one terabyte.

Despite its foreign origin, Dropbox has already succeeded in our country. The service cannot boast of such generosity as Yandex.Disk and at first provides its users with only two gigabytes of free free space with the ability to expand up to 18 GB - 500 MB for each invited friend.

At the same time, Dropbox can be used on almost any device - from Windows computers to BlackBerry smartphones. In Russia, it works noticeably slower than the Yandex solution, but many users who store their files in Dropbox for a long time choose only it.

As for the pricing policy, Dropbox is noticeably worse. 250 rubles per month for 100 GB, 500 rubles per month for 200 GB and 1250 rubles for 500 GB. A little expensive.

Google's service is rightfully considered one of the best of its kind. It allows you to open up to 30 different types of files directly in your web browser and gives you the ability to open Photoshop files even if you don't have the program of the same name installed on your computer. Add to this applications for iOS, Android and other platforms, a convenient web version, and we will get a good competitive product.

Recently, Google Drive gives 15 free gigabytes to each registered user. But if you want to increase your storage, the service offers several tariff plans to choose from - from 100 GB for 150 rubles to 16 TB for 24 thousand rubles.

Google Drive is perfect not only for owners of Android devices, but also for iOS devices.

The “cloud” service from Mail.ru Group was launched quite recently, and at the moment access to it is only by appointment - you can leave a request directly on the service’s website. Since the project is still in the testing stage, minor errors may appear during its use, but all of them will be corrected by the release of the final version of the service.

The Mail.ru “cloud” has already acquired a good iOS application, although without iPad support, and the number of free gigabytes in the storage excites the imagination. For the first login, the service will give you 10 GB, but after completing simple tasks, the amount of free space will increase to 100 GB. This is the bonus Mail.ru has prepared for the Columbuses of its service. The remaining tariff plans remain secret for now.

Copy

I discovered this file storage service this summer. A young promising startup that literally gives away free gigabytes. When you register, you only get 15 GB, but for each invitee, Copy gives you and your friend another 5 GB. Copy runs on PC, Mac and Linux, and also has apps for Android and iOS.

The service plans to switch to commercial services in the near future - the price of 250 GB will be 3 thousand rubles per year, and 500 GB - 4.5 thousand rubles per year. But I don’t think that there is an urgent need for these tariff plans with such a system for receiving free gigabytes.

Why not? Yes, iCloud can hardly be called a serious competitor to Dropbox, but it also has its advantages. Purchasing additional gigabytes will allow you to store backup copies of all your devices in this service. In addition, many modern games and document programs on iOS synchronize data using iCloud.

iCloud is incredibly easy to use, but is only suitable for owners of Apple gadgets. And, unfortunately, so far it has many more disadvantages than advantages. For example, tariff plans are 10 GB for 650 rubles per year, 20 GB for 1,300 rubles per year, and 50 GB for 3,250 rubles per year. At the same time, the service provides five free gigabytes, which barely fits two backup copies of my iPhone and iPad.

And last but not least. Being , SkyDrive works perfectly with Word, Excel and other applications. The service provides seven free gigabytes to each registered user and has a flexible tariff system: from 20 GB for 300 rubles per year to 100 GB for 1,500 rubles per year.

I used this service for a year and a half before I discovered Dropbox and Yandex.Disk, and during all this time it did not cause me any serious complaints. SkyDrive is surprisingly fast, although its web version is entirely Windows-style, which may turn off some users.

SkyDrive apps for iOS, WP and Android are available in their respective stores.

It's time to determine the winner. Let's first look at a comparison of tariff plans (the table shows the cost per year in rubles, some tariffs have been removed for ease of comparison).

It can be seen that according to this criterion, Yandex.Disk is the undisputed leader. But it’s also worth considering the number of free gigabytes - Mail.Ru has as many as 100, and with the help of invitations to Copy, the free space can be increased to several hundred gigabytes. Other services cannot boast of this.

And here is a comparison by supported platforms - here the first places are won by Yandex.Disk, Copy and SkyDrive.

Since he turned out to be a leader according to two criteria at once, we give him first place. I would like to note that Dropbox is an excellent service, but Disk is able to offer more favorable conditions and is more suitable for Russian realities.

Modern methods of storing large amounts of information involve the use of cloud storage. This makes it much more convenient to save a lot of useful data, photos, music, without overloading the memory of your computer or mobile device. Thanks to the Coba.tools portal, which has collected useful information for our readers about the most convenient and popular free cloud storage services.

A free application from Apple, built into all of the company's devices. To use the storage, you just need to set up your own account. The cloud makes it possible to save large volumes of photos, videos, music, and store documents. All data is synchronized between different devices. Separately developed versions for Windows and browser.

Upon registration, each user is allocated 5 GB of virtual space. Larger volumes are available either shared with other family members or for an additional fee.

pros

• Double data encryption system.
• Family sharing (up to 6 people).
• Backup.

Minuses

• There are no apps for Android or Linux.
• There are minimum system requirements.
• File download speeds are sometimes slower.

Dropbox

One of the first cloud storage services, it has a good reputation among users. Has a well-organized technical support service. Synchronization between devices is supported. There are browser and mobile versions.

Users are guaranteed 2 GB of space for free. The possibility of recovering deleted files has been thought out. All data that has been deleted is stored in the system from 30 to 120 days (depending on the tariff plan).

pros

• Cross-platform service.
• It is possible to expand the volume for free by attracting friends or answering questions from other users.

Minuses

• Small amount of free storage.
• Full functionality is provided only by the most expensive tariff plan.

Onedrive

Free cloud storage from Microsoft. The service supports various file formats. All changes are synchronized between different devices.

5 GB of space is provided for free. When purchasing Office 365 Home, this increases to 1 TB for each of 5 family members. The service has a lot of interesting features: offline access, a secure information encryption system, it is possible to provide shared access to files, and limited validity of some links.

pros

• Possibility to expand the free plan.

Minuses

• Not always high-quality synchronization.
• Small amount of free space.

Google drive

Google's built-in storage. It has a user-friendly interface and provides shared access to different users.

Cloud storage is integrated with all Google services, including Google Docs. 15 GB of space is allocated for free, which is distributed among various resources, including google photo and mail. However, small files or photos are not taken into account when calculating the total workspace in the free plan.

pros

• Sufficient amount of free space (15 GB).
• Very convenient built-in office package.
• Ability to share files with multiple users.

Minuses

• Dividing free disk space between different services.

Mega

Popular cloud storage that provides as much as much as 50 GB of free space. There are mobile and browser versions, extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

The application has many functions, but the full set is only available with a paid plan. Free space can be further expanded in various ways.

pros

• Backup.
• Large amount of free space.
• Referral programs.

Minuses

• Sometimes the data transfer speed leaves much to be desired.

Amazon Drive

Convenient cloud storage from Amazon. Suitable for storing photos, videos of various formats and other information. Browser applications have been developed for Mac, Windows, Android, iOS.

The free package provides 5 GB of space. For users from the USA, the service of creating and printing a photo album from photos saved on disk is available. In general, the functionality is quite limited.

pros

• The service supports many video and photo formats.
• Amazon Prime members can store an unlimited number of photos on the free cloud, plus get 5GB of storage for other file types.

Minuses

• The service is great for users of Amazon products; for other consumers the functionality is poor.

Cloud mail.ru

Cloud storage widely used in RuNet with good loading speed and a wide range of functions. Suitable for storing videos, photos, documentation. The antivirus built into the system checks all files for virus code before downloading.

The free plan provides 8 GB of space, the maximum size of the downloaded file should not exceed 2 GB. Mobile and browser versions have been developed.

pros

• Many different functions (automatic uploading of photos from your phone to the cloud, screenshot for PC, etc.).
• Built-in anti-virus program.
• Integration with mail.ru mail program.

Minuses

• There is no automatic resuming of files.
• Slightly outdated interface.

Yandex Disk

Cloud storage from Yandex. It has a high loading speed, a good reputation, works stably and is gradually increasing its functionality.

The user receives 10 GB for free. The expansion of free space through referral programs has been implemented. The tariff plan attracts users.

pros

• High speed.
• Ability to upload an unlimited number of photos from your phone.
• Lots of additional features.

Minuses

• Not much free space is allocated, there are other analogues.

Mediafire

Convenient cloud storage that can be used to share files with other users. Interface does not support Russian language. The service is stable. Has good functionality.

10 GB is provided for free. But at the same time, advertising is imposed on the user. No advertising, only paid plans.

pros

• There is a link generator, video converter and other convenient functions.
• Simple interface.
• Monetization through advertising.

Minuses

• Lack of resource development.
• Average operating speed.
• Intrusive adware

4shared

Cloud storage for sharing files with videos, music, books, applications. Browser and mobile versions have been developed. It has a convenient and intuitive interface.

10 GB of space is provided for free. When confirming your account via email, the volume expands to 15 GB. Free information is stored for a maximum of 180 days, then deleted. With a paid plan, the functionality expands significantly.

To exchange files between computers and mobile gadgets, cables and flash drives are no longer needed. If devices have Internet access, files can “fly” between them “on the cloud.” More precisely, they can “settle” in cloud storage, which is a collection of servers scattered around the world (united into one virtual - cloud server), where users place their data for a fee or for free. In the cloud, files are stored in the same way as on a computer’s hard drive, but are accessible not from one, but from different devices that are able to connect to it.

Every second or third Internet user has already adopted cloud data storage technology and uses it with pleasure, but some still resort to flash drives. After all, not everyone knows about this opportunity, and some simply cannot decide which service to choose and how to use it. Well, let's figure it out together.

What are cloud storages from a user's point of view and how do they work?

If you look through the eyes of an inexperienced user, cloud storage is an ordinary application. All it does is create a folder on the computer under its own name. But not simple. Everything you put into it is simultaneously copied to the same cloud Internet server and becomes accessible from other devices. The size of this folder is limited and can grow within the limits of the disk space allocated to you (on average from 2 GB).

If the cloud storage application is running and the computer (mobile gadget) is connected to the global network, the data on the hard drive and in the cloud are synchronized in real time. When working offline, as well as when the application is not running, all changes are saved only in the local folder. When the machine is connected to the Internet, access to the storage becomes possible, including through a browser.

Files and folders uploaded to the cloud are full-fledged web objects, the same as any content on Internet sites and FTP storages. You can link to them and share links with other people, even those who do not use this service. But only those to whom you have authorized it will be able to download or see an object from your storage. In the cloud, your data is hidden from prying eyes and is securely password protected.

The majority of cloud services have additional functionality - a file viewer, built-in document editors, tools for creating screenshots, etc. This, plus the amount of space provided, creates the main differences between them.

is a cloud data storage service that needs no introduction to Windows users. Of course, in the latest releases of this OS (in the top ten), it actually climbs on top of everything on the screen, since it is configured to autorun by default.

For Windows users, the advantage of the Microsoft OneDrive service over its analogues is perhaps only one - it does not need to be installed. You also don’t need to create a separate account for it—to log into the cloud, you just need to enter your Microsoft account information.

The owner of one Microsoft OneDrive account provides 5 GB of free disk space to store any information. To get additional volume, you will have to pay extra. The maximum is 5 TB and costs 3,399 rubles per year, but this package includes not only disk space, but also the Office 365 application (home edition). More affordable tariff plans are 1 TB (2,699 rubles per year - storage and Office 365 personal) and 50 GB (140 rubles per month - storage only).

Additional features of all tariffs:

• Support for other operating systems - Mac OS X, iOS and Android.
• View and edit documents using built-in Office applications.
• Remote access to the entire contents of the computer (not just the OneDrive folder) on which the service is installed and your Microsoft account is used.
• Creation of photo albums.
• Built-in messenger (Skype).
• Creation and storage of text notes.
• Search.

Paid versions only:

• Creating links with a limited validity period.
• Offline folders.
• Multi-page scanning and saving documents to a PDF file.

In general, the service is not bad, but sometimes there are problems logging into your account. If you are going to work with the web version of the storage (via a browser) and log into it under a different IP address than you used before, Microsoft sometimes runs a check that the account belongs to you, which takes a lot of time.

There have also been complaints about user content being removed from OneDrive when Microsoft suspected it was unlicensed.

is one of the oldest cross-platform cloud storage services. Unlike the previous one, it supports all major operating systems, as well as some less commonly used ones, such as Symbian and MeeGo. The service is very easy to use, works quickly and stably.

A DropBox user is provided with only 2 GB of disk space for free to store personal files, but this volume can be doubled by creating and attaching another account to your account - a work account (which can actually be personal). Together you get 4 GB.

Switching between personal and work disk space on the DropBox website and in the application is carried out without logging out of your account (no need to enter your username and password each time). A separate folder is created on the computer for both accounts - 2 GB each.

DropBox, as expected, also has several pricing plans. About free it was said above, Paid ones are “Plus” (1 TB, $8.25 per month, intended for personal use), “Standard” (2 TB, $12.50 per month, for business), “Advanced” (unlimited volume, $20 per month for 1 user) and “Enterprise” (unlimited volume, individually set price). The differences between the last two are in the set of additional options.

In addition to storage, free users have access to:

• Document collaboration service DropBox Paper.
• Ability to share links and create public folders.
• Log of file changes with the ability to restore them to the previous version (up to 30 days).
• Commenting on files - both your own and other users, if the file is available for viewing.
• Search function.
• Receiving notifications about events (customizable individually).
• Automatic uploading of photos from the camera (by the way, DropBox provided users with additional space for enabling this option some time ago).
• Select full or selective synchronization.
• Encryption of data during storage and transmission.

The possibilities of paid tariffs can be listed for a very long time, so we will only note the main ones:

• Remotely destroy data from DropBox on a lost or stolen device.
• Limit the link's validity period.
• Two-factor account authentication.
• Setting access levels to different data.
• Enhanced HIPAA/HITECH class information protection (secure storage of medical records).
• 24/7 technical support.

DropBox, if not the best, is a very worthy service. Despite the small amount of free space by today's standards, it is used by millions of people around the world.

Mega (Megasync)

As is clear from the description, Amazon Web Services is aimed only at the corporate sector and is not intended for storing albums with photographs of cats, although it is possible that someone uses it for this too. After all, cloud file storage - Amazon Glacier, like Yandex disk, provides users with 10 free GB. The cost of additional volume is $0.004 per 1 GB per month.

Comparing Amazon Glacier with the web resources described above is perhaps incorrect, since they have slightly different purposes. The functionality and capabilities of this service are determined by business objectives, including:

• Uninterrupted operation, increased reliability.
• Compliance with enhanced data protection standards.
• Multilingual interface.
• Unlimited volume (expansion for an additional fee).
• Ease of use and flexible settings.
• Integration with other Amazon Web Services.

Those who are interested in Amazon's capabilities can read the complete documentation for AWS products, which is located on the official website.

Mail.ru

It ranks second or third in the popularity rating of file web storage among Russian-speaking audiences. In terms of its range of capabilities, it is comparable to Google Drive and Yandex Drive: like them, it contains web applications for creating and editing documents (texts, tables, presentations) and a screenshoter (a utility for taking screenshots). It is also integrated with other Mail.ru projects - mail, social networks “My World” and “Odnoklassniki”, the “Mail. Dating”, etc., has a convenient file viewer with a flash player and is also very affordable (for those for whom the allocated volume is not enough).

The size of the free disk space of the Mail cloud is 8 GB (previously this figure has changed several times). The premium tariff for 64 GB costs 690 rubles per year. For 128 GB you will have to pay 1,490 rubles per year, for 256 GB - 2,290 rubles per year. The maximum volume is 512 GB, which will cost 3,790 rubles per year.

Other functions of the service are not much different from similar ones. This:

• Shared folders.
• Synchronization.
• Built-in search.
• Ability to share links.

The Mail.ru client application works on Windows, OS X, iOS and Android.

Cloud storage is a proprietary web service for owners of smartphones and tablets of the same manufacturer. Designed to store backup copies of data from mobile devices - multimedia content, OS files and other things at the user's discretion.

The Samsung Cloud client application is pre-installed on phones and tablets released after the second half of 2016 (more precisely, after the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7). Registering an account on the service is only possible through it, apparently to weed out outsiders.

The free storage capacity is 15 GB. An additional 50GB costs $0.99 per month, and 200GB costs $2.99.

iCloud (Apple)

- a favorite among cloud data storage users of Apple products. Of course, it’s free (though not very spacious) and integrated with other Apple services. The service is designed to store backup copies of data from iPhone, iPad and iPod, as well as user media files, mail and documents (the latter are automatically synchronized with the contents of iCloud Drive).

Free iCloud storage capacity is 5 GB. Additional storage retails for $0.99 for 50GB, $2.99 ​​for 200GB, and $9.99 for 2TB.

The iCloud client app supports Mac OS X, iOS, and Windows operating systems. There is no official application for Android, but owners of devices based on this OS can view mail from the Apple cloud on their device.

The top parade of cloud storages is completed by a Chinese service. As you can see from the screenshot, it is clearly not adapted for you and me. Why is it needed then, if there are domestic, European and American analogues that are more familiar to Russian-speaking people? The fact is that Baidu provides users with a whole terabyte of free disk space. For this reason, it is worth overcoming translation difficulties and other obstacles.

Registration on Baidu Cloud is significantly more labor-intensive than competitors. It requires confirmation with a code sent via SMS, but SMS from the Chinese server does not arrive to Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian numbers. Our fellow citizens have to get by by renting a virtual phone number, but that’s not all. The second difficulty is that an account cannot be registered with some email addresses. In particular, on the services gmail (Google is blocked in China), fastmail and Yandex. And the third difficulty is the need to install the Baidu Cloud mobile application on your phone or tablet, since this is what 1 TB is given for (when registering on a computer, you will receive only 5 GB). And it, as you understand, is entirely in Chinese.

Aren't you scared? Dare - and you will be rewarded. Information on how to create an account on Baidu yourself is available on the Internet.

Users and businesses will continue to move away from bulky and expensive servers and instead choose the cloud to store files. Given the variety of storage options available, you should choose carefully.

Lifehacker suggests paying attention to services that provide maximum free space with reliable data protection and high-quality service. Prices shown are for starter plans only.

• Price: 2GB free, 1TB for $8.25 per month. The standard Dropbox Business subscription costs $12.50 per month per user.
• Applications:
• Russian language support: There is.

Initially, this cloud storage giant only gives you access to 2 GB of free space. But it can be easily expanded to 16 GB: just link accounts on social networks and offer a referral link to several friends.

A Dropbox Business subscription allows you to use your corporate account for collaboration, and also gives you unlimited space for your personal account. Moreover, you get a number of advanced features like file recovery and customization of access levels.

• Price: 15 GB free, 100 GB for 139 rubles per month.
• Applications: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
• Russian language support: There is.

One of the most obvious options for owners of Android devices, since the application is natively installed on smartphones and tablets based on Google's OS. However, due to the considerable amount of free storage, the service may also be attractive to owners of other devices.

Among the disadvantages is that the interface of the browser version is not the simplest. But Windows and macOS users can download a much more convenient application.

3. Mega

• Price: 50 GB free, 200 GB for 4.99 euros per month.
• Applications:
• Russian language support: There is.

Another service with a generous free plan and a drag-and-drop interface. Mega has a convenient mobile application for downloading files, as well as desktop clients for synchronizing them.

According to the company, all data is encrypted on your device before it ends up on the servers. The Mega client source code is available on GitHub and can be reviewed by any expert. Therefore, the statement inspires confidence.

• Price: 10 GB free, another 10 GB for 30 rubles per month.
• Applications: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, LG Smart TV.
• Russian language support: There is.

The cloud from Yandex works quickly and stably, and is constantly acquiring new functions. The service has a high synchronization speed. The platform's capabilities are built into some third-party applications.

Despite the presence of clients for all popular desktop and mobile platforms, the Yandex.Disk browser interface is also very practical. The service also has very good opportunities to expand space through partnerships with companies. For example, if you are a Muscovite and use the OnLime tariff plan from Rostelecom, then the disk capacity increases by 100 GB.

• Price: 5 GB free, 50 GB for 140 rubles per month, 1 TB for 269 or 339 rubles when you sign up for a personal or family subscription to Office 365, respectively.
• Applications: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Xbox.
• Russian language support: There is.

The former SkyDrive is built into standard Windows 10 File Explorer. There's no need to download an app - everything is already downloaded for you.

The operating system's built-in Photos app can use OneDrive to sync all your pictures between devices.

When installing a client for macOS, you should take into account not the most positive reviews about it.

In addition to the regular pricing plans, Microsoft has Office 365 Personal and Office 365 Home. Both subscriptions include 1 TB of cloud storage, full versions of Office apps for Windows and macOS, and a host of other benefits. The second option gives 1 TB to five users at once.

• Price: 8 GB free, 64 GB for 69 rubles per month.
• Applications: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Windows Phone.
• Russian language support: There is.

The closest analogue of Yandex.Disk in terms of available features, web version interface and supported platforms. Loses to its main competitor due to its extensive referral program. Among the advantages is a larger amount of free storage.

Among other things, the service has a tool for quickly creating and saving screenshots in the cloud.

• Price: 5 GB free, 50 GB for 59 rubles per month.
• Applications: Windows.
• Russian language support: There is.

5GB of free space may not be enough, but iCloud is the most convenient way to back up your iPhone photos.

The service is integrated into the Finder program on macOS - the desktop of all MacBooks. Documents created through the iWork office suite are also saved in iCloud and can be synchronized between devices. The platform also has an official client for Windows, with which you can keep files on your PC up to date.

8.Box

• Price: 10 GB free, 100 GB for 8 euros per month. Business subscription costs 12 euros per month.
• Applications: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
• Russian language support: There is.

The platform quickly gained popularity and is supported by a number of popular work services, such as Google Docs and Office 365. Box desktop clients allow you to not only synchronize, but also edit files.

The company is actively promoting business subscriptions. It is the one that appears in the center of the screen when you click on the registration button. This plan gives you access to advanced collaboration features and unlimited cloud space.

• Price: Free setup and use, space prices vary by hosting provider. Nextcloud Box costs 70 euros.
• Applications: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
• Russian language support: No.

The company itself is not a cloud storage provider, but does offer free software for setting up the cloud on your own server. The main advantage of this option is speed. You can also enable encryption and not worry about files leaving your home network.

If you do not have experience in setting up servers, you can buy a pre-configured option - Nextcloud Box. Inside the device there is a 1 TB hard drive. It easily connects to an inexpensive single board computer. True, in order to get your hands on a mini-server, you will have to use the services of third-party companies: there is no direct delivery to Russia and the CIS countries.

• Price: 2 GB free, 250 GB for $9 per month.
• Applications: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
• Russian language support: No.

Another English-language platform that has long operated under a zero-knowledge protocol. It was implied that the company interacts with user data without disclosing its content in any way. Recently it turned out that there are some caveats here, and SpiderOak abandoned its main feature. But this did not stop us from striving to provide files.

The repository has clients for all popular desktop and mobile platforms. You can use the web client, but for privacy advocates this is the least preferred option because it gives away your password to SpiderOak employees.

• Price: 5 GB free, 2 TB for $52.12 per year with special offer, then $69.5.
• Applications: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Windows Phone.
• Russian language support: No.

The product supports constant synchronization of all your files - even those stored on network drives. The web interface allows you to share data by mail, Facebook and Twitter.

The advantage of IDrive is that files deleted from the computer from the cloud do not automatically disappear. The company also has a service called IDrive Express: if you lose all your data, they will deliver a hard drive to you for quick recovery.

• Price: 10 GB free, 500 GB for $3.99 per month, pCloud Crypto encryption price: $3.99 per month.
• Applications: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
• Russian language support: There is.

The service has restrictions on the speed of downloading files, but there is no limit on their size. The storage can be used from any platform - through an application or website.

The company is registered in Switzerland, a country known for its strict privacy laws. For an additional amount, you can use the pCloud Crypto service to encrypt individual files.