The Best Dropbox AlternativesTop Cloud Storage Services & File Sync Tools like Dropbox

Nextcloud is an open source software that allows you to manage your files and sync them across all your devices - like Dropbox. There are, however, several differences: You can self-host a Nextcloud instance, allowing you to fully manage it, or you can use a Nextcloud provider to host your data for you. You have access to more security, privacy and administration options. You can add plugins for almost everything (emails, tasks, calendars, maps, news, video chats, notes, and more).

Of course, it’s a bit more complicated to set up since you have to self-host it or find a provider, but if what you’re looking for is an open source and extensible solution that you can fully manage yourself, Nextcloud might be the right pick for you.

Google Drive is one of the best known Dropbox alternatives. It’s proprietary and cloud-based, but it's pretty similar to Dropbox, and it can be very convenient if you're already using other Google products. It’s particularly useful if you’re likely to share and work on documents (Google Docs for example) with other people. Google Drive offers a free plan with 15 GB of storage, and you can pay a monthly subscription to get more ($2 for 100 GB, $10 for 1 TB or $100 for 10 TB).

Like Nextcloud, ownCloud is an open source solution that you can self-host on your own server, or you can pay a monthly fee to get an online instance with limited storage. It offers interesting features such as collaborative editing and version management of documents, image galleries, end-to-end encryption, email plugins to host attachments, and more… and you can also extend it by installing add-ons from their marketplace.

It’s no coincidence that ownCloud and Nextcloud share so many features, because Nextcloud is based on ownCloud. The key differences are the licenses (ownCloud’s enterprise edition comes under commercial license), the exclusive features ownCloud offers only to premium users while all features are free with Nextcloud, the app marketplaces (Nextcloud’s one has more apps), and of course, the pricing plans if you want a managed instance.

Mega is a secure cloud storage and communication service that was launched in 2013 by Kim Dotcom, who had founded the now-defunct service Megaupload. Unlike Megaupload, Mega doesn't offer streaming content. It simply allows you to store files online and share them with other users like Dropbox or Google Drive. However, it has a much larger storage space than its competitors with 50 GB for a free account, compared to 2 GB for Dropbox, and 15 GB for Google Drive. Among its features, Mega offers end-to-end encryption even for free accounts, a secured chat for online collaboration, an easy way to share files with anyone, automated synchronization between all your devices, and much more.

Syncthing, an open-source alternative to Dropbox, uses peer-to-peer tech to keep your files private and decentralized. Unlike Dropbox's cloud sync and hosting, Syncthing offers self-hosted functionality with unlimited space, suiting those prioritizing data control and privacy.

OneDrive is one of the best Dropbox alternatives pre-installed on all Microsoft Windows 10 devices. With OneDrive, you can store as many files as you want with up to 5 GB of storage for free. In addition, it allows you to share your files, encrypt them, and sync all files and folders installed on your device. One of the main advantages of OneDrive is that it allows you to access its Office suite at no extra cost if you subscribe to the OneDrive premium plan.

pCloud is an online storage and file sharing service created in 2013 and based in Switzerland. It offers monthly plans as well as lifetime plans for individuals, families and businesses, and it’s available on all the main platforms (Windows, Linux, macOS, Android and iOS). It offers unlimited download and upload speeds for free and paid plans, strong encryption for your sensitive files, and unrestricted file size, allowing to save large files like video rushes or disk images. pCloud has a 10 GB free plan, and its monthly paid plans start at $5 for 500 GB or $10 for 2 TB.