Our lives have gotten so dependent upon computers that it has become imperative that we have access to our data all the time.
Carrying our desktop PC everywhere is obviously not possible. Even laptops are often left home. In such situations, a service is needed that lets you access all your personal data from anywhere there is internet access. And this is where cloud storage services come in.
But choosing one isn’t easy either. Cloud storage services are dime a dozen. There are literally thousands of them out there.
In this article though, we will cover five services that offer 1TB cloud storage space. One terabyte is more than what an average desktop or laptop is equipped with. So signing up for any of these cloud services will ensure you can keep all the data you can possibly have in a single safe place.
A list of best cloud storage services that offer 1TB space
1. Google Drive
Price: $9.99/month
Google Drive is one of the most popular cloud storage services around. By default, you only get 15GB of storage for free, but upgrading to 1TB cloud storage will only set you back $9.99 per month. Of course, if this isn’t enough, Google also offers options for 10, 20 and even 30TB of cloud storage.
Google Drive shares its storage space with Gmail and Google+. So if you use Google’s email services or you have lots of photos uploaded on Google+, all that space will be consumed by the space you have on Drive, which is something to think about before you sign up for the service. You can, of course, upload practically any file you want, and share it with anyone you want.
Google Drive has apps for OS X, Android, and iOS. There are no apps for Windows desktops or tablets, and we’re not holding our breath for a Windows Phone version. Again something to think about before you go ahead and sign up.
2. Microsoft OneDrive
Price: $5/user/month
Previously known as Sky Drive, OneDrive is a cloud storage service from Microsoft. By default, you only get about 25GB of storage for free when you sign up. However, if you choose one of the subscription-based models, you will get up to 1TB cloud storage.
1TB on OneDrive is a service only recently introduced for business users. Customers of Office 365 Pro Plus will also get this upgrade. Microsoft claims its service is superior to the competition due to the several social features it has baked in that makes sharing easier and intuitive.
OneDrive apps are available on all major platforms, including Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. This makes it one of the few services that are available practically everywhere, a key advantage in this business.
You can also get bonus storage by referring it to other people.
3. Dropbox
Price: $15/user/month
Dropbox really needs no introduction, but its business offerings do because they’re unlike any other available in the market. Dropbox doesn’t specify how much storage its subscription-based model you will get. The company claims you will get ‘as much as you need’, which is another way of saying it’s practically unlimited.
Suffices to say if storage alone is your main concern, Dropbox has you covered.
Another key advantage of Dropbox is that it’s available on all platforms, even more than OneDrive. This includes Android, iPhone, iPad, Kindle, BlackBerry, Linux, Windows, OS X and Windows Phone 8 via third-party alternatives.
Dropbox also has publicly available APIs, which lets developers tap into the storage service to sync data across different devices. Popular apps such as Mailbox and Yahoo Mail use Dropbox APIs.
4. Mega
Price: $27.7/month for 2TB
Mega cloud storage service was a result of a long drawn battle between Kim DotCom and the FBI. Mega calls itself the ‘privacy company’, and that is one thing the company really does strive to protect. It is one of the only cloud storage services that promises an end to end encryption which helps to secure your data.
This means your data is encrypted and decrypted by your client devices and never by Mega themselves.
By default, you get 50GB free storage when you sign up. However, you can upgrade your account to get more storage.
Interestingly there is no option to get 1TB cloud storage. You choose between 500GB, 2TB, and 4TB. The prices are considerably higher than the competition, but that is what you pay for if privacy is your number one concern.
Like Dropbox, Mega too offers an SDK for developers. Mega apps are available for iOS, Android, and BlackBerry. You can also get extensions for Chrome and Firefox.
5. MediaFire
Price: $2.49/month
MediaFire is one of the cheapest cloud storage services available out there. For just $2.49 a month you can get access to 1TB cloud storage. The offer is only for a limited time as part of a promotion the company is running for the launch of its desktop apps.
Even without a promotion though you’re looking at only $5 a month.
MediaFire has dedicated apps for OS X, Windows, Android and iOS. Not the widest range of offerings, but at just $2.49 we can’t complain.
Sharing is one of the key features that MediaFire offers. You can follow files from other users, set permissions on your own files and folders and track downloads.
Do you use any of the above-mentioned cloud storage services?
Or any other such service that offers 1TB cloud storage?
What is the one thing you look for when choosing such a service?
Is storage a main concern for you or is there anything else in particular?
Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to check more articles on Digital Lamp!
