If you have a lot of important data, you’ll want to back it up. Cloud storage providers are all about convenience and productivity, meaning they are just as good at backing up your data with their free backup options as they are with sharing and collaborating on your files with other users. Below are some of the best free cloud storage providers for backing up your computer in 2021.
1. Blomp
Blomp is a startup that offers a range of products including a cloud storage portal, a social app that can track your files and a machine learning algorithm that can detect suspicious activity. The company offers its own proprietary file format called Blom, which has all of the metadata content of the file below it as well as some additional metadata for predicting theft and security threats. It also comes with built-in encryption and uses several algorithms to determine if your files have been modified such as using your MAC address.
The service also has an extension to all popular browsers that allows users to access Blom directly from their browser. Blomp currently charges a monthly fee for its premium edition, but offers free cloud storage to users.
The company plans to add a web and app firewall and security monitoring, so you can also put your files on Blom while using other services. This allows Blomp do more than just backup data, it also has the ability to collect data on third-party apps such as Facebook and Instagram, which could be beneficial for businesses.
2. Google Drive
Google Drive is an excellent option if you want to offer free storage for your files – it has a massive amount of space available for users with 100GB for free and then increasing up to 15TB of storage space depending on the plan that you choose. It also allows you to share them with others online which is helpful if you share projects with other people.
One flaw of Google Drive is that the company only allows access to it via Chrome browser or its mobile app on iOS or Android devices. You won’t be able to access your files via the web version of Internet Explorer.
You will also need to use Google’s Chrome browser to access it, so if you’re using another browser like Firefox or Opera, your files will not be accessible on the web. If you use an Android or iOS device and Chrome, it may also not be possible to access Google Drive from your phone. So if you’re a Firefox or Opera user, you might have a bit of a tough time accessing the files that are stored in your Google Drive.
Otherwise, it can also be accessed via its desktop application. You can even store Microsoft Office files on Google Drive, but sometimes it could cause them to be unreadable. If you’re using an Android device and this happens to you, just use your iPhone or iPad instead.
3. Degoo
Deegoo is a free cloud storage service that allows you to upload your files in different ways. You can choose to store your files with the proprietary format of the company – Deegoo, or you can use an open-source file format called Open File Format (OFX).
The benefit of using OFX over Deegoo is that you do not need to use their proprietary app or their extension. You can also upload multiple files at once rather than one file at a time. The only downside is that only users with OAuth 2.0 authorization are able to access their data on the web, meaning they’re not open source like most cloud storage services.
The company is planning to launch a mobile app that is also secure and uses the same technology as its website. It also offers a paid service called Deegooshare, which allows you to share files with anyone.
4. Media Fire
MediaFire is a cloud storage service that offers free storage for all its users. You can access your files via the web, mobile apps or desktop apps. It supports Microsoft Office files, but a few issues have been reported regarding compatibility with some files. And as a cloud storage service, it also offers file-based backups which help you stay safe from data loss.
Media Fire does not offer any kind of payment plan and if you want to increase your quota, you will have to pay for it as there are no free options available as well as disabling the account after it reaches its limit.
The company offers a Pro version that costs $4.95 per month and lets you create unlimited storage and access FTP and other file sharing features, but it also has a monthly cost of $19.99 for the first year. There is also a Free account, but it comes with some limitations such as having to upload your files to the web every 3 months.
5. Microsoft OneDrive
Microsoft OneDrive was launched as a cloud storage service for users of Microsoft Office. It quickly became a popular choice due to its easy accessibility and the ability to share documents with others. The company publicly released it as a standalone platform in 2015 and never looked back since then. But there are a few issues with it – firstly, you have to pay to get additional storage, and secondly it has limitations on screen size, so you can’t access them on mobile apps.
Microsoft now allows its users to sync their desktop application or browser version of the app with Windows or iOS devices. But something that Microsoft OneDrive does not have is encryption. If you want to keep your sensitive data safe, it is recommended that you encrypt your files before you upload them.
Microsoft offers two kinds of accounts – one is free, another is called “Team” which costs $6.99 per month. You can also get it for your organization or school – but you will have to verify that you are part of the organization by adding your school ID number. The other account type for business users is called “Office 365”. There are paid options as well, but there are paid options for everyone.
6. Icedrive
Icedrive is another great free cloud storage service to look into for a backup platform. The company offers a subscription plan that offers unlimited storage and the option of paying for extra space in GBs. It is a desktop app that not only helps you with file-based backups, but also with incremental backups which makes it a great option if your computer crashes without your knowledge.
The only downside is the fact that you have to download an app in order to access Icedrive – so if you do not have iOS or Android apps on your device, then you would have to re-download them from the App Store or Google Play respectively.
The company also offers a Mac and Machine Learning solution, so you can access the platform anonymously with an added layer of security. Or you can opt for a Free version, which limits the amount of data that you can store on the platform, but it’s still a great option to look into if you’re looking for a backup solution.
7. Yandex Disk
Yandex Disk offers a wide range of file formats for backing up your data from the internet. It also supports server-side encryption of your files which means that if you lose your device, then no one else will be able to access it, including the company itself. It is a great option if you want to encrypt sensitive or confidential data before backing it up online.
Yandex Disk also allows its users to transfer their files by using Yandex’s services such as Yandex.Music and Yandex.Videos, so you can save even more storage space on your device and back them up at the same time. The downside of Yandex Disk is that it does not allow multiple users on one account and has a restriction of 5TB per user. But if those two aren’t a problem for you, then Yandex Disk is a great cloud storage service to choose from.
The way that Yandex Disk works is by downloading the app and then downloading the extension to your browser. You can then download your files from Yandex Disk, and start sharing them with other users. It also comes with an option to set up an automatic backup of your machine, so if anything happens to your machine, you will have a backup of it on the cloud.
Conclusion
Free cloud storage services are a great way to keep your files safe. If you want to use them for business purposes, then you should check if they provide encryption options or not. But if you’re just looking for a way to back up and store your sensitive and confidential data, then the 7 platforms we recommended above will be more than enough.