Even as the business world is slowly returning to normal after the pandemic, some practices haven’t changed. Online collaboration and data storage are two of them.
Cloud storage software ensures that data remains stored securely and team members can still collaborate irrespective of distance.
In this article, we’ll compare two cloud storage platforms: Box and Dropbox, to help you decide when it’s time to shop for a storage solution for your business.
An Overview of Box and Dropbox
Box and Dropbox are file storage and synchronization tools designed for enterprises and businesses to store their data securely in one central place for easy sharing and collaboration. Although they are different companies, they provide similar services. They offer secure sharing, cloud-based storage, and seamless file syncing across devices.
One key difference between them is that Dropbox focuses mainly on file storage and management, while Box emphasizes collaboration for businesses.
Wich Is Easier to Setup and Implement: Box or Dropbox
Both tools are easy to set up and navigate for new or old users. They come with a simple, uncluttered interface and easy navigation tools for setting up new accounts.
However, Dropbox Business goes a step further by providing a step-by-step guide to set up an organizational account. The platform offers a “team space” where all business files can be stored and accessed.
The platform also gives team admins the ability to adjust permissions. Dropbox allows admins to grant external parties access to create shared folders or limit their access to only viewing permitted content.
Pricing Plans and Features
Dropbox offers different plans depending on the amount of storage you or your organization may need. Both platforms have plans for personal and family use as well as plans for business use. We will be comparing their business storage plans. Their plan offerings provide suitable storage solutions for businesses of every size.
Dropbox offers a free 30-day trial version and four paid plans for business storage – Standard, Advanced, Professional, and Enterprise. The Standard plan is limited to three users and comes with 5 GB of storage space, an admin console, file locking, additional file recovery time, unlimited shared devices, shared permissions, etc. The Standard plan costs $12.50 per month per user.
The Advanced plan has a higher price of $20 per user per month and offers subscribers unlimited storage. This plan is perfect for teams as it comes with billing options, access to APIs, admin management, audit logs, SSO, etc.
The Professional plan (for individuals) costs $16.58 per month and comes with Dropbox transfers of up to 100GB, Dropbox Paper, file recovery, watermarking, branded sharing, integrated cloud content, analytics and reporting, priority support via email and live chat, etc. The plan also comes with 3TB of storage space.
Subscribers to the Standard and Professional plans have the option to pay more for the e-signature feature as an add-on.
READ MORE: Dropbox vs Google Drive Features and Pricing Review
Box Plans and Pricing
Box offers users two paid plans – Business and Enterprise. The Business plan is also limited to three users and costs $15 per user per month. It comes with unlimited storage, limited file upload (up to 5GB), unlimited e-signatures through the Box web app, basic workflow automation, access to integrations, limited support during business hours, etc.
The Enterprise plan costs $35 per user per month with a limit of three users and grants subscribers access to over 1500 integrations. The Enterprise plan also comes with enterprise-level features like data loss protection, advanced search filters, workflow automation, document watermarking, 2FA for external users, unlimited storage and external collaborators, etc. Box also comes with upgraded Business and Enterprise plans.
For even more functionality, the platform comes with feature add-ons that are billed separately and offers discounts for eligible non-profits.
Both platforms provide options for businesses to be charged monthly or annually.
Security
In terms of security, both cloud storage platforms are evenly matched; they use a 256-bit encryption protocol. However, Box also allows users to manage their encryption keys.
Synchronization
One of the platform’s most well-known features is the Dropbox sync feature. It offers Smart Sync that helps users save storage space by choosing how files are stored (locally and on the cloud or just on the cloud). It also comes with block sync that updates file sections to the cloud rather than full files.
Box also offers a sync feature that enables you to clone data stored on your Box account to your desktop. Unlike Dropbox, Box’s sync feature also allows for offline syncing. However, enabling it is a little more complicated than Dropbox’s functionality. For users to access this feature, you have to download the Box Sync installer on your computer and follow the instructions given. For Mac devices, the process is even more complex and requires an HFS+ or APFS formatted hard drive.
Which Is Better for Sharing Files: Box or DropBox
Both platforms offer multiple options for sharing files (through the web app, mobile app, or desktop application). Dropbox allows you to set permissions for each person you share with and has a support page with explicit instructions for each file sharing process.
On the other hand, Box offers more flexibility in its file-sharing process. You can share any kind of file of any size – from zipped folders to raw images and videos. Users can also preview over 120 file types and create a link to share files or share from the platform. You can also grant external users permission to edit and comment on shared files.
Box vs Dropbox Features: Integrations
The only way both platforms can serve your collaboration needs is to provide integrations with different software tailored to meet different needs. Dropbox offers users access to over 200 integrations with productivity tools like Slack, Zoom, Adobe Creative Cloud, etc. Dropbox also offers a feature called the DBX Platform. This feature comes with more options for companies looking for more specific integrations.
Box, however, offers more integration options and allows users access to over 1500 app integrations to meet every business need, no matter how niche. The platform also offers integrations with apps like Okta and Broadcom to help you beef up your organization’s online security.
Bottom Line: Box or Dropbox
Both platforms are established names in the cloud storage industry and provide services that focus on collaboration and file storage. However, they offer their solutions using unique approaches. Ultimately, the choice of which storage provider to go with will be determined by which platform closely fits your needs.
Based on pricing, Dropbox is a better option for smaller businesses or smaller teams with a small budget. The plans are structured in such a way that you don’t have to pay for more storage than you’ll need.
On the other hand, Box is a platform that is designed for larger businesses. The platform is also ideal for expanding businesses. It offers a lot of features and customization options that make the high cost worthwhile. Overall, Box has more integrations, but Dropbox offers a more user-friendly synchronization process.
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