Dropbox is alive and well, and its sync engine is still one of the most reliable around. The free tier is the weak point. The Dropbox plans page gives Basic users 2 GB, while Plus costs $9.99 a month billed yearly or $11.99 billed monthly for 2 TB and one person. For teams, Standard is $15 per user a month yearly or $18 monthly, and Advanced is $24 or $30 with a three-person minimum.
The seven services below either give more free space, cost less per terabyte, encrypt files so the provider cannot read them, or fit better with the office apps you already use. Prices are in US dollars unless noted.
Prices below are as of November 8, 2026. Our method is on How we review tools.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Price | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Drive | Android and Google Workspace users | 15 GB free; 2 TB $9.99 a month | Windows, Mac, web, iOS, Android |
| Microsoft OneDrive | Windows users who also want Office | 5 GB free; 1 TB with Office $99.99 a year | Windows, Mac, web, iOS, Android |
| pCloud | Paying once instead of every year | Up to 10 GB free; lifetime from $279 (500 GB), paid once | Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Sync.com | Encrypted storage with Dropbox-style sharing | 5 GB free; 1 TB from $9 a month, yearly | Windows, Mac, web, iOS, Android |
| Box | Business file sharing with strict controls | 10 GB free; Business Starter $5 per user a month, yearly | Windows, Mac, web, iOS, Android |
| Proton Drive | Privacy with a Swiss provider | 5 GB free; 200 GB $4.99 a month, billed monthly | Windows, Mac, web, iOS, Android |
| Filen | Cheap encrypted storage with a Linux app | 10 GiB free; from 1.99 EUR a month | Windows, Mac, Linux, web, iOS, Android |
Google Drive
Every Google account already has Drive, with up to 15 GB of free space, more than seven times Dropbox Basic. The desktop app syncs folders on Windows and Mac, and Docs, Sheets and Slides open straight from Drive in the browser.
Upgrades run through Google One. The Google One plans page lists 100 GB at $1.99 a month, 2 TB at $9.99 a month and Google AI Pro, which bundles 2 TB with Gemini, at $19.99 a month. All three can be shared with up to five other people at no extra cost.
Best for: People who already use Gmail, Android or Google Docs every day.
Pricing:
- Free: up to 15 GB
- Basic: 100 GB, $1.99 a month
- Premium: 2 TB, $9.99 a month
- Google AI Pro: 2 TB plus Gemini, $19.99 a month
Watch out for:
- The free 15 GB is shared with Gmail and Google Photos, so a busy inbox eats into file space.
- There is no official Linux sync client, and files are not end-to-end encrypted.
Official site: Google Drive.
Microsoft OneDrive
OneDrive is built into Windows, so File Explorer shows cloud files next to local ones and downloads them only when opened. For most people the better deal is Microsoft 365 Personal: 1 TB of storage plus the desktop Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps for $99.99 a year or $9.99 a month.
The OneDrive plan comparison also lists a storage-only Microsoft 365 Basic with 100 GB at $1.99 a month or $19.99 a year, and Family at $129.99 a year for up to six people. A free account starts with 5 GB.
Best for: Windows users who also need Office apps.
Pricing:
- Free: 5 GB
- Microsoft 365 Basic: 100 GB, $1.99 a month or $19.99 a year
- Microsoft 365 Personal: 1 TB, $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year
- Microsoft 365 Family: up to 6 people, $12.99 a month or $129.99 a year
Watch out for:
- Microsoft makes no OneDrive app for Linux.
- Microsoft 365 Basic is storage only; the desktop Office apps need Personal or Family.
Official site: Microsoft OneDrive.
pCloud
pCloud's lifetime plans are the reason most people look at it. You pay once and keep the storage: 500 GB for $279, 2 TB for $709 or 10 TB for $2,799, per the pCloud pricing page. Against Dropbox Plus at $119.88 a year, the 2 TB plan pays for itself in about six years.
The pCloud Drive app mounts your storage as a virtual drive, so files open as if they were local without filling your disk. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux as well as iOS and Android, and the free plan grows to 10 GB.
Best for: Long-term storage for people who hate subscriptions.
Pricing:
- Free: up to 10 GB
- Lifetime 500 GB: $279 once
- Lifetime 2 TB: $709 once
- Lifetime 10 TB: $2,799 once
- pCloud Encryption add-on: $229 once
Watch out for:
- Client-side encryption is not included; it is a $229 lifetime add-on that only covers files in the Crypto folder.
- A lifetime plan is only worth it if pCloud stays in business for years, which no buyer can check in advance.
Official site: pCloud.
Sync.com
Sync.com is the closest thing to Dropbox with end-to-end encryption on every plan. Folders sync from desktop apps, links can carry passwords and expiry dates, and Sync's staff cannot read the files you store. The free plan has 5 GB on up to five devices with 30 days of version history.
The Sync individual pricing page lists Personal with 1 TB at $9 a month in the first year on yearly billing, $108 billed, rising to $12 a month after that. Paid plans include unlimited share transfer and 90 to 365 days of file history.
Best for: Freelancers and small firms that share client files and want them encrypted.
Pricing:
- Free: 5 GB
- Personal 1 TB: $9 a month billed yearly in year one ($108), then $12; $16 regular month to month
- Solo 5 TB: $21 a month billed yearly in year one, then $28
- Personal Unlimited: $33.75 a month billed yearly in year one, then $45
Watch out for:
- There is no Linux desktop app; Linux users get the web panel or an early-access WebDAV connection.
- The headline prices include a 25% first-year discount, so renewals cost more.
Official site: Sync.com.
Box
Box sells to IT departments more than to individuals, and it shows in the controls: granular permissions, admin reporting and integrations with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and Slack. Even so, its free Individual plan gives 10 GB, five times what Dropbox Basic offers.
The Box pricing page lists Business Starter at $5 per user a month billed yearly or $7 monthly, with 100 GB and a three-user minimum. The Business plan at $15 yearly or $20 monthly has unlimited storage and 5 GB uploads.
Best for: Companies that need audit trails and fine-grained sharing rules.
Pricing:
- Individual: free, 10 GB, 250 MB uploads
- Personal Pro: $10 a month billed yearly, $14 monthly, 100 GB
- Business Starter: $5 per user a month yearly, $7 monthly, minimum 3 users
- Business: $15 yearly, $20 monthly, unlimited storage
- Business Plus: $25 yearly, $33 monthly
- Enterprise: $35 yearly, $47 monthly
Watch out for:
- Free accounts cannot upload files bigger than 250 MB, which rules out most video.
- Every business plan needs at least three paid users.
Official site: Box.
Proton Drive
Proton Drive comes from the Swiss company behind Proton Mail, and its pitch is simple: files, file names and folder names are end-to-end encrypted, and the apps are open source. It runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and the web, with a command-line tool for scripts.
The Proton Drive pricing page lists a 5 GB free plan, Drive Plus with 200 GB at $4.99 a month and Proton Unlimited with 500 GB and Proton VPN at $12.99 a month, both billed monthly; yearly plans cost less. Duo gives two people 2 TB for $19.99 a month.
Best for: People who want their files out of reach of the provider and of US law.
Pricing:
- Free: 5 GB
- Drive Plus: 200 GB, $4.99 a month billed monthly
- Proton Unlimited: 500 GB, $12.99 a month billed monthly
- Duo: 2 TB for 2 people, $19.99 a month billed monthly
- Family: 3 TB for 6 people, $29.99 a month
- Drive Professional: 1 TB per user, $9.99 a month
- Yearly plans cost less
Watch out for:
- There is no Linux desktop sync app yet; Linux users rely on the web app or the command-line tool.
- Storage per dollar is lower than Google One or pCloud, the cost of the extra encryption.
Official site: Proton Drive.
Filen
Filen is a small German service that undercuts the big names on price and still encrypts everything end to end. Every app is open source, servers sit in Germany, and the free plan gives 10 GiB, five times Dropbox Basic.
Paid plans are billed in euros. The Filen pricing page lists Pro I with 200 GiB at 1.99 EUR a month, Pro III with 2 TiB at 8.99 EUR a month and Pro X with 10 TiB at 39.99 EUR a month. Unlike Sync.com and Proton, it ships a Linux desktop client.
Best for: Linux users and anyone who wants encrypted storage at a low price.
Pricing:
- Free: 10 GiB
- Pro I: 200 GiB, 1.99 EUR a month
- Pro II: 500 GiB, 3.99 EUR a month
- Pro III: 2 TiB, 8.99 EUR a month
- Pro X: 10 TiB, 39.99 EUR a month
Watch out for:
- Prices are in euros only, so non-EU buyers pay whatever their bank's exchange rate adds.
- It is a young, small company with far fewer third-party integrations than Dropbox.
Official site: Filen.
How to choose
| If you need | Pick |
|---|---|
| More free space with an account you already have | Google Drive |
| Office apps and 1 TB in one subscription | Microsoft OneDrive |
| Pay once, store for years | pCloud |
| Encrypted folders you can share like Dropbox | Sync.com |
| Company file sharing with admin controls | Box |
| Encrypted storage from a Swiss provider | Proton Drive |
| Low-cost encrypted storage on Linux | Filen |
When to stay with Dropbox
Stay with Dropbox if you rely on its fast block-level sync for large files, on Dropbox Transfer and Replay for client work, or on the integrations your team has built around it. Plus at $9.99 a month on yearly billing matches Google One for 2 TB, so price alone is not always a reason to leave. If you want encryption above all, our Sync.com alternatives page compares the encrypted services in more depth.
Frequently asked questions
How much free storage does Dropbox give?
The free Basic plan includes 2 GB. Google Drive starts at 15 GB, Box at 10 GB and Filen at 10 GiB, so all three hold several times more for free.
What is cheaper than Dropbox for 2 TB?
Google One's 2 TB plan is $9.99 a month, the same as Dropbox Plus on yearly billing and $2 less than Plus month to month. Filen's 2 TiB plan is 8.99 EUR a month, and pCloud's lifetime 2 TB costs $709 once.
Is there an encrypted alternative to Dropbox?
Yes. Sync.com, Proton Drive and Filen encrypt files end to end on every plan, including the free ones. pCloud offers it only as a paid add-on, and Dropbox lists end-to-end encrypted team folders on its Advanced plan.
Which Dropbox alternative works on Linux?
pCloud and Filen both make Linux desktop apps. Google Drive, OneDrive and Sync.com do not offer official Linux sync clients.
