Data is everywhere. From reading the news to watching science fiction films, you are surrounded with it all the time. Data Deluge You are also accessing documents and other files every day — when working on your PC, reading e-mails or browsing the web. They can be as different as pictures of your pets and a movie script you have written yourself. The Solutions It can take a lot of time to store all these files in a way that makes them available every time you need them. Save your time by using file sharing services!
You don’t have to be a developer to know about the importance of document sharing. Whether you’re sending a new employee information about company culture, updating your client on their project’s status, or sharing an event flyer with the neighborhood, these file sharing tools help you achieve your goals faster and easier than traditional methods. And all of them are completely cloud based, so there’s no need to download or install anything!
There are numerous document sharing tools out there, but not all can be trusted. File sharing tools are being used by both the government and government agencies and hackers to spread malicious software around the globe. There have been over a dozen security breaches this year alone, but looking at the bright side, these incidents have led to increased awareness. That’s why we’ve made a list of top file sharing tools so you can stay protected while sharing your important documents via cloud.
There are so many document sharing tools today and it can be very confusing to choose the best one for yourself. First of all, you have to make sure that your tool is suitable for sharing documents with your teams and customers. Here we have gathered some great tools that will help you share documents, present your ideas and create visually stunning reports.
The Best File Sharing Tools for Businesses
1. Files.com – FREE TRIAL
Files.com is a cloud-based file management system. It allows its users to share files from a cloud server while encrypting files in-transit and at-rest. For easier access, Files.com provides secure file exchange without the need for special “user accounts” via share links or file inboxes.
One of the unique values of Files.com is its wide third-party integration to other file-sharing mechanisms, from SFTP, WebDAV, and other cloud storage services like AWS S3, Azure, and GCP. Everything, including “other clouds” can be viewed and controlled from a single interface.
Key Features:
- Generate secure links to share data.
- Real-time collaboration via built-in MS Office.
- 2FA and encryption at-rest.
- Supports files up to 5TB in size.
Price and trial. Files.com is a subscription-based service charged per month/user. Files.com offers a full 7-day free trial.
Free Trial Link:
Start Free 7-day Trial at Files.com
2. Dropbox Business
Dropbox is a file hosting service offering cloud storage, client software, and file synchronization. Its initial release dates back to 2007, but its popularity is only growing exponentially. Today, Dropbox saves an estimated 1.2 billion files every day.
Dropbox Business is the regular Dropbox optimized for high collaboration and integration. It allows you to integrate everyday tools such as Google Docs, Sheets, MS Office, Dropbox Paper, and Trello into a single platform. It also integrates with platforms such as Zoom and Slack.
Key Features:
- Preview Photoshop and Illustrator files without Adobe software.
- Request specific files to users in the contact list.
- Chat feature for live collaboration.
- JustCast service for Podcast hosting.
- Save screenshots and screen recordings.
Price and trial. Dropbox Business is charged on a per-user/month basis. Professional (3 TB for €16.58 for a single user), Standard, (5 TB for €10), and Advanced (€15, for unlimited storage). Start a 30-day free trial.
3. Drive from Google Workspace
Google Workspace, formerly known as G Suite, includes all Google’s tools and software for businesses, such as Gmail, Docs, Slides, Sheets, Drive, and more. The bundle includes Google Drive with flexible storage and added features like collaboration and file sharing.
Google Drive gives you total control of how to whom, and when to share files from your cloud-based storage. You can adjust the access with fine-grain control by modifying policies.
Key Features:
- Share via email or shareable URL.
- Data loss prevention and data retention with Vault.
- Google Drive runs Google AI for recommendations and predictions.
- Shared drives to organize files according to teams.
- Drive file stream to access files from the cloud.
Price. All plans are charged on a per-user/month. Business Starter ($6), Business Standard ($12), Business Plus ($18), and Enterprise.
4. Box Business
Box is a popular cloud storage service used by many businesses. According to Box, 68% of the Fortune 500 are their customers. It is useful for storing and sharing files, collaborating, and even to help stay compliant with certain data regulations.
Box is known for having a long list of integrations. The popular ones are Google Workspace, Office 365, and Slack, which are out-of-the-box, but Box can also be extended with Salesforce, Oracle NetSuite, Adobe, and more.
Key Features:
- Share files via links or directly from Box.
- Share any type of file and size.
- Preview files before downloading.
- Private key management, along with other security features.
- Built-in task manager and note-taking app.
Price and trial: All plans are charged on a per/user/month basis. Starter(€4.50), Business (€13.50), Business Plus (€22.50), and Enterprise(€31.50). Sign in to get a 14-day free trial for any plan.
5. Apple iCloud
Apple iCloud is a cloud-based storage and computing service. It allows users to store content, share files with other users (on iOS, macOS, and Windows) and also helps you keep backups and file syncs up to date across all your Apple devices.
Apple iCloud sync functionality is very powerful. When you add a new file to a device, it will automatically update to the cloud and be shown in all synchronized devices. iCloud comes with 5GB for free out-of-the-box for every Apple device.
Key Features:
- Store files and share them via a private link or email.
- Allow collaboration on certain files.
- Share the Pages, Numbers, and Keynote files, and the media library.
Price: Free, Most Popular ($0.99/month for 50GBs), Lots of Photos ($2.99/month for 200GBs), and Great for Families ($9.99/month for 2TBs).
6. Synology Drive
Synology is quite popular for creating some of the best Network Attached Storage (NAS) solutions to centralize on-premise storage. Now, Synology has developed other solutions for storage and file-sharing that are considered some of the best.
For cloud-based file sharing, Synology provides Synology Drive, which shifts the approach. Synology Drive helps you host your private cloud (via a Synology NAS), keeping 100% of data ownership and without paying any subscription. Browser, desktop, and mobile clients can connect to the NAS and upload/download files as if they were connected to a public cloud.
Features:
- Sync on-demand.
- Intelligent versioning and backups.
- Access and share files via links.
- Configure cross-office file-sharing.
Price:
Synology Drive can be applied to a wide number of NAS models. To find what NAS is suitable for your file sharing, visit Synology.
7. OneDrive for Business
One Drive for Business is Microsoft’s cloud-based file storage, sharing, and collaboration service. One Drive comes as part of the larger cloud-based Microsoft 365 bundle, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more.
The OneDrive service allows you to access, share all your Microsoft 365 files from any device, and collaborate in real-time with other users. It also enables you to edit documents offline and sync the changes automatically, once you are back online.
Key Features:
- Full access to Microsoft 365 suite.
- Create file libraries for specific teams.
- Share folders via a link or give custom permissions via email.
- Set the expiration date on a shared link.
Price and trial:
All plans are charged on a user/month basis, Plan 1 ($5.00) and Plan 2 ($10.00) only include OneDrive. The Basic ($5.00) and Standard ($12.50) include Microsoft 365 bundle. Test a free trial of Microsoft Business Basic for 30 days.
8. iCloud Drive
Anyone who owns a Mac, iPhone, or iPad likely already has the free 5GB of online storage via iCloud that comes with the creation of an AppleID, and those users can share folders and documents with other iCloud users. Although Apple does offer an iCloud app for Windows, it’s likely that this mainly benefits Apple users who also use a Windows PC; we don’t really see people who are primarily Windows users signing up for an iCloud account to use the service, particularly because iCloud does not have an Android app. Android device users could access iCloud via the web app, but they would likely use Google’s online cloud storage to back up their photos and videos anyway.
As with other online storage services, users can set up iCloud to automatically back up and sync specific folders from their computer to their iCloud account, such as the Documents folder, Desktop folder, or others. Photos and videos from an iPhone or iPad can also be automatically synchronized. Using this feature can quickly eat up the 5GB of free space, so it’s likely that anyone using iCloud for such purposes would upgrade to a paid account. At $3 per month for 200GB, it’s still a relatively good bargain for the Apple faithful.
While iCloud users can use their personal accounts to share files with colleagues (and those files are encrypted in transit and at rest), this is essentially a consumer service.
Free account storage space: 5GB
Free account max file size: 5GB in theory, as long as it doesn’t exceed storage limits.
Paid accounts: 50GB, $1 per month; 200GB, $3/month; 2TB, $10/month. Apple allows these plans to be shared with family members (up to five other members). Those who subscribe to Apple services such as Apple Music or Apple TV+ may also be able to save money through Apple One bundling.
Paid account max file size 50GB, as long as it doesn’t exceed storage limits.
Additional features with paid plans: Upgrading your storage amount doesn’t give you additional features, unlike with other online storage services.
Time to upload 245MB file: 1 minute, 56 seconds
11. FileCloud
FileCloud is a cloud-based file sharing and sync solution tailored for businesses of any industry and size. It comes with many integrations, customizable features, and compliant with regulations such as HIPAA or SAS70.
FileCloud allows users to share files from any device, or set remote backups or file sync policies. The service includes a dashboard where IT admins can see file analytics like usage trends, peaks, or even user’s geography.
Features:
- Integration with MS Office and Outlook.
- Define permission-based access levels.
- Protect files with passwords.
- (Optional) additional customizations like multi-tenancy, automation, branch office replications, third-party integrations, and more.
Price: FileCloud is charged on a per/user/month basis. Level 1 20 GB ($129/month), Level 2 30 GB($199/month), and Level 3 50 GB ($279/month).
Choosing a file sharing tool for your business
Sharing files isn’t as much of a hassle as it once was, but you still have to pay close attention to your requirements. If you only need to send or store a handful of files then a basic version of Dropbox for Business or the free version of Google Drive will suffice.
However, if you think that you will require more space it is worth paying for a larger version. From an enterprise perspective, it is better to have too much space than too little.
It is also worth considering whether you’re content to send files or you’re looking for more collaborative features. Using tools like OneDrive and Google Drive that allow you to send files with links makes it easy to work with others. For industries where regulatory compliance is a big concern file sharing tools like Box are compliant with a range of auditing requirements that are the best fit.
Conclusion
Document sharing is a critical process for businesses. On one hand, some businesses may not choose to take the risk of parting with their documents. Therefore, they might avoid this type of data sharing. On the other hand, with document sharing tools such as Google Drive, Dropbox, etc., they may find it simpler and more effective to solve their challenging problems.
Document sharing has become increasingly easier over the past several decades, and the same can be said for accessing them. The Internet has made it possible to create digital copies of information and businesses’ values, among other things. Thanks to technologies such as the World Wide Web and email, the process is quick, safe and reliable.