A lot of companies are dependent on their employees sharing files internally, and externally. Email has proven to be very unreliable for this, due to its nature of going through third party servers. Sharing files via the cloud is becoming increasingly popular, and there is a plethora of options when it comes to doing so. This article will explain what characteristics are important to consider when choosing document sharing services, as well as briefly explaining some of the more popular programs available.
There are many free file sharing sites available on the internet today, many of which are community based. Our best document sharing programs allow you to collaborate with others on projects, send large files and share them securely with friends, family or co-workers.
If you are looking for a file sharing collaboration software to share files, this post is just for you. In this article, you will find out the top 10 free file sharing sites with large file size limit up to 1 GB or more and 10 GB per file. All of these software or websites provide high speed downloading service and fast upload for unlimited data transfer.
Today, file sharing platforms are playing an essential role in the technology-driven world. The transparency they offer through their file sharing services is unparalleled and unmatched. But with the large range of options available online, it can be difficult to choose the right one. That’s why this article is going to outline best document sharing programs in 2022 along with some notable file sharing platforms online. Let’s begin.
File Sharing Service Comparison
When comparing file sharing services, consider the following features:
- On-site vs. cloud storage: On-site storage involves saving your documents to a local server and software. Cloud storage platforms allow businesses to save their documents to a third-party server and access them from any location.
- Security: Businesses that share and store confidential information want to avoid a data breach. EFSS products offer the highest level of security for file sharing and storage.
- Scalability: File sharing and collaboration require the ability to increase the available data storage capacity. Cloud storage services are ideal for scalability because they offer a pricing model based on storage space.
Box
It’s nearly impossible to talk about Box without mentioning Dropbox (and vice versa), as the two are frequently pitted against each other. Box has always been geared toward businesses and enterprises, while Dropbox used to be largely focused on consumers and SMBs. But both services now include enterprise collaboration features and cloud content management via integrations with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365/Office 365, and many others, along with enterprise-grade security and management options.
There is a free plan for individudals that lets you kick the tires — it offers 10GB of storage, a 250MB file upload limit, and the ability to share these files with limited permissions. The file upload size limit is a bit strict if you are trying to share video files, but the 10GB storage limit is still pretty generous. Additionally, all of Box’s business plans offer a 14-day free trial.
Free account storage space: 10GB
Free account max file size: 250MB
Paid accounts: Personal Pro, 100GB storage, $10/month; Business Starter, 100GB storage, $5/user/month; Business, unlimited storage, $15/user/month; Business Plus, unlimited storage, $25/user/month; Enterprise, unlimited storage, $35/user/month; Enterprise Plus, unlimited storage, custom pricing. (All business plans require at least 3 users. Prices shown are for annual payments.)
Paid account max file size: Personal Pro, 5GB; Business Starter, 2GB; Business, 5GB; Business Plus, 15GB; Enterprise, 50GB, Enterprise Plus, 150GB.
Additional features with business plans: Built-in integrations with Slack (as well as Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace), plus 1 additional enterprise app integration; Box Sign (unlimited e-signatures via web app); Box Relay (workflow automation); data loss protection; two-factor authentication; SSO; Active Directory integration; other user management features. Higher-level plans offer additional enterprise app integrations; HIPAA/FedRAMP compliance; document watermarking; AI-powered threat detection; more.
Time to upload 245MB file: 35 seconds
Citrix ShareFile
ShareFile, which Citrix acquired in 2011, creates a custom file-sharing site for your business, so you can share files easily with clients, partners, co-workers, and others. For example, your accountant might use ShareFile to securely share tax documents with you. The service offers lots of compelling features and tools for business users, including workflow management, document collaboration, e-signatures, and integration with Outlook and Gmail.
Security is robust, too, with enterprise-grade encryption and customizable permissions settings. The ShareFile dashboard makes it easy to add new users and toggle between personal and shared folders. Full-featured apps are available for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. There is no free plan, but you can try the Premium version for free for 30 days without having to enter a credit card number. The company also offers a virtual data room for 5 employee users, which offers advanced security, sharing, and control for sensitive data.
Free account storage space: N/A
Free account max file size: N/A
Paid accounts: Standard, unlimited storage, $50/month; Advanced, unlimited storage, $77/month; Premium, unlimited storage, $122/month; Virtual Data Room, 5GB storage, $338/month. All plans are for up to 5 employee users (additional employee user fees are $10–$24/user/month) and unlimited client users. (Prices shown are for annual payments.)
Paid account max file size: Standard, Advanced, and Premium, 100GB; Virtual Data Room, 5GB.
Other paid options include: Feedback and approvals workflow; activity logs; versioning; third-party integrations including Microsoft 365/Office 365 collaboration.
Time to upload 245MB file: 1 minute, 38 seconds
Dropbox
As previously mentioned, Dropbox and Box are big players in the business market, offering enterprise-level security and management features as well as a healthy ecosystem of integrated third-party apps that make the services more robust. Both have continually evolved and improved to the point that, for most organizations, either one is a great option.
In recent years, Dropbox has been adding features aimed at boosting productivity and collaboration, such as the ability to create Microsoft Office or Google Docs/Sheets/Slides files from within Dropbox and a new shared Spaces interface for team collaboration.
To try before you buy, Dropbox’s free Basic plan for individuals offers 2GB of storage. A 30-day free trial is available for all business plans.
Free account storage space: 2GB
Free account max file size: No limit, but must be smaller than your storage space quota.
Paid accounts: Personal plans include Plus (1 user, 2TB storage, $10 per month) and Family (up to 6 users, 2TB shared storage, $17/month). Work plans include Professional (1 user, 3TB storage, $16.60/month); Standard (3+ users, 5TB storage, $12.50/user/month); Advanced (3+ users, unlimited storage, $20/user/month). For enterprise plans, contact Dropbox Sales. (Prices shown are for annual payments.)
Additional features with business plans: 180 days of file recovery and version history, 180-day history for Dropbox Rewind (recover from accidents/ransomware by reversing changes at folder or account level), remote device wipe, two-factor authentication, document watermarking, shared link controls, file locking, branded sharing, priority email support, and live chat support. Higher-level plans offer HIPAA compliance, an admin console, SSO integration, audit logs, more.
Time to upload 245MB file: 56 seconds
Sync.com
Sync.com – Best for secure file storage and document collaboration.
Sync.com is a secure cloud storage platform with document collaboration features. It lets internal teams, external partners, clients, and customers collaborate together. It makes files accessible on computers, mobile devices, and the web. For secure file collaboration, Sync.com provides a facility to create centralized folders and manage their permissions.
Features:
- Sync.com provides features for sharing documents with a custom-branded client file portal.
- It backs up your files in real-time.
- It has advanced share controls and capabilities of 365-day file history, restricting downloads, password protection sharing, etc.
- For security & privacy protection, it provides features like end-to-end encryption, HIPAA compliance, GDPR compliance, etc.
- It has features for controlling access with passwords, expiry dates, etc.
Cons: No such cons to mention.
Verdict: Sync.com is a file sharing and document collaboration platform that facilitates accessing files instantly from computers, mobile devices, and the web. This allows managing permissions to secure sharing and collaboration. Its groundbreaking privacy protection features will keep your work safe.
Price: Sync.com offers plans for individuals as well as teams. There is a free plan for individuals with basic features. Two more plans for individuals are Solo Basic ($8 per month) and Solo Professional ($20 per month).
Plans for teams are Teams Standard ($5 per user per month), Teams Unlimited ($15 per user per month), and Enterprise (Get a quote). All these prices are for annual billing.
pCloud
Best for small to large businesses.
pCloud is secure cloud storage that will let you store, share, and work on all of your files. It is accessible on any device. You can share and collaborate with your friends. pCloud Crypto will keep your private files confidential. It provides the highest level of encryption.
For your photos and other files, pCloud can provide a completely secure digital asset management software. It will keep the deleted files in the Trash folder for some time. This duration varies according to the plan. It is 15 days for a free plan and 30 days for paid plans.
Features:
- pCloud will let you share the files with multiple options like Invite to Folder, Download & Upload Links, and Direct links.
- It has features for file management, sharing, security, file versioning, file backup, and digital asset management.
- For managing the files, pCloud provides the facility to search and filter the files.
- It provides TLS/SSL encryption while transferring files from your machine to the pCloud server.
- It provides more security features like password protection and client-side encryption.
Cons:
- It doesn’t provide many features in the free version.
Verdict: pCloud is one of the best secure encrypted cloud storage platform. You can save the file and can access it from all devices. For a specific period, it can save the versions of the files.
Price: pCloud has two pricing plans, Premium Plan of 500GB ($47.88 per year) and Premium Plus Plan of 2TB ($95.88 per year). Lifetime plans are also available. The platform can be tried for free also as it offers a free plan.
WeTransfer
Best for small to medium businesses and freelancers. It is easy to use.
WeTransfer provides a platform to send files around the world. It provides the functionality to resend and delete transfers. It supports Password-protected transfers. You can have your Pro page and URL with the Pro plan. It also provides a drag-and-drop facility. You can transfer files or folders with this platform without zipping them.
Features:
- WeTransfer will let you decide the duration (a week/month/forever) of transfer to be kept available in storage.
- It has a feature of ‘Track downloads’. It will help you with link transfers to see the number of times your transfers are downloaded.
- It provides features to manage transfers to resend, forward, or delete your transfers.
- You can set password protection and custom expiration dates.
Cons:
- WeTransfer doesn’t provide even small storage with the free plan.
Verdict: WeTransfer can be used to transfer files or folders. It contains many more functionalities like email transfer up to 50 people and link transfer to unlimited people.
Price: WeTransfer allows sharing large files up to 2GB for free. With a paid plan it will allow you to send and receive up to 20 GB. WeTransfer Pro plan will cost you $12 per month.
What to Look for in a File Sharing Service
Cloud access to digital files, correspondence, workflows and other work-related functions needs to be easy, intuitive, reliable and, most importantly, secure. The technology also needs to be configured to work across multiple devices, from smartphones and tablets to desktop computers and laptops.
There are many online file sharing softwares and platforms available on the marketplace with varying levels of functionality and price points, and it can be difficult to determine the best document sharing platform. Most sharing sites offer free account options and drag and drop features, but most businesses will need to invest in a tiered plan.
Some also serve as a document storage hub for an entire organization while others focus merely on securely transferring files from one place to another. So, what’s the best file sharing site? Depending on your needs, here are some popular options to consider.
Conclusion
Every small business owner or individual that works in several computers knows the importance of leaving a paper trail. That is why there are many document creation and sharing programs on the market. The best file sharing program depends on your needs but if you want to choose one, it is better to look at all the different aspects of each platform.
The best document sharing programs are essential tools for streamlining employee collaboration and coordination. From free to paid solutions, these document sharing programs offer a range of features that make it easy to share files, edit content from anywhere, and simplify workflows across your entire business.