As small businesses grow, they need to find a way to keep up with the latest technology changes. That’s where cloud services come in. Cloud providers offer a variety of options for small businesses, and it can be hard to decide which one is the best fit for your business. Here’s a comprehensive guide on the Best Small Business Cloud Server, cloud based server for small business cost, how to setup cloud server for small business and best file sharing for business.
Best Small Business Cloud Server
What is a Cloud Server?
A cloud server is a computer that is connected to the internet and used to store and serve your content. Cloud servers come in three main types: public, private, and hybrid.
Public cloud servers are typically available to anyone who has an internet connection, whereas private cloud servers are only accessible by those who have been approved by their provider. Hybrid cloud servers combine the features of both public and private cloud servers.
What are the Requirements for a Cloud Server
In order to use a cloud server, you must meet certain requirements including having an internet connection, being approved by your provider, and being able to run Windows or MacOSX. Some common requirements include:
Windows – You need at least Windows 7 or 8th edition. MacOSX – You need at least 10.8 Mountain Lion or later and Yosemite or later.
The Different Types of Cloud Servers
There are three main types of clouds Servers: Public Cloud Servers, Private Cloud Servers, and Hybrid Clouds Servers.
Public Cloud Servers: These are typically available to anyone who has an internet connection and can run Windows or MacOSX platforms as well as many other software programs. They offer low-cost storage space and often have free usage periods for first months after purchase.
Private CloudServers: These usually require prior approval from their provider before they can be used, but they offer much higher levels of functionality than public clouds servers and can be used on any platform without any limitations. They can also provide more expensive storage space but may have longer terms for free usage periods than public clouds servers do.
Hybrid Cloudsservers: These offer the best of both worlds with both public and private clouds capabilities so that you can mix and match between them depending on your needs).
Best Cloud Server For Small Business
Dropbox
Dropbox claims to serve more than 300,000 teams through their Dropbox for business cloud-hosting solutions. Expedia, Under Armour, Spotify and National Geographic Channel are a few of the well-known brands in Dropbox’s esteemed clients list.5 Beyond the cross-platform sharing, storage, sync, backup and seamless integration features, Dropbox allows file sharing even with users who don’t have a Dropbox account. The basic plan for individuals is free, offers 2GB of storage and comes with Microsoft 365 integration, allowing one to edit files directly through Dropbox. The Plus plan for individuals offers 2TB of free storage.6
The Standard Business plan offers 5TB of storage, with a standard charge of $15 per user per month for at least three users. It also offers full audit records of user activities, sharing, and controls. Business users get priority dedicated support.
Google Cloud Platform
Google Cloud Hosting is an excellent option for a small business cloud server. Known as AWS’s main competition, Google Cloud has millions of users and has many outstanding features for small businesses. Some features include its excellent support team, security, and continued network expansion.
The Google Cloud support team is reachable 24/7. Similarly, users with the Premium support plan can expect responses within 15 minutes, year-round.
As a result, this platform is constantly growing and offers encryption, independent verification, and more to make you feel safe and secure.
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Amazon’s AWS offers a wide range of cloud hosting services. Plans include Pay as you go, Pay less when you reserve, Pay even less per unit by using more, Pay even less as AWS grows, and Custom pricing. “Pay as you go” allows one to pay only for the resources actually used, without any long term commitments or upfront costs. The “Pay less when you reserve” plan allows one to invest in reserved capacity, and later get discounts and savings. “Pay even less per unit by using more” allows one to get benefits of reduced costs with increased storage space and data transfer. “Pay even less as AWS grows” plan allows one to receive benefits when AWS optimizations result in reduced operational costs. Custom pricing, as you might expect, is for clients needing customized solutions.1 AWS claims its unique selling proposition (USP) in computation and dedicated application services, including website hosting, mobile data backup, business apps hosting and gaming. Pricing details vary widely across multiple product offerings, and one can start with AWS free tier to get a firsthand experience of services and expected costs.
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure most commonly assists businesses with Paas, SaaS, and IaaS needs. One of the reasons so many users choose Azure is its speed. Azure makes creating and deploying applications, recovery data, and scaling a quick process. The number of premade tools, templates, and guides is readily available to users.
Another considerable benefit of this cloud server is that it provides flexibility in coding languages, locations, and service levels. As a result, having freedom and flexibility to choose your service level allows you to select the features you need without paying for the things you don’t.
To sum up, Azure’s security is also solid and comes with excellent disaster recovery capabilities.
Microsoft OneDrive
The tech giant Microsoft offers its cloud hosting services through OneDrive. Individual users can opt for 5 GB storage for free, while higher capacities such as 100GB, 1TB, and 6TB cost $1.99, $6.99, and $9.99 per month, respectively.10 The business plans start at 1TB per user for $5 per month, and come with a free trial. Beyond the storage, cross-platform syncing and powerful searching are the key features of OneDrive. It has its own downloadable software to keep remote and local data in sync, and also supports many third-party apps to seamlessly work with cloud data. It also offers hybrid options that integrate your on-premises solutions with the cloud services offered by Microsoft.
Cloud Based Server For Small Business Cost

Every company is different, thus we always advise scheduling a server consultation so we can create a solution depending on your precise requirements and spending limit. A small business dedicated server typically costs $100 to $200 per month to rent. A cloud server can be set up for as little as $5 per month, but most organizations would need to pay about $40 per month to have enough resources. For a small business, the price of a server for your workplace may range from $100 to $3000.
What is needed in terms of CPU, bandwidth, disk space, and memory will determine how much a small business server costs. There are also additional things to think about. RAID, DDoS defense, and the kind of hard drive used in the cloud server or dedicated server are a few of these.
How To Setup Cloud Server For Small Business
While the exact process of setting up a server for an SMB will vary based on your chosen hardware and operating system, there are some common steps you will need to follow.
- Prepare. Before you begin, document your network. Record the names of users, IP address, hostname of each computer, serial numbers, and locations. Check both the hardware specifications and software requirements of your server. You may find that you need to upgrade the operating systems of computers on the network in order to connect them to the server. You will also need to gather any items you need for the installation such as an ethernet cable and external hard drive.
- Install your server. If your server came with an operating system preinstalled, you can connect it to the network and begin configuration. If not, insert the installation media (DVD, USB, virtual media) and follow the instructions to set up your particular operating system.
- Configure your server. As soon as possible after installation, set the server backup (you may need an external hard drive), set up remote access to the server, and set sharing options. Set the server as a domain controller to allow all computers in the network to join the new centralized environment and to allow the server to authenticate user credentials.
- Complete the setup. Add a local admin account to each PC or Mac and connect them to the server. Set up printers and connect them to the print server. Organize and upload the data and applications you wish to have on the new server, for example, your accounting software.
Best File Sharing For Business

1. ExaVault (FREE TRIAL)
ExaVault is a cloud storage platform that includes a link sharing mechanism that speeds up file transfers by turning the task into a file sharing task. The transfers and storage of files is secured by encryption. Transfers are protected by Transport Layer Security (TLS) with a 2048 public key encryption system.
The storage space requires user credentials for access and the creation of accounts allows administrator controls over activity and tracking of data access for compliance reporting.
Key Features:
- Four plan levels
- User controls over file access
- Global file access controls
- Activity logging
The ExaVault plans specify a storage capacity available to your account. The plans offer 1 TB, 3, TB, 5 TB, and 10 TB with the top to plans offering the option to increase available space 1 TB at a time. Each plan also includes a maximum number of user accounts that can be created and these are 10, 25, and 50 – the top plan has no limit on the number of users possible.
There is no limit on the length of time that files can be stored on the platform. However, the space limit will force you to implement an administrative limiting rule yourself. There is a limit on the number of transactions that can occur within an account, which increases with each successive plan from 50,000 to 2 million per day.
Pros:
- No site-imposed aging limit for files
- User access controls include multi-factor authentication
- Share folders or files
- Object owner has the right to grant and revoke access permissions
Cons:
- No free tier
ExaVault plans are subscription services with a rate per month. You get a discount for paying annually. However, whichever payment cycle you choose, you have to pay for the entirety of the period in advance. You can get a 30-day free trial to assess ExaVault.
2. 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.
3. Dropbox Business
First up on this list we have Dropbox Business. Dropbox is a secure cloud storage and file-sharing tool that allows users to store their digital media in one location. You can access Dropbox files from your computer, phone, or tablet. Anytime you add new files or delete old ones the changes will be automatically synced across all your devices. You can also remotely wipe data if a device is lost or stolen.
Key Features:
- Shared folders
- Administrator account controls
- User file access controls
Dropbox also supports file sharing with users who don’t have an account. In team environments, you can use Dropbox Business to store files in one location and implement admin permission controls to manage who has access to what data.
Pros:
- Can automatically sync files across multiple devices, allowing teams to work in tandem across different hardware
- Supports file sharing with users who do not have an account, making third party collaboration simpler
- Flexible monthly price plans
Cons:
- Pay-as-you-go pricing can be over complicated for businesses who move files regularly
- File sync settings can be tough to manage and unexpected syncs can slow down machines
For individual users, there are three versions of Dropbox Business available to purchase: Basic, Plus, and Family. The Basic version is free with 2GB of storage. The Plus version costs $9.99 (£7.44) per month for 2TB of storage. The Family version costs $16.99 (£12.65) per month for 3TB of storage.

For team accounts, there are three versions of Dropbox Business available to purchase; Professional, Standard, and Advanced. The Professional version starts at $16.58 (£12.34) per user per month with 3TB of storage space. The Standard system is a group account and includes an administrator function. That plan is priced per user per month at $12.50 (£9.30). The Advanced version starts at $20 (£14.89) per user per month with unlimited space.
You can try the top plan on a
30-day free trial.
4. ExaVault – FREE TRIAL
ExaVault is a cloud platform that provides a file service system for distributed businesses. The service includes an allowance of user accounts that can be set up From this identity management package, the tool can implement access rights management.
The administrators can control access to the system and to specific folders and users can grant access to folders and files for collaboration. Users can also upload files to the service with STFP and FTPS.
Key Features:
- Access controls through user accounts
- A facility for managed file transfers and automated data flows
- Mail-out links for external access to files
- A secure file area
- Grades of accounts with different storage capacities included
Price and trial: There are four plans: Essential with 1 TB of space for 10 users at $120 per month; Standard at 3 TB of space for 25 users at $250 per month; Advanced with 5 TB of space for 50 users at $400 per month; and Enterprise with 10 TB and no limit on the number of users, which is priced by negotiation. These prices are for customers who pay annually and include a 20 percent discount on the month-to-month payment plans. You can get a 30-day free trial of ExaVault.
Tips for Successfully using a Cloud Server for Small Businesses.
Setting up and using a cloud server is one of the most important steps in successfully running a small business. By following these tips, you’ll be able to utilize your cloud server for all of your business needs.
Use the Cloud Server to Do Your Business
When using a cloud server for your small business, it’s important to keep things organized and efficient. By setting up quotas and limits on how much data or traffic you can access at once, you can ensure that your business remains running smoothly in the cloud. Additionally, by using software such as Google Apps or Microsoft Office 365, you can get great workflows and efficiencies when working in the cloud.
Keep Your Business Running In The Cloud
If your goal is to keep your business running in the cloud, then making sure that all of its vital functions are handled through a cloud server is essential. By keeping everything connected and managed through a cloud service, you can reduce stress and minimize costs associated with traditional office methods. Additionally, by having an online presence for your small business so that customers can interact with you from anywhere within the world, you can remain open and responsive to customer needs while away on vacation or during other busy times at work.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for an affordable, reliable cloud server that can do a lot for your business, then a Cloud Server from Amazon AWS is the perfect choice. By understanding the different types of Cloud Servers and choosing the right one for your business, you can succeed in today’s market.