Transfer a file through a file sharing service without registration. Cloud data storage. How to create a cloud for storing files. ⇡ Characteristics of cloud storage

It's hard to imagine without cloud services contemporary work with data. And this applies not only to work files and documents, but also to personal archives. And yet, many still prefer to store valuable files, especially photos, in a computer, on a hard drive or flash drive, and not trust them to servers located God knows where.

And this is a very big mistake.

It is much more convenient and reliable to store photos, as well as other files in the cloud. This, firstly, gives you access to them from any device connected to the Internet, and secondly, it provides greater reliability, because losing a flash drive or damaging HDD with gigabytes of priceless data, it is much easier than losing access to the cloud archive, for which the owner company is responsible for its reputation.

But which cloud storage to choose - more impressive, bigger, more functional? To help you navigate, we have selected the most interesting options and studied their advantages and disadvantages. To make it easier, we have indicated not only the minimum free size offered in each of them, but also how many photos will fit approximately (based on the average size of each picture of 4 MB).

There was a time when Mail.ru scattered free gigabytes: the company provided no less than 1 TB for free use. But the freebie ended as expected, and now only 16 GB are offered in the free Mail.ru cloud. 64 GB will cost 69 rubles. per month or 690 rubles. per year, and 128 GB - 149 rubles. monthly or 1490 rubles. in year. Also keep in mind that there is a limit on the maximum file size - up to 32 GB.

There are apps for iOS, Android and Windows phone, as well as desktop clients for basic operating systems- Windows, OS X, Linux. The Mail.ru Cloud service, first of all, captivates with space and the fact that it is “ours”.

If suddenly for some reason you do not trust foreign Google, Apple, Microsoft and so on, then you are definitely here.

iCloud storage is probably familiar to any user of Apple gadgets. iCloud Drive can store information that makes it great to work with Apple devices and forms a notorious ecosystem. Notes, calendars, reminders, program settings, documents, photos, mail, contacts, media library with playlists, backups - everything is synchronized without user intervention, which greatly simplifies life. Nothing prevents you from installing the official client on Windows, but, as in the case of iTunes, the program works more stable in its native environment.

There is a browser version, but it is not very convenient and also does not work with mobile devices. Otherwise, iCloud Drive storage is a full-fledged analogue of any other cloud: creating folders, storing data in them, and so on. 5 GB is provided free of charge - this is enough for text documents and sync your most important apps (say, Notes, Reminders, Music, Documents, Backup replica iPhone), but nothing more. Apple allows you to buy up to 2 TB of space - the most expensive tariff will cost 1490 rubles. per month.

The iCloud service will definitely come in handy for users of "apple" products, but if you use devices from other manufacturers, it makes no sense to choose it.

Dropbox can be considered a popularizer of cloud storage. The service was founded ten years ago, in 2007, and a fully finished version appeared three years later. With free Dropbox, you can't really go wild - only two gigabytes. This is only enough for working documents, you can immediately forget about a full-fledged photo archive.

For $9.99 per month ($8.25 if billed annually) you get 1TB of space, and there are also enterprise plans that promise "as much space as you need." This option is not available for individuals.

The paid Pro account - the one for $9.99 - unlocks additional features: advanced throughput, access parameters, link passwords, and so on.

Dropbox is undoubtedly one of the most convenient and functional cloud services, but making it the main place to store photos is only worth it if you are willing to pay for the expansion of available space.

Another Russian repository, along with Cloud Mail.ru. Yandex is very generous to its users: it gives additional space for inviting friends, on the occasion of the service's birthday (+5 GB), and also periodically organizes promotions. For each invited friend, get 512 MB, a maximum of 10 GB of space can be increased by this method. Partner promotions are often held: for example, they distributed 30 GB to buyers of Sony laptops and Intel ultrabooks, and owners of several Samsung laptop models received as much as 250 GB. When registering, 10 GB is allocated - it’s quite normal for itself, this is by no means a miserable 2 GB.

Additional 10, 100 and 1000 GB cost 30, 80 and 200 rubles. per month, respectively, and when buying an annual package, multiply the amount by ten. "Yandex.Disk" is presented for the main mobile and stationary systems. There is a separate program for SmartTV: you can watch photos and videos on your smart TV without additional devices. However, there are similar applications for other services.

Yandex.Disk is one of the best offers on the market in terms of price to volume ratio, and besides, there is always a chance to save money using promotions and discounts.

One of the giants of the world market offers a lot of opportunities. Almost any formats are read, tight integration with mail Gmail box, smart photo search, just like Apple - for example, by writing "cats", a list of not only text documents with this word will drop out, but also photos of animals.

Plus programs for working with tables, texts, presentations and so on. In terms of ecosystem capabilities, Google is not inferior, and somewhere even surpasses Apple. If you combine everything in one service, you get a convenient storage for all occasions. The service provides 15 GB for free, for $5 a month the space increases to 30 GB, and for $10 the space is unlimited.

Google Drive- one of the most popular custom cloud storage, and this fame is well deserved.

Microsoft's OneDrive cloud service used to be called SkyDrive, but due to a lawsuit with broadcaster BSkyB, the name had to be changed. 5 GB is offered free of charge, for 72 rubles. per month - 50 GB. Next tariff plans come with Office 365: 1 TB for 2699 rubles. per year or an account for five people with a total volume of 5 TB, each user has access to a terabyte. And this is not a business tariff: you can, for example, organize a family storage.

A line of tariffs for business is presented separately: a maximum of 9372 rubles. per year per user for 1 TB of space and access to Office 365. OneDrive features are the same as other storage options: file collaboration, document sharing, smart photo tag sorting, and so on.

If sharing cloud storage is important to you and you also use Office 365 or other Microsoft products, OneDrive is definitely your option.

Mega

The company puts special emphasis on the confidentiality of information: end-to-end encryption is used, which should improve data security. If that doesn't sound convincing, the company has another big trump card - 50 GB free. No one else will offer so much for nothing.

If that's not enough, the company offers paid plans for 200, 500, 2000 and 4000 GB for 4.99, 9.99, 19.99 and 29.99 euros per month. The service is not particularly popular, but the size of the available spaces is impressive, especially the free option.

The main disadvantage is a little-known startup, not an industry giant. Hence such generosity: neither Google, nor Dropbox, nor Microsoft need to lure users - people go to them themselves. Unlike Megaj.

Certain questions were also raised by the statement of the founder of a startup named Kim Dotcom, who left Mega and said that he did not consider the service safe. And this despite the fact that the cloud uses encryption in the browser itself through a reliable AES algorithm.

If you want the maximum and for nothing, are not afraid of rumors and negative reviews, Mega will suit you.

We draw a conclusion

Large storages (OneDrive, Dropbox, iCloud, Yandex.Disk and others) can automatically sync photos when devices are connected. In addition, you can back up smartphones to iCloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox. In collaborating on documents will help either general access to files, or collective accounts.

Also note that you add all content at your own risk. It’s better to get rid of materials prohibited by law altogether (if you suddenly have them), but you certainly can’t upload them to the cloud. And pirated movies, for example, may not be downloaded at all.

Some storages are more focused on the corporate segment, others - for home use. If you don’t want to spend money, you can create an account at least in each service: one for documents, another for photos, the third for backups files. It won't be very convenient, but it's free. But the best option is to pay and immediately get all the features and a decent place on the cloud.

If you are used to using the Mail ru service, you have mail there, then it will be more convenient for you to upload files to Mail. Until 2015, the Mail.ru File Exchange was designed for this. Since October 2014, the rules of the game with files on Mile.ru have changed.

Mail ru file hosting is CLOSED. Cloud Mail.ru now works instead.

To work with files, I suggest using any of the three services:

1. Cloud Mile ru,
2. dropmefiles.com,
3. Yandex.Disk.

In order about each of them.

1. Cloud Mile ru

You can use the Mile.ru Cloud to, for example, exchange files with other users. You can also store your files (videos, photos, etc.) in the Cloud. To do this, you need mail Mail ru.

I wrote in detail about how to use the Cloud Mile ru service here:

File hosting Mile ru has always been at the link: files.mail.ru.

Rice. 0 Mail ru files move to Mail ru Cloud

If you previously had your own files in the Mail.ru File Exchange, then in fig. 0 it is clear that they have not disappeared anywhere.

number 1 in fig. 0 - reports that previously downloaded files are still in the My Files folder.

2 figure in fig. 0 - redirects Mail.ru to Cloud, suggesting “Upload file to Cloud”:

2. Service dropmefiles.com

Yandex also previously had its own File Exchange - it was convenient for those who have Yandex.Mail. was closed even earlier than the Mile ru file sharing service, more precisely, it has been closed since January 2013.

Instead of the closed Yandex File Exchanger, now you are welcome to cloud service Yandex, which is called . You will need mail in Yandex.

All that is stated below is now HISTORY

File hosting Mile raked in the fly . I left the material about him (goes below) just as a chronicle of IT history. Perhaps it will be interesting for someone to find out what happened before (and there was File Exchange Mile ru), and, if desired, compare with what appeared in return (now Cloud Mile ru).

Attention! Below is an instruction on how to use the Mile ru file sharing service, which is now NOT relevant in connection with the relocation of the File hosting service to Cloud Mile.ru.

Who am I: an authorized or unauthorized user of Mail.ru?

First, let's define who we are:

• authorized (that is, registered on Mail.ru. Such "law-abiding" users are those who have their own mailbox on Mail.ru) or
• unauthorized users (that is, unregistered, those about whom they say “come in large numbers” in Moscow).

And which is better:

• authorized user or
• unauthorized?

First of all, it depends on what tasks you set for yourself. If you need to “quickly” upload a file to Mail and urgently send a link to it, then the option of an unauthorized user is quite suitable.

If you are serious, you are going to upload files to Mail, store them for more or less a long time, manage files, including deleting junk files- such a serious approach requires, of course, the option of an authorized user with his mailbox on Mail.ru.

1 (Kb)=1024 bytes,

1 Megabyte (Mb)=1024kb,

100 Mb = 1024x100 = 102400 Kb,

1 Gigabyte (GB) = 1024 MB,

10 Gigabytes = 1024x10 Mb = 10240 Mb.

Let's compare 100 MB and 10 GB, that is, in megabytes it is 100 MB and 10240 MB, the difference is almost 100 times.

Now for the shelf life facts:

• for an unauthorized user, files on the Mile ru file sharing service are stored for 5 days, and then “look for the wind in the field” - the files will be automatically deleted;

• for an authorized user, the files are stored for 30 days and you can renew them every month if you remember.

How to access file hosting Mail.ru?

To access the Mail.ru file sharing service, you can:

• in the search bar of your browser, type "file hosting mail" and click on the first link;
• or type files.mail.ru in the browser address bar.

As a result, you get to the Mail.ru file sharing service:

Rice. 1 We go to the file hosting Mile ru

If you enter your login (red number 1 in Fig. 1) and password (red number 2 in Fig. 1) from your mail to Mile ru, then you will become an authorized user on Mile ru, and the file hosting service will look like this for you:

If you are an UNAUTHORIZED user on Mail.ru, then the file sharing service will look like this for you:

There is such a child's game: to find as many differences as possible among two pictures. Let's play it. The fundamental difference between using the Mile ru file sharing service for an authorized and unauthorized user, as can be seen from the two screenshots above, is:

• in the size of the file that can be downloaded,

• V top menu, where it is possible to immediately send files by mail using the "Send / receive files" button,

• as well as in those opportunities that are provided in the left column. An authorized user, judging by the left column, can manage their files, and an Unauthorized user is invited in the left column to register.

How to upload files to Mail?

• click on the "Upload file" button,
• the "File Upload" window will open, in which you need to find a file on your PC to download,
• click on it with the mouse, after which the name will appear in the line "File name" desired file,
• Finally, click on the "Open" button:

Then the file is uploaded to the Mail.ru file hosting service and the "Get Link" button becomes active, that is, clickable. By clicking on the “Get Link” button, we will get a link like: files.mail.ru/SS3TPO.

• highlight the link (as they sometimes say, paint it in blue),

• press CTRL + C, the link goes to the clipboard (outwardly, this does not appear for the user in any way, he does not notice anything on his PC),

• go to the letter or in the comments on the forum, by clicking the mouse to place the cursor at the desired insertion point,

• press hot keys CTRL+V. File download link included.

Everything that is described below is available only to registered (authorized, that is, having their own mail) Mail.ru users.

After you click on the "Get link" button, the link automatically goes to the "Sent" folder with the heading "Public sending":

How do I know that a file has been deleted from the Mail.ru file sharing service?

If you uploaded your file as a registered user of Mail.ru, then at the end of 30 days you will receive an email with the following content:
“Hello, dear Nadezhda Shirobokova.
Due to the expiration of the storage period, your files placed on the [email protected] project:

• At the start of computer literacy.pdf
  will be automatically deleted after 1 day.

You can extend the storage of files for another 30 days by restoring them from the Deleted Items folder
Sincerely,
Project Administration [email protected]»

What can I do with files on the Mail.ru file sharing service?

As I already mentioned, a registered user can manage their files. By clicking on the “Downloaded” button in the left column (on below), you can select the file with a check mark in the right window, and then:

• rename it (click on the pencil image opposite the file name),

• download the file (click on the diskette opposite the file name),

• delete a file (click on the red cross next to the file name and the file will be moved to the "Deleted Items" folder):

How to recover a file from the Deleted Items folder?

To restore a file from the "Deleted Items" folder, click on the "Deleted Items" button, the remote file and next to it, click on the small blue “Restore” arrow to the left of the cross.

Still have questions? Who seeks will find!

Of course, I did not cover all the questions about working with the file hosting service Mile ru. If necessary, a registered user Mile can find answers to many questions in the left column of the file hosting "Frequently Asked Questions" or ask me in the comments to this article.

Computer literacy exercise:

Theory without practice disappears as quickly as morning mist. I offer you, dear reader:

• put theory into practice and
• upload a file from your PC to the Mile ru file sharing service,
• get a link to your file on the file hosting service and
.
Already more 3.000 subscribers.

File sharing or file hosting is a service that provides users with a place to store and synchronize files and provides them with constant access to the network. The Yandex file hosting service enjoys an excellent reputation.

File hosting services from Yandex - development history

The Yandex.Disk cloud service is designed to store data on servers, as well as synchronize and share it with other users. The Yandex.Disk file sharing service works on the principle of data synchronization between different devices. Since 2012, registration of new users has been by invitation only. Today, anyone can use the file hosting service.

Prior to the launch of the Yandex.Disk project, Yandex People was responsible for the safety of user files. The service allowed storing documents up to 5 GB in size. However, since January 2013, it has been closed, and all tools for uploading and exchanging data have become available in the Yandex.Disk cloud storage. Yandex.People itself moved to the uCoz service platform. The resource addresses remain the same and the content is preserved.

The main competitors of the service are Google Drive, Dropbox, [email protected]:

Benefits of using Yandex.Disk:

• No need to download files to a hard drive or flash drive. It is enough to save the document in the cloud, and the storage period is unlimited. After the file is placed on the file hosting service, the user will receive a link to it. This link can be left on the site, posted on the forum, in social network, chat, etc. In this case, your file will be available to everyone who sees this link;
• Downloading files from a cloud drive occurs without speed limits;
• Access to files can be configured for each user individually;
• The ability to automatically download photos and video files from a smartphone, camera, memory cards, etc.;
• There are special applications that allow you to recognize scanned text, there is file manager, utility for Reserve copy etc.:

File hosting Yandex.Disk - basic information

The idea of ​​creating cloud storage turned out to be very promising. Initially, it was embodied in the Dropbox product, later [email protected] and OneDrive ( formerly known as SkyDrive) , however, the capabilities of the Yandex.Disk file sharing service are really impressive. Several users can work with documents located in the cloud at once, and it does not matter where they are and from which devices they enter the network. Users can view the uploaded file directly in the cloud storage without downloading it.

Operational synchronization, elimination of the risk of information loss perfectly explain the rapidly growing popularity of this service.

Note that Yandex.Disk is free, but for a fee, you can increase the disk space to store large files. By default, the service provides 10 GB of space, and forever. And if you invite users, then your disk space can reach 20 GB.

And for each friend is given 512 MB. For promotions with partners, you can get up to 50 GB. For example, in April 2014, the campaign " 50 GB for smartphone owners on Yandex.Kit". The promotion end date is April 9, 2019. When you purchase a smartphone on Yandex.Kit and authenticate on the device, you automatically get additional disk space ( 50 GB for two years from the date of activation).

There are also paid packages ( +10GB - 30 rubles per month; +100 GB will cost 150 rubles per month and 1 TB can be obtained if you pay 900 rubles per month).

It is also possible to integrate Yandex-Disk into Microsoft Office 2013 and automatic download of video files and photos from external media and digital cameras. In this case, the user receives an additional 32 GB of free space for a period of 6 months. Every year, the Yandex Disk file hosting service becomes more and more functional:

How to upload a file to Yandex. Disk?

File upload options:

• Without registration, go to the interface of your mail on Yandex and find the tab " Disk" at the top:

• Using the Yandex.Disk program. Download and install the program. After it is installed, in order to upload the file to the file sharing service, drag it to the Yandex.Disk folder. Data stored in this location will be automatically synced:

The application allows you to save existing data or take photos, videos, screenshots and save them immediately to Yandex. Disk. The mobile version has found a certain similarity with Dropbox, especially after it has the function of automatically synchronizing what the user has taken on his tablet or smartphone.

When you first launch the application, you will be prompted to activate autoload and upload the file to the file hosting service in the cloud folder " Camera", which is duplicated on your PC, which allows you to quickly upload the captured photos to your computer:

Despite the fact that the installation is standard, in the process it is proposed to install Yandex.Browser, make Yandex main page in your browsers, and Yandex itself is the default search. All of these checkboxes can be unchecked.

As a result, in the tray ( bottom right of the screen) the program icon will appear. A blue circle will be visible during synchronization. A green checkmark will appear when the files are synced. The location of the local Yandex.Disk folder, which is used for synchronization and data storage, can be changed in the application settings.

How to copy someone else's file?

If you have a link to a file stored on Yandex.Disk, you can copy it to your "Disk". To do this, follow the link and click on the button " Save to Yandex.Disk". Immediately after that, the file will begin moving to the downloads folder of your Yandex.Disk. You can make uploaded files public or, conversely, restrict access to them.

You can make a file public by selecting an item from the menu called by pressing the right mouse button, " copy public link».

In this way, you can publish any data stored on your computer. As soon as you perform the above manipulations, the files will automatically go to the cloud storage, and you will receive a link that can be published on sites or sent to users:

How to share a file?

By sharing a folder, you allow other users to see its contents. The moment you give selected users access to the contents of the folder, it will appear in their Yandex.Disk. To do this, you just need to select a folder and click on " Share a folder».

Yandex.Disk has the ability to create new links to the same file. This function useful if it is necessary that the information product be distributed for a fee. To replace, simply delete the public link and generate it again - a new link will appear.

Before using a file sharing service, especially if you have to work with large files, make sure you have free space in the cloud.

Hello dear site readers! The Internet is developing at a staggering speed and now there is no need to store data on your computer when there are so many free cloud file storages around.

The "cloud" means a dedicated place in the system of one of the services where any registered user can upload any information, even personal data, without worrying about their safety.

But because of such an abundance, the question arises which of the systems to choose for an ordinary user, which is the best?

Therefore, I propose in this article to conduct a small comparison (review) of the most popular cloud storages, which, in order to attract a larger audience, provide free disk quota at high speed.

Why cloud services are needed

Before I start talking about ten the best systems, let's remember once again what is the meaning of virtual disk space and what benefits the user receives.

Cloud storage is a type of online storage where data is stored online on dedicated servers, access to which is provided only to customers and third parties with their permission.

In simple words, this is the same computer that you use at home, only a certain organization owns it and distributes hard disk space to everyone for free or for money, where you can upload / download files and other data if you have Internet access.

Benefits of online storage:

• Having access to files from anywhere in the world, if there is access to the network.
• High data processing speed.
• Availability of applications for working with the cloud on PC and mobile device.
• Free place.
• File storage security.

In fact, using the services of a virtual service, you get a free hosting for storing files.

After registration in one of the systems, the user will be allocated a part of the disk space, which can be increased for an additional fee.

The user can work with the account both in the mode of visiting the site directly, and by installing special applications on a computer and mobile devices, where all files placed in the cloud will automatically be synchronized on all devices.

It turns out from whichever device you go to your cloud, only the current set of files will always be available.

The best services for storing files online TOP-10

If you look at all the available services, it is unlikely that there will be enough fingers, but only some of them are still afloat, gaining popularity among users of the global network.

Let's take a closer look at the list of cloud storages that I personally use and which are worth paying attention to.

Yandex Disk This is one of the most popular cloud storages in the Russian-speaking segment, since most of us have automatically receive part of the memory in the cloud.

If you decide to use a service from Yandex for storing files, then get ready to get 10 GB of space for free, a user-friendly interface and excellent synchronization.

Those who do not have enough allocated memory will have to pay extra according to the current tariffs:

• 10 GB - 30 rubles
• 100 GB - 80 rubles
• 1 TB - 200 rubles

There is also a referral program, where for each invited participant you will receive 512 MB of available memory, plus participation in current promotions will allow you to get up to 50 GB more.

For example, for my birthday, the service added +5 GB of mail for life.

For the convenience of working with files, cloud users can install a program for PC (for Windows, Mac OS, Linux) and applications for mobile devices (for Android, iOS, Windows Phone) to perform all operations with data on different devices.

Google Drive This is a virtual cloud for the safety of user files from the foreign company Google, the leader in the IT industry.

If you delve into the history, then the developers just redid former service to work with Google Docs documents.

To get an account in Drive, it is enough to register a mailbox in Google, although this rule applies to all services of a foreign search engine.

I don’t think that this will be a problem for anyone, because after all new users get 25 GB of free space at their disposal.

To expand your disk space, be prepared to pay extra:

• 100 GB - 499 rubles / year
• 1 TB - 4990 rubles / year
• 2 TB - 9990 rubles / year
• 4 TB - 19990 rubles / year

Personally, I still have an old account on Mail, when everyone was allocated 100 GB for free, but apparently the company realized that this was extremely unprofitable for them and decided to reduce the volume of the disk by four times.

For those who are used to working with files not on the side of the service online, but through a PC and mobile. device, there is an opportunity to download the program for any computer operating system (Windows, Mac OS X, Linux) and smartphone (iOS, Android, WinPhone).

drop box This is one of the oldest file storages on the Internet, which is loved by many for its simplicity and support for a large number of file formats.

But alas, not everything is so rosy, from the minuses it is worth highlighting the small amount of space provided to new participants - 2 GB for free, and everything else for money:

• 1000 GB - $9.99/month
• As much as you need GB - $15 per user per month + tax

It is worth noting that you can use the cloud both on a computer (Windows OS) and smartphones (iOS, Android), you will learn more about it from the link provided.

OneDrive This cloud storage, once known as SkyDrive, is the development of Microsoft, which constantly monitors its products without ceasing to improve them.

To start, it is not necessary to register, it will be enough to log in to related services Outlook.com or Xbox Live.

New members receive 15 GB of free disk space. If you wish, you can increase the limit, it is enough to invite friends, where 500 MB will be credited for each new participant.

There is only one paid tariff here:

• 50 GB for $1.99/month

Do not forget about file synchronization on PC (Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 and Vista), mobile devices (iOS, Android, WPhone) and Xbox.

Mega A relatively new file storage created by MEGA Encrypted Global Access, where all data is transmitted to the server in encrypted form.

It turns out that even the cloud does not know what information users are working with.

It also gained immense popularity due to the large amount of allocated memory - 50 GB free of charge to all new participants.

I think it's very tempting to get so much disk space for free without inviting friends and other rules.

Those who are used to working with large amounts of information for a fee can always expand the limit.

• 200 GB – 4.99 €/month
• 500 GB – 9.99 €/month
• 2 TB — 19.99 €/month
• 4 TB - 29.99 €/month

For the convenience of file synchronization, Mega has developed computer, mobile and browser applications.

box This cloud service is known on the Internet more as a tool for managing business tasks, but ordinary users will also be useful.

It is unlikely that you will have to worry about the safety of data, since all information is transmitted to the servers via a secure SSL protocol, including 256-bit encryption.

But there is clearly a problem with the allocated space - only 10 GB and the maximum size of the transferred file should not exceed 250 MB.

You will have to increase the limit for money:

• 100 GB - 8 €/month (maximum file transfer size 5 GB)

You can synchronize files with a computer through a special one, and Box applications are provided for mobile devices.

4shared This is a cloud file-sharing hosting that has been popular among users since 2005.

It is not necessary to create account, just log in using Facebook accounts,

Even those who have never specifically tried to get cloud storage most likely have several gigabytes on different servers. For example, owners of smartphones with Android OS (as well as users Gmail) by default there is 15 GB in Google Drive. Windows 8, 8.1, and 10 PC owners have at least 5 GB of OneDrive. There are gigabytes of cloud memory for Mail.ru mail users (8 GB) or Yandex.Mail (10 GB). And since the average user has accounts in almost all of these services, without much effort such a user has access to over 30 GB of free cloud storage. If desired, this volume can be easily increased two or three times, and also completely free of charge - by creating additional accounts in the same services or by registering in other similar storages. However, there are situations when you need a large amount of memory, and switching between several different services is inconvenient.

Actually, having one account with a large amount of storage space is convenient in many cases. Cloud storage is a pretty good option for backing up archives or important files, because the servers of large IT companies are well protected from various hardware failures and hacks, and your own external hard the disk may be lost or damaged. Cloud storages are also indispensable in joint work on files of users remote from each other. If you often have to share files with friends and acquaintances (or with customers - for example, a photographer), then a lot of space in the cloud will not hurt either. And sometimes cloud storage is a more reliable place to store classified information, how physical memory(although not always and only in a carefully encrypted form).

Storages have different characteristics, so what works well for one task (for example, collaboration) will not be entirely successful for another (backing up valuable information).

⇡ Characteristics of cloud storage

If you need cloud storage only as a file sharing service, then when choosing a service, you need to pay attention to the free storage space, tariffs and the maximum amount of uploaded file (some services have such a limitation). These are the main characteristics, but there are others that also affect convenience.

Almost all cloud storages support preview files. But the list of such files may vary. Some services can show documents, photos (of various types), play audio and video files, while others only offer viewing documents (or photos). If the user needs to preview files in order to decide whether to download them or not, then when choosing a storage, you need to pay attention to the list of supported formats.

Some services offer the ability to edit office documents. So, Google Drive is integrated with the office suite "Google Documents", "Yandex.Disk" and "[email protected]" - with Microsoft Office Online and so on. Many repositories support document collaboration. When actively working with documents, it is important to choose exactly the storage that is integrated with the appropriate office suite.

To work with storages on different devices, you can use both the web version and clients developed for various operating systems that support data synchronization - a folder is created on the user's device, the contents of which are synchronized with the cloud storage. Such applications for common operating systems offer almost all the services discussed in the article. But the functionality of such applications may be different. Sometimes they allow you not to store files on the device, but only in the cloud (this is convenient on smartphones with a small amount of internal memory). If the user needs file synchronization or convenient access to the cloud through the application, then it is necessary to check how the clients work for the required OS.

There are also specific characteristics of some services. For example, a number of storages limit the amount of downloads per month. Some services offer advanced security services that encrypt files so that they can only be opened with a key stored on the device. There are services that support the WebDAV protocol, which allows you to connect cloud storage to a PC as a network drive.

All cloud storages discussed in the article allow you to share files and folders.

The domestic IT giant introduced cloud storage in 2013. Users who registered before January 20, 2014 were provided with 1 TB of cloud storage free of charge. Then the company offered 100 GB for free, then the amount was reduced, and now only 8 GB of cloud memory is available to new users for free. By the way, for users who had 1 TB of memory, but did not use it, the free amount was also reduced to 8 GB.

The web version and mobile applications of the service support viewing photos, documents, playing audio and video files. To edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations, Microsoft Office Online is offered. Paid plans support the WebDAV protocol for collaborating on files and connecting the storage as a network drive, and the size of the uploaded file can reach 32 GB (on the free plan - 2 GB). The service allows you to create shared folders for multiple users.

As a PC application, "Disk-O:" is used. This application displays the cloud on a PC as a network drive, and you can work with files on this drive offline (changes are synchronized when you connect to the Internet). Mobile applications allow you to free up space on smartphones by sending, for example, taken photos immediately to the cloud storage.

Additional memory is available on a subscription basis (billed monthly and yearly). You can subscribe both through the mobile application (the minimum additional package is 8 GB, costs 29 rubles per month or 290 rubles per year), and through the web version (the minimum additional package is 64 GB, costs 75 rubles per month or 749 rubles per year). year).

Yandex.Disk cloud storage services became available to users in 2012. At first, registration in the service was by invitation, but soon it became available to everyone.

10 GB of cloud memory is available to the user for free. On a free plan, with a large number of downloads of a public file (the official website does not report which one), Yandex can limit downloads for a day. Sometimes Yandex holds promotions that allow you to increase the free volume. The user can additionally purchase several packages of 100 GB or 1 TB each by switching to the Disk Pro service. The cost of 100 GB is 80 rubles per month. For Yandex.Plus subscribers, a 30% discount is provided for additional space in Disk Pro.

The service supports viewing images, documents, archives, books, playing video and audio files. Document editing is available through the Microsoft Office Online package. Support for the WebDAV protocol is provided.

Shared folders that a user has been granted access to do not take up space on their Drive (as in Dropbox, for example), but only on their owners' Drive. The size of the uploaded file can be up to 50 GB. True, the service recommends downloading files larger than 10 GB not through the web version, but through the application.

Unlimited storage is available for photos and videos taken on a smartphone. When this option is enabled, photos are uploaded to the All Photos folder and do not take up space on Yandex.Disk. However, when unlimited is enabled, the photo folder will not sync with the PC app. To do this, you need to specifically create a separate folder for them.

Box is an American cloud storage company created back in 2005. At first, the service was located in the .NET domain zone, and in 2011 it moved to the .COM domain zone. The service is not fully Russified, so sometimes the user will not interfere with knowledge of the English language.

Free users of the service have access to 10 GB of memory, while the file size limit is 250 MB. There is only one paid plan for individual users - Personal Pro. On it for 9 euros per month will be available only 100 GB of memory, and the limit on the size of the uploaded file is 5 GB. But almost all business plans come with unlimited storage.

Box cloud storage supports document editing through Microsoft Office Online, image viewing, PDF and so on. All files on the servers are stored in encrypted form. As an additional security measure, the user can set a password for individual folders. The service supports the WevDAV protocol.

Vault offers the ability to create notes, plans, to-do lists and more simple documents through the built-in Box Notes service. Files created using this service can be shared with other users.

You can also create documents, Microsoft Office or Google Docs spreadsheets directly in the web version of the repository and then edit them through the appropriate services.

Dropbox is one of the oldest cloud storage services, created in 2007. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco. The service was originally created specifically as a cloud storage. With the help of special applications, you can synchronize the contents of the folders of any connected devices with the Dropbox server.

Free storage already for a long time remains the same and is only 2 GB. Starting March 15, 2019, a restriction was introduced for the free plan - now you can synchronize data on no more than three devices. There are two paid plans for private users - Dropbox Plus (1TB for $9.99/month) and Dropbox Professional (2TB for $19.99/month). On paid plans, offline access to files is available, priority technical support. On the Professional plan, smart sync is available, thanks to which individual folders and files can be stored only in the cloud, freeing up space on your hard drive.

You can edit documents in the cloud storage both through Microsoft Office Online and through the Dropbox Paper package. The service does not support the WebDAV protocol. There is no size limit for uploading files to Dropbox, but you can't upload a file larger than 50 GB through the web version.

interesting additional opportunity Dropbox - connect via Third Party APIs services. For example, you can link the storage to the SoundCloud service and save your favorite tracks to your disk.

In 2012, hackers managed to break into the service and gain access to email addresses and passwords of 68 million users (nearly two-thirds of users). The company recognized the fact of the leak only in 2016 and offered to change the password to those who had not changed it since 2012.

Cloud storage "Google Drive" was created in 2012. At the end of 2018, the renaming of the service to Google One was announced, but so far the old name has been retained on the official website in Russian.

Cloud storage "Google Drive" is perhaps the most used in the world, because it is automatically accessed by all users of Android devices with a Google account (on these devices it is a system one).

Free users are provided with 15 GB of cloud storage. However, this volume is also occupied by attachments from all letters in Gmail and pictures from Google Photos. An additional 100 GB will cost the user 139 rubles per month. An individual can purchase up to 30 TB of cloud storage. Paid plans include expert help and family file sharing.

The service is integrated with the Google Docs office suite, supports viewing PDF files, images, videos, archives, files Adobe Photoshop And Adobe Illustrator and so on. Sharing access to files and folders is possible. Individual files can be accessed offline, allowing you to edit them without an Internet connection.

Upload file size limit - no more than 5 TB, if this file is not intended to be opened with Google service.

There is no built-in support for the WebDAV protocol in Google Drive.

iCloud cloud storage is for users Apple devices(Mac, iPhone, iPad). You can also download a client for Windows from the site, but you still need to have an Apple ID to use it (as well as to use the web version).

iCloud storage became available to users in 2011. Initially, it was used to synchronize data between devices and backup, but in 2014 the iCloud Drive service was introduced - a traditional cloud storage for any files.

Through iCloud, contacts of the user of Apple devices, calendar, photos, and so on are synchronized. With the help of the service, you can find and block your iPhone or iPad.

iCloud users get 5 GB of cloud storage for free. If necessary, you can switch to one of three paid plans - 50 GB for 59 rubles per month, 200 GB for 149 rubles per month and 2 TB for 599 rubles per month. The 200 GB and 2 TB plans can be shared with other family members.

There is no support for the WebDAV protocol in iCloud Drive. Viewing and editing files in the web version is not provided.

The service was launched in 2006 as a file hosting service, but later turned into a classic cloud storage. Like the Box service, MediaFire is not completely Russified, so for the full use of the storage you need to know the basics of the English language.

The feature of the service is the absence official client for PC. Moreover, earlier the service offered such an application, but since 2016 it has stopped working. So MediaFire does not have a convenient file synchronization between a computer and a server.

After registration, the user will have access to 10 GB of cloud memory, the amount of which can be increased to 50 GB free of charge by performing certain actions (installation mobile client, inviting new users). When downloading a file from a free account, the user will have to put up with ads. There is only one paid plan for individual use - for $7.50 per month, the user will have access to 1 TB of memory. On a paid plan, it is possible to protect files with passwords and generate one-time links to files.

When testing in the web version, we were able to view only a photo; to open documents, the system required downloading a file. Document editing is not provided, the WebDAV protocol is not supported.

The upload file size limit is 20 GB.

OneDrive cloud storage was created in 2007 under the name SkyDrive, but was renamed in 2014 due to a lawsuit by a British broadcaster. Everyone has a OneDrive account by default Windows users 8, 8.1 and 10. During installation or first start Microsoft systems offers to set up automatic synchronization of documents with cloud storage (this feature can be disabled or enabled later). So some Windows users work with this service without even suspecting it.

Due to OneDrive integration with latest versions Windows data synchronization between the computer and the server does not require special settings, the corresponding folder is already present in the "Explorer" after the installation of the system.

Free cloud storage is only 5 GB. The user can purchase an additional 50 GB of file storage or get 1 TB in Microsoft package Office 365. When using this package, the user can also generate links to files with a certain lifetime. Through the web version, you can upload a file up to 15 GB in size to the storage.

Documents uploaded to the cloud can be edited for free in Microsoft Office Online. You can view images, documents and other files. Cloud storage can be connected to a PC as a network drive using the WebDAV protocol.

pCloud

The pCloud cloud storage is owned by a Swiss company and was established in 2013. To date, the service is used by over 8 million people. A registered user is offered 10 GB of memory for free, but you can get another 10 GB as a bonus. There are two paid plans - premium (500 GB for 3.99 euros per month) and premium plus (2 TB for 7.99 euros per month). A feature of the service is that the user has the opportunity to buy a place in the cloud forever (more precisely, for 99 years: pCloud developers believe that hardly anyone else will live). So, for 175 euros you can buy 500 GB, and for 350 euros - 2 TB. Another license option is to buy a place for the whole family. By purchasing 2 TB forever, the user can share this amount among family members, and each of them will receive their own personal, confidential space.

Cloud storage offers the pCloud Crypto function, with which you can encrypt files placed in a special folder. According to the developers, even service administrators will not be able to open encrypted files, since the user will keep the encryption key. The pCloud Crypto service requires a separate payment.

Available for viewing are images, documents, e-books FB2, RAR and ZIP archives that can be unpacked directly in the cloud. The service also plays audio and video files. Editing documents in cloud storage is not supported. It is also impossible to connect the storage to a PC as a network drive using the WebDAV protocol.

The maximum size of downloaded files is not limited. Folders and files, as in all other repositories considered, users can get shared access.

All prices for comparison are indicated in rubles at the exchange rate as of March 21, 2019.

⇡ Which storage to choose

We will simulate several situations and, based on the data from the table and the description of services, we will select the most successful options for cloud storage.

If you need additional space for sending files by mail

If a user runs out of free space in the cloud storage of the mail server (for example, on Yandex.Disk), and at the same time he does not send too many files, then in most cases it will be enough to switch to the most cheap fare in the store that the mail server is associated with. For users of "Yandex.Mail" - this is "Yandex.Disk", for Gmail - "Google Drive", for Mail.ru - "Cloud" from Mail.ru, for Outlook - OneDrive. Trying to use other cloud storages that still have free space is not always convenient - you need to upload the file to the server, then generate a link, attach it to an email, and only then send it. And related to mail server storage allows you to attach large files to an email with almost one click.

However, if the minimum paid amount is not enough and you need, say, at least 1 TB of cloud storage, then you can find more interesting options for the price than the storage associated with the mail server offers.

⇡ If you need a large amount of storage (1 TB or more)

According to Table 1, the most favorable tariff for a volume of 1 TB, Yandex.Disk offers - only 200 rubles per month. Moreover, if you pay for the year, this amount will decrease to 167 rubles per month. And since the service allows you to purchase multiple packages of 1 TB, it turns out to be cheaper regardless of the amount of terabytes you need. The only exception is for Microsoft Office 365 users: as part of their subscription, they receive 1 TB of OneDrive storage, and if they have enough space, then they do not need to purchase additional storage from another service.

Another interesting option is to purchase a permanent pCloud license. For 25.5 thousand rubles, you can buy 2 TB for 99 years. This license will cost the same as an annual Yandex.Disk subscription (if the cost is constant) for 13 years. In addition, 2 TB purchased in pCloud can be divided among family members. However, you need to remember that pCloud has a limit on the number of file downloads from a public link, and there is no such limit in paid Yandex.Disk plans. So if the user plans to often share links to files, then it's better to subscribe to Yandex.Disk.

⇡ If you need secure storage with file encryption

For those who would not like someone to read the files on the cloud storage (even server administrators), Mega and pCloud offer their services. Absolutely all files are encrypted in Mega. If the user forgets the password, then it will be possible to restore it only with the help of a master key (formed at the time of storage creation), and if it is lost, then access to their files will never be possible.

When the Mega storage was launched, experts criticized the developers' encryption algorithms, pointing out that in some cases it is possible to intercept the encryption keys. However, there have been no reports of the vault being hacked yet.

Similar encryption is also offered by pCloud cloud storage as part of a subscription to the pCloud Crypto service. Only not all files will be encrypted in the vault, but those that are placed in a special folder. And you will have to pay extra for encrypting files. According to the developers, even server administrators cannot access encrypted files.

⇡ If you need storage to share with other users

For collaboration of a large team, it is better to use cloud storage business rates (they were not considered within the framework of this article). But if users do not need a lot of storage and business tools, then you can get by with services for individual users.

The best collaborative repositories are those that are tightly integrated with document editing services and are widely used for such work. Among the repositories considered for this purpose, we can recommend Google Drive and OneDrive (although you can also edit documents together in Yandex.Disk and Cloud from Mail.ru).

Google was perhaps one of the first to offer the possibility of collaborating on documents through Google Docs, in addition, this service is tightly integrated with Gmail and Google Drive, so it is probably the most widely used among those who work with documents. online. If the user plans to join such workers, then it is most logical to work through Google Drive.

At the same time, Microsoft Office is the most popular office suite in the world. In addition, as part of a subscription to Microsoft Office 365, a user has access to a whole terabyte in OneDrive. Therefore, it is easiest for owners of this license to use cloud storage from Microsoft.

⇡ Conclusions

So, to send files by mail, it is best to use the cloud storage associated with the mail server. If you need a large amount of memory, then it is more profitable to purchase a Yandex.Disk subscription, and as a permanent license - 2 TB from pCloud. You can use Mega or pCloud as secure cloud storage, and Google Drive or OneDrive for collaboration.