My Experience
First of all, I really appreciate the idea of cloud storage because it enables us to access our files across various devices very easily. So, as part of this experimental activity, I first accessed Google Drive instantly since I had already logged into my Google account on the browser. The interface is really easy to follow as, on one side, you have various options regarding which files and folders you want to see on the other side of the interface. To upload the files, one just has to click the “New” button and choose whether we want to create a new file or folder or upload them. So, I dragged my assignment folder to the Google Drive interface, and it was uploaded immediately.
There is another way as well, which does not require uploading files or folders. So, for this, we have to download Google Drive and install it on our laptops or PCs. And then, we have to choose which folder from our hard drive we want to be synchronized. So, as soon as we select them, Google Drive will automatically track the new changes in that folder and will upload them to the cloud storage that can then be accessed on any device through our Google account!
Dropbox is also very similar. I downloaded it from its official website and signed up using the same Google account. The interface is still split into two sections where we can choose what files and folders we want to see, like those which we have uploaded by ourselves and those which have been shared with us. To add new files, we just need to follow the “create a new file” option in the interface. So, I think the basic procedure of synching the files on each software is the same.
Comparison of Dropbox and Google Drive
Product Strategy
Although the basic functionality of each software is the same, it becomes extremely difficult to differentiate between both of them at first glance, as they differ significantly in terms of security, free cloud storage, and speed. Both Google Drive and Dropbox encrypt data when they transfer from the cloud storage to the device or vice versa and offer two-step authentications, but Dropbox has better encryption technology. Moreover, Dropbox also provides the facility of sharing our files with others by first protecting them with passwords so that only the authorized person can access the file. Users can also set the expiration date of the shared link.
However, the free storage provided by Dropbox is only 2 GB, while Google Drive provides 15 GB of storage. However, if we refer our friends to Dropbox, we can get up to 19 GB of free storage. But most people do not like referring products to others only for having some kind of advantage. So, I think people will choose Google Drive because they can have instantly more storage. However, another element that makes Dropbox even better is the speed at which it transfers data. Dropbox, especially when uploading large files, can perform much better.
Price Strategy
The basic version of each software is the same, but if we need more cloud storage, we have to upgrade our subscription. In this regard, Google Drive is relatively cheaper than Dropbox, as we can have 2TB of storage for $99.99 per year in Google Drive compared to Dropbox’s $119.88 per year. With such upgrades, we can also have some other features like Smart Sync, through which we can access our files without saving them on our hard drives, and offline mobile folders, which allow us to sync our files on mobile without even an internet connection. So, in terms of price, Google Drive is a better option for cloud storage.
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