OneDrive was my go-to cloud storage resolution. I picked it as a result of it offered all the pieces I wanted at the moment, however as my storage wants grew, I finally ran out of persistence with it. So, I got down to discover another that is not solely cheaper but in addition higher. I discovered it, and I have never regarded again.
The issue I had with OneDrive
Now, I am going to caveat this by saying that OneDrive is without doubt one of the finest cloud storage providers out there. I began utilizing OneDrive naturally since I already had a Microsoft Outlook e-mail. Once I first began utilizing OneDrive, it appeared like the right cloud storage resolution. It was constructed into Home windows (my present laptop computer OS on the time), labored seamlessly throughout my gadgets, and supplied an honest quantity of area to get began. You possibly can additionally improve when you crammed your free quota at what appeared like an inexpensive charge.
However over time, the cracks started to point out, they usually turned tougher to disregard. The most important disadvantage I bumped into was value. Microsoft bundles OneDrive with Microsoft 365, which gives good worth in the event you use Phrase, Excel, and the remainder of the corporate’s Workplace apps every single day. The most cost effective paid plan (Microsoft 365 Primary) is the one plan that does not embrace Workplace apps.
Microsoft 365 Primary prices $1.99/month and provides you 100GB of cloud storage, 100GB of mailbox storage, and extra software-focused perks. The subsequent plan, Microsoft 365 Private, prices $9.99/month and comes with 1TB of cloud storage, entry to Microsoft’s Workplace desktop apps (Phrase, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote), Home windows Defender, Copilot, premium help, and different software program perks.
Screenshot by Alvin Wanjala — no attribution required
Should you use Workplace apps, Microsoft 365 is value paying for. As such, the bundling was good worth whereas I used to be nonetheless in class and used Workplace apps more often than not. After graduating, paying for apps I do not use to get cloud storage began appears like a waste of cash. Once I in contrast it to standalone cloud suppliers, I spotted I used to be overspending.
The principle attraction was the comfort of getting Workplace apps and storage in a single bundle. However I not wanted the corporate’s productiveness apps. All I wished was sufficient area to retailer my information.
The seek for options
As soon as I spotted OneDrive was not value the associated fee, I began in search of options that might higher swimsuit my wants. My priorities have been clear: I wished one thing reasonably priced. I did not want a bundled productiveness suite. I simply wished devoted cloud storage that was simply nearly as good as OneDrive however cheaper.
Step one was evaluating costs. I checked out widespread names like Google Drive, Dropbox, Field, iCloud, and even a couple of lesser-known and underrated cloud storage providers like Sync.com, pCloud, iDrive, and Proton Drive. As a result of totally different providers have totally different value tiers, I made a decision to match them primarily based on the worth you pay per one terabyte (TB) of storage for the most cost effective plan that features no less than 1TB of storage. That method, I may simply examine the various providers out there and discover the most cost effective one.
Tashreef Shareef / MakeUseOf
Tashreef Shareef / MakeUseOf
Whereas affordability was on the forefront, I did not neglect different important options which might be essential to think about when selecting a cloud storage resolution. A few of them embrace safety, information privateness, ease of use, cross-platform help, straightforward file sharing, dependable pace and efficiency, and restoration choices. For instance, I dominated out Apple’s resolution as a result of, whilst you can entry iCloud on any system, accessing it’s inconvenient as a result of you may solely entry it by way of the online in the event you use a non-Apple system.
With these options in thoughts, I had loads of potential cloud storage providers to choose from. Throughout the course of, I spotted simply what number of options exist past the large names. On the floor, most of them regarded related. All of them allow you to retailer information, sync throughout gadgets, and share with others. However the deeper I dug, the extra variations I observed.
Some prioritized privateness, others have been geared towards backups, and some stood out for his or her simplicity. And in the long run, I discovered one which struck the right stability between value, comfort, usability, privateness, and reliability.
Why I selected Mega as the right OneDrive different
After evaluating out there choices, I finally landed on Mega—and it checked all of the bins I used to be in search of. What instantly stood out was its pricing. First, Mega affords beneficiant free storage of 20GB for each consumer, and you’ll improve to certainly one of its paid plans for extra. That makes it top-of-the-line free cloud storage providers as of this writing. With 20GB storage on the free plan, that is 4 instances the 5GB OneDrive affords.
The most cost effective paid plan affords 3TB of storage for $11.69/month (or $9.75/month paid yearly). That rounds as much as about $3.87/TB/month, which is healthier worth for cash in comparison with most mainstream choices, together with OneDrive. OneDrive expenses $9.99/month for 1TB of storage, which is nearly the identical as what you get on Mega for 3TB of storage. Whereas Mega is not absolutely the least expensive service, its pricing and options make it a strong decide.
Screenshot by Alvin Wanjala — no attribution required
A type of options is privateness. Not like OneDrive and plenty of of its rivals, Mega places end-to-end encryption entrance and middle. Meaning my information are encrypted earlier than they ever go away my system, and solely I maintain the keys to entry them. OneDrive does use encryption for information in transit and at relaxation. Nevertheless, the distinction is that Microsoft holds the keys, which means it may well entry and scan your information.
Mega would not try this due to its zero-knowledge encryption. It could possibly solely scan your information in the event you share them with another person. For somebody involved about information assortment and misuse, this was an enormous promoting level.
It additionally impressed me with its cross-platform help. Like OneDrive, it is out there on all main platforms, together with Home windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. The supply of apps throughout gadgets makes it handy to entry them, it doesn’t matter what my most popular gadgets are. It additionally has an internet software that I can use to entry my information on any platform that does not have an app, like Linux. I did not really feel like I used to be lacking out on something by switching to Mega.
How I moved my information from OneDrive to Mega
Switching from one cloud storage supplier to a different could be intimidating, particularly when you might have years of information rigorously organized. But my expertise of transferring from OneDrive to Mega turned out to be a lot simpler than I anticipated. This is how you are able to do it:
- Log in to your OneDrive account by way of the online and choose the My information folder within the left sidebar.
- Hover over any file or folder and click on the checkmark on the left to pick out it. Make sure that to pick out all of the information and folders you’d wish to switch.
- Click on the Obtain button within the high bar. This can obtain all of your chosen information in OneDrive to your system.
- As soon as performed, go to mega.io and log in to your account, then choose Cloud drive within the left sidebar.
- Drag the downloaded information and folders out of your pc and drop them onto Mega’s internet interface, then click on Add within the pop-up to start out the add course of.
And similar to that, I had moved all my information to Mega. After that, you too can obtain the desktop app to mechanically sync particular information and folders in your system to Mega, similar to you may with OneDrive. After migration, examine if all the pieces’s tremendous, then whether it is, you may safely delete your information from OneDrive.
OneDrive served me properly, so leaving felt like a chance. Nevertheless, Mega has confirmed to be a greater and cheaper alternative. With it, I solved my two foremost ache factors with OneDrive: value and privateness. Now I’ve a cloud service that does not cost me a premium for perks I do not want and respects my privateness.
