Sharing File, Size Limitations
DropBox undoubtedly comes to mind when we talk about cloud storage. But its recent dive in the game of data transfers could still be useful for its user base and others alike. A new user after signing up gets to use DropBox Transfer (Basic). This in addition to 2 GB cloud storage and transfer size up to 100 Mb, particularly less for some users. Though Plus and Professional versions provide more size, i.e, 2 GB for plus and 100 GB for professional. WeTransfer, on the other hand, offers two versions, Normal and Pro. While normal provides 2 GB transfers even without signing in, Pro provides 20 GB sharing and 1 TB cloud storage space. Firefox Send is also a simple way to share if you need to, well, just share. Without login, it provides a 1 GB of sharing limit which increases to 2.5 GB after login.
Price
Price can be a major barrier when availing could storage and transfer services. While all provide limited transferring in the free version, you can increase the sharing size by manifolds as you upgrade to a higher version. If you’re not in a need of large cloud storage or you don’t frequently share files, all three have free versions. It also gives storage and size up-gradation as you move further with Plus at 11.99 USD and Professional at 19.99 USD. All three versions have a substantial difference in terms of size limitations. I’d suggest choosing Professional over Plus as it opens up a lot of options and the cost-benefit is particularly more in comparison to plus. WeTransfer also has a free version but that’s only ideal for someone who doesn’t want to spend and still share large files. At a 12 USD fee, it not only gives you storage space of 1 TB but the sharing size increases from 2 GB to 20 GB. Firefox is simply file sharing. You get 1 GB upfront and 2.5 GB after you sign in. So if you’re looking for cloud storage integration this might not be an option for you.
Password
When sharing files online, often the link gets further shared with or without consent. Therefore added security is always a safer way and desirable. The basic versions of none of these give an option to add a password to file shares. The reason why I argued against getting DropBox Plus is that it isn’t a balanced option between Basic and Professional. So even if you pay you don’t get the option to add a password. WeTransfer and Firefox, on the other hand, provide password protection with the paid versions.
Expiration Date
It happens sometimes when I share a file with someone I want it to not be accessible after a few days. The expiration date exactly gives the option to add a date after which the link will expire automatically and no longer be available. DropBox in Basic and Plus automatically sets it to 7 days which can be reduced to 3, while Professional further adds a custom expiry date. We transfer also sets a default expiry period of 7 days, after which all data will be erased ( we suggest you save it locally ) or an unlimited period with PRO. Firefox has a slightly different approach as it also lets the user choose the number of downloads (1 to 100 ) with the maximum expiration of 7 days and a minimum of 5 minutes.
Login
One needs to be logged in to use Dropbox. So it’s only possible with signing up. You can further choose the plans according to the usage. Access all the other cloud features they are provided, moreover see the history of files sent and received. While WeTransfer doesn’t require a sign-in to send files. Just senders and recipient’s email addresses. There is also a login option that gives the user better access in terms of password and expiration. Firefox sign-in not only gives us a history of our file movements, but also the number of times it has been downloaded. This is one option that makes this super-simple file-sharing platform an obvious choice. So let’s say you’ve shared something for more days but you want to stop sharing it, login will help track and manage it all in one place.
Conclusion
As soon as you sign in to Dropbox, it gives you the option to share files with anyone (The recipient doesn’t need a DropBox account). Additionally, it also gives the option to see if the file-sharing has been downloaded and the number of times. It also keeps the original file intact and shares a copy so that no modifications can be made to the original file. You can also view the number of times a file has been downloaded. We transfer on the other hand with two plans Pro and Normal, which gives the ability to share, with custom expiration and a password. Same as DropBox you can ascertain how many times a file has been downloaded. Besides, it allows resending, deleting files if by chance you sent something you weren’t supposed to. Pro also lets you have a custom transfer URL and an option to customize the background. Firefox requires no sign in, but it restricts the file-sharing size. Link is active for up to 7 days. Simple interface, easy to use and you want to transfer and just forget. WeTransfer and Firefox Send can not go wrong. But if it’s integrated cloud storage with not so robust sharing option, DropBox still just qualifies as a cloud-storage service with laggard sharing options.
