Dropbox: what it is, what it is for, advantages and disadvantages

Dropbox is a hosting service of files in the cloud, with cross-platform design, developed by the company Dropbox Inc. and officially published in September 2008.

In this sense, throughout the following text we will explain important aspects about this service: what it is for, how it works, advantages and disadvantages in its use, among others.

What is it for

Dropbox mainly serves to host or store files of different formats such as images, videos, documents, applications, etc., in the cloud to keep them safe. They can be downloaded, shared, modified or deleted, as desired. Therefore, this service also allows you to save space on your computer or cell phone, depending on the case.

How does it work

This service allows you to host any file you want, independently or by creating folders within a user profile. Now, in order to use the platform an account is required, that is, registering with Dropbox. This is something easy to achieve by accessing the official page and completing the website registration form.

How to register

To sign up for Dropbox you can enter the or download the app to your mobile (Android or iOS) and complete the registration form. In this, certain personal information must be provided, such as: name, surname, email and login password. It should be noted that this service also allows you to register using a Google account.

Subscription plans

Signing up for Dropbox is free and grants 2 Gigabytes of storage to any user with this type of membership. However, if the person wishes to increase this space, they can hire any of the plans available for individuals or businessesaccording to the case:

Personal Plus: It costs $11.99/month in a monthly billing type or $9.99/month if you want to contract annually. Provides 2000 GB of storage for a single account, with security encryption and access from any device.
Personal Family– Provides 2 Terabytes of storage and supports up to 6 different accounts. It costs $19.99 per month or $16.99/month if contracted for one year. It allows remote wiping of devices and offers information encryption.
Business Professional: It is focused on private users. It expands the storage capacity to 3000 GB, costing $16.58/month with an annual subscription type and allowing a 30-day free trial.
Business Standard: supports more than 3 profiles within the same account, provides 5 Terabytes of cloud storage and is valued at $12.50/month annually or $15.00/month if contracted on a monthly basis.
Advanced Business– Provides unlimited space, allowing more than 3 profiles per account, with access to hosted content from any device and at any time. It costs $20.00 monthly with an annual membership type.

Supported platforms or devices

Dropbox It is a cross-platform applicationTherefore, it adapts without problems to different computers or Operating Systems. That is why it has a mobile app compatible with Android or iOS, available in and . In addition, it offers what can be accessed from computers and Smartphones.

Note: It also has its own desktop app for Windows or Mac computers, which can be downloaded by following .

Complementary services

In addition to offering cloud storage, Dropbox has implemented another series of complementary services that allow you to use certain functions. Among these are:

Transfer: allows you to make large transfers to other people, easily and safely. In addition, it provides the option to track downloads.
paper– is designed to allow the creation of draft ideas in collaborative documents.
Passwords: is an application that allows you to keep passwords securely and access them at any time.
HelloSign: allows you to obtain secure electronic signatures for the different documents that require it.
DocSend: allows you to send documents and track their activity, securely.
Backup– is designed to create automatic backup copies of all the information stored on different devices.

In addition to this, there are other services that are in the “Beta” phase, that is, in test mode for those who wish to use them. These are:

Capture– Allows you to record screens and messages to send or share with other users.
Replay: makes it easier to complete video projects by allowing you to play them from the same computer and send or receive comments much more directly.
App Center: allows you to see a list of applications that can be linked to Dropbox to perform different tasks without having to resort to the platform itself.

Characteristics

This service integrates a good number of functions or characteristics, among which the following can be highlighted:

File organization: allows you to store different files in folders organized in alphabetical order, to access information much faster.
Synchronization: Used to synchronize the information stored on the different devices linked to the same Dropbox account.
Backups: allow you to back up important data from one or more devices, for example, from existing folders on the “Desktop” of the computer.
Document creator and editor– Allows you to create or edit Microsoft Office documents or files stored in the cloud, directly in Dropbox.
desktop app: allows you to synchronize, add tools, connect to your work team and work in a much more organized and fluid way.
Possibility of integrating tools– Provides the option to integrate tools such as Zoom, HelloSign, Slack, among others, to Dropbox to speed up certain tasks.
Password protection– Limit access or protect important information from strangers with features such as password protection, expiring links, and download permissions.
disaster proof– Works as an additional protection measure that protects files from unwanted editing, deletions, cyber criminals or viruses.
Information security and encryption– Allows you to send or share files protected with end-to-end encryption for added security.
File sharing: allows you to share files or entire folders with whoever you want, easily, quickly and securely.
Content collaboration: Allows multiple members of a team to actively participate in editing or creating a document.
Productivity tools– Includes a variety of tools to maximize productivity and streamline work time using Dropbox.
Cloud storage– Keep important files in a safe place and access them from any device, whenever you want.
Work offline: allows you to edit or create files without using an Internet connection.

Advantages

Being such a versatile and complete service, there are many advantages that are obtained when using Dropbox. That is why some of them are mentioned below:

Provides 2 Gigabytes of free space upon registration.
It has a simple to use interface.
Integrate different tools that facilitate the execution of many tasks.
Allows you to protect files with password.
It can be installed on different devices.
It allows access files at any time.
Allows you to make backup copies of important information.
Files can be sent Large size.
It allows you to easily recover documents if they are deleted by mistake.
Integrates a function that allows you to work on files, even if there is no connection to Internet.

Disadvantages

Despite the many benefits that Dropbox offers, there are some disadvantages or negative aspects to this service. These include the following:

Only one user can edit the documentthat is, to collaborate on the creation of a file you must wait for the other person to finish.
The space limit on free accounts may be small.
The cost of Premium plans can be high for many users.

As could be seen, Dropbox is a cloud hosting service, existing since 2008 and with multiple tools that are quite practical when working.