I have compared Box and Dropbox based on our users reviews in several parameters. After reading the collected data, you can find my conclusions below:
To summarize, based on user opinions, for larger organizations, Box is the preferred choice when compared to Dropbox. Users appreciate the simplified file management, as well as the ability to access Box on different devices. However, some users mention areas that could be improved, such as the limited integrations and inadequate search features. On the other hand, Dropbox seems to be easier to start with, and has a free pricing tier making it more relevant for smaller organizations.
"The most valuable feature of Box is security."
"The ability to collaborate around data anywhere, anytime is the most powerful features of Box."
"The solution is used for data storage and any kind of visualization."
"Box is very realistic when it comes to sharing capabilities."
"The solution is scalable."
"Box is very simple and effective, so I prefer Box."
"Using Box for cloud storage allows us to focus on the service and maintaining infrastructure."
"I like that Box makes it easy to deploy virtual machines."
"For me, the biggest thing is version history. I can easily go back and view older versions."
"The most valuable features of Dropbox are it can be used as a repository of all the photographs and videos that you have on the cloud. You do not need to worry about the hard disk crashing."
"A valuable feature is that it stores my files and photos. I'm satisfied with this product."
"The performance is good."
"The initial setup is extremely easy."
"The most valuable features I have found to be accessibility and ease of use."
"We don't really use the collaboration features because we have only a small organization. Dropbox is valuable having the hard drive space available, and the access to be able to upload and access the content."
"Dropbox is easy to set up as it doesn't require any installation, just a download."
"One thing that Box would benefit from is a records management component."
"The upload speed needs improvement."
"The search features and role permissions are not very user friendly. It only searches the first few pages of a document, which is quite a problem."
"They could integrate better with other platforms."
"I don't like the low level of role-based security it provides – it's very cumbersome, and the support is ordinary at times."
"In future releases, there could be encryption, to have better security."
"With OneDrive, you can continuously save your files over a Box folder. That is something I wish we could have."
"The UI should be faster. Sometimes it lags when switching between documents."
"I would like to see more storage included and more lessons on how to optimize it."
"The pricing could be better and/or more clear. Right now, they have a strange way of splitting pricing. It's a bit complicated and not clear for users."
"I'd rate the scalability maybe a seven out of ten. Once I stop paying, it is an issue."
"Security could be enhanced."
"The product's high price is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"2 Gb of free space and then a not so cheap subscription (also if the competitors have similar proposals for customers)."
"The free storage amount should be increased."
"Dropbox could introduce some sort of a notification with respect to how much storage you have left out of what is purchased."
Box is ranked 10th in Cloud Storage with 39 reviews while Dropbox is ranked 4th in Cloud Storage with 85 reviews. Box is rated 8.4, while Dropbox is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of Box writes "Allows you to upload and download files quickly but lacks integration with Office 365". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Dropbox writes "Seamless file synchronization across devices with user-friendly deployment". Box is most compared with SharePoint, Microsoft OneDrive, Citrix ShareFile, Office 365 and Google Workspace, whereas Dropbox is most compared with Microsoft OneDrive, SharePoint, Citrix ShareFile, Google Workspace and Amazon WorkDocs. See our Box vs. Dropbox report.
See our list of best Cloud Storage vendors and best Content Collaboration Platforms vendors.
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Having used both I am too in the camp of Box followers simply because it is more secure and there is a great storage space in the free option. Dropbox has gained a lot of fans from the younger market as it is quick and easy to use but it is also fairly limited in its toolsets and also in its storage space. Box has a feel of permenancy and strength about it and has been a real boon for me when preparing presentations for various gigs in a multitude of locations as it enabled all the artists to access runsheets, chord charts, music videos and technical data sheets, so that when we came together at the gig we were all playing, acting and presenting off the same songsheet! Literally!
I have used Dropbox for family business meetings and sharing of documents and ideas. It is also simple to set up and access which is a real boon when dealing with thechnophobes or computer luditites.
In the end it is horses for courses and if you are a thorough bred on a long race with plenty of jumps then I'd go for the horse called Box. if your on the beach for a donkey darby then dropbox will do what you need.
Appologies for the weird sense of humour.
The biggest difference we saw when we looked at Box a few years ago was that Box encrypted stored files both in transit and at rest in storage. This is a deal breaker for most enterprises because most enterprise policies won't allow public storage (outside company data center) of employee or customer data without it being encrypted in order to protect that information. In addition to better security, box had much better administrator tools than dropbox at the time. More granular control, better tools for the security team to enforce policies, etc. As far as I know, this hasn't changed in the last few years. Box is the only player really putting forth the effort to offer a secure cloud storage platform that has the ease of use of consumer solutions, but secured for the enterprise. Microsoft doesn't have it. Dropbox doesn't have it. I'm not aware of anyone else focusing on this niche of the marketplace.
If you’ve ever been frustrated by the desire to share your text files with a friend or business colleague, these two products will be a great boon. Both are free too. Both allow you to invite people to either view your files, or to share the editing. A great idea if you want to co-write a report for example. Both allow you to download the file, edit it, and then load it back up again. Or to edit offline on your PC using the synch option.
Box (formerly box.net) key features:
· Free storage – 10gb
· File size limit – 250mb (free version)
· Main users – business
· Good online help
· Works by you uploading files and folders, which you can then share. These can be synched with boxsynch – similar to Dropbox. Also free.
· Secure storage
· Not as intuitive to use (more like Google docs), due to endless security options
· Great for more robust business usage
· Looks very flash
· Has a business version
· Not so widely used (30m users)
· Access from most phones, ipads, PCs and Macs.
Dropbox key features
· Free storage – 2GB (introduce your friends and this goes up)
· File size limit – no limit
· Main users – everyone
· Little online help
· Works by synchronising to a folder on your PC
· Intuitive to use
· A doddle to set up
· Looks less flashy than Box, but improving
· Secure storage (it is now!)
· Great for simple file sharing
· Has a business version
· Very widely used (300m users)
· Access from most phones, ipads, Kindle, Linux, PCs and Macs.
If I were choosing now, I would almost certainly pick Box to work with, unless I wanted to share really large files (I don’t) or to run on Linux or a Kindle (don’t want to do this either).
If all you want is a simple tool to share a few files, then I’d choose Dropbox.
I’ve been using cloud based storage for many years now, but the earlier versions of Box, when it was Box.net, put me off, as they were flaky and cumbersome to use. Dropbox stole their thunder, made it really simple and hundreds of millions of users now use it. Both companies are working fast to capture users, especially business users. So watch this space, and watch Google docs too.
Thank you,
Jacqui