Alternatives to Dropbox
The original file sync service, with clients on every platform. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Dropbox
The original file sync service, with clients on every platform.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Dropbox.
Google Drive
Google's cloud storage and file sharing service with desktop sync and mobile apps.
Google Drive gives 15 GB free and ties into Docs, Sheets and Slides, but it needs a Google account and has no official Linux desktop client.
Microsoft OneDrive
Microsoft's cloud storage, built into Windows and Microsoft 365.
Microsoft OneDrive integrates deeply with Windows and Office and is included with Microsoft 365, but it offers only 5 GB free and has no Linux client from Microsoft.
iCloud Drive
Apple's cloud storage, integrated across macOS, iOS and Windows.
iCloud Drive integrates closely with macOS and iOS and offers end-to-end encryption through Advanced Data Protection, but it has 5 GB free and works poorly outside Apple platforms.
pCloud
Swiss cloud storage with lifetime plans and optional client-side encryption.
pCloud keeps clients on every platform including Linux, adds lifetime plans and a virtual drive, and offers client-side encryption as a paid add-on.
MEGA
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage with a large free tier.
MEGA encrypts storage end to end by default and has a large free tier, but it applies transfer quotas, and losing the recovery key means losing the data.
Nextcloud
A file sync and collaboration server you run yourself, with desktop and mobile clients that behave like Dropbox.
Nextcloud replaces the hosted service with an open-source GPL-2.0 server you run yourself, with similar desktop clients and virtual files, while maintenance becomes your responsibility.
Sync.com
Canadian zero-knowledge encrypted cloud storage.
Sync.com applies zero-knowledge encryption to all files by default and adds password and expiry controls on share links, but it has no Linux client.
Box
Enterprise content platform with governance and compliance controls.
Box moves toward enterprise use with retention, classification and audit controls, and its pricing targets organisations, while its personal free tier caps file size tightly.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Dropbox as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Syncthing
Keeps folders identical across your own machines, directly between them, with no cloud account in the middle.
Dropbox stores files in its cloud so devices need not be online together, but it is closed source and the free tier caps storage and linked devices.
Icedrive
A cloud storage service with 10GB free, client-side encryption and a mountable virtual drive.
Dropbox brings a mature sync engine with clients on every platform including Linux, though its free tier is only a few gigabytes.
kDrive
Infomaniak's Swiss-hosted cloud storage for storing, sharing and syncing files, with online office editing.
Dropbox has clients on every platform including Linux and a mature sync engine, but its free tier is only a few gigabytes and data is not hosted in Switzerland.
Koofr
European cloud storage service that can also connect and search your other cloud accounts.
Dropbox has a mature sync engine on every platform, but stores files unencrypted from the provider's view and has a smaller free tier.
MediaFire
A long-running cloud storage and file hosting service for sharing files through links.
Dropbox adds a mature sync engine with clients on every platform, but its free tier is only a few gigabytes.
Proton Drive
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage from Proton for backing up, syncing and sharing files and photos.
Dropbox offers a mature sync engine on every platform including Linux, but its files are stored unencrypted from the provider's point of view.
Resilio Sync
Peer-to-peer file sync with no cloud server in the middle.
Dropbox syncs through its cloud service with clients on every platform, but its free tier is small and files are stored unencrypted from the provider's point of view.
Seafile
Self-hosted file sync and share with optional client-side encryption.
Dropbox is a hosted, closed-source service with clients on every platform and smart sync, but files are unencrypted from the provider's point of view.
Synology Drive
A file sync and sharing package for Synology NAS devices, with desktop and mobile clients.
Dropbox moves files to a hosted service with a mature sync engine and clients on every platform, but the free tier is only a few gigabytes.
TeraBox
A cloud storage service with up to 1 TB of free space and apps for desktop and mobile.
Dropbox has a mature sync engine with a Linux client and smart sync, but its free tier is only a few gigabytes and caps linked devices.
Yandex Disk
Cloud storage service from Yandex 360 with sync apps for computers and phones.
Dropbox has mature sync clients on every platform, including Windows and Linux, but its free tier is only a few gigabytes and caps linked devices.
Zoho WorkDrive
Online file storage and collaboration platform for teams, with a desktop app and Android app.
Dropbox brings a mature sync engine with clients on every platform including Linux and iOS, but its free tier is only a few gigabytes and caps linked devices.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Rclone
A command line tool that syncs, copies and mounts files across more than seventy cloud storage services.
GoodSync
Block-level file sync and backup with versioning and many back ends.
Insync
A desktop sync client for Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox on Linux, Windows and macOS.
CryFS
An encrypted filesystem that protects files stored in cloud storage, including their metadata and folder structure.
