Cloud storage services are great for sharing files with friends and families, keeping documents in sync between all of your devices, and so much more. Free cloud storage is even better!
Yes, there really are no-strings-attached, free cloud storage services out there. Many of them, actually. While nearly all have premium offerings that provide more space, the free cloud storage offered is usually more than enough for most people.
After considerable consideration I decided to build my own. An OS-less HP Microserver costs a fraction of what a Qnap NAS does, and this way I wouldn't be married to an over-priced, low-spec proprietary platform. But what OS to put on it? My hunt for the ultimate free open source NAS distro began. Openfiler is an operating system that provides file-based network-attached storage and block-based storage area network. It was created by Xinit Systems, and is based on the rPath Linux distribution. It is free software licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2. Its software stack interfaces with open source third-party software. FreeNAS, as the name suggests, is a free open-source Network Attached Storage software. FreeNAS is the other (along with Amahi) best free home server OS that I like. Originally built on FreeBSD, FreeNAS is the simplest and the lightest way to create a centralized and accessible home for your data through responsive web interface.
- FreeNAS is open source-cum-free network attached storage software based on FreeBSD and the OpenZFS file system. It is licensed under the BSD licence and runs on X86-64 hardware. It provides a.
- There's nothing like free software to save some drain on your storage management or data protection budget - if that free software works, of course. Here are 10 storage utilities you can download.
- Best Network Attached Storage for 2019. Our editors hand-picked these products based on our tests and reviews. If you use our links to buy, we may get a commission.
- As a complete network attached storage solution it offers a large variety of services and features. Key Features XigmaNAS - The Free Network Attached Storage Project Website feedback.
Better yet, many of these free online storage providers give you even more free space for referring friends or performing other tasks.
Having trouble deciding on which free cloud storage service is right for you? Here's a comparison chart of the top five services to help you decide.
Cloud storage is different than automatic cloud backup. The services listed below are great for keeping your files online for storage, sharing, and playback, but they won't back up your computer files to the cloud on a schedule like a cloud backup service will.
MEGA
What We Like
Lots of storage space.
Share public folders.
Mobile and desktop apps.
Clean and modern look.
What We Don't Like
Slow to prepare files for download.
Bandwidth limitations.
No advanced link sharing options.
Get 50 GB of free cloud storage with MEGA. MEGA offers secure end-to-end encryption to help combat a breach in privacy.
You can view and update your MEGA files through a browser, the desktop sync client, or the mobile app, so it can run on a variety of platforms like Android, iOS, Windows, and others.
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pCloud
What We Like
More free storage than most services.
Earn additional space.
Multimedia streaming.
No speed or file size limit.
10 GB of free online storage is offered by pCloud, with friend referrals and other bonus steps jumping it to a possible 20 GB.
A desktop client can be installed for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. There's also a mobile app that's very intuitive and easy to use.
pCloud supports adding files from a remote URL in addition to single file and whole folder uploads through a browser. The mobile apps can upload photos and videos directly to your pCloud account.
Both files and folders can both be shared with non-users. Shared folders can even be downloaded as a ZIP archive.
Also, pCloud allows upload links to be generated for folders so anyone can send files to your account. A unique email address is also generated which lets you (or anyone) email files directly to a folder on your pCloud account.
In addition to the above, you can backup the photos from your social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, and Picasa.
Get pCloud for iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone, and more.
MediaFire
What We Like
Upload large files.
Zero bandwidth limitations.
Upload public files to your account.
What We Don't Like
Account expires after inactivity.
Ad-supported website.
No updates from company since 2017.
Instantly get 10 GB of free online file hosting with MediaFire. Increase it to 50 GB or more with things like friend referrals and application downloads.
There are sharing options for files and folders and easy uploads of either single files or whole entire folders through the MediaFire website.
Mobile users can download an app to view and share files on the go or upload photos and videos.
Get MediaFire for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Android.
Dropbox
What We Like
Earn lots of free storage.
Mobile and desktop apps.
Undelete files.
Intuitive file and folder sharing.
What We Don't Like
Small storage space.
Bandwidth limits on shared folders.
Dropbox users start off with 2 GB of free space with several simple ways of earning more, up to around 18 GB.
You can view and upload all your Dropbox files from a desktop or mobile app and share whole folders with anyone, even if they don't have a Dropbox account.
If you have Microsoft Office files stored in your Dropbox account, you can edit them from inside your browser for free using Microsoft Office Online.
Get Dropbox for Android, iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, or your computer.
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Box
What We Like
Robust search tool.
Bulk file downloads.
Notes and spreadsheet integration.
What We Don't Like
Limits upload file size.
Some features cost.
No password option for shared files.
10 GB of free online storage space is offered by Box (formerly Box.net).
There's a mobile application for nearly all devices that lets you upload/download/share your content. The desktop sync client also makes it super simple to upload files to Box.
Box users can share whole folders of data or pick single files to share with a public link.
Get Box for Android, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Windows, or macOS.
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FlipDrive
What We Like
Useful amount of storage.
Cross-platform mobile apps.
Unique file sharing permissions.
What We Don't Like
No public access to shared folders.
Tiny upload file size limit.
Unfriendly website interface.
App updates infrequently.
New FlipDrive users get 10 GB of initial storage with an opportunity for more for each friend they can refer to start using FlipDrive.
There is a mobile app that can be used for uploading files to FlipDrive, but the website works, too. If you use the web version, you can upload whole folders using the website, which is nice.
You can share files with anyone, even if they don't have a FlipDrive account. However, accessing shared folders requires a registered FlipDrive account. Recipients can be given write, edit, delete, and share permissions in addition to read rights for folders.
You can create up to 10 shared links and upload files that are as large as 25 MB.
The FlipDrive website isn't the easiest to use when compared to most other cloud storage services, which is a bummer, but it still manages to function if you can work through it.
FlipDrive downloads are available for iPhone, iPad, Android, and Windows.
Google Drive
What We Like
Super user-friendly website.
Collaboration and file sharing.
Plenty of free storage.
Desktop and mobile apps.
What We Don't Like
Shared storage with other Google services.
Bare desktop sync client.
Google Drive is the cloud storage service offered by Google. Each new user gets 15 GB of free space.
The total storage is actually shared with other Google services, like Gmail and Google Photos. If you don't use the other services, you can utilize almost all the space for Google Drive alone.
A sync client can be installed for desktop users, which supports folder and file uploads. There's also a mobile app that can send photos and videos to Google Drive.
Folders and files can be shared with specific Google users via their email address or anyone with a public link. You can also make a file view-only, which prevents someone from downloading it.
Google Drive makes it really simple to collaborate with others by allowing comments and letting files be opened and accessed my more than one person at a time.
Get Google Drive for iPhone, iPad, Android, or your Mac or Windows computer.
OneDrive
What We Like
Works with Microsoft Office Online.
Many ways to upload files.
Control how files are shared.
Earn more storage for free.
What We Don't Like
Less storage than similar services.
OneDrive (formerly called SkyDrive) is an online storage service from Microsoft. Everyone gets 5 GB of free space when they sign up.
Extra hosting can be awarded if you follow certain instructions, like friend referrals and mobile photo syncing.
A desktop program can be installed to easily transfer folders and files of any type to OneDrive, making them accessible from a mobile device. The mobile app can also upload files — both images and videos.
OneDrive supports sharing both folders and files with non-registered users. A permission can be set to only allow viewing or to allow full editing.
You can get the OneDrive app for Windows, Android, iPhone, and iPad.
Yandex Disk
What We Like
Features not found elsewhere.
Good amount of storage.
Upload mobile images automatically.
Lots of apps.
What We Don't Like
Lots of website ads.
Buy extra storage.
Cannot upload folders with the web app.
Yandex is a Russian company known mainly for its popular Yandex Search and Yandex Email services, but they also have others, like Yandex.Disk for 10 GB of free cloud storage for anyone who creates an account.
There are plenty of useful features with Yandex.Disk, such as public and private folder and file sharing, the ability to import photos via social networks, bulk downloads, automatic mobile uploads, and support for drag and drop.
Windows, Mac, and Linux users can install a desktop program to upload files to Yandex.Disk, and a mobile app is available for Android, iPhone, and iPad.
You can upgrade to Yandex.Disk Pro to get 100 GB or 1 TB of space.
Sync
What We Like
Complete tasks to earn more free space.
Web-based folder uploads.
Collaborate with team folders.
Password protect shares.
What We Don't Like
Not ideal for large files like videos.
Can't cancel web uploads.
Minimal but functional website.
5 GB can of free cloud storage can be had when you sign up for Sync.
Like some of the other services listed on this page, Sync can upload multiple files at once through both the website interface as well as the mobile and desktop app.
You can build shared folders that other users can interact with as well as share any folder or file with anyone, regardless if they're a Sync user.
Vault is a folder in Sync that you can put files into so that they aren't synced across your other devices. This is useful if you just want to archive some files online but don't need them elsewhere.
See Sync's features page for a list of its features and some comparisons between the free and pro versions.
This service is available from not only the web but also Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android.
Jumpshare
What We Like
Intuitive uploading from your desktop.
Extra features like screen recording.
High upload file size limit.
What We Don't Like
Limited initial storage space.
More storage only after inviting friends.
Infrequent app updates.
Hundreds of file types can be uploaded to Jumpshare, with a total of 2 GB of free storage for every user. If you refer friends to join Jumpshare, you can get up to 18 GB for free!
The upload limit per file is 250 MB. The desktop program also lets you take screenshots and record your screen for 30 seconds.
A downloadable program is available for Windows and Mac users that allows really simple drag-and-drop and hotkey file sharing capabilities. There's also an app for iPhone and iPad.
MyDrive
What We Like
WebDAV connectivity.
Free mobile and desktop apps.
Restore files long after deleting them.
What We Don't Like
Very limited storage space.
Strange file sharing requirements.
Updates are hardly ever released for the mobile app.
MyDrive is another online storage service but it offers much less space than the majority of the others in this list. There's no limit to how large uploads can be, but you can only store up to 100 MB on MyDrive, which makes the maximum file size 100 MB as well.
MyDrive is very limited compared to similar websites, such as the fact that file sharing is allowed only if you give out a 'guest' username and password, and you only get one.
However, I do like that you can download multiple files in an archive and restore deleted files up to a month after removing them from your account.
A desktop app is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac computers, and an Android and iOS app for mobile devices. Plus, you can connect to your account through WebDAV.
Amazon Drive
What We Like
Best Network Attached Storage 2019
Unlimited photo storage.
Upload from mobile and desktop apps.
Free 30-day trial.
What We Don't Like
Free only for Prime members.
No folder sharing.
Amazon.com has an online storage service called Amazon Drive, which offers Amazon Prime members unlimited photo storage plus 5 GB of space for videos and files.
Free Network Attached Storage Software
Users can share files to create a public link accessible by anyone who uses it, even if they don't have an Amazon account. Folder sharing isn't supported.
Files can be uploaded using the desktop client software or the web version, though only the former allows folder uploads. A mobile app is also available for uploading videos and photos from Android and iOS devices.
Tencent Cloud
What We Like
Instant access to 10 GB storage space.
Clean and modern interface.
What We Don't Like
Non-English website and apps.
Signup can be confusing.
Another website that gives out quite a bit of online space is Tencent Cloud at Weiyun.com. However, while there is 10 GB of free storage up for grabs, the website and app are not in English, making it pretty difficult to use them.
With that being said, if you're out of options and need these 10 gigabytes, the upload and download buttons are easy enough to understand since they're just pictures.
You can check how much space you have available from this page.
To get logged in to Tencent Cloud, you can download the WeChat app on your phone (it's in English) and use the Discover > Scan option to scan the QR code on Weiyun.com, which will get you in and let you use the cloud storage features (use the QR code from the right tab).
Free Network Software
Tencent Cloud can be downloaded for Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, and iPad.
Degoo
What We Like
More storage than most services.
Apps for mobile and desktop.
Automatically upload files.
Multiple ways to earn more free storage space.
What We Don't Like
Works more like a backup service.
No external hard drive support.
Can't view saved files on the website.
Network Attached Storage Nas Device
Degoo gives out a huge 100 GB of free storage to anyone who makes an account.
If you have lots of friends who want to use Degoo to store their files, you can even get 500 GB more by referring them to make an account. You get 3 GB for each person that joins through your referral. You can also watch ads to get more free online space (1.2 GB per day).
I've placed Degoo at the very bottom of this list despite its huge 100 GB capacity because it functions a bit more like a backup service rather than a cloud storage program.
Network Attached Storage Reviews
You can definitely pick which files are backed up but backups are performed automatically every 24 hours to keep things updated, which makes it work more like a free backup service.
Because Degoo is a bit different than these other cloud storage services, you should use it like this: pick a folder on your computer that will hold all of your backed up files, or make new one. Put everything into that folder that you want to keep online, and then make sure Degoo is running to back up the files online.
You can use the cloud storage account on your computer through the desktop program, or access your files on the go with the mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
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