Thanks to technology, nowadays it is easier to preserve family photos. Instead of having heavy photo albums taking up a lot of space, you can keep the memories intact in digital format, ensuring that they are saved in higher quality and for many generations to come. Cloud storage is a convenient solution not only for business that need to store a high amount of financial documents, but also for families who want to keep photos and videos of every special occasion.
Why should you consider online backup and cloud storage for your family?
Large households are likely to have several devices in use, including laptops, smartphones and tablets. This means that there is a higher chance of capturing videos, taking photos or creating documents that need to be preserved. Losing important files can be devastating, particularly when it comes to photos or videos that are close to our hearts. With cloud storage, you can keep your most valuable data secure and you can also share it with your family and friends.
You won’t need to worry about emailing your photos, or spending a lot of time burning your files to CDs or DVDs. USB sticks will not be necessary any more and the best part is that your files will be safer because they won’t be stored in a physical device that can be easily damaged or lost. Since many cloud storage services offer the possibility of accessing files through links, all your family will be able to share files in an easy way. The below cloud storage services are ideal for families who want to keep their precious memories available for the future, in a smart and secure way.
Google Drive
Highly popular and easy to use, Google Drive is also a very affordable solution for families. There is a free version that offers up to 15GB of storage space, which may be enough for small families. Those who need more, can opt for a paid plan starting at less than $2 per month. Apart from offering low prices, Google Drive is convenient for families because it offers the chance to sync files across multiple devices. It is easy to use and as expected, it works well with Gmail and Google Docs. The downside is that Google is known for handing user’s data over to the NSA. As such, Google Drive is not the best option for those looking for a high level of privacy.
Dropbox
Here is another well-known and easy to use cloud storage solution. There is a free version that offers up to 2GB of storage space and it can be used for as long as you want. You can even increase the amount of space to up to 16GB by referring friends. Large families are likely to need a higher amount of storage capacity, so it is better to opt for a paid plan, which costs $9.99 per month. Dropbox allows you to sync data easily across as many devices as you want. Old file versions are kept for up to 30 days and to share a file or folder, a link can be created and sent to all your family for easy access. Unfortunately, Dropbox doesn’t offer advanced features and it doesn’t support local encryption.
SOS Online Backup
SOS Online Backup offers great value for money since it allows you to backup up to five computers for less than $5. They also support mobile devices and their unlimited file versioning feature, will allow you to recover previous versions of your files without issues. Even if you accidentally delete or modify a photo, video or document, you will be able to retrieve the version that you need. There are no limits on the number, size or type of files that can be retrieved. SOS Online Backup uses 256-bit encryption to protect your data and you can also opt for a private encryption key. Although the interface is not as straightforward as we would like, this is a convenient option that also supports NAS and external hard drive backups.
CrashPlan
CrashPlan offers a convenient 30-day free trial that will allow you to check if the service is right for your family, before committing to a full subscription. The security available is quite strong as they use 448-bit encryption to protect your data. CrashPlan runs smoothly in the background so you can complete other tasks without interruptions. The media streaming functionality is very convenient and the paid plans are affordable and offer unlimited storage. With CrashPlan, you can back up to external hard drives and restore data from any web browser. While there are many options, which can be confusing and the app lacks file sharing and syncing, CrashPlan is a convenient solution for families.
SugarSync
SugarSync is slightly more expensive than other options listed, but it offers practical file sharing and syncing functionality. It is ideal for sharing family photos and videos as all you need to do is to create a link and send it to others so that they can access them. Sharing files and folders is simple and you can select the data without hassle. There is a free version that offers 5GB of storage space and allows you to try the service for 90 days. Sugarync offers speed, reliability and solid backup features that will allow you to keep your valuable files safe. Data is encrypted with TLS and AES-256 bit encryption.
