Sync vs Dropbox Business

Online file storage, synchronization, and sharing play a vital role in the daily activities of many businesses worldwide. Services like Sync or Dropbox provide businesses of all sizes with a platform to securely and privately store their files, so that employees, team members, and clients can access the files whenever they need from anywhere in the world.

Some users may find that one service offers better value than the other, depending on their storage needs, features, or security. While Sync and Dropbox offer a similar basic set of features – the ability to store files online, synchronize and manage files, and share them in the same way – the main difference between the two lies in their approach to privacy and security, with Sync providing stronger encryption and privacy protections.

I have extensively tested the business plans of Sync and Dropbox for this review, read online reviews and user reports, and spoken with business owners about the services. The main goal of this comparison is to give you the information you need to make an informed decision when choosing between Sync.com and Dropbox.

Sync: What it is and what it is used for?

Sync is a Canadian cloud storage and file sharing platform with a strong focus on security and privacy. Sync's cloud storage is available for individuals and businesses. Sync, like Dropbox, offers two main tiers for small and medium-sized businesses. These share basic functions but differ significantly in key areas, namely pricing, storage space, support, and administrative features.

Sync Teams Standard, for example, includes 1 TB of storage by default, while Sync promises more storage with unlimited storage for users of the Teams Unlimited tier. Upon reviewing the fine print, you will notice limits are set. Sync states that its Teams Unlimited plan "is not suitable for large-scale one-way backups." It asks companies with requirements of over 100 TB to contact their sales department about enterprise pricing. Data transfers are unlimited for all plans, and the Teams Unlimited plan offers more storage and more flexible options compared to other plans.

Sync.com promises that users can access their files from anywhere and at any time. Files are securely stored in the cloud and can be accessed from all your devices. It offers web-based access to file storage and Sync apps for desktop and mobile operating systems. The desktop app integrates with the file explorer for easy file management. Note that it lacks a dedicated client for Linux, but it supports all other major operating systems.

Files can be uploaded or downloaded using the apps or directly via the web interface. Storing files in the cloud ensures that the latest versions are saved and can be accessed at any time by all team members and clients.

Sync offers strong security and privacy features. The service uses end-to-end encryption to protect files so that no authorized user, not even Sync employees, can access the files. This is different from Dropbox, which only offers end-to-end encryption on its more expensive advanced plan.

Sync.com supports compliance regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and Soc 2 Type 2, as well as many data protection features: from two-factor authentication to remote device locks and password-protected sharing. HIPAA compliance is especially important for handling sensitive patient information, making Sync a solid option for healthcare providers and other regulated industries. Sync's file request feature is another useful tool, allowing clients to upload files to a Sync account without needing one themselves.

Productivity features are also integrated into the service. Sync supports offline access, integration with Office 365, document previews, or file comments. Although its collaboration features and integrations are not as extensive as Dropbox’s, they cover main use cases and productivity tools.

Sync offers a free plan with free storage for users who want to try the service. These free accounts come with limited storage and features but allow users to benefit from secure cloud storage at no cost.

Features of Sync.com for Businesses

Businesses can take advantage of several features that are only available in team plans. This mainly comes down to administrative policies and tools, as Sync’s individual plans only support single user accounts.

Business customers get access to the multi-user admin console to manage all employee accounts from a centralized location. The plans introduce the admin account, which is a super account capable of managing all users and settings.

It can be used to set passwords for users, manage users, enforce two-factor authentication, and other security features.

Administrators can also assign centralized folder access by user or group and manage link and folder sharing for individual users or entire groups of users.

Sync Pricing

The two main plans for small and medium businesses and teams are called Teams Standard and Teams Unlimited. They include the same basic set of features but differ in key aspects that are often very relevant for a business.

Here is the summary of both Sync.com cloud storage plans for businesses:

Sync offers 5 gigabytes of free cloud storage to users who sign up for the service. This is comparable to other free plans, but only you can decide which best suits your needs and privacy requirements. Businesses can use a 30-day free trial of Teams Unlimited to test the service without commitment. Options to change plans or cancel at any time are included.

Upgrading to paid plans unlocks more features, such as extended file history, advanced sharing options, and enhanced security. The paid version is ideal for those who need longer data retention and additional collaboration tools. Solo professional users who require high-capacity storage and advanced branding will benefit from premium tiers, which offer even more features designed for individual professionals.

Dropbox Business: What It Is and What It’s Used For

Dropbox for Business expands the functionality of the file storage, synchronization, and collaboration platform. The two plans add specific features for businesses, including support for multiple users and user groups, administration, as well as enhanced security and privacy to the cloud service.

You can use Dropbox for various purposes. As a business, the most prominent applications are storing and sharing files online, synchronizing all files across employees' devices and computers, and collaborating online. Storing files in Dropbox ensures that all your files are securely stored in the cloud and can be accessed or restored from any device, providing a reliable backup and data integrity.

The Dropbox desktop application plays a key role, as it handles file uploads and downloads on users' devices. It integrates seamlessly with the file explorer on any operating system, including Windows, Mac, and Linux. The desktop application creates a dedicated folder linked to your Dropbox account, allowing Dropbox users to manage, store, and access files locally or through the Dropbox web interface. Files stored in Dropbox can be accessed from all your devices and different devices, enabling real-time updates and collaborations. There are options to view files online, edit supported file types, or collaborate with other team members or users.

Dropbox integrates well with hundreds of popular online tools and services, including those from Adobe, Microsoft, Google, Autodesk, and many more. Google Drive is a key integration, allowing users to create, edit, and manage documents within the Dropbox ecosystem.

At the core of the administrative side is admin control. It provides administrators with tools to manage users, groups, and roles, billing, security, and access to analytics.

Dropbox continues to invest in artificial intelligence features under the Dropbox AI umbrella. Currently, the focus is on improving search, called Dropbox Dash, and summarizing documents and videos. Search is a key Dropbox feature, and support for natural language queries and searching across all connected applications makes this a powerful tool in Dropbox’s arsenal.

Is Dropbox secure?

Dropbox security is high, but there is a big difference between the two plans. Dropbox’s Advanced plan is the only tier that supports end-to-end encryption. This protects files at rest and in transit, so even Dropbox employees cannot access the files. Dropbox also implements multiple protocols to safeguard data, providing an additional layer of security to help prevent data breaches.

The Advanced plan adds other security features, including ransomware detection and recovery, audit logs, and suspicious activity alerts, which the Standard plan does not support.

Dropbox also complies with HIPAA, ensuring that sensitive patient information is protected according to strict privacy and security standards. For file restoration, Dropbox Backup enables file recovery, access to previous file versions, and a detailed version history. Important files are stored separately from shared files, adding another layer of security and making data recovery easier if needed.

Dropbox Business Plans and Pricing

Small and medium-sized businesses and teams can choose between two plans: Dropbox Standard or Advanced. They share core team management and collaboration features, but differ significantly in specific areas. For users who need even more advanced features, the professional plan—known as Dropbox Professional—offers additional benefits such as Dropbox Transfer to securely send files, higher file size limits, and advanced sharing options.

It is notable that security and privacy features are only supported in the Advanced plan, while Dropbox Professional provides even more control for users requiring enhanced management and security.

Below is a summary of the most important differences between the two plans:

Sync vs Dropbox: A Direct Comparison

Both services offer cloud storage with file synchronization across devices and web browsers, offline access, and selective sync to choose which folders to sync locally. Sync.com’s lack of a Linux client should not be a hindrance in most cases, considering that access through the Web is still available on Linux devices.

They offer file versioning and recovery, file requests, and sharing based on links to files or folders with permissions and security features like password protection. With both services, synced files update on all your devices, and sharing links can be generated for easy collaboration and controlled access.

Business users get team management options through centralized admin dashboards, collaboration, and compliance standards support.

However, despite supporting a similar set of core features, there are significant differences between the two services that may matter to business owners. For example, unlike Dropbox, Sync.com offers zero-knowledge encryption on all plans, providing an additional layer of privacy and security for sensitive data.

Here is the table for comparison purposes:

The Dropbox standard plan lacks security features, particularly end-to-end encryption support, which all Sync plans offer. The main issue here is that Dropbox holds the file keys, meaning companies in highly regulated industries must opt for the more expensive Advanced plan to achieve feature parity with Sync.

This further increases costs compared to Sync, which offers end-to-end encryption and other security features starting at $6 per user per month. While that is not the only feature to consider, it is one of the main features that strongly argue in favor of Sync.com.

Dropbox excels in collaboration and service integrations. If you need support for specific services, it is more likely that Dropbox supports them, or you can integrate them using the Dropbox API. Additionally, Dropbox Backup helps protect your data by allowing you to recover files you accidentally delete, ensuring reliable backup and file recovery options.

Conclusion

Sync.com and Dropbox have a lot to offer to businesses of all sizes. Sync is a good option for highly regulated businesses or those needing high security standards and strong compliance support. It is significantly cheaper than Dropbox, and its Unlimited Teams plan offers more storage than Dropbox on top of that.

If you require real-time editing, collaboration features or deep integrations into existing workflows, then Dropbox may be the better choice. It's a good idea to check the Dropbox website for support of specific services and applications.

Also, since both services offer free trials, you might want to take advantage of the offer to test transfer speeds and other features before making a commitment.