Computing Magazine

pCloud Review: The Ultimate Dropbox Alternative

Posted on the 04 July 2016 by Rahulthepcl

With the upcoming rise of cloud computing and the massive data flow going all over, Cloud Storage is helping a lot of people to overcome their storage problem.
pCloud is one of the fastest and most elegant cloud storage and file-syncing service company. They provide you with the access to your files from anywhere within the smart ecosystem. It is integrated and compatible with every device and operating systems that once you've uploaded any file on the cloud, you can access it through any of your devices.
The Cloud Services are available for both personal and business purposes with fermium packages that can be upgraded accordingly. Although, a lot of tough competitors like Google Drive and Dropbox are present here but pCloud has a lot to offer than just a typical cloud storage. So, let's start the review of this fantastic cloud storage platform.

pCloud Review: The Ultimate Dropbox Alternative

With over 5 million happy users, pCloud is a cloud storage company with their HQ based in Switzerland and was founded in 2013. pCloud is giving a tough competition to other storage companies with their amazing line up of features and services.
The platform is available for Windows, Mac Devices, Android, iOS and even Linux. So, you can access your file anywhere from as the services are compatible with most devices.

Usability, Look & Feel
The website has an elegant and a simple interface. It surely looks premium and uploading process is pretty simple; most things are automated. So, you don't have to worry about regular
The company provides a free user account with the storage limit of 20 GB. You can either download the app for your mobile and just register through its official website. backups and syncing hassles. The navigation and other buttons were reasonably placed, making the user experience more interactive and friendly.

pCloud Review: The Ultimate Dropbox Alternative

File Sharing & Uploading

One of the most unusual features that distinguish pCloud from other providers is its file sharing and data syncing abilities. Unlike any other cloud storage, pCloud does not consume space on your local device to manage its data. It automatically synchronizes with all of your integrated mobile devices to the cloud servers.
So, you can access any file, photo, video, music or document from the cloud without even saving it to your storage device.

Alternatively, pCloud also provides offline access which requires some memory on your device. All in All, it is a fantastic feature and saves a lot of storage problems at once. Also, there is no limit regarding the file size that is being uploaded. So, you can back up any large file without any difficulties.

pCloud Review: The Ultimate Dropbox Alternative


Now, talking about the sharing facilities, pCloud provides three unique options:

  • Invite to Folder: - User can invite other co-workers or friends to overlook the files in the folder on the cloud. So, you can easily share any file or folder with other non-registered users.
  • Download Link Sharing: - You can also provide a download link to other people which enables them to get a copy on their device.
  • Upload Link Sharing: - pCloud allows the user to allow other people to upload files to their cloud storage. Hence, it is an unusual feature for collaborators and employees in different industries.
pCloud Review: The Ultimate Dropbox Alternative

With the advent cloud technologies, pCloud simultaneously allows users to sync their data and other necessary files to the cloud.
You can sync files from your mobile devices, desktops, laptops and even with the social media accounts. All the mobile apps can automatically sync all your pictures and videos, whether old or new and creates separate folders for different devices.
Moreover, the website has inbuilt audio and video player so that you can access media files without any hassle.
The Desktop software has a unique feature of folder backup. So, you can even sync your folders too. Additionally, all the changes made in the folder would automatically take place in the cloud too.
Note: - This is a two-way sync feature. So, if you edit folder either in the cloud or the desktop, changes would take place in the other folder too.

pCloud Review: The Ultimate Dropbox Alternative

Speed, Security & Encryption

Speed always matters regarding uploading and syncing data and pCloud hasn't compromised with the server speed. The transfer speeds are throttling and with a good internet connection, the user can sync files with speed up to 15-20 Mbps.
pCloud are serious about the user's privacy and don't compromise with the security and data encryption of the platform. The computer uses tier level security and utilizes TLS/ SSL encryption to secure the process of data syncing from device to the cloud.
With security as their top priority, pCloud offers a Client-Side Encryption feature in addition to premium accounts. They charge $3.99/month for the ultimate encryption named Crypto.
So, only the user will have the access to the encryption keys and not the company. This feature is highly recommended for those users who are mostly concerned with the security of the files. Users can try the premium feature on a trial period of 14-days.

The Big Comparison - Dropbox Vs pCloud

"Keep your friends close but enemies closer."
pCloud indeed gives a hard competition to other cloud storage providers like Dropbox and Google Drive. So, we did a thorough research and compared both the services.

pCloud Review: The Ultimate Dropbox Alternative

We also used both free and premium services from both the storage providers and found some exceptional results.
Surprisingly, pCloud was found to be six times faster than Dropbox. Also, the services that pCloud offers with its free account were somewhat relevant to the Dropbox's basic premium plan.
You can also check this video for more details and the upload speed test.

Plans & Pricing of pCloud

Regarding cost and pricing, pCloud offers flexible plans and premium features that make it more than just a cloud storage provider.
They offer three plans with different storage options:

  1. Free Plan with 20 GB of storage
  2. Premium Plan with 500 GB of storage
  3. Premium Plus with 1Tb of Storage.
You can check the additional features and more about the plans at their official website.
pCloud Review: The Ultimate Dropbox Alternative

Overall, pCloud is an upcoming giant regarding cloud storage services and is doing amazing with over 5 million happy customers. The security and the encryption features are the most important aspect of the pCloud's Service. The free plan seems legit to check its basic features and offers 20 GB of storage.
Moreover, the speed and the compatibility that the platform provides is extraordinary. You can enjoy hassle-free synchronization and data encryption with remarkable technical and after sales support.
The premium plans and the Crypto Encryption is recommended to all the business professionals and corporate. The Crypto feature is available for $3.99/month.
All in All, pCloud seems to do an incredible job and is giving a head-to-head competition to other cloud providers in the market. If you are looking to save up your data to the cloud, then pCloud is the best cloud provider that you can look up to.
Do let your thoughts reach us and let us know what you think about pCloud. You can visit their official site for more, and the apps are also available on Google Play Store & Apple Store


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