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File hosting is essential to your data integrity and management strategy. Read on to learn more about the best file hosting services of 2023.
Best File Hosting Services: Our Shortlist
Looking for the best file hosting services of 2023? Options range from subscription-based services like Google Drive and Dropbox, or self-hosted file sharing apps, like BlueHost and InMotion Hosting.
The type of file hosting that will work best for you depends on how many files you’re saving, their sizes, the type of security you need, and how much control you want over your files.
We have outlined the different types of file hosting, what you should consider when choosing a file hosting service, and our recommendations for the best file hosting services.
Our Top Picks
Best File Hosting Service
Best For Those on Apple OS
Best For Large Businesses
Best For Feature Variation and Availability
Best For Increased Storage
Digital.com dives deep into every topic it covers to offer trusted and reliable recommendations for the best business tools. See how we review file hosting services.
The Top File Hosting Services of 2023
Best File Hosting Service
Features
- Live support
- Direct download links
- Ad-free sharing
#1 Top Pick for 2023
Why it’s best: Low costs and high value, SSL encryption, and recovery
Price
$9.99 per month
Free Trial
Free Version
24-7 Support
No
Billing Options
1, 3, 6, or 12 months
Read More
Reasons to choose 4shared
- Generous free plans for users on a budget
- Compatible across all common operating systems such as BlackBerry, Safari, Chrome, FireFox, Opera, iOS, and Android
Reasons to avoid
- No unlimited storage option
4shared offers 15 GB of free storage and a max upload file size of 2 GB. It also offers a variety of features for this free version of their platform, including multiple file upload, video streaming, and antivirus and password protection for folders.
Upgrading to the premium version, which costs $9.95 per month, will provide you with 100 GB of storage and a maximum upload file size of 100 GB. Plus, you get bonus features such as ad-free sharing, SSL data encryption, direct-download links, file recovery, and the ability to edit text files within the app.
4shared is compatible with the iOS, Android, and BlackBerry operating systems for mobile devices, as well as the Chrome, FireFox, Opera, and Safari web browsers.
Best For Those on Apple OS
Features
- Two-factor authentication
- Harvests all file types from devices
- 24/7 phone support
Price
$0 per month
Free Trial
Free Version
24-7 Support
Yes
Billing Options
Monthly
Read More
Reasons to choose iCloud
- Automatic Apple syncing features for data protection and management
- Free version available for users on a budget
Reasons to avoid
- Some may encounter limited functionality if not using Apple ecosystem
- No unlimited storage option
iCloud is built into every Apple device, providing users with 5 GB of free storage. More storage is available for an additional fee.
This file-hosting option will be particularly appealing to Apple users. With iCloud Drive, you can access your files from the Files app on iOS and the Finder on your Macintosh. And whenever you make a change to a file on your drive, the update is automatically shared across all devices. Information in your Apple apps, such as phone numbers in Contacts and saved bookmarks in Safari, will be updated across all your devices as well.
This service is compatible with Windows PCs and the web, although some features are only available on Apple devices.
And with features such as automatic backup and two-factor authentication, you can protect yourself from unauthorized access and data loss.
Best For Large Businesses
Features
- Native data loss protection
- Advanced security features
- 24/7 customer support (with purchase)
Price
$20 per month
Free Trial
14 Days
24-7 Support
Yes
Biling Options
Monthly or Yearly
Read More
Reasons to choose Box
- Unlimited storage options available
- Free trial to “try before you buy”
Reasons to avoid
- No free plan
Box offers four plans for file hosting: Starter, Business, Business Plus, and Enterprise.
The Starter plan provides 100 GB of storage, collaboration with up to 100 users, and built-in integrations for Office 365 and Google Suite.
With the Business plan, you get unlimited storage, data loss protection, and custom branding. And the extra features that come with the plans above include unlimited external collaborators, document watermarking, and password policy enforcement.
Best For Feature Variation and Availability
Features
- 24/7 phone support available (paid plan)
- Advanced security and encryption
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Price
$9.99 per month
Free Trial
30 Days
24-7 Support
Yes (paid)
Billing Options
Monthly or Yearly
Read More
Reasons to choose Dropbox
- Feature-rich file hosting plans
- Stronger security practices than average tools in the space
Reasons to avoid
- No free plan available
- Phone support is an extra, paid feature
Dropbox is one of the biggest names in file hosting, thanks in large part to their feature-rich and ultra-secure services. You won’t be able to access those high-end services for free, though. And even if you’re paying for a plan, you’ll need to be paying for the most expensive one in order to get 24/7 phone support (the Standard and Advanced plans get 24/7 live chat support and phone support during business hours).
Best For Increased Storage
Features
- End-to-end encryption
- Automatic backup
- Easy to use for beginners and novices
Price
$10 per month
Free Trial
No
24-7 Support
No
Billing Options
Monthly or Yearly
Read More
Reasons to choose ElephantDrive
- Unlimited storage options available to suit personal and business needs
Reasons to avoid
- No free plan available
ElephantDrive offers more storage than many other providers at similar price points. They would ideally also offer a free plan and 24/7 support, though.
Compare File Hosting Services
File Hosting Service
Best Features
Pricing
Best File Hosting Service
- Live support
- Direct download links
- Ad-free sharing
$9.99 per month
Best For Those on Apple OS
- Two-factor authentication
- Harvests all file types from devices
- 24/7 phone support
$0 per month
Best For Large Businesses
- Native data loss protection
- Advanced security features
- 24/7 customer support (with purchase)
$20 per month
Best For Feature Variation and Availability
- 24/7 phone support available (paid plan)
- Advanced security and encryption via AES and SSL models
- 30-day money-back guarantee
$9.99 per month
Best For Increased Storage
- End-to-end encryption
- Automatic backup
- Easy to use for beginners and novices
$10 per month
What You Need to Know
What is file hosting?
File hosting is any service that allows you to upload and maintain your files on someone else’s server. Whether they’re hosted on a physical server or use cloud storage, the effect is the same. You upload your files to the server, and there they stay until you take them off (unless the company removes them for some reason).
Wondering if file hosting is right for you, or considering other types of hosting like secure hosting or small business hosting? Consider this: When we say “files,” we’re not talking about storage for the files for your website, but rather personal files, documents, image files, and the like.
What is file deletion?
File deletion usually only happens if your account is terminated or if your files are deemed to violate someone else’s intellectual property rights.
For example, suppose you upload a file containing copyrighted music to which you do not own the rights or a license, and the copyright holder — usually the musician or a licensing agency — registers a complaint with your hosting provider. In that case, the company can delete the file from its servers.
What are the disadvantages of manual file hosting?
Permissioning in this context is a bit crude. It’s not easy to decide who specifically gets to see which files if you have a mix of things that you want to be public or private.
There are no built-in sharing features to send file links to people. There’s also no syncing capability; it’s easy to get version mismatch if you’re frequently accessing and editing files from different locations.
What are the benefits of using file-sharing services?
The benefit of using these apps is that they are completely yours. You control everything about them. This is good for privacy and ensures you’ll always have access to your files.
On the other hand, this also means more responsibility for setting up and managing your file system.
How We Review File Hosting Services
We’ve reviewed hundreds of hosting companies, shortlisting the best file hosting services based on security, storage space and file size limits.
Then, we consulted our database of thousands of customer reviews, studying their feedback on the best services to store and share files.
It’s important to compare companies and plans carefully. For example, many companies may offer file hosting and file sharing. However, these companies may provide vastly different configurations of basic features and tools.
Keep the following criteria in mind when researching hosts:
Learn more about our review methodology.