The Future of the Cloud in 2017
The Cloudwards.net team looks deep into its crystal ball and predicts what the cloud landscape will look like in the coming year.
By — 02 Jan'17 2017-01-06 05:37:46
Best Cloud Storage for Europe 2017
Some of the best and most secure online storage providers can be found in Europe. Cloudwards.net has selected five of the very best that anyone, no matter where they live, can make use of. Say goodbye to NSA snooping and other intrusive measures and store your data in Europe.
When you think computers and the Internet, you usually think Silicon Valley. When these technologies were still in their infancy, the United States was where it was happening.
That has changed: new technologies are being pioneered all over the world, from development houses in Beijing to server farms in Iceland. Cloud technology as of 2017 is no different and in some ways Europe is on the cutting edge of this particular technology: since most governments there have strict privacy laws it makes sense that many people would want to store their data there.
Because it’s the Internet, not just Europeans can make use of cloud storage in Europe and we can recommend anyone that worries about NSA snooping to subscribe to any of the five services below.
Best Cloud Storage for Europe 2017
| Free Storage? | Price per month | File size limit | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HiDrive | $13 (500GB) | 2GB | hidrive.com | |
| Jottacloud | $10 (unlimited) | No | jottacloud.com | |
| Livedrive | 14-day trial | $18 (5TB) | No | livedrive.com |
| Tresorit | 14-day trial | $22 (1TB) | 10GB | tresorit.com |
| CloudMe | 30-day trial | $300 (2TB + 10 users) | No | cloudme.com |
Why Europe-Based Cloud Services Offer an Advantage
One of the main reasons for U.S. citizens, not to mention those from other countries, to use a European online storage service is immunity from the NSA and their PRISM snooping program. Though many European countries and the EU have their own privacy-breaching legislature on the slate, none are as intrusive as U.S. laws, nor do any of their agencies have the same power as the NSA does.
Besides that, Europeans generally enjoy more protection than people in other parts of the world and that extends to their data. For example, European police forces can’t demand passwords under warrant, nor can they physically break into servers.
Adding to that is the great service that European cloud-storage providers offer, with affordable plans that allow anyone to park large amounts of data without too much fuss. On top of that, most of the continent is wired up with high-traffic cable.
This ensures that your connection will always be fast and stable, another huge plus in this age of 8TB hard disks. Cloudwards.net is more than happy to recommend any of these five providers for anyone, anywhere.
1. Strato HiDrive
Fast and user-friendly, HiDrive is the number one of its list because it offers customers from Europe and beyond great bang for their buck.
HiDrive is the online storage service of Strato, one of Europe’s largest companies when it comes to everything cloud. HiDrive offers 5GB of free storage, which includes file sharing and backups.
Paid users can get up to 500GB of storage for $13, as well as extra features like upload sharing and improved security. This storage of course falls under EU data directives, so the NSA has no legal access to your data.
Though HiDrive does offer backup features, there is no way to schedule backups, meaning users need to set these up manually. The client is only available for Windows and Mac, but if you’re on another system or mobile they have an excellent web client as well.
Why We Like it
We feel confident in putting HiDrive at the top of our list because it not only offers an excellent free plan but their paid one still fits into most budgets.
Add to that several handy auxiliary features, such as backup, and you have yourself a clear winner.
By Mauricio Prinzlau – Cloud Storage Expert at —
www.cloudwards.net
Strato HiDrive Pros:
- Great file sharing & syncing
- Streaming media player
- External HD & NAS backups
- Photo previews
Strato HiDrive Cons:
- Free version has limited support
- Free version is feature poor
- Rather expensive
- No mobile software
2. Jottacloud
Speed and security are the hallmarks of Jottacloud. Based as it is in Norway, the service benefits from that country’s strict privacy laws.
Jottacloud offers better data transfer times for European users than, say, Dropbox or Google Drive, thanks to its location and excellent fiber optic network. On top of that, Jottacloud users also benefit from Norwegian privacy laws, which are stricter than those of EU countries (Norway isn’t a member).
There is, however, a security downside to the service as it doesn’t offer zero-knowledge security, meaning it’s slightly more vulnerable than other entries on this list.
Either plan is a well-rounded service with not just storage but also a sharing and syncing option, as well as automated backup features.
Why We Like it
If you’re worried about governmental intrusion above all else, Norway is where you store your files, period.
Besides that, Jottacloud is a good service that offers both storage and backup for a reasonable price, a great combination that will work well for anyone. Jottacloud offers 5GB of free storage, with the paid version starting at $9.99 a month.
By Mauricio Prinzlau – Cloud Storage Expert at —
www.cloudwards.net
Jottacloud Pros:
- Based in Norway
- Fast connections in Europ
- Unlimited storage & backups
- Sharing, syncing & backup features
Jottacloud Cons:
- No local encryption
- Rather pricey
- No multiple account support
- No streaming for media files
3. Livedrive
Livedrive not only storage, but has a reliable backup service as well. It’s downside is the interface, which is rather beginner unfriendly.
Livedrive claims that it is number 1 cloud storage provider in Europe. Whether or not that’s strictly true, they are a fantastic service thanks to their feature-rich software. Since Livedrive is loaded with options, it’s not the best fit for people uncomfortable with too much technology.
That said, the entire suite, particularly its sharing and syncing features, is very robust: users can optimize and configure many facets of the the entire storage process. Despite its great features, Livedrive’s interface leaves something to be desired: the interface is definitely on the ugly side and rather unintuitive.
This downside is offset by Livedrive’s great backup feature.
Why We Like it
Despite it’s slightly unpleasant user experience, we at Cloudwards.net think Livedrive is still worth using, because it offers users more options than any other provider. On top of that, it also has a great backup service, which means customers get the best of both worlds.
Last but not least, Livdrive has an an integrated media streamer for music and videos.
By Mauricio Prinzlau – Cloud Storage Expert at —
www.cloudwards.net
Livedrive Pros:
- File sharing features
- Includes a media player
- Regular & NAS backup
- Preview feature for photos
Livedrive Cons:
- Beginner unfriendly
- User interface is confusing
- Bit pricey
- Resource intensive
4. Tresorit
Tresorit offers unmatched security as well as a suite of business applications great for any entrepreneur.
Tresorit is based out of Switzerland, making it a good fit for users who don’t want a U.S. based service: just like with banks, cloud storage user’s data is protected by law.
The main attraction of the service is that it is a zero-knowledge provider that offers local encryption. All of their data centers adhere to the latest IT security standards as well as regulations such as HIPAA.
Tresorit’s downside is that they are rather pricey for individuals: non-business plans start at 12.50 euros per month and go up from there.
Why We Like it
We recommend Tresorit for anyone who’s main priority is keeping their data secure.
The service has the security-conscious as main target audience and it’s easy to see why: it’s as safe as the bank. Tresorit offers a $50,000 bounty for hackers that can break their network.
By Mauricio Prinzlau – Cloud Storage Expert at —
www.cloudwards.net
Tresorit Pros:
- Free trials for business plans
- Extremely strong security
- Allows online collaboration
- Clean & simple interface
Tresorit Cons:
- Expiration dates on shared files
- No password-protected links
- Rather expensive
- 500MB file-size limit
5. CloudMe
Last but not least, CloudMe is a great service that offers enviable flexibility and customization for users. It also has a decent free option.
This Swedish company is totally focused on the business market, which makes it ideal for such users, though not for anyone else. Once installed, CloudMe users can selectively sync files to an unlimited number of computers. Though mobile access is possible, the client is only available on Mac, Windows and Linux.
If you decide to start paying for the service after the trial, you have several options to choose from, all of them rather expensive.
All plans offer great flexibility for businesses, as not only do you get a large amount of central storage, you also get small allotments for each member of staff you add to the account. This makes it great for deployment in small but scattered firms.
Why We Like it
CloudMe is our last pick for European cloud storage services.
CloudMe is a great option for business users, and we won’t hesitate to recommend it for them.
However, all other users may want to look around further since the pricing is prohibitive if you’re just looking for a place to park your holiday pictures.
By Mauricio Prinzlau – Cloud Storage Expert at —
www.cloudwards.net
CloudMe Pros:
- Located in Sweden
- Great web interface
- Supports servers & NAS
CloudMe Cons:
- Small file-size limit
- Slow upload speeds
- Bit pricey
Final Thoughts
If privacy and security are among your top concerns, these providers will help give the peace of mind you get from knowing your data is free from the clutches of the NSA. Between strict privacy laws and excellent encryption, your files will be out of reach from any criminal or governmental organization.
Though users in other parts of the world may experience slightly worse connections times, Europeans will be able to access their data as fast as they can imagine. What do you think of storing your data in Europe?
Let us know in the comments below. Thank you for reading.
| Free Storage? | Price per month | File size limit | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HiDrive | $13 (500GB) | 2GB | hidrive.com | |
| Jottacloud | $10 (unlimited) | No | jottacloud.com | |
| Livedrive | 14-day trial | $18 (5TB) | No | livedrive.com |
| Tresorit | 14-day trial | $22 (1TB) | 10GB | tresorit.com |
| CloudMe | 30-day trial | $300 (2TB + 10 users) | No | cloudme.com |
