Folder
Guides Dropbox Alternatives for Mac

Dropbox Alternatives for Mac

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What each one gives you free, what more space looks like, and what Folder does and does not do.

Dropbox puts a folder in Finder and keeps it the same on every device. The reasons to look elsewhere are the ones people search for: what a plan costs, the 2 GB free plan filling up, and how long a deleted file can come back. These are the real options on a Mac.

Side by Side

FreeMore space
Dropbox2 GB on BasicPlus: 2 TB for one person
Google Drive15 GB, shared with Gmail and Google Photos100 GB, 2 TB and 5 TB plans
iCloud Drive5 GB, shared with backups and photosiCloud+: 50 GB to 12 TB, $0.99 to $59.99 a month in the US
Proton Drive5 GBDrive Plus: 200 GB, $4.99 a month
OneDrive5 GB, shared with Outlook.com attachmentsMicrosoft 365 Basic: 100 GB; Personal: 1 TB
Folder5 GB on FolderYour own Cloudflare R2, on Cloudflare’s bill

As listed in October 2026 on dropbox.com/plans, Google One’s plans, Apple’s iCloud+ plans and pricing, Proton Drive’s pricing and Microsoft’s storage quotas. Dropbox’s, Google’s and Microsoft’s prices differ by country, so they are left to their own pages.

Dropbox

Basic is free with 2 GB. Plus is 2 TB for one person, with 30 days to restore deleted files. Standard and Advanced are team plans, with 180 days and a year. Dropbox runs on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android.

Google Drive

Every Google account has 15 GB, shared among Drive, Gmail and Google Photos. Google Drive for desktop puts a Google Drive folder in Finder, on macOS and Windows. A file in the Trash is deleted for good after 30 days.

Dropbox vs Google Drive, in short: Google gives more free space but shares it with your mail and photos. Both put a folder in Finder, and on their free plans both bring back a deleted file for 30 days.

iCloud Drive

Already on every Mac, in Finder’s sidebar. The free 5 GB also holds your iPhone’s backups and iCloud Photos, which is why it fills up; see iCloud storage full. An iCloud+ plan can be shared with up to five other family members.

Proton Drive

From the makers of Proton Mail, with end-to-end encryption; in Proton’s words, “not even Proton can access your data”. Free with 5 GB. Drive Plus has 200 GB and “10 years to recover previous file versions”. Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS, Android and the web.

OneDrive

Microsoft’s. The free 5 GB also holds your Outlook.com attachments. Microsoft 365 Basic has 100 GB and Personal 1 TB, each for one person.

Folder

Folder puts one folder in Finder’s sidebar, under Locations, and on the web at folder.dev. Sign in with Apple and it is ready: free with 5 GB, stored by us in the EU. Every overwrite and every delete is kept, and comes back from Finder or the web; see history. A folder can also live in your own Cloudflare, where the space is yours and Cloudflare bills you at R2’s prices; see what R2 costs.

What Folder does not do:

  • No Windows or Android app. It runs on the Mac, macOS 27 or later, and on the web.
  • The iPhone and iPad app is not in the App Store yet. Until it is, a folder opens in any browser at folder.dev.
  • Share links and invites work for a folder in your Cloudflare. A folder on Folder has neither yet.
  • A team already on Dropbox is better off staying there.

Moving From Dropbox

  1. Get Folder for Mac and sign in with Apple. Folder appears in Finder’s sidebar.
  2. Drag the folders you want to move from Dropbox onto Folder in the sidebar. They upload, and show up at folder.dev.
  3. Keep Dropbox for what you share with a Dropbox team.

Next

Get Folder for Mac and sign in with Apple. For the two side by side, see Folder vs Dropbox.