Folder vs Dropbox
Both put a folder in Finder. They differ in where the files live, what is free, and how long a deleted file can come back.
Pick FolderYou work on a Mac, you want every version of every file kept, or you want the files in your own Cloudflare.
Pick DropboxYou work on Windows, Linux or Android, or with a team that is already on Dropbox.
| Dropbox | Folder, on Folder | Folder, in your Cloudflare | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where files live | Dropbox's servers | Our storage, in the EU | Your own R2 buckets; the files never pass through us |
| Free | 2 GB on Basic | 5 GB | Cloudflare's bill, usually $0 |
| A deleted file comes back | 30 days on Plus, 180 on Standard | Every overwrite and delete kept | Every overwrite and delete kept |
| A link with a password | On team plans | Not yet | Yes |
| Runs on | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android, the web | Mac and the web; the iPhone app is not in the App Store yet | Mac and the web; the iPhone app is not in the App Store yet |
Using Both
Folder works beside Dropbox. Add a project inside Dropbox to Folder as a folder on this Mac, and Leave Build Folders Out of Sync and Backups, on from the start, keeps its node_modules and build folders out of Dropbox and Time Machine.
Moving From Dropbox
- Get Folder for Mac and sign in with Apple. Folder appears in Finder’s sidebar.
- Drag the folders you want to move from Dropbox onto Folder in the sidebar. They upload, and show up at folder.dev.
- Keep Dropbox for what you share with a Dropbox team. A project that stays in Dropbox can be added On This Mac, so its build folders stop syncing.