Dropbox vs. IBM Aspera on Cloud

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Dropbox
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
Dropbox is a cloud storage solution, equipped with features that help users to save time, improve productivity, and collaborate with others. Users can edit PDFs, share videos, sign documents, and collaborate with stakeholders without leaving Dropbox.
$9.99
per month
IBM Aspera on Cloud
Score 7.1 out of 10
N/A
IBM Aspera on Cloud is an on-demand SaaS offering for global content transfer and exchange. It enables organizations to move large files and data sets securely and reliably across on-premises and multi-cloud environments at high speed. With Aspera on Cloud, organizations can store and access files and folders across multiple cloud-based and on-premises storage systems. Sharing among users is as simple as browsing or drag-and-drop — no matter where the files are stored — making…
$1.01
per month per GB transferred
Pricing
DropboxIBM Aspera on Cloud
Editions & Modules
Plus
$9.99
per month
Essentials
$18
per month
Business
$20
per month per user
Business Plus
$26
per month per user
Basic
Free
Pay as You Go
USD 1.01
per month per GB transferred
Essentials Edition
Starting at $250.20
per year
Standard Plus Edition
Starting at $7488
per year
Premium Edition
Contact Sales
per year
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
DropboxIBM Aspera on Cloud
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
DropboxIBM Aspera on Cloud
Considered Both Products
Dropbox
Chose Dropbox
Google drive's privacy is like way worse.
Chose Dropbox
Dropbox is more user friendly for file storage when you want to open and make notes on pdf etc.
Chose Dropbox
I think Dropbox is better and also better priced. They are quite different to what Dropbox is used for but I do use we transfer once in a while when people don't have access or an account with Dropbox
Chose Dropbox
I like to use OneDrive for photos/log-term storage. It gives me more storage space but seems to take longer to sync than Dropbox. That's why I use Dropbox for file sharing, current work, and photos that I'm using at this moment. I had Dropbox first because I had the free …
Chose Dropbox
Reliability, precise and seamless synchronisation are the top features that make Dropbox my preferred choice.
Chose Dropbox
Dropbox has been around for quite some time and I feel like it's a pretty trustworthy and long lasting platform. I'm thankful that I still have files saved over the past 10 years that are easily accessible to me.
Chose Dropbox
I use Google Drive for personal projects (although frankly, I have a personal account on Dropbox too). I don't think I'd ever use Google Drive for a professional project.
Chose Dropbox
It is good, but sometimes I just feel good about using the apple product since I have the iphone and imac. But whenever I use Dropbox I am reminded that I could do everything I am doing there within Dropbox and that I typically feel more comfortable that my files are safe.
Chose Dropbox
Dropbox is somehow easier to use, it is lighter and faster. Also the UX is more understandable and clear to me. I used Google Drive because it was a standard with one of my clients... But I really didn't like it. I truly hope, I will not be forced to use it again.
Chose Dropbox
Dropbox provides a much larger amount of storage, a wide range of file acceptance, and a more direct integration into our devices. Although Google Drive is useful, it has too many limitations for our business to use in the quantity and quality we want. Google Drive also mostly …
Chose Dropbox
Dropbox is strong in terms of navigability and storage. However, Google Drives proves stronger for collaborating on live documents
Chose Dropbox
sharepoint does not connect with file explorer like Dropbox does. it is more difficult to work on files in sharepoint as well as you edit them in the browser, rather than through another application. for example: on sharepoint, an excel spreadsheet can only be edited through …
Chose Dropbox
Compares well. The two work very similarly on my MacOS latop, but I feel Dropbox has the edge on mobile devices. Google Drive web interface seems more intuitive and it's easier to share files and links to files. Both are comparable with price and storage options. Would be good …
Chose Dropbox
I like the Dropbox because it’s convenient and Photo Booth should be added. My Photo Booth is free right now and I wish Dropbox was free because this is a little too expensive. I feel like the price is a little too outstanding I wish they would lower it because this don’t make …
Chose Dropbox
I started on Dropbox before any of these. I hate OneDrive as it constantly crashes. Google Drive enables collaboration simultaneously, as does Teams, but the limited formatting options in Google's version of Word drives me nuts. With Teams - because I didn't create the files …
Chose Dropbox
You can create an account easily and begin storing files but an account is not required in order to access them the way it is on some of these other programs. Also, any type of file can be easily stored and downloaded to a device with Dropbox, but some of these attempt to …
Chose Dropbox
The above products have good features but have some functionality missing in each of them. In comparison, Dropbox has all of them included in it which is very helpful.
Chose Dropbox
It is [...] easy to navigate. You don't have a learning curve with Drive. I selected Dropbox because I did not select Dropbox. It is my organization's native cloud storage so I had to deal with it. I am not mad, also not disappointed, but also not happy.
Chose Dropbox
A bit less integrated than iCloud or OneDrive, but the company has focused on this aspect since day one. I have always used it and trust it.
IBM Aspera on Cloud
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
Terrible for large files.
No audit trail.
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
Teams can be really slow and the downloads sometimes come out corrupted or the program will just quit or it doesn't seem to like all files to download. While IBM Aspera is more universal and versatile with the files it downloads. Teams might look flashy but its not the best …
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
IBM Aspera always surpassed the competition in terms of features and admin/user friendliness. The cost per Gibabyte is the best, with a very simple cost structure. One element : Total amount of data transferred. Coming from a company that has been one of the first 5 customers …
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
We've also used cloud storage services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Amazon S3. While they're great for file sharing, they weren't optimized for high-speed transfer of large files.
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
IBM Aspera on Cloud offered better security, encryption and compliance
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
It is not as comparable since they are different products
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
These cloud storage products deliver sufficient space to store data and access and have an array of ways to transfer this data and keep it secure. IBM Aspera on Cloud focuses on the transfer and makes it a lot faster mainly due to its patented tech and altered UDP protocol. …
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
It was the proficient cost for delivering large files
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
Aspera comes with IBM cloud so there isn’t really a choice. Since it’s built-in, it integrates well and there was no need to buy another solution. Therefore, I did not consider other options. It worked fine, gave access files, push data securely, and did it faster than standard …
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
Aspera was used by most of our members (but not all), IBM consultancy was able to help for setting up the infrastructure in a couple of hours. This was quick and effective. We were able also to use quickly the ASPERA API with external tools to make exchanges between Aspera sites.
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
They are all good services as well for smaller files, but for large files using a service like Aspera is imperative since otherwise, you have to start an upload/download all over if it stalls or fails.
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
Aspera works with external entities that don't have Google accounts. Its a less of a headache to integrate or force people to use Google products.
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
My company used Dropbox before we implemented Aspera. When it comes to file security we felt more comfortable in Aspera. The file transfer speed especially uploading and downloading files using Dropbox was very low. We found it not that reliable when it came to file transfer. …
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
File size is not limited with Aspera on Cloud. Also, the speed is really, really fast compared to others. Finally, the security features make it more reliable than other products.
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
Other services were very barebones and did not offer storage options. The option of not using on-premise storage for a transfer solution is a game-changer. We can rely on the distributed node advantage for data protection and speed, while still maintaining the integrity of …
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
Aspera Managed File Transfer racks up evenly against its' competitors. I use different programs to share and upload media to different affiliates, however this program seems to be one of the most popular in the industry. This could be due to the ease of use, and the fact that …
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
Initially the organization depended on services like Dropbox and Google Drive to share and store files for the graphic department as well as use their own private servers for storage. However, the speed for uploading and downloading wasn't reliable. Plus it lacked the central …
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
IBM Aspera on Cloud is a de facto industry solution and occasionally a requirement to work with some of our partners.
Chose IBM Aspera on Cloud
I used TokenOne at my last Job. It is a good product. I would describe Aspera as a more enterprise-ready solution. It gives you the ability to scale.
Features
DropboxIBM Aspera on Cloud
File Sharing & Management
Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Product A and Product B
Dropbox
7.8
Ratings
7% below category average
IBM Aspera on Cloud
-
Ratings
Versioning7.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Video files7.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Audio files7.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Document collaboration7.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Access control7.80 Ratings00 Ratings
File search7.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Device sync8.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Cloud Storage Security & Administration
Comparison of Cloud Storage Security & Administration features of Product A and Product B
Dropbox
7.9
Ratings
9% below category average
IBM Aspera on Cloud
-
Ratings
User and role management7.80 Ratings00 Ratings
File organization8.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Device management7.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Cloud Storage Platform
Comparison of Cloud Storage Platform features of Product A and Product B
Dropbox
8.0
Ratings
6% below category average
IBM Aspera on Cloud
-
Ratings
Performance7.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Reliability8.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Storage Reports8.20 Ratings00 Ratings
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DropboxIBM Aspera on Cloud
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Druva Security Cloud
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Score 9.3 out of 10
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User Ratings
DropboxIBM Aspera on Cloud
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(0 ratings)
7.3
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
6.7
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
7.5
(0 ratings)
7.0
(0 ratings)
Availability
6.7
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
6.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
7.4
(0 ratings)
8.1
(0 ratings)
Online Training
8.2
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
7.5
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Configurability
6.4
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
6.6
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
DropboxIBM Aspera on Cloud
Likelihood to Recommend
Dropbox is great for everyone. Data on a hard drive is no longer secure. Learned the hard way when a hard drive fried. It's great for families, students, artists, entrepreneurs, consultants, small businesses, startups, graphic designers, and photographers. Did I leave anyone out?
Read full review
Barring the cost-prohibitive nature of some of the IBM Aspera solutions, IBM Aspera on Cloud is the appropriate solution for many file transfer workloads. Even at smaller volumes and lighter-weight files, Aspera's Hot Folder automation is a well-built and excellent solution for most file transfer needs.
Read full review
Pros
  • Ensures documents are up to date, even with multiple users accessing the same documents.
  • I love that if a team member accidentally deletes a file, I can find it and restore it.
  • I like that I can edit from the web or have the app downloaded.
Read full review
  • Ease of use: the Graphical User Interface doesn't require technical know-how to operate
  • Delivery Receipts: this allows us the confidence to know our files have reached our customers
  • Activity Monitor: lets you know how much data you have used, which is important for budgeting reasons.
Read full review
Cons
  • I’d like to be able to hover over an image/document and have it expand/enlarge without actually opening it
  • I’d love to see a carousel that lets me thumb through more quickly
  • I’m almost always in thumbnail view. I’d like to see them re-organize automatically when something is moved or deleted instead of leaving an empty space.
  • AI options for photo editing.
  • Easier pdf markups
Read full review
  • Track upload/download usage OVERALL to know how much space is left
  • Track cloud storage overall to know how much space is left
  • More easily send single links to users for download, rather than full access (I know it is possible, but it is not intuitive)
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Even though it has its shortcomings, Dropbox is an exceptionally useful product for simple file sharing. It’s intelligent design and user-friendly interface have continued to facilitate project completion. However, as we expand, we will probably look to other solutions for storage and sharing as we undertake larger and more intensely collaborative projects
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No answers on this topic
Usability
It works extremely well, and we have never had any issues with connecting or sharing files. It's very easy to use, and any team member can share, add, and delete files to a virtual drive. This is extremely helpful, and it's an amazing tool to use, ensuring everyone can connect and work together effectively.
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My experience with Aspera applications and with other vendors. My score will go to 8 as soon as AoC's Files App has the Search Through Sub-folders feature. We want to remove Aspera Shares, which has an older inefficient user interface.
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Performance
Dropbox is really useful, you can access any file from anywhere and you can upload and even edit files online, but, sometimes it can be slow. Downloading, uploading, and syncing is a bit slow, it can take several minutes. Furthermore, the search engine for large amounts of data can be slow too and it is not powerful.
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No answers on this topic
Support Rating
They immediately responded like in an example that I gave where one of our staff members accidentally deleted the whole Special Hope Network Dropbox, we immediately contacted Dropbox they walked us through the steps of how to retrieve the information and luckily enough we were able to retrieve the entire Dropbox and we have had back and forth with Dropbox on what to do when an employee leaves how to remove them how to add another employee.
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The support from IBM is fast and reliable. Very knowledgeable engineers provide you with the support on Aspera. We had a very good experience when opened tickets and we were able to get our issues resolved quickly. Most solutions are provided within a day so you can expect a quick turnaround time. Overall, the support has been very good.
Read full review
Online Training
I did not personally take any training for Dropbox so I am self taught but I know when our Vice President selected Dropbox, he personally did do some training modules on it and I'm assuming it was very easy and simple to understand since he now acts like he is a pro at it!
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No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
I needed to stay current in improving my daily operations. Dropbox
was suggested to me by a former colleague two-years ago and I've been using it just fine ever since.
Read full review
The service provided by the authorized vendor was excellent. It was a good collaboration between the vendor IT team and internal IT team. They provided us with a timeline and we verified and approved that timeline. Daily stand ups and weekly meetups were conducted to update the internal team on progress. They were able to deliver all deliverables on time also, they conducted both alpha testing and beta version testing in time. Overall, they were able to complete the implementation in the given timeline.
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Alternatives Considered
I prefer the layout and visual aspect of Dropbox as it mirrors my files on my computer. I feel that I am more organized, and it's easier to find my files in Dropbox than it was with Google Drive.
Read full review
Teams can be really slow and the downloads sometimes come out corrupted or the program will just quit or it doesn't seem to like all files to download. While IBM Aspera is more universal and versatile with the files it downloads. Teams might look flashy but its not the best with actually transferring important data quickly like Aspera.
Read full review
Scalability
bc i think box.com is better and more affordable
Read full review
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
  • I access my Dropbox account from anywhere—any computer, my smartphone —is very accessible while still secure.
  • I would like it to be more editable with existing projects. This could be just me.
  • I would like it to integrate better with other systems, such as email and Office.
Read full review
  • Fast transfer of internal files means that more space available at production for more features
  • Internal logs are now easier to transfer and faster to batch process, giving the ability to draw out conclusions and work on improvements faster
  • Good metrics by aspera lets report creation of any transfer easy and transparent. Was previously a tiresome thing to do
Read full review
ScreenShots

Dropbox Screenshots

Screenshot of the action bar, that sits across the browser page can be used to record the screen, edit PDFs, upload files, create folders, get signatures, or send and track documents.Screenshot of Dropbox Replay, that lets collaborators leave frame-accurate feedback and markups directly on project files.Screenshot of Dropbox Capture, which can be used to take screen recordings, screenshots, and GIFs with one click and share them with a link.Screenshot of the interface where Dropbox lets users upload, edit, send, and sign PDFs in one place.

IBM Aspera on Cloud Screenshots

Screenshot of automated workflowsScreenshot of simple transferScreenshot of transfer management