Dropbox vs Box
A side-by-side look at what Dropbox and Box publish about pricing, plans and features.
This page sets the two products' recorded data side by side. It is not an editorial review — nobody has tested either product for this page, and the figures below are not independently verified. Read how we handle data and what each label means.
| Field | Dropbox | Box |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Cloud Storage | Cloud Storage |
| Entry price | $12/mo | $5/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 30-day trial | 14-day trial |
| Tagged for | Freelancers | Enterprise |
| G2 rating unverified | 4.4 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Capterra rating unverified | 4.5 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
Where they differ
- Entry pricing recorded here is $5/month for Box and $12/month for Dropbox. Plan structures differ, so these are not like-for-like — check both pricing pages before comparing totals.
Head to head
Dropbox
Dropbox still owns the hardest problem in file sync: keeping large files consistent across devices quickly and without conflicts, where its engine remains best-in-class. Smart Sync saves local disk space, sharing links are universally understood, and Dash adds AI search across content. But storage economics favor Google and Microsoft bundles, so Dropbox increasingly must justify itself as a premium sync tool rather than a storage utility.
Simple, reliable file sync and sharing.
What we record about Dropbox →Reported strengths
- Best-in-class sync
- Cross-platform
- Easy sharing
Reported drawbacks
- Pricey storage
- Small free tier
Box
Box long ago stopped competing on consumer storage and rebuilt itself as enterprise content management: granular permissions, retention policies, compliance certifications (HIPAA, FedRAMP) and workflow automation via Box Relay. Box AI now queries documents conversationally. It is the choice when legal and IT set the requirements — collaboration features are solid but the consumer-grade polish of Drive or Dropbox is not the point.
Secure content management for business.
What we record about Box →Reported strengths
- Strong security
- Good admin controls
- Enterprise-ready
Reported drawbacks
- Less consumer-friendly
- Sync can lag