Your Google Drive is not ready yet
Well, almost here…
Here is a quick comparison on some of the remote storage and file sync solutions that I consider important:
|
Online Service |
Win |
Mac |
Linux |
Android |
iPhone |
Web |
Client-side Encryption |
Initial Space |
Client Source |
Server Source |
|
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Soon |
Yes |
No |
5GB |
No |
No |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
2GB |
No |
No |
|
|
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
5GB |
Yes |
No |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
2GB |
Some |
Some |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Some |
Yes |
5GB |
No |
No |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Some |
5GB |
No |
No |
|
|
Personal |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
- |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
- |
Yes |
Yes |
(For a list that is more complete, go to Wikipedia)
I find client-side encryption crucial for personal privacy, and having the client source code released is just as important. The benefit is that you don’t have to trust that the company that owns the storage will not compromise and disclose your data, either maliciously or clumsily.
In the diverse world of personal devices, compatibility with different platforms is also very convenient, if not necessary.
In this moment there’s no solution that offers these things together, and Google Drive does not fill this space. The services that come closer to my requirements are SpiderOak and Wuala, but unfortunately they don’t have an Open Source client.
The two personal services that I added in the table are quite promising, but lack two things to be successful in my opinion: the first is mobile access and the second is some company who already gives you an online service to sync to.
Entries
Nate
2012/04/25
I would have liked to see how Windows Skydrive compares. Partially for a good laugh but also so that others Googling for answers can see the reality of things
Balau
2012/04/25
I didn’t consider Skydrive mainly because it doesn’t satisfy any of my security concerns. It doesn’t seem to have client-side encryption, and obviously the source code of client or server is not available. Il also lacks both Linux and Android access, except via Web. On the plus side, it offers initial 7GB of space.