Review of OpenDrive: A simple and user-friendly online storage
Read the full and in-depth review about OpenDrive Online Data Backup Service, which is a California based company that was established in 2008. It offers services for both home and business users. And it is also one of the data backup services that offer free 5GB storage. The company offers a lot of features that attract all user levels. Let's find out what it offers.
OpenDrive is a California based company that was established in 2008 with the intention to deliver superior online storage service for people, and by making data management services interesting, straightforward and safe they obtained a significant demand in the market so quickly. Now it has turned into an all-in-one data backup and file sharing solution, which is perfect for both home and business users who are searching for flexible services to keep their data safe and sound. It provides both data backup and file sharing options within a single UI. Just like others in this space, it also works in Mac OS, Windows, iOS and Android devices. The company claims that users can access their files anywhere in the world at anytime. Different pricing plans and tons of functionalities make OpenDrive an ideal option for all kind of computer users. Let's find out, is it good enough for you?
OpenDrive does provide a free 5GB plan, but it carries some limitations, including file size, upload speed and no file versioning. There is a Personal unlimited and Business Unlimited plan, and unlike many others they provide custom plans too. The personal unlimited plan, as name indicates, offers unlimited data storage and backup with unlimited speed. Plus, you get many features that are not available in free plan, such as data encryption, file versioning, user management and redundant backup. This plan will set you back $12.95 per month, and if you go for 1 year then you would get the discount of nearly $46.The Business unlimited plan costs $19.95/month, and its users can take advantage of all the features that OpenDrive offers, including custom branding and option to include additional account users up to 1000. As far as I know only a few backup services provide custom plans, and it's good to know OpenDrive is one among them. With this plan, you get the ability to choose the features that are required for your work, including the amount of storage space, bandwidth limit, and account type, at a very convenient price. On the bright side, custom users can also enjoy all the goodies available in personal plan. The custom plan costs $6/month 0r $60/year.Installation, UI and Features of OpenDrive
Installation of the OpenDrive is really easy. You can download the installation file directly from their official website. Once you complete the installation, the system will prompt you to restart the system. After the restart, a new window pops up and prompts you to enter the login details. If you don't have an OpenDrive account, then you can sign up right from there. Unlike other online backup services, it doesn't have any dedicated desktop client to manage your backups. Instead, a virtual drive will be automatically created, from there you can sync and backup data. For your reference I'm adding a screenshot below this paragraph.
As shown in the screenshot, you can see the options like sync and backup manager, Backup PC, Account Setting and a New Folder tab. Within that virtual drive, you can create as many directories you want, and there is a trash to keep deleted files - Just like you manage files in your local storage. From there you can also access your account settings, where you can upgrade the plan, add users, etc. At least for account settings, it does have a dedicated user interface.
Backing up files on OpenDrive is also really easy. Just right click the file or folder need to be backed up, and select the appropriate option from the context menu or you can simply drag and drop on the virtual drive. Once the process starts, you can see or control the progress of the data being transferred using a task manager that pops up. There is a schedule backup option as well, which lets you schedule backups need to be done, so that you don't ever need to bother about the backups will bog down your Internet speed in your busy hours. By default, OpenDrive is set to automatically sync the modifications you make to your data. If you are not comfortable with that particular setting to switch over to schedule or manual backup. You can always access your OpenDrive account and browse through your backup files, as long as your device connected to the Internet. If you prefer to do a full restore, there is an option to compress all of your data for a quicker download.
You can also share your files or directories with your friends and family. Right from the UI you can generate a download link to share it with other people, and these links can be created as private or public. Another interesting feature of the OpenDrive is the inclusion of some online tools that enables you to edit your documents right from the storage itself, without downloading them to your local storage, and changes you would make there are automatically synced to all of your devices. Even though this is not a cutting edge technology in online backup services, it definitely has its uses.
OpenDrive does provide mobile apps for Android and Apple iOS devices, so you can gain access to your data on the move. These apps have got most of the similar features as the desktop apps, such as download, copy, delete and share files. But, within the apps, you'd have to upload data manually. If you have stored any media files, then you would able to stream them, without downloading them to your device, which is something that you can hardly find in other backup services.
According to the company, all of user's data is transferred via 128 bit encrypted SSL connection. All the premium plan users can encrypt their data with AES-256 encryption, and they also get the benefit of Zero knowledge encryption, which means without your private encryption key not even OpenDrive's support team will be able to access your encrypted data. If you lose the key, those files can't be recovered. Keep in mind that only folders or files stored in 'Secure Files Folder' get the encryption benefit, the rest of the directories on the OpenDrive won't be encrypted. There is a highly secure administrative area, where you can set who can access your data, and you can even lock particular areas from various sections - this feature is particularly useful if there are many user accounts. OpenDrive does have its own highly secure data center, which is monitored 24/7 to keep out trespassers and other technical issues. To prevent accidental deletion and data modification, like many others, this one also keeps older versions of each and every file you stored in it, so that you can retrieve it anytime you want. But, unlike many others in this industry, OpenDrive doesn't have data centers in multiple locations, so your data won't be duplicated into multiple locations. And it's definitely a downside of OpenDrive.
When it comes to the support, OpenDrive offers ticket system, email and phone support, and you can make use of it if you need any assistance regarding backing up or restoring data or setting up your account. Sadly, there is no live chat support available. Its website incorporates, a comprehensive knowledge base, FAQs and tutorials. And, there is a community forum, where all of your doubts will be answered.
Read: Top 5 reputed paid cloud storage servicesConclusion
OpenDrive is one of the unique online backup services, which is good at storing, restoring and sharing data. It comes with easy to use user interface and wider range of features that will attract users of every level. Both Home and Business users would like the customization feature. It does provide a free 5GB storage space, and of course it's great, but there are many limitations such as no file versioning, speed and upload size limit, and no encryption, while many others in the industry provide same free storage size with many other features that are available in premium plans. Talking about the security, OpenDrive offers high security and military-grade encryption, but it owns only one data center, which does make me worry about the data protection. May be it's not a big deal breaker for some users, but at least for me, it's a big downside of OpenDrive. However, I must say, I really liked its simplicity in backing up data, felt like the data being copied to one of my system's drive or folder.
