Azure Blob Storage vs. Dropbox

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Azure Blob Storage
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft's Blob Storage system on Azure is designed to make unstructured data available to customers anywhere through REST-based object storage.
$0.01
per GB/per month
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
Pricing
Azure Blob StorageDropbox
Editions & Modules
Block Blobs
$0.0081
per GB/per month
Azure Data Lake Storage
$0.0081
per GB/per month
Files
$0.058
per GB/per month
Managed Discs
$1.54
per month
Plus
$9.99
per month
Essentials
$18
per month
Business
$20
per month per user
Business Plus
$26
per month per user
Basic
Free
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Azure Blob StorageDropbox
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Azure Blob StorageDropbox
Considered Both Products
Azure Blob Storage
Chose Azure Blob Storage
Blob storage lets us control the file source/hosting and retain everything within our Microsoft ecosystem. Blob is less feature-rich than some of the other products. Still, we consider it as a value-added product included within our environment, and alternative products are not …
Dropbox

No answer on this topic

Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Azure Blob StorageDropbox
File Sharing & Management
Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Product A and Product B
Azure Blob Storage
-
Ratings
Dropbox
7.7
887 Ratings
9% below category average
Versioning00 Ratings7.6714 Ratings
Video files00 Ratings8.0697 Ratings
Audio files00 Ratings8.2623 Ratings
Document collaboration00 Ratings7.5780 Ratings
Access control00 Ratings7.5828 Ratings
File search00 Ratings7.2855 Ratings
Device sync00 Ratings8.0814 Ratings
Cloud Storage Security & Administration
Comparison of Cloud Storage Security & Administration features of Product A and Product B
Azure Blob Storage
-
Ratings
Dropbox
7.7
848 Ratings
12% below category average
User and role management00 Ratings7.6778 Ratings
File organization00 Ratings8.0837 Ratings
Device management00 Ratings7.5730 Ratings
Cloud Storage Platform
Comparison of Cloud Storage Platform features of Product A and Product B
Azure Blob Storage
-
Ratings
Dropbox
8.0
836 Ratings
7% below category average
Performance00 Ratings7.8829 Ratings
Reliability00 Ratings8.2834 Ratings
Storage Reports00 Ratings7.8636 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Azure Blob StorageDropbox
Small Businesses
Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage
Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage
Score 9.7 out of 10
SugarSync
SugarSync
Score 7.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Pure Storage FlashBlade
Pure Storage FlashBlade
Score 9.7 out of 10
Druva Security Cloud
Druva Security Cloud
Score 9.7 out of 10
Enterprises
Pure Storage FlashBlade
Pure Storage FlashBlade
Score 9.7 out of 10
Druva Security Cloud
Druva Security Cloud
Score 9.7 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Azure Blob StorageDropbox
Likelihood to Recommend
9.8
(9 ratings)
7.8
(911 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
7.2
(31 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(1 ratings)
7.7
(65 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
7.6
(3 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
6.3
(8 ratings)
Support Rating
9.0
(3 ratings)
6.2
(34 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(2 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.1
(4 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
6.4
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
7.2
(4 ratings)
User Testimonials
Azure Blob StorageDropbox
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft
Blob storage is well suited to hosting/sharing zipped files rather than several smaller files, as folder enumeration/listing is not supported. Files uploaded are case-sensitive, so users need to be educated on the correct naming convention format if they are delegating the file-sharing process outside of IT.
Read full review
Dropbox
It works very well for my particular role in book design, where I manage multiple projects simultaneously and need to link to hundreds of images nested within other folders. At times, though, it seems my computer folders will change which files are kept in the cloud vs. my desktop.
Read full review
Pros
Microsoft
  • Easy to work with - drag and drop
  • Capable of long term retention
  • Relatively low cost
  • Good for different data formats
  • Allows archival storage
Read full review
Dropbox
  • Shared data among all peoples who have access to certain folders.
  • Data stored online so it frees lots of space from the personal computer.
  • Updates really fast.
  • You can access all the information on a file on your computer and on the Dropbox online platform.
Read full review
Cons
Microsoft
  • If we are transferring huge amount of data (outbound), it can get quite expensive.
  • With new features being added constantly, although a good thing, at times it becomes difficult to keep up with the changes. Documentation needs to keep UpToDate and should include best practices.
  • Performance can be improved especially when it comes to cold storage.
Read full review
Dropbox
  • One issue is when the preview of the video will sometimes play at the same time when watching it in full screen, where the two videos overlap each other.
  • Faster import time when inserting multiple files
  • It will be easier and faster to have a section to delete files under the folder tab
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Dropbox
Dropbox is a user-friendly, easy tool which requires little to no skill and they offer a free version with a good amount of storage available. There are other file sharing tools available however at a cost. Dropbox free version I have used for years and it serves every purpose I need.
Read full review
Usability
Microsoft
Blob storage is fairly simple, with several different options/settings that can be configured. The file explorer has enhanced its usability. Some areas could be improved, such as providing more details or stats on how many times a file has been accessed. It is an obvious choice if you're already using Azure/Entra.
Read full review
Dropbox
[Its] functionality and usability are very good, however[,] on every computer that I have ever installed the app on, Dropbox assumes I want it to update the files every time I start the system up. That's not always true, but the app assumes it is. I can switch that function off, but I would rather that function default to "Off" and then I can decide to turn it on as needed.
Read full review
Performance
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Dropbox
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.
Read full review
Support Rating
Microsoft
Microsoft has improved its customer service standpoint over the years. The ability to chat with an issue, get a callback, schedule a call or work with an architecture team(for free) is a huge plus. I can get mentorship and guidance on where to go with my environment without pushy sales tactics. This is very refreshing. Typically support can get me to where I need to be on the first contact, which is also nice.
Read full review
Dropbox
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.
Read full review
Online Training
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Dropbox
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!
Read full review
Implementation Rating
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Dropbox
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
Alternatives Considered
Microsoft
Azure Blob Storage is the best choice to store files when the app runs in Azure. It also has some advantages over S3, like Shared Access Signatures, that make it easy to control access to files directly via a URL. Azure Blob Storage is very fast and we have not had any major issues with it after using it for several years.
Read full review
Dropbox
Google Drive has similar features, but the security functions of Dropbox allows our institution to save our sensitive and regulated data in a more protected way on Dropbox. This gives administrators, decision makers and policy makers additional piece, especially during a time and living in a world where data breaches are much more frequent and common.
Read full review
Scalability
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Dropbox
bc i think box.com is better and more affordable
Read full review
Return on Investment
Microsoft
  • Azure has increased the flexibility of where we place data within our organization.
  • It has proven to be very reliable and always accessible.
Read full review
Dropbox
  • Negatively impacted my ROI as it's rather expensive.
  • Many of my freelancers were having issues accessing Dropbox because they already had other clients with Dropbox, so I requested Google Drive instead.
  • Wish the collaboration was easier.
  • A lot of times, people on my team can't access photos.
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.