Box is an online Intelligent Content Management solution that caters to individual users as well as businesses.
$20
per month 3 users (minimum)
Missive
Score 10.0 out of 10
N/A
Missive is an app for collaborative email and threaded group chat used by teams, from the small company of the same name in Quebec.
$18
per month per user
Shift
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
The Shift browser merges web apps into a single window, streamlining work online and providing access to thousands of apps without leaving the browser.
I think Box is great for research teams or anyone that has a large number of files that need to be securely stored. Particularly in the case of social science research, where it is important to protect identifying data, Box is a great option. In cases where teams need a more reliable means for real-time collaboration, I would probably consider a different alternative
It fills the gap between large commercial softwares for large companies, and for small companies. Most email hosts are just basic until you start bringing in video calls, chat, etc. Missive has that and more, and I think is the #1 email choice for small companies.
I believe that Shift is suitable for everyone, even those with only one email account. Just being able to group email, along with Messenger, WhatsApp, and other apps, together is, in itself, a productivity hack. I have already recommended it to some of my other business owner friends.
The main feature that I like the most in Box is that it makes collaboration seamless, workers can easily check the documents any time and make changes according to the needs.
Box manages and backs up all of your files on its cloud servers, and provides a very nice interface for creating, viewing, editing, and collaborating on the most commonly used file types (PDF, XLS, DOC, etc.).
Over the past few years, Box has built on top of its basic cloud storage management with a host of other tools, such as workflows, AI, monitoring, and analytics.
It is helping us to make good connections with clients and our workers themselves as to its syncing and viewing feature to all is very much helpful and easy to go.
I like the security features and I like the website. It's easy to use and create and move things around as needed. The main reason for a lower rating is because the Box Sync app is just not a good program. It's a memory hog, it's slow, transfer speeds are slow, and it's not the most efficient route. If you have a large Box account and you need to get a computer up to speed on a large amount of data within Box, you are in for the long haul. Last time I had to do this, it took 3 days to sync all of the files and we are talking around 100 GB worth of data
Shift has significantly streamlined your daily operations by bringing together all your tools, accounts, and workflows into one platform. This has reduced context-switching and improved overall productivity across Bamboo Orchard’s Innovation Studio and Venture Studio operations.The ability to create custom workspaces tailored to different projects, clients, and teams ensures that each aspect of your business is optimized for performance. This flexibility supports the unique, bespoke solutions Bamboo Orchard is known for delivering. Shift has enhanced collaboration by integrating communication tools like Slack, Zoom, and email with task management platforms. This has allowed teams to work together seamlessly, even in remote or hybrid environments. By eliminating the need for constant tab-switching and manual management of accounts, Shift has saved considerable time and effort for the team, allowing you to focus more on strategic innovation and client support. Shift’s functionality aligns perfectly with Bamboo Orchard’s mission to deliver bold, transformative innovation and tailored solutions. It supports your ability to execute efficiently and maintain focus on reshaping industries for your clients.
Everything with Box is seamless. It can be integrated into virtually any other software or application. You can even get the app for your phone or tablet to work on the go. File syncing is so quick. The only reason I gave it a 9 is the issue I discussed earlier about the local file application rebooting and not continuing to sync files. Other than that, it's great!
Setting up Shift is very simple and highly intuitive, making it easy to use. Once you set up the accounts and program integrations, you can easily click on precisely what you need, requiring barely any thought or effort. It feels truly seamless and straightforward to use. I have no issues with use, and I use it every day.
Yeah, it's always worked, I've never had any kind of connection issues, the only issues I've had it I've been on our end when the Internet hasn't worked.
Its basically been great. In 3 years I had one issue of repeated crashes which was fixed with a version change and an issue where slack wouldn't load after a slack update but that fixed within a few weeks
The general operation and management of Box is very efficient, both when accessing the account, and when adding files, downloading or modifying any document directly. The web platform, mobile and desktop versions work really well and quickly, making all the work and process flow smoothly and without setbacks. So far I have not been able to observe any inconvenience
Its pretty performant on my GPU based laptop as it can use the hardware to accelerate processing. However it is memory hungry. If I had a normal amount of RAM on my laptop I wouldn't imagine it would be a little slower
I found their support community lacking in clarity when I experienced a login issue. The error messaging was poor on my Box Sync application. I did not reach out to support staff for help, instead, I reasoned that I should try downloading the Box Sync application again and reinstall it. That fixed my issue, thankfully. I think a less computer-savvy user would've been much more frustrated.
I have only had to use their support a couple of times, but was able to get an answer and things resolved within a couple of hours. There was no issue with contacting them, received responses and updates in a timely manner and they were able to resolve the small issues we had. It was a pleasure to work with them
The documentation is good. Since Box is a popular service, there were also a number of YouTube videos and other sources that were helpful as we were considering the product and planning for deployment. Also, the ability to try the free version helped to prepare us.
Be careful with settings. It is easy to get overwhelmed with updates. For example, you don’t want to be updated when doing historical data uploads. I recommend taking off notifications initially and then turn on post you have done your historical data upload.
I was completely satisfied with the implementation of Shift, rating it a 10. The process was straightforward and required minimal effort to get started. Key insights include the importance of pre-configuring the app with essential tools and accounts for the team to ensure a smooth transition. Shift’s intuitive setup and integration process allowed us to onboard quickly without disrupting workflows. Additionally, its user-friendly design made it easy for team members to adapt without extensive training.
They are kind of the same. And both of them do their job as promised. But for company and project wise I think that Box slightly wins for some points. Which [makes him] win over Google Drive (don't forget that Google Drive is very easy to use and has a lot [of] nice features too).
I can only compare to free services or to Outlook. I cannot go back to Outlook... Truly. Outlook hits all the right marks for a business, and Missive exceeds those marks and sets new standards. I joined a company that had already chosen Missive. I not only was able to pick it up intuitively, but I felt proficient at it within a couple of weeks and already felt my workflow and communication skyrocket.
I used to use a similar product called Station. In all honesty, Station was better but was discontinued. Shift is the nearest equivalent and works just as well. Station was free, Shift is an annual payment so I have peace of mind it's more likely to be around for the long term.
Box has been an only positive experience. It provides a seamless way for me and my team to collaborate on documents in such a way where we're not sending the document back/forth via email. It's a huge timesaver.
Box reduces the risk of sharing a sensitive document to the wrong person via email.
Box has provided a platform where my team can share notes in meetings - this has helped streamline and organize our meetings. Our meetings are more productive and actionable.
Overall efficiency in our communication has probably tripled. We can draw a collaborative conclusion, in-office or remote, desktop or remote, within minutes assuming we are all available.
We realize we are still "under-utilizing" this app. It can be a powerhouse if mastered.
