Free Dropbox alternative: 6 free plans compared (2026)
Six free plans compared for people leaving Dropbox Basic, with limits as published in October 2026, one weakness each, who each suits and where Tarkle Free stops.
The best free Dropbox alternative depends on the job. For the most free space, MEGA gives 20 GB. If you already live in Google or Microsoft apps, Google Drive or OneDrive is the easy move. If the job is sending files to clients from your own domain, Tarkle Free covers that with 5 GB for one person.
Last checked: October 2026. Competitor numbers below are as published on each vendor's page that month, with the link next to each claim.
We make Tarkle, so read this as one vendor's view and check the sources. Tarkle is in the list where it fits, not at the top, and every tool, Tarkle included, gets a real weakness.
What does Dropbox Basic give you for free?
Dropbox's plans page lists Basic as free with 2 GB to store and share files (Dropbox plans, as published in October 2026). The first paid step on the same page is Plus, which starts at 2,000 GB and costs $9.99 a month when billed monthly.
That gap is why people leave: 2 GB fills fast, and the next step is a jump to 2 TB. If you want the wider story of why teams move, read our Dropbox honest review. This page focuses on free plans and names paid prices only where a free plan runs out.
Before you compare anything, add up what you actually store today. If it is under 5 GB, almost every plan below works. If it is over 20 GB, no free plan will hold it and you are comparing paid plans.
Which free plans are worth comparing?
Six free plans, in the order of who they suit rather than who we are. None of the pricing pages we read says whether its free plan may be used for a business, so read the terms before you move client files.
Google Drive: best if your team already uses Gmail and Docs
Google's plans page says all Google accounts come with up to 15 GB of storage, shared with Gmail and Photos (Google One plans, October 2026). Because the page says "up to", check what a new account actually shows.
Weakness: the space is shared across three services, so a busy inbox eats into your file storage.
MEGA: best for the most free space
MEGA says every new account gets 20 GB free, encrypted on your device before upload (MEGA blog, July 2026). Its pricing page lists free transfer as "Limited" without giving a number (MEGA pricing, October 2026).
Weakness: a capped transfer allowance on the free plan, with no figure on the pricing page, matters if clients download large files from your links.
Proton Drive: best for private storage of a few files
Proton's pricing page lists 5 GB free, no credit card, with an online document and spreadsheet editor and encryption (Proton Drive pricing, October 2026).
Weakness: 5 GB is a small allowance, and the page gives no maximum file size for the free plan.
Tarkle: best for sending and collecting files with clients on your own domain
Tarkle Free costs $0 with no credit card. It includes 1 workspace for 1 person, 5 GB of storage, uploads up to 1 GB, file sharing and file requests, client feedback and approval, custom branding and a custom domain (Tarkle pricing). It also imports from Dropbox. You can send files and folders with one branded link from your own domain, and recipients do not need an account to download.
Weaknesses: Free is for one person, so a team needs Pro. Deleted files stay in the recovery bin for 30 days. The "Powered by Tarkle" line stays on Free pages. Free accounts with no sign-in or activity for 6 months may be deleted after a notice (Terms of Service, section 14.6). Tarkle is also a sharing and delivery tool, not a document editor.
OneDrive: best if your business runs on Microsoft 365
Microsoft's OneDrive page lists a free plan "for one person" with 5 GB of cloud storage (OneDrive free plan, October 2026). The first paid step, Microsoft 365 Basic, is $19.99 a year for 100 GB on the same page.
Weakness: the free plan is for one person and only 5 GB.
Box: best for small documents
MEGA's comparison post says Box's free Individual plan gives 10 GB with a 250 MB limit per file (MEGA blog, July 2026). Box's own pricing page did not load when we checked, so confirm these numbers there before you decide.
Weakness: a 250 MB file limit rules out many video and design files.
How do the free plans compare side by side?
Dropbox Basic: 2 GB. Best for light sync and sharing. Smallest allowance here.
Google Drive: up to 15 GB, shared. Best for Google users. Shared with Gmail and Photos.
MEGA: 20 GB. Best for the most space. Transfer is capped.
Proton Drive: 5 GB. Best for private storage. Small allowance.
Tarkle Free: 5 GB. Best for sending files to clients. One person, 1 GB per upload.
OneDrive: 5 GB. Best for Microsoft 365 teams. One person.
Box Individual: 10 GB. Best for small documents. 250 MB per file (figures from MEGA's post, not Box's page).
Where does Tarkle Free stop?
Free stops at 5 GB, a 1 GB upload limit and a single user. There is no client portal on Free, and no file versions.
Pro is $29 a month, or $19 a month billed yearly ($228 a year). It adds 3 TB of storage, uploads up to 200 GB, 2 workspaces, unlimited team members, file versions, 90-day recovery and a branded client portal. Agency is $59 a month, or $49 a month billed yearly ($588 a year). It adds 20 workspaces for clients, 6 TB and a 100% white-label platform. For a team that needs sign-in for clients, Pro is the better fit than any free plan above. Agencies can read about white label for agencies and the white-label Dropbox alternative. Prices are on the pricing page.
If you need a sync folder on your desktop, real-time document editing or backups, none of the plans above replaces Dropbox on its own. Check what you rely on first.
How do you move off Dropbox without downloading everything?
You can bring files in from Dropbox with a one-time copy. It is not a sync, so changes in Dropbox afterwards do not follow.
Open an upload screen in Tarkle and choose Dropbox.
Select Connect Dropbox and approve access.
Browse your folders, or search after typing two letters, and tick the files.
Each file is checked against your plan's file size limit and storage left, then copied.
On Free, a file over 1 GB fails with a reason such as "larger than your plan's 1 GB file limit". Sort your biggest files first, then decide whether they justify Pro, which allows uploads up to 200 GB.
You can also read about the Dropbox integration.
Which free Dropbox alternative should you pick?
You want the most space: MEGA, if the transfer cap suits you.
You already use Google or Microsoft apps: Google Drive or OneDrive.
You need private storage for a few files: Proton Drive.
You work with small documents: Box.
You send and collect files with clients on your own domain: Tarkle Free, then Pro when a team or a client portal is needed.
Start with the plan that matches the job, keep Dropbox until the move is checked, and re-run the numbers when your storage grows. If sending files to clients is the job, start for free and send one real transfer from your own domain before you decide.