Box Reviews

Pros

Besides being a file sharing and storage software, it excels where other software does not even come close. I like the features to edit docs and files. The integration with google workspace, adobe, and microsoft office make this so essential. The security features are also not something I realized I valued until I started using box. I just feel like my files and my data are taken care of when I use this service.

Cons

There is no beating around the bush here: box is expensive. But also... lots of storage services are these days. The free version does not get you very far. I think it's the same space Google Drive gives you, but again, the features within box cannot be found elsewhere.

Pros

Their Cloud infrastructure is one of the original online storage spaces, which i have used since 2001 to keep my songwriting files secure. My favorite unique advantage that box has is its file versioning. As a songwriter it can be challenging saving updated lyrics though still utilizing autosave to avoid unintended deletion. File versioning combines the two and organizes all versions, with an easy selectbox convenient for final drafting.

Cons

Their workspace is pretty generic, which can be more seamless as a one-stop project management superapp, which is made possible by zapier

Alternatives Considered

Nextcloud, Dropbox Business, Adobe Creative Cloud Express and SAP Analytics Cloud

Reasons for Choosing Box

Price and long time relationship with company.

Switched From

Zoho One and Google Workspace

Reasons for Switching to Box

Familiarity played the biggest role as i led this project and needed to reflect confidence in my decisions which is hard to do when using new software.

Pros

It was organization specific and allowed for easy sharing of documents. It was also a good place to store documents.

Cons

Because it used Word to upload, when documents were shared among users the document could be only be viewed and not edited. It then required a new document to be saved because users could not edit the document at once. It also was not user friendly and took a while to understand how it worked.

Pros

Box offered the best introductory deal, so I gave it a try. I like the clean interface, ease of use, security, and intuitive functions. Box makes file sharing easy and very reliable.

Cons

I've been using Box for over 3 years and have never had a negative experience.

Alternatives Considered

Dropbox Business

Reasons for Choosing Box

Box is easier to use, has a cleaner interface, and is faster.

Switched From

Dropbox Business and WeTransfer

Reasons for Switching to Box

Better introductory discount. Also, Box is a cleaner, more intuitive, and user friendly software.

Pros

Quick, simple, easy way to collaborate with others across distances.

Cons

I really can't think of anything. We mainly use the spreadsheets and it works great.

Alternatives Considered

Dropbox Business

Reasons for Switching to Box

The main reason was pricing. Also, for our functions, Box.com was much simpler and worked much more quickly than Dropbox.

Pros

Box provides me easy access to all of my documents, files, and data, at an affordable price with a no nonsense software and universal support structure.

Cons

I wish apple had an integration with Box and iCloud natively. It is its own separate app.

Alternatives Considered

OneDrive, iCloud and NordLocker

Reasons for Switching to Box

best price available compared to all for the maximum storage capability of what I need

Pros

Best free file exchange option compared to similar products

Cons

Not very advanced or ubiquitous with other applications

Alternatives Considered

Dropbox Business

Reasons for Choosing Box

Price and accessibility for all employees

Switched From

ShareFile

Reasons for Switching to Box

Box is cheaper and easier to deploy for more of our employees

Pros

office box is very important because of my works flow is always with its feature and connect to many other software for work.

Cons

Cor enterprise is least uses. Although it good feature but least use at my area,

Pros

Love how easy it is to sync with SSO and how fast downloads are

Cons

Sommetime loading of the pdf viewer can be slow but downloads are fast.

Pros

A great place to keep all your files, good for collaboration between multiple employees, recommend using the box sync app to quickly move files around with ease.

Cons

There can be limitations on the size of files shared or stored, which can limit Box's functionality.

Pros

The speed to download and upload every single file

Cons

It is not as good as Dropbox, but if you are starting your business and want to save a good amount of money it is an ideal choice.

Alternatives Considered

Dropbox Business

Reasons for Choosing Box

It was a financial choice. Since we were starting out, we had to save some money to buy expensive equipment. With Box, we have 50gb available and with Dropbox, we had 2 to 5gb.

Switched From

Dropbox Business

Reasons for Switching to Box

When you are starting a business the best tools are not the ones you start with. Nowadays we utilize Box over Dropbox, but at first, we had to go with Box and we don't regret it. Box definitely has an amazing service quality.

Pros

Ease of use. It is simple, whatever is in your Box Drive folder is what is on Box. It is very easy to share files with others. Files are safe, and I would recommend them to anyone.

Cons

Some users have to use a secure DAV connection, and Box severely throttles DAV connections. Moving files around using this takes a lot of time, BUT it does work for now.

Alternatives Considered

Dropbox Business

Reasons for Choosing Box

Dropped Google Apps for Business

Switched From

Google Drive

Reasons for Switching to Box

Dropbox is a security nightmare. Used Box before, and so we moved back to them.

Pros

The ease of use of spinning up Box folders and collaborating among internal employees or external clients/customers. The granular permission settings within each folder allow the administrator ("owner" or "co-owner") help regulate privileges from editing, to downloading, and reading which is a great tool when looking to share with multiple parties at different levels. We stopped sending attachments via e-mail (not secure) and simply use Box now to point toward a Link where the file is located. If you don't have access to the link, you are unable to see the file. Our employees and customers love this feature and it keeps everyone involved and access privileges in check.

Cons

When using Box Drive, it can be a bit slow to sync when creating new folders, or modifying file names, directly on the desktop application (recommend using the Box web site), however, this is extremely minor. we have had many successes using Box and have not even considered exploring any other solutions for over 5 years.

Alternatives Considered

ShareFile

Reasons for Switching to Box

Pricing, overall security, and vendor demonstration

Pros

Box excels at one thing -- making documents accessible from anywhere. This amounts to benefits of efficiency and freedom to work on the go. Being able to access from any machine, particularly on a phone where other services often fail, enhances my ability to address customer's needs.

Cons

There's no indication when a file is open by another user. This has led to multiple users editing a document, and those documents don't merge well or at all, leaving a red exclamation point indicating there's an issue or an alternate file. We've lost some work this way. As a small company, this is manageable with clearer communication between employees, but I foresee this being an issue as we grow.

Alternatives Considered

Dropbox Business

Reasons for Choosing Box

My company previously had a VPN that was difficult to access from new locations and equipment, was not compatible with different phones/computers, and crashed often. Before that, we used dropbox and google drive, which we still use to a very small degree. Box means I have freedom to work effectively from wherever I choose.

Switched From

Google Drive

Reasons for Switching to Box

We considered enhancing our storage with DropBox. Ultimately we liked the interface and accessibility of Box which seemed to have faster upload/download speeds and added features like Box Notes.

Pros

The access levels for intra-company sharing are very granular, allowing us the ability to protect privileged information,

Cons

It's hard to be critical of this tool. Some of the features we never use (notes, for example) seem a little clunky, but I understand they're improving. Those are all secondary, however. The main product itself is unbeatable.

Pros

Box Sync is the first thing I'd recommend if you don't have that already. It sets up a folder on your local computer that you can treat as a folder just like 'Documents' and it syncs automatically when you're connected to wifi. I also like using Box Sync with Mendeley (reference manager) because it syncs all the docs in Mendeley into a single location on Box, which is great. I can make notes in the PDFs and it syncs into Mendeley so that I can see my comments there as well. The version control has saved my many times because every time you create a new version or save a document, it holds onto old versions. This way if you accidentally overwrite something, you can usually go back into Box online, look at previous versions, and restore the right one. It's also easy to use and isn't finicky like many software.

Cons

Unlike most of my software reviews, I don't have much to say for cons.

Alternatives Considered

Dropbox Business

Reasons for Switching to Box

Box seems to have better version control and seems safer to use. You can create custom share links and get notified when your collaborator has accepted the request to collaborate.

Pros

Not only is it user-friendly and intuitive, but it also offers top-notch security measures to protect my important files. The interface is straightforward and easy to navigate, making it simple to upload, organize, and share files. They offer a range of tools that make it easy to work with my team and clients, such as the ability to leave comments and track changes. They uses robus encryption and multiple layers of protection to ensure that my data is secure. Supports a wide range of file types, including documents, images, audio, and video, making it a versatile solution for all my data storage needs. The mobile app makes it easy to access my files on the go, which has been especially helpful during the pandemic when I've been working remotely.

Cons

However, there are a few cons to consider. One is that the pricing can be a bit steep for smaller businesses on a tight budget. Another is that the platform can be a bit slow at times, especially when uploading large files. Finally, there have been occasional issues with syncing, which can be frustrating when trying to access important files on the go.

Alternatives Considered

Microsoft Azure

Reasons for Choosing Box

Better feature and integrations in Box. Also well known.

Switched From

Amazon S3, CloudFiles and MediaFire

Pros

Box is simple and quick in terms of sharing documentation, requesting signatures, uploading, and editing content. I love how customizable are the signatures as you may just drag the signature, seals, and date of signature options. Also, the storage capacity you get for the free option is very reasonable (10GB). If you desire to have a customized price for your needs, Box also offers other options with good prices.

Cons

When you share a document, your coworkers do not get notified in their Box dashboard. They need to check their emails in order to notice that they got new shared content or signature requests. I'd rather prefer that each of us gets notified in Box, as always as we are logged into our accounts. Also, you may not receive your notifications in your primary inbox, but in "Promotions" or Spam.On the other hand, once you request signatures and you get notified everyone has signed the document, you'll have to create a copy of it for you to sign. I would prefer to sign the original document, instead of Box creating a copy of it, so I can sign it too.

Pros

I like the simplicity and good features and the appropriate speed of Box platform, you can easily transfer files from any device to the cloud storage space of the box. I like its speed and security, you will not feel any strangeness with the software. E-Signature make it more secure and Integration with lot of apps is wonderful. The cost and price is very reasonable and economical compared to the many features it provides to the user.‌ Data Loss Protection is great.

Cons

The graphic design of the dashboard should be simpler and more tangible and can be changed to the liking of the admin, Also a feature in the dashboard should be added to display the status of shared files and folders, and the latest status of views and downloads to be clearly and simply visible to the admin.

Alternatives Considered

Hightail and Dropbox DocSend

Reasons for Choosing Box

We were looking for more features and less cost to store information

Switched From

Dropbox Business, OneDrive, Google Drive, Egnyte, ShareFile and pCloud Business

Reasons for Switching to Box

Having a powerful and secure tool with modern features and at the same time easy to use for storing Documents and data in the cloud with affordable price

Pros

Box has lots of integrations, which makes it easier to work with it within other tools without having to visit it in a browser. Outside of that, the main reason to choose Box is its security features. The web interface is clean and highly intuitive. It still is loaded with features to customize it for your users in anyway you want.

Cons

The big downside I see is the speed. This may be due to the level of security configured, but it's noticeable. There are also some UI design issues that require way too many clicks to get to what you need. However, these are for very infrequently used settings (such as finding out storage usage).

Alternatives Considered

Dropbox Business

Reasons for Choosing Box

Needed more features, configuration control, security, and integrations.

Switched From

Google Drive

Pros

1. Sharing files is simple, no matter who you want to share with and no matter from what device. You can share a document with someone inside or outside of the organization without giving up control of the document. No need for someone outside of the organization to upload any software in order to access the shared document.
2. As an HR professional I find Box to be a great tool for collaborating with hiring managers. I set up a system for resume sorting that allows hiring managers to see just those resumes selected for their review, and allows the manager to move the candidates ahead in the hiring process, or not, as desired. I can then take action based on their actions in Box. It's very efficient. As a small business we do not need expensive, extensive stand-alone software for applicant tracking. Box allows us to record our decision making process
3. Largely intuitive, but in case you need a bit of help, the webinars and how-to videos are very easy to follow.
4. I can access, read and send documents from my phone. Very helpful for those moments at the beach when you realize you forgot to send a document to your boss. It's happened.

Cons

1. I work mostly from an old Mac. I find some of the interface less smooth than from my PC. For example, when I create a Word doc within Box while using my Mac, the Mac defaults to Text Edit instead of Word. I suspect that's user error, though.

Pros

I love the Box branding and aesthetic. It's a pleasant backdrop for day-to-day use. They have a lot of features on the enterprise front, and I can see they've put a lot of work into their business model.

Cons

(Note: This relates to Box Sync, which is the version that stores files locally on your device and backs them up on the cloud. This is in contrast to Box Drive, which stores on the network by default.)

There have been at least 2 occasions entire directories have disappeared from my local storage even though I did not delete them on any of my synced devices. In the most recent case, this was >50 GB across thousands of files. I had to figure out how to redownload them, which turned out to be a huge hassle in the online interface. Download size limits at 15 GB (or something on that order) prevented me from downloading the higher level directories all at once. The next best thing was making batch selections of files. This ended up being very nonintuitive and took me a long time to figure out (I had to go to a help board).

Another criticism is that Box Sync (apparently?) will be deprecated in the future. If, like me, you are uncomfortable with network storage as the default, then Box might not be the best choice for you. I understand this is their business model -- and I can't speak for everyone -- but to me the upsides of default network storage seem outweighed by their downsides for typical use cases.

Pros

I like that this software just works without a bunch of hassle. I also like that box is not, to my knowledge, google or microsoft. No need to have either of them snooping through my files. At the time I switched from dropbox, I was very happy that box wasn't dropbox. I think Box used to have faster pipes than Sync but am not so sure anymore.

Cons

I think that Sync.com has a better product for my day-to-day. All I really want is secure storage and for all my computers to sync up certain directories. I don't want to ever doubt that every file is synced onto every computer. I left dropbox because their smartsync made me wonder if I was getting what I wanted. I think Sync is the company that is most focused on giving me exactly what I want. Box is OK, but they aren't focused on the precise thing I'm after. That makes me worry that they are going to go the dropbox route and try to some "smart" thing that makes them useless to me. Also, there was the box hacker exploit discovered in 2019. I think that's when I moved important stuff to Sync.

Pros

This is one of the best because it’s like having 4 in 1. Cloud management, collaboration, assignment schedule, and electronic signature with Box Sign.
It’s not too expensive and all the things I get are used daily.
It couldn’t be easier to use for electronic signatures, the documents are already in Box so I don’t need to send them out. I don’t have to directly share something for others to see it, but I can share directly if I want to and it’s easy. There is a message board that can be kept open and assignments can be created and scheduled.
Box can open Adobe or PDF, Word, and Google Docs files, it’s opened or read all files I’ve imported.
This is secure enough to use for legal documents or client records, it’s protected with encryption and requires little monitoring.

Cons

Box Sign is easy to use but it’s not as good as it could be.
I don’t think the cloud storage management is the best, the other ladies at the office agree. File versions became lost and the overall manner of storing wasn’t great.

Alternatives Considered

Dropbox Business

Reasons for Choosing Box

This has more for less

Switched From

OneDrive

Reasons for Switching to Box

Because of Box Sign and messaging

Pros

Storing and managing important files requires a solution that is both user-friendly and secure. Cloud-based storage services such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud provide easy-to-use interfaces and strong security measures, making them an ideal choice for safeguarding sensitive data. The services make it simple to upload, organize and share files with team members and clients, with tools such as commenting and version tracking for effective collaboration. The service ensures the safety of your data by implementing robust encryption and multiple layers of protection.The services support a wide range of file types, including documents, images, audio and video, making it a suitable option for all your storage needs. The mobile app allows easy access to your files from anywhere, which is particularly useful for remote work scenarios.

Cons

While cloud-based storage services such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud offer many benefits for storing and managing important files, there are also some drawbacks to consider. One disadvantage is that the pricing can be high for smaller businesses with a limited budget. Another issue is that the platform may experience slow performance, particularly when uploading large files. Additionally, syncing can be problematic at times, making it difficult to access important files when on the go. Overall, it is important to weigh the pros and cons before choosing a cloud-based storage service for your business.