Share projects across platforms and between different individuals. Dropbox does not have any agreement with my organization (they use Box), but they should. We are a big research university, so the case uses may vary a lot, but it's great for project collaboration.
Pros
File sharing
Syncing with local files
Sharing files with people outside my org
Cons
Syncing is too slow
Would like more info on file activity (i.e. who has viewed file, like Box has)
Likelihood to Recommend
File sharing is great; file hosting for online viewing not so much.
Researchers use it to store research articles and their ongoing collaborative research projects. It is a great place for teams to store their work and collaborate on team projects. Dropbox Dash is another excellent app that allows you to search across your entire Dropbox folder, Outlook mail, and Exchange calendar.
Pros
Collaborating with teams.
Powerful search.
Saving large files that can be accessed by all team members anytime in real time.
Cons
Connect Dropbox to Instapaper app to search saved articles.
Better integration with Google Drive and OneDrive.
Likelihood to Recommend
I always use it when I am working on a research project with collaborators.
I predominantly use Dropbox to collaborate on projects and papers with co-authors. Dropbox helps us ensure we all have access to identical files that we can all edit and work with as needed, rather than emailing files back and forth. I also use it to store data files too large for my hard drive, as well as a small amount of personal files.
Pros
Live file syncing.
Sharing files with collaborators.
Sharing files publicly with a link.
Cons
Fix the MacOS app so it allows opening of online only files.
Make handling multiple file versions easier.
Likelihood to Recommend
It's well-suited for anything where collaborators won't be working on files at the same time. Other products are better for real-time collaboration.
I use my Dropbox to connect computers at different stations. I like it because I always have access to the most recent versions of the different documents that I'm working on and don't have to worry about being logged into a server or accidentally saving an outdated copy over the newest version.
Pros
syncing between station
Cost = free!
Saved document history
Cons
More space for free accounts
Notification when copies are conflicting
Ability to open online documents without having to download them.
Likelihood to Recommend
I use Dropbox for syncing my own files and for saving photos from my phone (so they sync wirelessly). The only spot where it doesn't work out as well is when multiple people have a file open at the same time; it often created a conflicting copy that I have to merge later.
I used Dropbox mainly for research collaborations with colleagues and co-authors in my organisation. It has made it possible for file co-editing, which is very important for me. I also use it to back up large files for my laptop. I have been a regular Dropbox user for years and have never encountered any problems with it.
Pros
I especially enjoy the feature of tracking the editing history and I can recover the file to a file version in the past, which helps a lot when me or a colleague has accidentally done something wrong.
Cons
If Dropbox could allow more flexibility in the prepaid plan, it would greatly assist with financial year budgeting.
Likelihood to Recommend
Dropbox is extremely well-suited for research collaboration. At least within my circle, almost of every colleagues of mine are using it for jointly projects.
VU
Verified User
Employee in Research & Development (Education Management company, 10,001+ employees)
Being a university instructor, I work at my office on campus, in the classroom and at home. I have to share documents with my fellow instructors and teaching assistants. This is where Dropbox has made sharing documents with colleagues is straightforward.
Pros
Keeps everything in syncs across my laptop, phone, and tablet without any hassle.
The ability to access my files from anywhere, especially when I am working remotely.
Super easy way to share documents with colleagues.
Cons
Occasional sync conflicts.
Allow real-time editing of native Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files.
Dropbox only offers 2 GB on the free plan, which is significantly less than competitors. A bump in free storage would make Dropbox much more attractive.
Likelihood to Recommend
I regularly work with a team of teaching assistants. They are required to access the documents in a shared Dropbox folder using a range of devices. The cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android) is rock solid. Dropbox just quietly works in the background without needing any attention.
I use Dropbox to sync all my work files, ensuring reliable access on any device and automatic online backup. The reliability that comes with Dropbox syncing and backup is the key feature that keeps me using it for my business solution compared to competitor options.
Pros
Reliable File Syncing.
Reliable File Backup.
Fast Upload/Download Speeds.
Cons
More straightforward instructions on how to ensure synced files are stored on your local computer for offline use.
Likelihood to Recommend
It is best for scenarios where you desire reliable syncing and backup of files.
Dropbox is helpful for me, especially for organizing family documents. It also helps with work somewhat. I find it tremendously useful, and I appreciate the ability to turn on and off which folders will share and appear. It is the only file-sharing system I want to use.
Pros
File system organization.
Camera uploads.
Being able to control what folders show on various devices.
Cons
I would love some help with finding and eliminating duplicate files and photos.
Camera upload from multiple phones.
Likelihood to Recommend
It allows file sharing regardless of where someone works.
VU
Verified User
Administrator in Professional Services (Education Management company, 201-500 employees)
For sharing files and folders with different groups of people. Sharing information is always critical. Multiple people have to work on the same document simultaneously.
Pros
Sharing files.
Backup files.
Transfering files.
Cons
Dropbox desktop App closes without any notice in random occasion.
Working on a single file by multiple people simultaneously is still a challenge, unless we use the Web browser version of Microsoft Office.
If desktop files are not synced for some reasons, conflict files will be generated.
I am a university teacher. I use Dropbox to back up my files in the cloud. What I do with Dropbox is simple, but I have a very complicated Dropbox situation with my computer, so I hope I can get some help with it.
Pros
Nice to have an automatic backup.
Nice that I have a lot of space, much more than I need.
It appears that organizing my files will be easy.
Cons
Okay, this is where the problems are again. I must start by saying that I don't know what I did to cause these tangles in my files, but I did. There must be a way to untangle it.
The desktop of my laptop is itself a Dropbox! I don't know how I managed to do that. There is a second Dropbox icon labeled "Dropbox" there, too.
Somehow, the Dropbox FOLDER is now located inside a folder labeled "Users->marilynmccoy[folder]. If you open that folder, there is a normal folder labeled "Dropbox". There are Aliases of the Desktop, Documents and Downloads folders here.
Inside the "Pictures" folder in "marilynmccoy, there is an Alias for a "Dropbox.app"
A friend once tried to take the files out of the Dropbox labeled "Desktop," but it didn't go away.
So, looking at my "Favorites" in Finder, the "000-Desktop 0" is a folder with files in it, the "Downloads" folder is empty--they can be found in marilynmccoy described above, In the Apple "house" icon there is a Dropbox FOLDER full of files--that was probably the original Dropbox, Okay, that's probably enough.
Likelihood to Recommend
Very useful for sorting files in the cloud, allowing you to keep some files online and others in the cloud, and restore files that were accidentally deleted. Additionally, it enables you to put infrequently used files into a "revival" mode.
