5 Cloud-based File Management Platforms for Developers
A cloud-based file management platform is an online system that allows you to store, manage, and transform digital files, such as images, audio, and video, in the cloud.
It aims to remove most of the complexity of developing and maintaining file infrastructure in the cloud by providing a simple set of APIs and a user-friendly interface that you can apply to various applications quickly and easily, so you can focus on what matters for your business.
Several services are available, each with its unique features, benefits, and pricing models, so it can be overwhelming to decide which service is right for you and meets your specific needs. To help you make an informed decision, here is a list of the top 5 cloud-based file management platforms.
Filestack
Filestack is an online file storage and sharing platform that offers a variety of features designed to make file storage and sharing easier.
It offers a wide range of tools and services, such as file transfer, file conversion, and cloud storage. On top of that, it supports a wide variety of file types and formats, including images, PDFs, videos, and audio.
You can start using Filestack for free. The next plan that offers higher levels of services starts from $59/mo (Start) with 50GB bandwidth per month, 10000 uploads, and up to 25,000 transformations.
PROS
- Easy-to-use and elegant interface.
- Supports various upload methods, either through API or Drag-n-Drop.
- Supports various cloud storage including S3, Rackspace, Dropbox, Google Cloud Storage, and Azure.
- Includes a CDN that will ensure fast and reliable global access to your assets.
- Virus and Copyright detection.
CONS
- The default storage space offered can be pretty limited, so pricing can get expensive for some businesses.
- REST API and documentation can be a bit confusing for developers.
Cloudinary
Cloudinary is an end-to-end media management solution for web and mobile developers. Developers can leverage an extensive API to manage images and videos in the cloud and transform and optimize on-demand.
It also comes with media analytics and insights that can help you better understand your content’s performance. With its wide range of features and flexibility, it is the ideal solution for developers looking to build engaging digital experiences.
Cloudinary offers a free service tier, which includes up to 25,000 file transformations per month and up to 25 GB of storage. After that, plans start from $99/month to $249/month for more advanced features and higher usage.
PROS
- Offers a wide range of features, including image and video manipulation, optimization, and delivery.
- Easy integration with a variety of external platforms such as WordPress, Magento, and Shopify.
- Provides official SDKs for front-end, back-end, and mobile.
- Provide an easy-to-use UI client, widgets, and editor for end users Various channels of support, including forums, tickets, and email.
CONS
- Costs could be a bit more affordable.
- It provides many features that can be quite overwhelming for users and developers to navigate without assistance from a support team.
- UI and documentation could be further improved to make things clearer UI client and widgets customization is pretty limited.
Transloadit
Transloadit is a powerful and versatile file uploading and encoding service that allows you to automate media processing and delivery for your applications. It provides various tools for manipulating, compressing, and transcoding media, allowing you to quickly and easily create and share videos, audio, and images in any format.
It can handle uploading or importing files from various sources, including the browser, server, and cloud services such as Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Instagram, and even Unsplash.
You can get started with their free plan, which allows up to 5 GB of usage per month. Paid plan starts from $49/month up to $249/month, with custom pricing available for enterprise usage.
PROS
- Easy-to-use and intuitive interface.
- Provides an open-source library to easily integrate and build custom white-label UI uploaders.
- Great customer support with live chat.
- Clear and more concise pricing structure and affordable pricing on the low-tier.
- Offers Artificial Intelligence as a service.
CONS
- Limited free trial.
- Processing video can become a bit expensive, especially when aiming for multiple resolutions.
Shubox.io
Shubox.io is a platform that aims to make uploading files to Amazon S3 a breeze. It brings various features, multiple image formats support image optimization and transformations, and many more.
It also provides an open-source JavaScript library that allows developers to add a direct upload interface. Its straightforward user interface makes it easy for users to securely upload, manage, and share files on your website.
Pricing plans range from a free plan with basic features to $49/mo. An ideal choice for any business or individual looking for an easy and reliable way to manage their files.
PROS
- Intuitive and easy-to-use interface.
- Simple and affordable pricing plans.
- Provides official JavaScript UI library.
- Supports local development with a sandbox.
CONS
- Limited file upload size in its free-tier plan.
- It does not provide an easy-to-use pre-built upload widget, which means you will need a developer to integrate the JavaScript on your website.
UploadCare
UploadCare is an online platform that provides file uploading, manipulation, and storage services for businesses and individuals alike Built for developers, it offers a wide range of SDKs that enable developers to easily upload, store and manage files in their applications.
Its HTML5 widget lets you quickly add an intuitive upload interface that allows users to upload files from the web and mobile. It’s a powerful widget with a built-in editor, customizable through CSS, and supports uploading images or videos up to 5 TB.
The free plan allows up to 3GB of storage and 3000 uploads per month, while it offers a Pay-as-you-grow plan that makes it more flexible to your needs and budget.
PROS
- Advanced upload widget.
- Official SDKs for many languages for web, mobile, and servers Unlimited image transformations on free-tier.
- Automatic image optimization and worldwide CDN coverage.
CONS
- Documentation is pretty slim in some sections.
- Very limited storage on the free-tier plan.