Expert rating
Benefits
- Super simple, but with lots of power too
- Web app feels better than most
- Impressive security
Disadvantages
- The personal plan is more expensive than that of competitors
Our Verdict
One of the best cloud storage options for businesses, Box offers a host of great tools but can go beyond general consumer needs.
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As we review the best cloud-based storage services for your Mac, I'm not sure I've seen one as sleek and well-supported as Box.
One of the oldest names in the game, Box offers plenty of utility (and a very generous free plan) to individuals, but its real power lies in its enterprise systems.
Incorporating a host of security options, API calls, and over 1,500 integrations into major office pillars like Slack, Google Workspace, and more, it's an easy choice for anyone looking for a solution ” plug-and-play” for sharing files on larger media. teams.
It's no slouch for personal users either, but there are much cheaper consumer-focused alternatives, like Google Drive, which make it harder to get into the Personal Pro plan at £11 a month.
First impressions
Foundry
I'm impressed with how Box tries to stay out of the way until you need it. As for the Mac version, it's basically a simple menu bar app.
It may appear in a handy search bar for browsing everything in the specific Box folder, but otherwise the only telltale sign that it's installed is that it will appear in your Finder's sidebar.
One of my favorite tools is the keyboard shortcut to show the search bar, which means Box is always at hand. If you're juggling many files among your team members, this alone could save you a lot of time each year.
Box Features
Foundry
The joy of being one of the first cloud storage sites is that Box has built quite a box of tricks. These come in the form of third-party integrations ranging from standard ones like Microsoft Office apps to Zoom, Google Workspace and many more – over 1,500, in fact.
It also has its own options, like a notes section that syncs across devices and a document signing tool that's handy if you exchange a lot of contracts.
The focus on team users also continues to be on admin rights. Users can use a series of commands to adjust file and folder permissions, meaning you can easily manage a team through it, and an admin console can also track file movements.
It's also secure, with standard encryption on all plans and end-to-end encryption offered through Box KeySafe so users can issue their own encryption keys.
Foundry
I'm also very happy to say that the web app is fast and stable, something I can't say about all of Box's competitors, and it makes moving files between folders when away from the Mac, a much simpler process.
The inconveniences of the box
As I mentioned earlier, the free tier of Box is fantastic, offering 10GB of storage and a 250MB file upload limit which may be more than you need depending on your use case .
Unfortunately, the next tier is $14/£11 per month for individuals, which is a big increase over Google Drive. This earns you multiple file versions and Box Sign to sign 15 documents each month, plus 5 GB of file downloads and 100 GB of storage.
It's still a solid plan, its price is just a little too high for our liking. However, you can reduce it to $10/£8 per month if you pay annually.
Should you buy Box cloud storage
Personal pricing aside, Box offers just about everything you could want from a cloud storage service in 2025. It's fast, secure, and doesn't get in the way when you need it, making it a choice easy for businesses.
If you're looking for an on-site backup solution, take a look at our pick of the best Mac backup apps.
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