As the name suggests, TeraBox (opens in new tab) offers one terabyte (1 TB) of storage, although unlike other cloud storage competitors (opens in new tab) industry, this is completely free. However, there are drawbacks, including ads, file size and number limits, and bandwidth throttling. Paid plans enhance each of these and offer 2 TB of cloud storage.
Prices are on the affordable side of the scale, but concerns have been raised about TeraBox’s privacy and security. Use it safely and sensibly, and it’s unmatched at this price.
TeraBox Features
When it comes to cloud storage, there are two approaches. Most people think of an online storage space for their files, while some companies offer automatic backups of users’ machines (or a combination of both). TeraBox is only a storage solution, so it is best compared to companies like Google Drive, Box and Internxt (opens in new tab)†
Like Google Drive (opens in new tab), it is very likely that TeraBox users will access their files – whether that be for uploading, downloading or viewing – via the browser portal. Here there are clear folders on the left for file types, such as documents, photos, videos and music. The recycle bin is also accessible here – files that are deleted will remain here for 10 days before being permanently deleted, although this can be upgraded to 30 days with paid Premium accounts (more on pricing below).
To share files, users can choose between items already in their cloud drives or from their computer or other device. While some other cloud storage solutions offer more control over sharing permissions, we like what’s on offer here. In addition to choosing how to share a file (via email or with a unique link), TeraBox users can select the period for which it will be available (24 hours, 1 month, 6 months, or permanent), and add an access password to slightly improve security (see below for some TeraBox security concerns).
The Company – Flextech Inc. – also offers file sharing (opens in new tab) service that does not require users to create an account. The controls for this TeraTransfer service are a bit more limited, with links available for only 24 hours and a 50GB file size limit (unlimited for TeraBox Free or Premium users). It’s worth noting that TeraTransfer is currently in beta testing, which will reportedly be for a “limited time.” This means that users may need a TeraBox account in the future to continue.
It took us several attempts to upload our 1GB test file, with progress stalling on all but our ninth attempt. This last, successful upload was completed in less than four minutes, which is very respectable compared to other cloud drives, although we are concerned about the stability of the service.
We would normally expect a download to complete significantly faster than an upload with our typical internet connections, but this is where TeraBox’s speed throttling comes into play. Using our free account, the same 1 GB was downloaded again in less than nine minutes. This would have been reasonable before the introduction of high-speed internet connections; most other competitors manage the same download in less than half the time, with multiple times taking less than a minute.
TeraBox Interface
The web interface will be familiar to most web users, with typical drag and drop support for file uploads and for moving files within the browser (opens in new tab) yourself. In fact, most users will eventually settle for just browser access. A clear, visual representation of your data and your remaining storage space is the sidebar on the left, and tile and list views add an extra layer of welcome customization.
TeraBox promises faster downloads through its desktop client, but this is Windows-only software that leaves macOS users feeling left out. There are also iOS and Android apps, but only the Android version supports automatic folder backup.
Automatic mobile video backup is completed using the app, and the 20GB file size limit of the Premium plan only applies to the desktop client and mobile apps – not for browser users (and as such, Mac users).
The mobile app looks a bit busy compared to the browser interface, with distracting dynamic ad units. In any case, the layout is simple, with specific tabs for files, photo albums, videos, and sharing tools. The vault — which is seemingly unavailable in the browser, although nothing is mentioned about it — provides a password-protected space to store important files. It’s great to see support for biometric protection (face and fingerprint), but you still need to remember your vault password. TeraBox cannot help you recover a forgotten password and files in the vault are deleted after too many incorrect attempts.
TeraBox Security
Spend some time scouring forums and reviews and you’ll be worried about TeraBox’s security. The website claims to store metadata and file data separately and to encrypt files during the upload and download process. In summary, TeraBox claims that only the user can see the data.
By unearthing the company’s past, security concerns begin to surface. TeraBox was previously known as Dubox before it was bought by FlexTech Inc. China’s Dubox made it explicit that data was stored in Chinese data centers, which are sometimes considered less secure than their US or European counterparts.
Since we cannot confirm the current data storage and security situation, we recommend using TeraBox with caution. This means that you should avoid storing sensitive and personal information in the cloud space. That said, you have 1TB of free space to use for other data, which is unmatched.
TeraBox Pricing
TeraBox’s free offering is unmatched when it comes to cloud storage, with a whopping 1TB of free space available. There are a few catches, though, including the 4GB file size limit. Users can store up to 500 files in a free TeraBox account and once deleted they are permanently deleted after 10 days. However, the biggest downside to the free account is the slower upload and download speeds, which are meant to push users into the unthrottled Premium account.
There’s a small increase in free storage in the app: we were able to add 2 GB for viewing an ad, and up to 61 GB can be claimed for users who open the app every day for seven days, although the fine print says that this storage has a validity of 180 days.
Premium account holders pay $3.99 per month for 2TB of storage, which is significantly cheaper than iCloud Drive (opens in new tab) and Google Drive, both of which cost $9.99 per month. As always, there are savings to be had with longer term commitments, including quarterly plans ($10.99) and annual plans ($38.99). There is a seven-day free trial, but card details are required and auto-renewal is enabled. In addition to additional storage space, the benefits of Premium accounts include a file size limit of 20 GB (when using the mobile apps or Windows client only), the ability to store up to 50,000 files, and a 30-day retention period for the files. garbage can. Most notable, however, are the faster upload and download speeds that are unlocked.
TeraBox verdict
TeraBox’s unique selling point is the sheer amount of free storage space – 1 TB. While there are trade-offs to be made in terms of bandwidth throttling and file size limits, these are all reasonable trade-offs to make, and the affordable Premium plan is always there when users need more control.
Most of the competition comes from other cloud storage drives, such as Dropbox (opens in new tab)Box (opens in new tab), and Google Drive, all of which are more expensive and nowhere near TeraBox’s 1TB of free storage. While questions have been raised about the privacy of the company, users of any Internet-based service should maintain a reasonable level of privacy and security themselves, and it is best practice not to store confidential documents online.
With this in mind, use it wisely and TeraBox is at the top of its game at this price. However, we hope to see the rollout of a macOS client and even more features to give it the same clout as more seasoned rivals.
We’ve highlighted the best free cloud storage (opens in new tab)†
