SugarSync VS Box: Who Does it Better?
The world of business is a changing field. No longer are employees all located in one building, or even in one town. Telecommuting and expansion has made it difficult for groups to work together. The cloud has become more than just a place to store and backup files. While it is true that documents can be saved in these accounts as a way to never lose them, a lot more can be accomplished.
These services are evolving to allow clients remote collaboration, sharing and syncing data between devices as needed while offering full collaboration between workers. With more and more cloud companies appearing on the scene each year, it can be difficult to figure out who is the best (you can compare cloud services using our chart, though).
While we haven’t compared all the services in the world, we are pitting two of the top names in online sharing, syncing, and collaboration against one another. Who does it better: SugarSync or Box?
About The Providers
SugarSync
SugarSync started in business as Sharpcast. This service was a tool for synchronizing images between multiple devices, including mobile and desktop. Founders Gibu Thomas and Ben Strong started the company in 2004.
However, they both left in 2008. At this time, Laura Yecies was appointed to lead the floundering business and the company was rechristened as SugarSync. Today, SugarSync is ran by Mike Grossman and touts being the choice of big name customers such as SanDisk, Korea Telecom, BestBuy, France Telecom-Orange, and Lenovo.
Box
Box was founded not long after Sharpcast made its debut. In 2005, Aaron Levi, Dylan Smith, and Dan Levin created the cloud storage service in an effort to help companies speed up how they operated. It was originally a concept designed by Levi as a project for a business class he was enrolled in.
Today, Box is found in 92% of all Fortune 500 businesses and has over 32 million users. They claim that 275,000 companies utilize their software and are focused on gaining more ground in the enterprise arena.
- 1
- Sync Folder
- File Link Sharing
- Folder Sharing
- Versioning
- 2
- Sync Folder
- File Link Sharing
- Folder Sharing
- Versioning
1. Ease of Use
No one wants to sit for hours trying to figure out how to use a new piece of software. The easier it is to use, the more popular it will be with consumers. We decided to see which company is more user friendly, SugarSync or Box.
SugarSync
When it comes to use, SugarSync isn’t necessarily for micro managers. Most consumers find that the interface is intuitive and easy to work with. The system is laid out so that even a novice user will be able to figure out how to upload, download, and move information. The clear buttons along the top of the interface makes it very simple.
There may be some hiccups when it comes to sharing, as this feature isn’t as clearly indicated, but it’s still easier than some of the competition. Users can set up an address book of names that will enables quick selection of whom to allow access to the files.
SugarSync also comes with a local desktop folder, known as Magic Briefcase, that allows consumers to sync information between hard drive and cloud account. However, this feature can be a point of confusion since the service also enables customers to pick which files they want to automatically backup.
There is a little bit of a learning curve with the software overall, which is why some consumers don’t like using it.
Box
When it comes to user interface Box is really simple to use. Like SugarSync, the system is clean and straight forward. Even novices will be able to navigate between upload, downloads and share. Box also has software that downloads directly to the consumer’s hard drive.
Users can add files to the application for easy, worry free syncing. When we tried the local space for the first time, there were some difficulty getting a folder to sync. However, it went much smoother once we figured out how to select options.
Enterprise customers, which is who Box was designed for, will also have access to an administrator portal. This area makes it easy to create work groups, monitor activity, and set user permissions. It is simple and ready to use right from account setup.
We found that most consumers were happy with the product and found it easy to use despite the minor difficulties that we encountered when using the local software for the first time. Box takes this round because the software is easier to use overall and the local software isn’t as confusing.
2. Reliability
Users need to know that the information they need will be available when they log into their accounts. In the past, there have been some companies that have lost information for no reason other than failure on the cloud provider’s system. Is SugarSync or Box more reliable?
SugarSync
Many cloud services are questioned about their reliability, and SugarSync is no exception. Unlike webhosting companies, it is harder to find out how frequently these operations are inaccessible due to maintenance or other issues.
We had a hard time finding current uptime ratings. We did notice that there were some reported issues in June of 2014, but no other complaints.
There have been no complaints as far as being reliable with keeping information once it is stored on their servers. We found that once information was in place, it stayed there unless removed by the user. This service does offer versioning in order to help maintain a copy of all documents located in the account.
By keeping the last five revisions, users can rest easier, knowing that their information will be accessible with a click of the mouse.
Box
As mentioned, finding uptime ratings is difficult for cloud storage providers. However, Box advertises their rate on the homepage. We were able to confirm that the company does have a 99.99% uptime with a 0.01% downtime for necessary maintenance such as security patching.
Uptime is not the only thing that makes a service reliable. There have been complaints against companies like Dropbox for losing files. Box has a pretty good reputation for keeping files safe and secure from loss.
There was a complaint in 2013 that an account was “rolled-in” with an enterprise account despite having no real association. The files were lost for a time, but the company worked hard to recover the data. Spokespersons for the cloud company assured customers that it was a one-time error and there were no similar complaints before or since.
The winner is Box for their amazing and proven uptime and their commitment to restoring lost files.
3. Speed
Upload and download speeds are important. Users don’t have time to sit and wait for data to get to them, especially if they are trying to recover information. We decided to see who does it fastest: SugarSync or Box.
SugarSync
Speed is an important consideration for many consumers. For SugarSync, it is one area in which they may falter just a little. We found that the speeds for both upload and download could be a little sluggish at times.
While users can adjust the amount of bandwidth it uses for this process, it may not be enough, especially during the initial transfer. It always takes longer to do the first save than it does for subsequent backups.
We decided to see what others said about SugarSync’s speed and found several complaints and questions on the help forum. Customers were not happy with the overall transfer rates they have experienced. Some consumers experienced delays of up to an hour to save a 100MB file. In comparison, Box only takes a few minutes to complete the same task.
Box
Time is of the essence when it comes to uploading. Box did amazingly well when tested on this area. There was no sluggish behavior and the files were transferred in a timely manner. Using the desktop application does take longer than the web based service.
The consumer feedback we found was similar to our own experience. Most users had no problem uploading or downloading information to and from their hard drives. We didn’t test if there was a way to change the bandwidth usage like SugarSync as we didn’t feel the need to do so.
Again, Box takes this round for its ability to transfer files quickly.
4. Features
Features can make or break a company. Some consumers want a lot of bells and whistles, while others don’t care as much. In order to help users make the best decision, we’ve pitted SugarSync against top competitor, Box, to see who has the best options.
SugarSync
One area in which SugarSync really stands out is the features. This service is not just a bare bones operation and consumers get to enjoy that fact. Some of their features include file versioning and recovery, good mobile apps, anywhere and access. It also has drag and drop uploading, file management, file syncing across multiple devices, file sharing and automatic backup.
In addition to the features, the interface is simple to use and there is limited software to download to local hard drives. There are mobile apps for Android and Apple devices, however, there are no applications for Windows phones or Blackberry.
SugarSync has several tiers of storage available. This service does not offer any free space. It does offer a 30-day-free trial that will allow users to try it out before committing to a monthly or yearly plan. That being said, you do have to give a credit card number or PayPal account at the time of signup to activate the account.
Box
Like the competition, Box has many features for their users to enjoy. Included are ability to create groups, share files, edit Google docs and Microsoft Office files without leaving the web app and add multiple users. Box also applications for mobile devices, web-browsers, and desktops, with administration console for enterprise customers, set permissions and security for users and file syncing from the desktop app.
Additionally, Box is designed with enterprise consumers in mind. In order to meet the growing needs, they offer collaboration tools that will not only allow employees to work together on a project, but also allow these same users to work with their clients or customers as needed.
Enterprise consumers have the ability to roll their security features into the cloud applications. Which means these customers can create custom rules to limit access to sensitive documents. Administrators can also restrict user settings as needed.
Administrators have the ability to manage work groups and roll out software updates at once. Managers can monitor activity and flag any suspicious occurrences from the console. Box supports mobile Android and Apple mobile devices, but unlike SugarSync, this service has applications for Windows phones and Blackberry devices.
Another feature Box offers is 10GB of free storage for personal users. SugarSync does not offer any non-paying options. There are several plans to choose from, ranging from individual use to full enterprise support. Box, due to the array of enterprise friendly features, mobile device support and free storage — wins again.
5. Security
Placing information with a cloud company will only works if the user knows that their data won’t be subject to sharing with just anyone. Security protocols must be top notch and in place in order to gain consumer trust. So who has the best protection: SugarSync or Box?
SugarSync
Security is probably one of the most important areas to consider. According to SugarSync’s website, they do utilize 256-bit AES encryption to keep data safe. In addition, the service uses SSL 3.3 Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption to protect files during transfer to and from their servers.
The company touts that they use the same level of security as financial institutions to help keep user information safe. However, like many cloud companies, this one does not allow users to retain control of the encryption keys, which could lead to third-parties gaining access easier.
This may cause problems for enterprise level clients. Box has recently announced that they will be offering this feature in the near future.
Box
Like their competitor, Box uses SSL security and 256-AES encryption to keep documents safe as it reside on their servers. The company goes so far as to encode file names, making it impossible for search engines to index the data. The data centers are monitored around-the-clock with constant audits to keep the physical drives secure.
Consumers retain control over who sees what even when the files are shared among groups of people. Administrators can secure the files to “read-only” if desired, which will keep the file from being downloaded. Soon, enterprise level customers will have the option to retain encryption keys, which will add a level of security not seen in the competition.
Additional certifications held by Box include Safe Harbor and SAS70 Type II. Box wins for the restrictions and ability of enterprise customers to hold encryption keys.
6. Conclusion
While Box did stumble a few years ago by accidentally including an account with a third-party’s information, nothing like that has been reported since and the company did recover the information for the user. They went above and beyond to help their customer.
Even though we don’t normally compare customer service between companies on a head-to-head competition, we did find that there were a lot of complaints about SugarSync’s customer relation department, leading us to lean towards Box even in this arena.
Some consumers may not have the speed issues that we did with SugarSync and may prefer utilizing their features, finding Box to be too feature heavy. Box’s options were designed to be used by enterprise level customers. However, Box does offer a personal storage solution for those who are interested that still has many, but not all, the full range features.
Picking the best cloud company is an important step for any consumer or company. There are some areas that users will weigh over others. However, we felt that Box outclassed SugarSync in every area.
Sporting a background in Biology, Chemistry and Journalism, Denise has been writing professionally for the past six years. Addicted to the sweet torment of tech, Denise enjoys researching and writing various topics on technology and socio-economic issues, with a strong focus on the cloud industry in particular. Previously lending her writing talents to a flight simulation company, Denise now divides her time between CommQueR.com and her loving family.