OpenDrive
Is This Your Business?0.0
0.0
Author: Jenna Vasquez
LAST UPDATED: June 27th, 2019
Top Ranked Companies
The Good
- Free trial
- Price
- Backup frequency
- File sharing
- Mobile and web options
- Extra features
Free Trial
Open Drive offers their customers several choices without cost. All paid plans are eligible for a short free trial - 7 days for all personal accounts and 14 days for business. During the trial, users are able to access all of OpenDrive's features. In addition to free trials, OpenDrive offers a free personal plan which includes 5GB of storage, up to 5 OpenDrive Notes, up to 10 Open Drive Tasks and a single user.Price
Both Business Unlimited and Custom Personal accounts include and advanced Account User Management Tool, which gives access to user statistics, activity notifications, access management, and user admin console. Price details can be found at the end of this review.Frequency of Backups
Users have the option to schedule their backups in advance or backup their files manually. When working in the cloud with OpenDrive's tools, the software saves automatically every 30 seconds, similar to other cloud drives, like Google Drive. Users are able to schedule syncing of their files with other machines as well. Users can backup files which are stored on external drives (hard drives, network drives or USB devices) easily with OpenDrive.File Sharing
Users are able to easily share files and folders via hotlink or email. There is not a password protection option, however, those using the Business plan may define permissions for folders and sync these across user accounts, creating something similar to a VPN (virtual private network) for those with folder access. Mobile apps on both Android and iOS allow for file sharing and viewing directly from the app. Those working with a WordPress site can install the OpenDrive WordPress Plugin, which is a powerful organizational tool for sites with multiple contributors.Mobile and Web Options
OpenDrive offers their customers fully-featured mobile apps for both Android and iOS devices. These allow their users to upload, edit, replace or preview Files as well as to view pictures and videos as well as listen to music via the mobile app. Users are able to access data even when offline for both platforms, as long as they have been stored and designated them as such. Some users of the iOS app report difficulty editing word processing files without an additional add-in. Linux users do not have access to an app, although they can use the web interface via an internet browser. This obviously limits the usability for Linux users, but is not unusual in the industry. OpenDrive works via applications for Mac and Windows as well as via a web interface. Users report that the functionality is more intuitive via the app than by using the web interface, although all functions are accessible by the web portal.Extra features
OpenDrive is very suited for online management of files with their features. Worth mentioning are two tools which can be easily used to collaborate and organize workflow among users - OpenDrive Notes and OpenDrive Tasks. Both of these tools allow users to better collaborate on projects or keep themselves organized, with notes, files, and task lists with priority setting and tracking progress. OpenDrive uses software directly inside the app, which allows users to create, edit, and share documents, similar to Google Drive. OpenDrive for WordPress is a white label storage management tool which is used by web hosts and hosting providers. Among the Plugin's features are services such as file hosting and sharing, collaboration, text creation, storage solutions, as well as voice and video messaging for team members, directly within the WordPress Dashboard.The Bad
- Performance/speed
- Other versions
- Security
- Customer support
Performance/Speed
In order to maintain equity in comparisons, the Review Team uses results from independent speed and performance tests performed by third parties. In PC Magazine's tests, OpenDrive uploaded two sets of 100MB each of mixed data in 3 minutes and 45 seconds. This placed the company on the slower end of the top performers in the industry tested by PC Magazine. OpenDrive is consistently slower than many of the leading providers.Other Versions
OpenDrive allows for users to keep past versions of their files, although the process is not as simple as for other providers. The default setting does not allow for file versioning. Users must activate file versioning via their dashboard. When activating the file versioning option, users must select the number of versions which they want to keep - up to 99 past versions. It is important to note that users must perform this task on their own, otherwise they may be surprised when past versions are not kept. Many of the top providers in the industry default to keeping at least a few versions of past files without going through the hoops that OpenDrive requires of their users.Security
OpenDrive stated that they offer their clients secure connections and encrypted data, which varies by account. Free users' data is encrypted with a 128 bit SSL connection, while those with a paid plan are given AES-256 encryption. There are step-by-step directions online which detail how to hack (pwn) OpenDrive, change usernames and passwords, and delete files. This is a significant concern and as the information is 6 months old at the writing of this review, the Review Team cannot state whether these security issues have been fixed. Attempts to contact OpenDrive via email, phone and social media messaging resulted in the following email from the company:Thank you for contacting OpenDrive, the premier solution for cloud storage, backup and cloud content management. We understand your concern about data security. We would like to assure you that OpenDrive is very serious about security and that we have all the security measures in place to keep customer data safe from such attacks. You can find more details about OpenDrive security procedures through the link below: https://www.opendrive.com/security As for the security vulnerabilities discussed on this blog, (redacted) these vulnerabilities were found by our team of developers as well and were fixed immediately at that time. If you have any other questions, please let us know. We are happy to assist you. Sincerely, --------- ----------- Customer Service Specialist support.opendrive.comAdditionally, a member of the Review Team spoke to a representative, who assured them that the measure was detected the same day and fixed immediately. The Review Team cannot confirm or disprove this information, simply take the word of the company. There is adequate concern which remains however in light of this information.
Customer Support
As a rule, most backup providers offer similar features. One area which the Review Team uses to distinguish companies is the quality and availability of their customer support. Many companies have support hours published which are considerably longer than those posted by OpenDrive (Monday-Friday 12:00 - 6:00 pm EST). OpenDrive responds quickly however. While the company promises a return to email support requests within 24 hours, many reports one sooner. Customers can receive support via email or phone. Missing is an online chat function and a high-quality knowledge base. At present, the knowledge base is not particularly user friendly, and does not appear to be updated frequently with new content. Interactions with OpenDrive's support have been described as frustrating, unprofessional, and questionable by customers and members of the Review Team.The Bottom Line
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