Convenience is the most often-cited benefit of the cloud, and for good reason. Few things are easier than syncing files and accessing them on multiple devices, be it a PC, smartphone or tablet device.

But what about the problem of file management?  Are some clouds better than others when it comes to organizing your files, or are they all just as messy as that clunky old Windows XP desktop at your local library?

For businesses, file management is a big deal – research suggests that a typical US enterprise loses $2.5 million to $3.5 million annually due to not being able to locate important documents. Companies can save a lot of time and money by making sure their files are easy to access. So with that in mind, SiliconANGLE has taken the top four cloud storage providers and lined them up side-by-side to see which is best for forgetful employees.

Dropbox

Let’s start with Dropbox, which is probably the most popular cloud storage service despite offering less free space than some of its rivals. What we like is its nice, clean interface and a simple menu that lists all your private folders in alphabetical order, with the same interface for shared docs. It’s pretty similar to Windows, which as we know can get messy over time. Luckily, Dropbox has a couple of nifty features for both locating and managing lost Dropbox files on your account.

Besides the standard search feature, which only locates files by their name, perhaps the most crucial one is the events tab, which gives you a timeline of all your activity using Dropbox. That’s particularly handy for those occasions when we can’t remember where we placed something, but we do remember when. The feature allows you to jump back and view several month’s worth of activity.

A second handy feature is that you can automate spring cleaning of your files, though it takes a little effort to set up. Windows users can download a little program called “Mover”, while OS X users can use Automator, installed by default in OS X, to build a folder action to automatically move files added to your Dropbox account to another place on your computer. This is especially useful if you‘re uploading lots of photos to your Dropbox account and you want to move them to preserve space in your account.

Box

Popular with businesses as a cross-collaboration tool, Box offers a number of enhanced management features and search tools to ensure that you keep track of everything that goes in it. The file management structure is similar to Dropbox, but what we like is that its search tools are enhanced by file metadata. Search is incredibly important. An IBM study found that people who did no email organizing at all could locate their emails faster than those who filed their emails in folders. It’s logical that the same holds true for files.

With Box, users can define, add and query custom fields to any file, folder or object stored in Box, making it easier to tag different files so you can find something easily even if you forget what it’s called.

Box also offers a couple of ways to share files with other users. If you want to share something, the simplest way to do so is to create a link that can then be emailed to multiple contacts at once. Alternatively it’s possible to create a link to one of your files – be it a PDF, PowerPoint, Word, JPEG, MP3 or something else – and embed it on any web page or app, if you want to share with a much larger audience.

Google Drive

While privacy might be an issue for some, there’s no denying Google Drive has its advantages. Most people with Google accounts are familiar with its interface, with tabs for “My Drive” and others that allow you to access “Shared,” “Starred” and “Recent” folders for extra convenience.

Not surprisingly, Google Drive offers a pretty fantastic search feature for all your stored files. On the search box just click the dropdown menu icon to reveal different search parameters such as Type, Visibility, and Ownership (helpful for narrowing things down if you can’t quite remember that file name). Enter the search phrase and begin your search.

Another great feature that no one else has is the ability to use Google Search operators to fine-tune your search. A search operator that’s particularly useful is the date operator that allows you to narrow your search according to file date. It is a handy timesaver when you have hundreds of files locked away on the cloud. Google Drive  offers lots of great organizational features too, like adding files to multiple folders, removal of duplicate files,automatic file deletion and the ability to make set “My Drive” as your default save file folder.

SugarSync

As sweet as its name, SugarSync is like Dropbox with extra toppings. Rather than limiting file syncing to one virtual folder, SugarSync lets you sync any folder on your PC, in­­cluding your Desktop folder. Obsessive-compulsive types will love SugarSync File Manager’s ability to organize scattered files and folders from numerous synced devices into a single handy window on your desktop. You can also open a file stored on a remote computer, edit it, and save it back to that computer without consuming permanent storage space on the computer you’re using.

The tools for sharing files with other people are equally snazzy, though not as full featured as what you get with Box’s Business or Enterprise accounts. SugarSync lets you share folders either as albums that anyone can view and download from (but not upload to), or as synced folders that require a SugarSync account. If you choose the latter, you can set permissions and passwords.

Another cool trick SugarSync offers is “labelling” synced folders to keep track of what’s stored across your devices, and where. You can label synced folders by clicking on the ‘Advanced’ link at the bottom to expand the options. Click the ‘Edit’ button and enter your label into the pop-out window provided. By labelling folders, this will make them easier to search for at a later date.

photo credit: Junior Henry. via photopin cc