Cloud storage is one subscription that I simply refuse to live without. I’ll never forget the dark days when we’d commit our precious files to physical hard drives and store them locally on our computers, clinging to the hope that they’ll never be corrupted. For my peace of mind, Google One (Google Drive’s expanded plan) has been my go-to cloud storage solution for years, and I find it eminently reliable and super convenient.
However, whenever it’s time to increase my storage, my wallet feels the burn, and I started looking for cheaper alternatives. That’s when I discovered TeraBox, a cloud service that advertises 1 TB of completely free storage, seemingly outcompeting every major provider. This prompted the question: Is this Google One alternative too good to be true?
- OS
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Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux
- Developer
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Flextech
- Mobile App
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Android, iOS
- Pricing model
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Free
Massive free storage
A look at TeraBox’s standout selling point
Compared to Google Drive’s entry-level tier, which offers 15 GB for free, TeraBox’s 1 TB (or 1,024 GB, to be precise) of free storage is undeniably generous (though it lacks the former’s incredible collaboration perks). Students or casual users with large files who need regular backups should be overjoyed to receive that much space with no mandatory monthly fee. As a videographer with hours of large media files, I often find myself deleting usable B-roll just to conserve valuable space, so my interest was immediately piqued.
TeraBox’s free tier also outpaces competitors like Dropbox, OneDrive, and iCloud, making it an attractive option for anyone needing more than a few GB of space. It is undoubtedly worth serious attention for those on tight budgets or with minimal storage needs. However, its main draw alone is not enough to guarantee a perfect experience, as deeper issues emerge once I started using the service.
Practical limitations
Why TeraBox’s free storage might not be fully usable
While a terabyte of free storage is enough to make anyone pay attention, on closer inspection, I found that TeraBox’s free plan has significant limitations that affect its real-world utility. For example, I found download speeds to be significantly slower than with Google Drive. There were also limits on file size uploads (4GB on the free plan) and caps on the number of files you can upload at once, making TeraBox unsuitable for storing my finished movies or dumping large folders.
As an aside, users can expect ads on the free service, which I think is understandable, but some may find these distracting. These trade-offs demonstrate that, while everything looks good on the surface, TeraBox’s usability is reduced in practice. For this reason, the free tier may be better suited to backups and low-priority files than to storing critical or work-related data.
Security and privacy concerns
Users should exercise caution with sensitive data
While TeraBox uses HTTPS/TLS to protect data in transit, its security and privacy practices lag behind those of industry leaders. In particular, the specifics about encryption at rest (how it protects files once they are stored) are unclear and not transparently documented. In contrast, I have always had complete confidence in my Google One account, which adheres to strong privacy standards and uses well-established encryption methods. Those for whom privacy is a significant factor might consider Proton Drive as an ultra-secure alternative.
I always prefer a service, paid or free, to be transparent about how it handles and shares my data. While I haven’t seen any evidence of misuse on TeraBox’s part, there is some ambiguity that leaves me with reservations about storing anything especially sensitive on its servers.
TeraBox works just fine for many users
There’s still plenty of features and benefits to shout about
I acknowledge that many users enjoy the free benefits of TeraBox without any serious issues. I have seen people praising it for being reliable over extended periods, with no upload/download issues, and no reported data loss or corruption. Others appreciate it as a secondary repository for casual file storage and sharing, and it does boast some interesting AI features. Personally, I primarily use it to back up uncategorized photos and videos before transferring them to my primary storage or deleting them.
While there are undoubtedly some positives, this doesn’t negate the broader concerns about reliability or privacy. Even satisfied users could face issues if policies change or service limitations interrupt access. Coupled with my dissatisfaction with TeraBox’s upload/download speeds and usage limitations, my initial hopes of having found a Google One replacement were looking increasingly remote.
I’ve Subscribed to Google One for Years, but Wish It Had These 6 Features
With these features, Google One would be perfect.
Great for casual storage, but no replacement for big-name services
It’s hard to fault a service that so generously offers 1TB of legitimate free cloud storage. None of TeraBox’s competitors can claim to make such an offer, and I see it as excellent for what I use it for — that is, a basic storage option for casual use.
At the same time, I think it’s important to keep in mind TeraBox’s practical limitations (speed throttling and file-size caps), intrusive ads, unresolved privacy concerns, and varied customer satisfaction ratings. All these issues combined mean that it isn’t so much a flawless Google One replacement as a repository for excess files to be used alongside a more established cloud storage provider.
Yes, there is a paid “Pro” option that addresses many of these issues, but instead of going down that route, I’d rather upgrade Google One.
