Using Google Drive and CloudHQ to create a powerful synced cloud storage solution

In the last several months I’ve been consumed with finding a long-term cloud storage and backup option for all my data.

It seems like forever that I’ve been bouncing back and forth between the likes of Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive (originally Docs) etc. without a true plan or direction of how to manage all of these services. Usually a site like Lifehacker or Gizmodo will make you aware when one of these services is running a promotion with tons of free storage and I’ve always been quick to register to grab 25 GB here or 50 GB there.

For cloud storage, I’ve finally settled on Google Drive. My family is a Gmail family as are most of my coworkers. So it’s quite easy to share files and separate permissions between my personal and professional files. Additionally, it’s tough to beat Google’s pricing of $2/month for 100GB of space.

However, not everyone uses Google Drive and I find myself reading emails about folders from a multitude of services being shared with me. It’s easy to register for the one-off file or folder share, but what if a vendor is using something other than Google? Enter CloudHQ. CloudHQ is a service that syncs files between many of the more popular cloud storage services.

The sync can be one-way or two-way and is customizable by service which allows for a lot of great flexibility.

What I’ve done is set up a one-way sync for all the disparate cloud storage services that I’ve signed up for in the past so that I can migrate all of my files into my Google Drive.

But in one instance, box.net, I don’t have files stored there, but I have been invited to share and collaborate on files with a vendor. In this case, I’ve set up two-way sync. This allows me to work from Google, knowing that the changes and updates I make will be reflected in box. A very workable solution.

There is a free account option and paid plans at just under $10/month, pretty standard it seems in the space. They have a special running for the next two weeks that offers the premium plan for less than $12/month. That drops to less than $10/month if you pay annually.

I suggest you give them a look.

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