Box Reviews

Pros
As a tutor and a researcher, I love being able to upload videos of lesson plans and lectures so that my team and those I am working for are able to look back on what I said. Another thing I love about Box is how you can share multiple files with anyone you want and you are able to view who has downloaded something to maintain privacy and confidentiality. Box is especially useful for big groups of people. Everything is extremely accessible and easy to learn how to use. I recommend Box to my colleagues in research who want a safe way of maintaining confidentiality in research projects.

Cons
I do not have any problems with Box so far and I have been using Box for most of my college experience. I have used it for research, tutoring, and collaboration projects.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
The Box Desktop app actually works to keep files in the cloud until and unless I'm using them, saving precious disk space on users' systems — unlike an unnamed popular competitor. And on the Mac, it works just like an external disk or mounted file share — right on the desktop, in the proper file hierarchy with no proprietary interface to complicate things, or presume how I want to look at my files.

Cons
Tech support can be slow to respond, as its first tier of support is via their forum and email, and I've waited as long as two days to get a response to an issue for a corporate subscription, and it's painfully apparent that the first tier team is reading straight off of cue cards, because they suggest things to try, even when my previous communication states IN DETAIL that I've already done said thing in my own troubleshooting. Beef up the support staff, pay better attention to what a customer has already said in their communications, and escalate things to engineering quicker, and they will remedy the one, glaring shortcoming in their service.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
They concentrated on the enterprise first, which is valid. Therefore security has always been tight, platform support is solid, and enterprise administration is very robust. Shared folders are great in a workplace and make everything very simple to get the right docs to the right people when they need them. Box is definitely an enterprise company, with the support to back up that claim.

Cons
I should start by saying I tried Box, Dropbox, and Drive head-to-head back when everyone was going to cloud-storage and my experience with Box since then has been on and off. I'm still a current user of Drive and Dropbox and I pay for both every month. Our office doesn't need the level of admin support Box provides, which is the only feature that puts it ahead of the competition. Box was just never as feature complete as Dropbox, I don't want a separate cloud storage provider for business and for home use and Box lacked simple tools like automatic photo upload. As well, the web interface lacks and the uploads feel slower and more prone to error when compared to Dropbox. It's improved lately but it's still behind in file viewing support, etc. Also paid users have a max file size!!! Unacceptable if you do any sort of video/graphics work.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 4/10

Pros
Box is honestly one of the greatest organizational tools out there. I use Box several times a day for all of my documents. Box has all major servers (Word, Excel, Notes, ect.) and you can upload anything to it! It also updates with real time and allows several viewers/editors at a time. This has been a MUST during executive meetings. We can also upload any music, video or picture files to share, which is essential for our industry. The ability to make several folders and organize data well is the key to using Box. I have almost transitioned out of using Google Docs completely.

Cons
Honestly, the only issue I have with box is sometimes there are loading issues when working on a file with the desktop. Also I can't find a way to delete old files that have been shared with another person that I don't want anymore.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Box excels at one thing -- making documents accessible from anywhere. This amounts to benefits of efficiency and freedom to work on the go. Being able to access from any machine, particularly on a phone where other services often fail, enhances my ability to address customer's needs.

Cons
There's no indication when a file is open by another user. This has led to multiple users editing a document, and those documents don't merge well or at all, leaving a red exclamation point indicating there's an issue or an alternate file. We've lost some work this way. As a small company, this is manageable with clearer communication between employees, but I foresee this being an issue as we grow.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 9/10

Pros
Before trying Box.com I tried both market leaders... Google Drive was cheap but horrendously buggy, when you’re logged into multiple gmail accounts it gets horribly confused and won’t let you access/edit/download your own files. I found workarounds for this like using an Incognito window or Firefox to access my files but it felt clunky and buggy. Dropbox didn’t have any of those issues, it was perfect but for a business plan for multiple staff members they charge crazy prices. Way too expensive. Box.com had none of the issues of Google drive, all of the functionality of Dropbox and charged a very reasonable price for it. Best of both worlds and in my opinion they should be the market leader.

Cons
Nothing. Literally have zero issues with it. After using their competitors box.com is a breath of fresh air in every sense.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
It does offer 10GB of storage for free versus Dropbox only offering 2GB for free.

Cons
The only next option is the 100GB plan and it's $10 a month whereas Google One offer the same 100GB plan for only $1.99 a month. Now, I realize the better security and privacy potentially offered with Box versus a "big brother" such as Google is what could warrant an increased price. However, I'm not sure it needs to increase that much. Plus, it's confusing how they have an indicudual pro plan for $10 a month and 100GB and then a starter business plan with the same storage for $5 a month. I don't understand that and I think things should be more clear and make more sense. Also, I'm having issues with Box Sync not working on my laptop. It just won't sync anymore other than the initial sync. I didn't feel like messing with it or dealing with customer service so I just uninstalled it from my laptop.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 9/10

Pros
Box is recommended by my University as a safe way to store experiment data, computational files, and out electronic notebook copies because it keeps them confidential.

Cons
I do get slightly frustrated using this software because I find google drive easier to use, but it is more because I am used to using google drive and so having to switch to another online storage system is like learning a new language at times.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 7/10

Pros
I love the Box branding and aesthetic. It's a pleasant backdrop for day-to-day use. They have a lot of features on the enterprise front, and I can see they've put a lot of work into their business model.

Cons
(Note: This relates to Box Sync, which is the version that stores files locally on your device and backs them up on the cloud. This is in contrast to Box Drive, which stores on the network by default.) There have been at least 2 occasions entire directories have disappeared from my local storage even though I did not delete them on any of my synced devices. In the most recent case, this was >50 GB across thousands of files. I had to figure out how to redownload them, which turned out to be a huge hassle in the online interface. Download size limits at 15 GB (or something on that order) prevented me from downloading the higher level directories all at once. The next best thing was making batch selections of files. This ended up being very nonintuitive and took me a long time to figure out (I had to go to a help board). Another criticism is that Box Sync (apparently?) will be deprecated in the future. If, like me, you are uncomfortable with network storage as the default, then Box might not be the best choice for you. I understand this is their business model -- and I can't speak for everyone -- but to me the upsides of default network storage seem outweighed by their downsides for typical use cases.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 4/10

Pros
Very powerful and versatile features for unlimited cloud storage and file-sharing, for unlimited users. Easy to use for user management. Box is the way to go!

Cons
Browsing tends to be slow at times and users that are not in-house are given read-only access to the files library, but Box remains an excellent robust solution for my needs.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 8/10

Pros
Box is the simplest way for me to stay organized, share files with others and ensure that my data is secure. The user experience is easy to understand. It's simple to invite others at a variety of permission levels (somer colleagues to view only, others to download, others to have full editing capability). Syncing on multiple devices is a snap. But when I attended BoxWorks for training, I realized that one of the best advantages to using Box is the company's relationships with large, high-profile, reputable companies that provide tech integrations. One plug-in takes my raw video footage and auto-generates a searchable log of all dialogue. So I can search for every time an actor says a certain word. The AI even allows me to search for visual cues - one conservation team was able to just search "penguin," and then all their footage from across the world was sorted through in order to allow their video editors to find exactly the footage they needed for their next project. Box Relay allows you to create workflows with different steps assigned to different teammates. So when you complete your action, the next person is automatically notified that they can begin the next step. Present state is impressive. But I have a feeling we'll see even greater things to come.

Cons
It took me awhile to think of anything negative to say. The max file size on the more affordable subscription options is perhaps the only drawback I can think of.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 9/10

Pros
1. I use the Box Sync feature on a daily basis on my MacBook. Box Sync allows uers to sync folders/files from Box Cloud to your finder so it feels like your just working from finder but it's being backed up the cloud! It's a simple and convenient way for me to access and organize our box files using finder. Our company has a lot of folder/files so I just sync the folders I use the most and I have quick access to my files. Box cloud also has a Box Drive feature which is similar but has one downside which I mention in the Cons section. 2. With Box Sync it's easy to know when your files have been sync to the box cloud with the file icons. 3. Sharing files to internal or external users is simple. Sharing files include a lot of features based on the security levels you want. 4. Another great feature is that it integrates our DocuSign software (e-signatures). I can easily get files signed electronically through Box and not have to log into our DocuSign software. A very convenient feature as I have to get a lot of files signed electronically on a daily basis. 5. Lastly, we basically have unlimited storage!

Cons
1. One con about Box Sync is that it doesn't seamlessly sync files in finder as Box Drive does. There is a slight delay, sometimes a minute or two to sync to the cloud. However, I have to rename a lot of files and I can't just select a file and click "enter/return" on my MacBook to rename files with Box Drive. So I've stuck with box sync for now. But it would be nice if Box Drive would let me rename files easily. 2. I noticed is sometimes when you preview a file it sometimes takes time to load. It's sometimes faster just to open the file to view it which doesn't make sense when a preview should be faster. 3. I noticed is that the name length view is fixed when viewing on the box cloud. Therefore if you have a lot of files in a folder with the same name but different ending, you see all the files with the same name because the end of the filename is truncated. So you aren't easily able to see a specific file other than clicking one the files. At least have a feature where you hover your mouse over the file and it displays the full name of the file or something. It shouldn't require extra clicking just to find your files. 4. It does have a max file size of 5GB

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 9/10

Pros
I used it and introduced it to my research group when I was in grad school few years back. We also ended up getting a larger size account to fit our needs. University purchasing handled the financial side of it, but I'd like to think our recommendations for enteprise scale buys were taken heed. BoxSync when used in conjuction with a box account does a great job of doing automatic backups on the cloud, that also help in access from different computers/collaborators simple. It can handle large file sizes (5 GB file upload limit) for most work, has excellent integration with word processing for online document editing. Note, I have not tried very large single file uploads yet, the largest has been a movie file of 750 MB. Recently they added notes feature which is useful for commenting while sharing files. Mostly it is a very stable and secure cloud backup tool, great for workflow and content management in groups.

Cons
I dont know if they ever had a referral program unlike dropbox. No other major drawbacks as a user. By default, it sends a lot of emails whenever anything is changed in the folders. turning off that feature took a while to figure out for me.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
The ease of use of spinning up Box folders and collaborating among internal employees or external clients/customers. The granular permission settings within each folder allow the administrator ("owner" or "co-owner") help regulate privileges from editing, to downloading, and reading which is a great tool when looking to share with multiple parties at different levels. We stopped sending attachments via e-mail (not secure) and simply use Box now to point toward a Link where the file is located. If you don't have access to the link, you are unable to see the file. Our employees and customers love this feature and it keeps everyone involved and access privileges in check.

Cons
When using Box Drive, it can be a bit slow to sync when creating new folders, or modifying file names, directly on the desktop application (recommend using the Box web site), however, this is extremely minor. we have had many successes using Box and have not even considered exploring any other solutions for over 5 years.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
This is the most robust cloud storage platform on the web. Having been a client for over 10 years, there has been continued improvement to accessibility and security from the company. The ease of accessing files and sharing with others is second to none.

Cons
Absolutely nothing was below par. We love it and continually use it daily. Even the mobile app is fantastic!

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Box has great storage capacity and many useful tools for editing and syncing items. It's a very flexible, scalable tool

Cons
We rely on Box so much that on the few occasions that it has gone down temporarily, we have been stuck until it's come back online. The good news is that this has happened only once or twice in 3+ years.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 9/10

Pros
The software is very straightforward to use. It's a simple interface. In its most basic form, it's just a place you can upload, download, and share files. If you are a (slightly) more advanced user, you can set up "Box Sync" so that a folder on your computer automatically syncs with Box. This is awesome to use as an automatic backup!

Cons
There's not much to dislike, but if I had to nitpick, it takes too menu menus and clicks to do things like (1) delete a file, (2) share a file, and (3) sync a file/folder. These are pretty much the only three things that I ever want to do, but they are hidden behind like 3-4 clicks and menu options.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Ease of use. It is simple, whatever is in your Box Drive folder is what is on Box. It is very easy to share files with others. Files are safe, and I would recommend them to anyone.

Cons
Some users have to use a secure DAV connection, and Box severely throttles DAV connections. Moving files around using this takes a lot of time, BUT it does work for now.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 9/10

Pros
Its a stable solution. The free plan was good but we moved to Business because that's what we needed it for. So the mobile apps are good, desktop sync is instant and there are no hiccups involving security, privacy, sync, uploads and management

Cons
You can't really move your main folder of storage once it has been set up. I initially wanted it on Drive D, now I wish to move it, but Box doesn't allow it. I will need to uninstall and then reinstall the whole damn thing for the shift to take place. Dropbox didnt have this problem. Yes I use both.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
The speed to download and upload every single file

Cons
It is not as good as Dropbox, but if you are starting your business and want to save a good amount of money it is an ideal choice.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Box allows users to upload all kinds of files of different formats (documents, images, video, drawing packages, zipped folders etc.) to its webpage (or app on phone/tablet) with ease. These uploaded documents can be shared with relevant team members, while also keeping them private from others where necessary. Shareable with the help of the link, Box files are easy to update, one can either edit in the browser itself or download to do the same. It is easy to track the activity of users, like who has viewed, downloaded and edited the files. This is a great tool when collaborating with colleagues through the web as all changes in a particular document/content are updated in real time and everybody working on that project can track changes and updates. I consider Box to be a reliable, simplified and secure software that I am able to utilize abundantly on a daily basis with my team. It is accessible anywhere and everywhere with a stable internet connection. One can simply drag and drop files and folders to Box and it will get uploaded instantly. This works wonders when you are out of office (for example, site or travelling) and your team needs to access the documents you've been working on or vice versa. Also, it is possible to have Box sync (as a standalone app) set up on your computer and aids easy syncing without the need to log in every time.

Cons
When compared to its competitors (Google Drive/OneDrive), Box does look a bit unappealing owing to its price tag. It offers four plans, the most inexpensive one being Standard (for personal use I presume), followed by Business, Business Plus and Enterprise. Small and medium-sized firms can make do with the average priced Business and Business Plus offerings. However, I don't think that I would invest in it if for my personal use. Secondly, for files such as .dwg and .rar do not open as a preview and have to be downloaded for viewing. This poses a problem for me as I have to review large drawing packages and downloading them just for review is quite a hassle. Would love if these little aspects are fixed for the upcoming updates.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 7/10

Pros
1. Sharing files is simple, no matter who you want to share with and no matter from what device. You can share a document with someone inside or outside of the organization without giving up control of the document. No need for someone outside of the organization to upload any software in order to access the shared document. 2. As an HR professional I find Box to be a great tool for collaborating with hiring managers. I set up a system for resume sorting that allows hiring managers to see just those resumes selected for their review, and allows the manager to move the candidates ahead in the hiring process, or not, as desired. I can then take action based on their actions in Box. It's very efficient. As a small business we do not need expensive, extensive stand-alone software for applicant tracking. Box allows us to record our decision making process 3. Largely intuitive, but in case you need a bit of help, the webinars and how-to videos are very easy to follow. 4. I can access, read and send documents from my phone. Very helpful for those moments at the beach when you realize you forgot to send a document to your boss. It's happened.

Cons
1. I work mostly from an old Mac. I find some of the interface less smooth than from my PC. For example, when I create a Word doc within Box while using my Mac, the Mac defaults to Text Edit instead of Word. I suspect that's user error, though.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
There are many things to love about Box. For one, its Business plans come with unlimited storage! We started out with Free just to try it, then moved to Starter then Business (as we needed more than 10 users on board). It's worth it esp for small to medium-sized businesses looking for a secure place for storage with tons of extra features for both admin and security. The 5GB upload is enough for the big multimedia and other iso/archive files we have. For our admin, the integration with our Active Directory saved us from having to require our users to create/maintain an extra account (user/password) for Box. We are also proud to announce to our team about its security features like SSL, encryption, and even two-factor authentication for the meticulous. Although​ we haven't had the need for the DLP (Data Loss Prevention) that Box advertises, we are happy that this is part of our subscription and gives a little extra boost of confidence with our files. The corporate logo can also be incorporated into the platform to make it personalized according to your company's branding scheme. Box also offers a ton of possible integrations. So far what we use are integrations with Google Suite (e.g., docs), Salesforce (CRM), and MS Office 365. This makes it easy for users​ to create content is our usual platforms and then easily save and manage them in Box.

Cons
We have quite a number of staff who already use other online storage platforms (Dropbox, Google Drive). Note that Non-Box users can only access files as Read-Only... in which case our people really had to be forced to create an account for edit purposes and collaboration.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 9/10

Pros
Strong security. Data ownership model. Flexibility of collaboration and sharing options. Platform and vendor agnostic. Good administrative controls. Reasonably good reporting. Reasonably good APIs. Ease of use for end users. It's been great watching the creativity and innovation of the users. They've found ways to do things with Box we never imagined when we signed on.

Cons
The desktop sync is different than and technically inferior to that of Dropbox, the consumer tool most users are familiar with in this space. We anticipate this change when Box for Desktop is released in 2017. We'd also like to see the maximum file size increase. I'd like to see improvements in the administrative reporting. Many users have trouble getting their head around Box's waterfall permission model, particularly IT professionals. It's different than what they are used to. It ads an impediment to the retirement of NFS.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Security is still my favorite feature - I have the confidence that our data is secure and will remain secure. Box meets a number of US based and international security regulations and data compliance requirements, Box makes governance and compliance easy. Notifications based on file changes or folder changes have allowed us to create "instant workflows" to quickly move data from a variety of locations in the hands of a number of users. This has allowed us to create a system where data is not only securely stored, but able to be quickly acted upon by a geographically diverse group of staff. Rolling Box seats out to new users is easy, and Box makes a wide variety of training materials available to its users to help them leverage the features.

Cons
There's not much to dislike - the feature set is good and continues to grow. If there is a downside, it is that - like all cloud based solutions - connectivity is required, and that can sometimes be a challenge for my organization is some of the remote international locations where we work.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10