External Storage & File Sharing

External storage services are super useful (and money-saving…most of the time) for website owners because they provide a separate place to keep backups and important files.

If a website server fails, is damaged, or becomes compromised, storing backups somewhere else can make recovery way easier. The text stresses that backups are the most useful when they’re performed regularly and stored somewhere safe, which brings us to Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive.

Dropbox

Dropbox is very simple to use and works well for storing website backups. One big advantage is that files can be accessed from different devices and also shared easily. A big disadvantage is that the free storage plan has limited space, and the pricing on higher storage gets pretty ridiculous.

Google Drive

Google Drive provides cloud storage along with standard tools such as Docs, Sheets, and Slides. It’s useful for collaboration and gives users access to files from almost anywhere. Its con is that storage can get cluttered if the same account is used for personal, school and site files.

Microsoft OneDrive

OneDrive integrates closely with Windows and Microsoft 365. This makes it convenient for users who already work in the Microsoft ecosystem. A disadvantage is that some storage and advanced features may require a paid Microsoft plan. Also, if you’re a Mac user, what are you doing?

External storage is useful because it creates redundancy for backups. During this lesson, I connected UpdraftPlus to Dropbox so that Fright Attendant can store website backups away from the main server. The book describes this same approach, using UpdraftPlus with remote storage such as Dropbox for automatic backups.