Apps devoted to photo and video backup come with their own unique set of advantages and disadvantages. There are many ways in which they can fail - so we made sure that our top 3 were able to jump over every hurdle and perform well - no matter what.

Obviously, ease of use is always of paramount importance. Can you start using the software immediately, or need a textbook-sized instruction manual to navigate the basic tasks? We also shouldn't forget about safety and security.

Next, come photo and video quality. Once you finally download your files - is there any obvious loss? Do your pictures seem intact - or grainy? Are your videos as good as they once were? They better be, or we're tossing the app into our "rejects" section.

Frugal as we are, we couldn't possibly neglect one of the main factors - price. Comparing the amount of cash (if any) is something we always pay great attention to. The less a good app costs, the better!

Box. It sounds a bit silly, doesn't it? Don't laugh just yet. A simple name and an equally simple interface hide something far greater than the average user might expect. All your needs are about to be met, all your questions about security answered and, most importantly, all your files will be stored without much hassle.

Using it is beyond easy. Once you start the app, sign up, and get to the main screen, you will find two files already in your cloud. One will be a thorough video tutorial that will guide you through the process of using Box. The other will turn out to be a PDF file containing 10 great tips on how to take full advantage of the platform you are currently dealing with. Awesome as these may be - you don't really need them. Everything is so straightforward, so intuitive, so simple that you will get the hang of it upon the first try when it comes to Box. Still, it's very thoughtful of them to include such a manual.

The app possesses a good selection of options that allow you to store not just videos and photos but also any other type of file. Entire movies will upload rather quickly - mostly depending on the speed of your internet connection. The platform itself almost appears to have no limits in this department.

The download is just as smooth, with no loss of quality in any of the files. Any compression method used leaves them practically intact, and your videos will be just as crisp as they were before you put them on this cloud.

An update feed will let you find any recently posted files. If you have a larger number of them (and these days - who doesn't?) you will be able to search through them using a pretty powerful tool. So powerful, in fact, that it will also allow you to peer into the contents of each PDF and DOC file. This will definitely be a pleasant surprise for all book lovers and college students out there. You can also expect to be able to preview more than 200 different file types in full screen - videos and pictures reproduced perfectly.

If your budget is your top priority, you can stick to the basic plan and use the 10 GB available to all free users. In case you feel like you need a bit more - Box has got you covered. The Starter pack costs $4.99 per month and will give you access to 100 GB of space. The Business plan, costing $14.99, will grant you unlimited amounts of cloud storage. Yes, that is right. There are no limits to how much you can upload - from more than a couple of different devices. Sounds brilliant? That's because it is and that's why we've chosen Box as our definite winner.

With a fast and reliable platform as this one, it can be a challenge to find a genuine flaw. It's free (for the most part), it's easy to use (all the way) and satisfies all the needs the average user may have when it comes to backing up their files. So what's the catch?

The only tiny little problem we could detect lies in the "tasks" section. This bit of the app is aimed at teams and companies who wish to collaborate online, working together on audio and video content. The intention is noble enough, but the execution leaves a bit to be desired.

This attempt of moving into the realm of Asana and Slack still needs a good deal of work before it can be touted as an effective solution. For now, it is better to focus on all the amazing things Box has to offer and skip this part altogether. For now.

Sometimes, it all boils down to personal preference. Certain users will love a minimalist design - others will like to push buttons and explore. For the latter, Icedrive offers an amazing opportunity to discover new options and get the most out of a seemingly simple premise of backing up files.

Of course, things can also be easy if you want them to. For example, you don't need more than two taps on your screen to upload the entire contents of your portable device onto a cloud. Seriously - files, settings, everything will be put on a remote server so you can clean up and reset your phone. What could be more convenient than that for anyone who likes to keep their device malware-free?

You can also focus on specific areas of your phone - with the auto camera uploading feature being a particular standout. Another convenient option is to stream any uploaded content on-the-go - along with the ability to share any file with your friends, family, and colleagues. In fact, this is where Icedrive beats Box by a long shot.

However, such a wealth of options can be a bit difficult to take in at first and the average user will need a day or two before they are fully used to the interface and all its wonderful features. We urge you not to give up on it as getting over the learning curve is well worth the effort. If you find yourself a bit lost and confused, an amazing selection of frequently asked questions will set you on the right path. You'll get the hang of things quickly enough.

Strong encryption and a keen focus on safety are also worth mentioning. After all, you don't want to have someone hack into your account and steal all your data. Icedrive simply won't allow for that to happen.

When it comes to storage space - arguably the most important piece of the puzzle - the app offers just as much as Box. 10 GB should be enough for basic tasks while more (much more!) is available once you pay. The prices are similar, so the choice will ultimately depend on what you need for your device (or devices). We are definitely great fans of both apps.

Microsoft has been around for a very long time, longer than most companies in the digital world. It has had some changing fortunes during these decades - from the undisputed top spot in the world of operating systems, down to chucking out some pretty clunky software (yes, we all remember Internet Explorer). Still, to this day, it remains an important player in the game and will occasionally come up with something genuinely impressive. OneDrive is one such release that we simply cannot skip when talking about backup software.

Available for desktop as well as portable devices, this online service can be used as a cloud for storing your documents, a backup service for just about anything on your phone or tablet, or even a tool for teamwork.

Sharing photos is easy, and you can even get a notification each time any of your files are edited by other group members - if you allow them to do so, that is. You have full control of your privacy - through encryption, password protection, and an extra "vault" feature (with identity verification included!).

Automatic photo backup allows you to get all your pictures copied onto your remote drive - each time you snap a new one. Browsing them is easy and finding just what you need even easier with automatic tagging. In addition, you can scan, sign, and share documents, making this a great platform for business.

In fact, it is precisely in the realm of small and medium-sized companies that OneDrive will shine the brightest. Teams up to 100 can work seamlessly through it, making it a decent alternative to Google Drive or even Asana.

Our only complaint is the amount of space you get. 5 GB will be enough for smaller updates, but a subscription to Microsoft 365 will be in order for anything more substantial. With it, you will get no less than 1 TB of storage. Still, if you aim to run a serious business, this won't be much of an issue. A robust and comprehensive system such as this is well worth the price.

Many users would pick this one, if for no other reason, then for the fact that it is bound to be well integrated into the Google eco-system. This is a fair enough assumption and one that is, for the most part, accurate. The app seems safe and secure, but we still cannot help but wonder - do you want to keep all your eggs in one basket? What if something goes wrong? What if you get locked out of your account? It may be better to diversify your backup options. In addition, we have noticed that the app tends to report errors during upload, interrupting the process on more than a couple of occasions. Because of this, we have decided to skip it and look elsewhere.

Perhaps the biggest name on the list, Dropbox definitely doesn't hold the same position when storage is concerned. While some of our top contenders offer 10 GB of space, this well-known platform gives but 2. For anything above that, you will need to pay $9.99 per month. It seems that the longer a website or app has been around, the more it tends to boost the price without boosting the quality of its services. Perhaps, just perhaps, it may be better to opt for a newcomer instead.

This platform has been receiving a lot of attention lately, although we have yet to understand why. Its clunky design doesn't seem to be too tempting and looks like it was made in c.2011. The whole app is in dire need of a facelift - not to mention a good purge from all the annoying marketing that Amazon is known for. Even if you already have Prime, you will constantly see ads for it. If you're looking for a budget-friendly option that won't constantly push to pay for something - this is not it.

This one has a peculiar tendency to pause any upload the second the app is not in the foreground. Minimize it to do something else and the process won't budge an inch until you turn your attention to it once again. It's an odd bug that will waste your time for sure. It renders the app borderline useless - even if the program initially promises a good deal. The upload speed is actually surprisingly decent so, if only this glitch would be fixed, this could easily be one of our favorites.

This platform seems decent enough until you try to download the videos you have uploaded. You will be unpleasantly surprised by the distinct reduction in the quality of the footage. An odd kind of encryption shrinks them to about two-thirds of their original size and doesn't bother decompressing them afterward. Instead, you get something quite grainy and, frankly, we don't think that any serious user would be willing to put up with it. There are much better alternatives out there - even if photo storage on pCloud doesn't seem to suffer from the same flaw.

This one "blessed" us with an unusually complex interface. We felt as if we were running around in circles trying to figure things out. Much like Amazon Drive, the app could really benefit from a complete revamp. A more minimalist design and a more intuitive layout of the options would make things so much easier. We're not just talking about the visual aspect of it - but about general functionality. It's simply not there. Not for us. Not at this moment. Better luck next time, SugarSync.