The Worst Cloud Storage Services – Avoid Them At All Costs

It’s not always rainbows and butterflies.

Let’s start with the worst cloud storage services that we had encountered.

We had tasted the ‘bad apple’, and would certainly advise you to stay away from them.

Cloud storage and backup are so popular these days that there are dozens, if not hundreds of solutions out there.

We had managed to gather free cloud storage and is just barely scratching the surface!

But just like any other services out there, there are some good ones and some “bad eggs” services.

Lucky for you, after a little research and some tests, we have come up with a list of the worst – if not – some of the most disappointing cloud storage services.

It is best to stay clear of them.

1. JustCloud

On the website, JustCloud offers plenty of perks that make it an attractive option for storage, but in use, it was a downward spiral of promises that were not delivered.

Upon registering for a free account, you’ll receive 1GB of free storage, which is not much in practical use.

Not to mention, JustCloud didn’t provide some of the most basic features that some of the best names have in their features.

From the beginning, it was an unbelievable disappointment.

The web app, only allows you to upload a file. If I want to share a file, I received this notification below.

Even the most basic features that are expected from a cloud storage service cost extra, such as backing up files using the web app and immediately syncing with the desktop app or uploading a file seamlessly.

On a serious note, you have a better run with Dropbox which had double the free storage of 2GB.

You have to purchase these basic features for an added cost (Annual Renewal).

Every time I clicked a button on the web app, I immediately received a recommendation popup to upgrade my account before it carries me to a specific page.

The interface is modern, but it’s messy. It’s not very easy to use.

The Nightmare Continues …

But it doesn’t stop there.

Once you hit the free storage limit, the up-sell to upgrade begins.

Every time you click a navigation button; the popup comes up, which is very annoying.

When you click on the popup, it takes you to the page that states the price. Part of what I don’t like about this page is that the details are not included, including features in different ranges of services.

If these weren’t bad enough, users have reported that they have difficulty uploading the files, experienced terrible customer service, canceled paid plans that were charged, and even stated that their files were lost in the servers.

JustCloud prices are very steep. It’s unattractive and does not benefit in the long haul.

Upon signup, JustCloud offers attractive discount promotions but all these discounts only apply for your first plan term.

JustCloud’s range prices are not competitive in the market compared to other top cloud storage services.

Other cloud storage services such as Sync.com, pCloud, and Google Drive offer cheaper plans and with much graciousness, pCloud, and Google Drive offers 10GB and 15GB of free storage each.

Find out all the pricing details at (https://www.justcloud.com/planprice-information) if you may.

Nevertheless, JustCloud barely scratches the surface compare to what’s offered by the top and best cloud storage solutions we had come across.

2. hubiC

Another enormous letdown. On the bright side, hubiC is now closed and no longer taking new users.

Despite the suspension of creating new accounts, existing users can continue to use hubiC for an unspecified period. Because of this reason, I looked around the great worldwide web in search of reviews.

According to other reviews by users and features, their sync and share tools are very slow and basic.

hubiC also provides very little to no security support, which is questionable because most cloud storage providers in the market live for that motto.

Their uploading feature is dull and not responsive.

Apart from that, it’s easy to use. A lot of users also have mentioned that when they delete a file on the website, the file still exists on a desktop or mobile application.

The hubiC app is available on macOS, Linux, and Windows, which is the only thing hubiC shines in. This, however, will not save hubiC as an occurring mess.

HubiC also fails to have a versioning system.

When you accidentally delete a file, there’s no way to retrieve it back.

Generous Free Storage and Cheap Pricing Though

Despite its shortcomings, hubiC offers surprisingly cheap paid plans. They either offer 100GB €1 at VAT/month or €10 including VAT/year or 10TB at €5 including VAT/month or €50 including VAT/year.

They also offer 25GB of free storage, which is a very generous offer IMO.

25GB is a pretty good deal to store a good mass of data, but this should not be overlooked.

There’s a reason why hubiC is so damn cheap all the essential features are just pathetic, unused, and crumbling.

If you’re as disappointed as we are, no worries – take a stroll down to read our intake on other awesome Cloud Storages you can use.

3. FlipDrive

Let us save some time and tell you right now that FlipDrive is a no-go.

FlipDrive simply doesn’t offer the basic features you expect from a competent cloud storage service.

There’s not a single benefit to using FlipDrive, and there’s a damn good reason for it.

They don’t offer file sync, good security, and desktop application. At worst, they are a rancid service that doesn’t care about providing an excellent service.

The moment I signup, I immediately regretted it.

Their system is extremely slow. I tried uploading a document, but it kept failing.

I even tested it by uploading an image and chose to share the file’s link.

I can’t preview or edit the documents. I can’t view the photos as well.

Another amusing incident is that I tried to share a file with another email, and nothing showed up in the email inbox.

So, that feature also failed.

One of the most disappointing about FlipDrive is that it doesn’t synchronize files between devices.

I was randomly logged out of my account multiple times during sessions.

It was also painful to watch the speed of multiple uploads into the system.

Another interesting fact is that you can get unlimited features with the paid plans.

So, I decided to click the “Upgrade Button” now, and it didn’t take me anywhere.

So, here’s to another expected failed result.

FlipDrive Pricing Plan

Next, I decided to check out the prices myself.

FlipDrive offers 4 different subscriptions: 1 free plan, 2 personal plans, and 1 business plan.

If you look into their details, their offers are not very attractive compared to other cloud storage providers.

You get double the storage if you opt to use providers such as pCloud or Sync.com.

If you don’t believe me, do check out our reviews. They speak the truth for themselves.

After signing in multiple times, I decided to go back to the homepage, and – surprise, surprise – it simply failed to load up properly.

Moreover, I saw ads on-page. So, I dig up some research, and I found out that FlipDrive uses our information to place ads.

They have contracts with 3rd party ads to display advertisements on FlipDrive.

By using their service, you’ve agreed to allow these companies to place cookies on your computer – https://www.flipdrive.com/site/company/privacy.Make sure you read the fine print on the Privacy section, No.6 – AD-SERVING.

You can also say goodbye to two-factor authentication and encryption if you choose FlipDrive.

FlipDrive does not encrypt files in transit, and when they are in the storage servers, they are not encrypted as well.

In other words, anyone, including FlipDrive employees, can access the servers and read your files.

If you want to make sure your data are safe, it’s better to look into our 4 most secure cloud storage services.

Trust me; they’ll do a better job.

4. ADrive

Where do I begin? – features to user experience and pricing plans around this service are just simply terrible.

ADrive claimed to provide a lot of valuable features, but some of them are broken or not operating, such as the collaboration feature.

Also, online users have reported that they’ve lost significant volumes of data.

Despite the well-obvious flaws, we decided to test them for ourselves.

First thing first, I noticed after signing in that the page took a very long time to load up.

The loading time was beyond my anticipation. (No, I wasn’t expecting it to be blazing fast)

The only thing that works in the system is storing the files.

Let’s move on to the next feature. I tried to share a folder, and I received an error stating that it was unable to share.

However, ADrive allows you to choose a download limit, expiration date, and password for any files you wish to share.

The collaboration feature is exceptionally flawed, as well. I tried to edit a document, and it stated, “error starting editor(edit action).”

Even when I clicked “preview in a new tab,” the web app immediately download the file instead of taking me to another tab.

Terrible User Experience

The features are a nightmare, half don’t work, and the others work inversely.

ADrive’s security features are full of red flags. After signing up, it was pretty apparent that security is not a priority.

So, I did another test by resetting my password. If you have a problem remembering all your passwords, make sure you check out our 28 free password managers.

The page was not encrypted.

All ADrive pages are not encrypted. Do not expect to get client-side encryption or similar security features.

This implies that your login details could be vulnerable.

In addition to that, ADrive reserves the right to inspect your data if they suspect you of any misuse.

It is also stated in their terms of service that it has sole discretion over how your files are migrated and used, giving them a lot of power over your data – http://www.adrive.com/terms.

To my surprise, privacy and security with ADrive are a bit scary.

So far, all I see are bad reviews, and I can verify those claims as I’ve tested the platform on my own.

Their subscription plans stink as well, even though they claimed to have the lowest price in the industry.

To be honest, this is not true at all. The cost may be reasonable, but it’s more expensive than many of our recommended top cloud storage providers.

5. Bitcasa

Yep, BitCasa called it quits! Their website at www.bitcasa.com was no longer accessible.

The above screenshot was taken in September 2015.

Bitcasa announced they discontinued their cloud storage service on April 21st, 2016, and users had until May 20th, 2016, to download their files, or their data will be deleted.

The service finally shut down at the end of May 20th, 2016. Unfortunately, I couldn’t test it out.

But according to reviews, a lot of users found the service hugely disappointing. [check out the comment section]

Many users had to find another service to migrate their files.

Conclusion

All in all, it is best to stay away from these cloud storage providers.

Although some of them are discontinued, it is a blessing in disguise.

The ones that are still operating, their promises failed to meet our expectations.

Their prices are overrated.

Security and privacy features are a joke. File sharing, syncing, and collaboration features are a laughingstock as well.

All of these services do not carry a good name like other popular services.

If you do not need those features, maybe a basic home NAS is your best choice.

They have too many issues, and to be honest, it’s a hassle even to consider one of them.

Check out our 20+ best cloud storage recommendations where we constantly monitor their performance and reliability instead.

If you’re looking for services that have excellent collaboration features, read our Google Drive vs. Dropbox vs. One Drive review.

If you’re looking for the top secured cloud storage service, you should read our review.

If you’re unsure about zero-knowledge encryption, we have an article ready for you to read. If you want to know more about cloud storage, read our definitive guide to cloud storage.