As an avid online shopper and savvy consumer, you likely already enjoy the many perks of an Amazon Prime membership. But did you know your account also provides secure cloud storage? Read on as we unlock the full potential of Amazon Drive!
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll cover everything from understanding the Amazon Drive feature set to calculating total cost of ownership against rivals. You‘ll learn best practices for setup, usage, and integration based on real-world use cases.
Let‘s dive in!
What is Amazon Drive & How Does It Work?
Launched in 2011 as Amazon Cloud Drive, Amazon Drive works just like competing cloud storage platforms. Once uploaded, files become available across devices through desktop, mobile and web apps.
Some standout features include:
- File storage and backup with recovery tools
- In-app document previews with annotations
- File sharing via viewable links and easily copied URLs
- Automated video-to-photo conversion and facial recognition tagging
- Mobile uploading of photos and videos + camera integration
With over 200 million users as per latest estimates, Amazon leverages their reliable AWS infrastructure to keep files secure. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest according to industry best practices.
Now let‘s explore how to access Amazon Drive across environments.
Using Amazon Drive on Desktop
The Amazon Drive desktop app provides a native experience on Windows and MacOS. Core features like drag-and-drop uploads or document previews work offline once files are synced.
Advanced users can utilize administrative controls to manage permissions. Enable guest uploads or link sharing restrictions as required within your organization.
Using Amazon Drive on Mobile
The iOS and Android Amazon Drive app allows easy photo backup straight from your camera roll. It also supports productivity features like annotations, scanning receipts into PDFs, and document creation.
Amazon‘s Fire tablets come with free unlimited original-quality photo storage. Images automatically sync to the cloud and become available across logged-in devices.
Using Amazon Drive on the Web
Users can manage files directly within a desktop browser by visiting drive.amazon.com. Core functionality like search, previews, downloads and sharing is retained.
The web interface connects seamlessly to native apps. Start an upload on mobile and the file will appear on the web within seconds thanks to background sync.
Now that you understand the basics, let‘s go through how to leverage Amazon Drive for productivity and sharing.
How to Store, Share, and Manage Files
Using Amazon Drive on a day-to-day basis is simple. Just follow these steps:
- Sign up for an Amazon account if you don‘t have one already
- Visit drive.amazon.com or use the mobile/desktop apps
- Click the "Upload" button and select files/folders to upload
- Share files easily by right-clicking and getting a public link
- Manage uploads by adding notes, tagging faces, creating albums etc.
- Enable automatic camera roll backup on mobile for hands-free sync
The desktop drag-and-drop interface offers the fastest throughput, especially for large files. But automated wireless photo sync makes mobile ideal for on-the-go use.
Now let‘s break down storage tiers and pricing…
Comparing Amazon Drive Storage Plans
One major perk of Amazon Drive is the free storage that comes with an Amazon account. But serious users will need much more capacity…
Free Storage
All Amazon customers receive 5GB of space covering files like documents, pictures, videos and archives. Music uploads don‘t count against this allotment.
Prime subscribers additionally get free unlimited full-resolution photo backups. But non-photo files still occupy the overall 5GB capacity.
Paid Plans
While sufficient for occasional use, 5GB fills up fast. Luckily Amazon offers upgraded plans with up to 30TB of capacity.
Here is a storage breakdown with pricing details:
| Storage Space | Price Per Month | Price Per Year |
| 100GB | $1.99 | $19.99 |
| 1TB | $6.99 | $59.99 |
| 2TB | $11.99 | $119.98 |
| 10TB | $39.99 | $399.50 |
| 20TB | $69.99 | $699.50 |
| 30TB | $99.99 | $999.50 |
With unlimited photo backup already included, the 1TB plan covers average use cases that generate extensive documents, media, and other mixed content.
Now let‘s benchmark Amazon Drive against top competitors…
How Amazon Drive Compares to Rival Services
I‘ll focus on two leaders – Google Drive and Dropbox. See how they compare to Amazon Drive:
| Amazon Drive | Google Drive | Dropbox | |
| Free Storage | 5GB + Unlimited Photos | 15GB | 2GB |
| Max Plan | 30TB | 30TB | 3TB |
| Cost Per 2TB | $119.98/year | $119.88/year | $240/year |
| File Sync | Manual | Automatic | Automatic |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android | Web, Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Web, Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
The core functionality is similar but notable differences exist – Amazon wins on free photo storage while rivals excel at automated file syncing across devices.
Next, let‘s clarify the relationship between Amazon Drive and its sister offering, Amazon Photos…
Comparing Amazon Drive to Amazon Photos
Since both services come from the same provider, confusion exists. But some distinct differences apply:
Amazon Photos focuses exclusively on storing pictures and videos. As such the tool prioritizes capabilities like facial recognition, sharing albums, and basic editing features.
Amazon Drive takes a generalized approach working as an everyday file locker for documents, spreadsheets, archives etc. The priority here lies on pure storage over media-specific features.
However, similarities remain around pricing tiers and account integration. My recommendation is to leverage Amazon Photos for all imaging needs while utilizing Drive for general documents and other everyday file storage requirements.
The great news is unlimited full-resolution photo storage is already included for Prime subscribers!
Now let‘s tackle the common syncing use case…
Syncing Files Between Amazon Drive Desktop and Laptops
Unlike Google Drive and Dropbox, Amazon Drive lacks automatic file sync capabilities. However, we can bridge this gap using the Amazon Photos desktop app.
The quick steps for syncing local folders to the cloud are:
- Download and install Amazon Photos on your desktop
- Enter your Amazon account details when prompted
- Navigate to Preferences > Sync Tab
- Click "Enable Sync" and pick a Drive folder to sync into
- Choose which local folders you want to back up
- Click "Start Sync" and your desktop files copy to the cloud!
This leverages Amazon Photos background sync which supports all file types. The process is manual but handy for moving workspace documents into the cloud without needing Drive-specific tools.
For high volume transfers though, use the desktop drag-and-drop upload directly within the Drive app.
Now let‘s explore ideal use cases and user profiles…
Who Should Use Amazon Drive?
Based on its capabilities, costs and use cases, I recommend Amazon Drive in two scenarios:
Amazon Prime Members Backing Up Photos
If you already pay for Prime, the unlimited full-resolution storage makes Drive a perfect secondary solution focused specifically on photos and home videos alongside a provider like Google Drive for documents.
Individual Users With Small General Storage Needs
Thanks to the free 5GB account option, Amazon Drive is great for those who just need simple cross-device access to a few files and documents. Power users and businesses may want advanced alternatives.
Essentially, Amazon Drive works best as part of a multi-service cloud strategy focused on personal media rather than meeting all sophisticated needs on its own. Integrations could be richer but core backup functionality is reliable.
Now let‘s recap the key discussion points into concise takeaways…
Expert Takeaways on Amazon Drive
Let‘s summarize what technical and non-technical users need to know:
- It‘s a highly reliable and secure cloud repository for digital files and photos
- All Amazon customers receive 5GB of storage plus unlimited full-resolution photo backup for Prime members
- Paid plans provide up to 30TB of extra capacity starting from $1.99 per month
- Core features like previews, downloads and sharing are user-friendly but advanced capabilities could improve
- The ideal target audience skews towards Prime member requirements or basic personal needs rather than power business use
Based on your use case and technical sophistication, Amazon Drive may or may not fully satisfy your requirements. Assess your specific needs and budget against solutions like Google Drive when making a decision.
I hope this Amazon Drive guide has provided ample expert insight! Let me know if you need any further strategic or technical advice.
