Secure file sharing, storage, and collaboration
Enterprise-focused cloud content management platform. Trustpilot: 1.1/5 from 280 reviews (90% 1-star!). Users complain about extremely high pricing, slow sync, and terrible customer service. Offers unlimited storage and compliance features (HIPAA, GDPR) but at a massive premium.
Patterns extracted from real user feedback — not raw reviews.
Box Business Plus starts at $33/user/month while Dropbox Advanced costs $24/user/month and OneDrive Business Standard is $12.50/user/month. For large teams, Box's premium pricing adds up quickly. Many organizations find the enterprise features don't justify the cost premium.
Box doesn't support block-level syncing, meaning entire files must re-upload for small changes. Large media files sync slowly and become resource-intensive. Users working with video, design files, or large datasets face significant productivity issues.
2025 reviews highlight severe customer service problems. There's no phone support, no way to speak to a human, and tickets and emails go unanswered. For an enterprise product with premium pricing, the support experience is unacceptable. Users feel abandoned when issues arise.
Box announced Box Sync will no longer be supported after December 2026, forcing users to migrate to Box Drive. However, Box Drive doesn't work correctly with some applications like Adobe Bridge. Users face workflow disruptions and compatibility issues with the forced transition.
Box requires an internet connection to access, share, and manage files. Users in remote areas or with unreliable connections cannot work with their files. For field workers, travelers, or anyone with inconsistent connectivity, this is a critical limitation.
Even with unlimited storage, file upload sizes are capped: 5GB (Business), 15GB (Business Plus), 50GB (Enterprise), 150GB (Enterprise Plus). Organizations working with large video files, CAD designs, or datasets hit these limits despite paying premium prices.
File versioning is restricted based on plan level. Free users get only 1 version, and even business users have limitations. Organizations needing comprehensive version history for compliance may need to upgrade to more expensive tiers.
Box's standard offering doesn't include zero-knowledge or client-side encryption. For true privacy where Box cannot access your files, you need the KeySafe add-on which costs extra. Organizations with strict privacy requirements face additional costs.
Best-in-class security and compliance certifications
Box leads in enterprise security with compliance for HIPAA, GDPR, FedRAMP, SOC 2, and many other standards. For regulated industries (healthcare, finance, government), Box's security posture is a key differentiator.
Unlimited storage on all business plans
Unlike competitors with per-user storage limits, Box offers unlimited storage on Business, Business Plus, Enterprise, and Enterprise Plus plans. Large organizations don't need to manage storage quotas.
Powerful workflow automation and approval features
Box excels at workflow automation with Box Relay, approval processes, and task assignments. Organizations can automate document reviews, contract approvals, and compliance workflows directly within Box.
1,500+ enterprise app integrations
Box integrates with Salesforce, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, ServiceNow, and hundreds more enterprise applications. Box Skills adds AI capabilities like image recognition and natural language processing.
Granular permissions and admin controls
Fine-grained access controls, admin console, user provisioning, and audit logs give IT teams comprehensive management capabilities. External collaborator controls prevent data leakage.
Users: 1 user
Storage: 10GB
Limitations: Single user, tiny upload limit, only 1 version history, no business features
Users: 1 user
Storage: 100GB
Limitations: Not for teams, limited features compared to business plans
Users: 3+ users
Storage: Unlimited
Limitations: 5GB upload limit, limited admin features vs higher tiers
Users: 3+ users
Storage: Unlimited
Limitations: Still limited upload size for large media
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Unlimited
Limitations: Still not the highest upload limit
Users: Unlimited
Storage: Unlimited
Limitations: Most expensive tier
Regulated industries (healthcare, finance, government)
Box's compliance certifications (HIPAA, GDPR, FedRAMP, SOC 2) make it one of few options that meet strict regulatory requirements. The security controls and audit capabilities are enterprise-grade.
Organizations needing complex approval workflows
Box Relay and workflow automation excel at document approvals, contract management, and compliance processes. If your workflows involve multi-step approvals, Box handles this better than competitors.
Enterprise IT teams
Strong compliance, security, and admin controls. IT teams love Box's granular permissions and audit trails for regulated industries.
Healthcare and legal teams
HIPAA compliance, legal holds, and retention policies. Regulated industries trust Box for compliance requirements.
Microsoft 365-centric organizations
While Box integrates with Microsoft 365, OneDrive is more naturally integrated and often already included in licensing. Box makes sense if you need its superior compliance features.
Small businesses and startups
Box's pricing starting at $20/user/month (minimum 3 users) is overkill for small teams. Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive offer better value without the enterprise complexity.
Creative teams working with large media files
No block-level sync means slow uploads for large files. File size limits even on expensive plans (5-50GB) constrain video and design workflows. Dropbox's sync engine is significantly faster.
Field workers and remote teams
No offline access means Box is useless without internet. Workers in areas with unreliable connectivity cannot access their files. OneDrive and Dropbox offer better offline support.
Small businesses
Enterprise pricing overkill for SMBs. Complex features unused by small teams. Dropbox or Google Drive better value for small business.
Common buyer's remorse scenarios reported by users.
Organizations paying $33-49/user/month expected enterprise-grade support but found no phone support, unresponsive tickets, and no way to escalate issues. The disconnect between pricing and support quality causes significant frustration.
Teams purchased Box expecting unlimited storage would mean unlimited capabilities. Then they hit the 5-15GB per-file upload limits on business plans. Large video files and design assets couldn't be stored without upgrading to expensive Enterprise tiers.
Organizations bought Box for perceived enterprise features but realized their actual needs were basic file sharing. The complexity and cost of Box provided no benefit over Dropbox or Google Drive for their use case.
Scenarios where this product tends to fail users.
Video editors, designers, or architects working with multi-gigabyte files face painfully slow sync without block-level transfer. Projects get delayed waiting for uploads. Teams often need separate tools for large file collaboration.
Sales reps, consultants, or field service teams who need files while traveling or in areas with poor connectivity are blocked by Box's requirement for internet access. Critical documents become inaccessible at crucial moments.
When data loss, sync failures, or access issues occur, teams discover Box support is a black hole. No phone number, emails go unanswered, and business operations suffer while waiting for resolution that may never come.
Dropbox Business
Teams switch for simpler experience. Gain: easier to use, better desktop app, Smart Sync. Trade-off: fewer enterprise controls.
SharePoint
Microsoft shops switch to SharePoint/OneDrive. Gain: M365 integration, included cost. Trade-off: complex setup, Microsoft-centric.
OneDrive
Organizations switch for Microsoft 365 integration and lower cost. OneDrive at $12.50/user/month includes Office apps. For Microsoft-centric shops, OneDrive is more natural and economical.
Google Drive (Workspace)
Organizations switch for better pricing, real-time collaboration, and Google Workspace integration. Google Workspace Business Standard is significantly cheaper per user.
Egnyte
Organizations needing hybrid cloud/on-premises storage switch to Egnyte. Similar enterprise features but with flexible deployment options.
Google Drive Enterprise
Google Workspace users switch to consolidate. Gain: bundled with Workspace, better collaboration. Trade-off: different admin model.
