Dropbox is a capable file sync tool — but it's a closed silo. Your files live under their terms, their pricing can change overnight, and there's no standard way to move your data or connect third-party apps. A pod is different by design.
Side by side
| Feature | 🔐 Private Data Pod | 📦 Dropbox |
|---|---|---|
| You own the data | ✓ | ✗ |
| No ad targeting or profiling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Built on an open W3C standard | ✓ | ✗ |
| Move provider without losing app integrations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Granular per-file access control | ✓ | Folder-level sharing |
| Works with third-party apps via open protocol | ✓ | Dropbox API only |
| Free tier for personal use | ✓ 1 GB free | ✓ 2 GB free |
| Pro plan price | ✓ $9.99/mo · 10 GB | $11.99/mo · 2 TB |
| Run your own server (self-host) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Identity decoupled from storage | ✓ | ✗ |
The details
Dropbox's Terms of Service grant them a worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, cache, and process your content. They can change pricing at any time — Dropbox has made paid plans more expensive multiple times while cutting the free storage tier from unlimited to 2 GB.
Your pod data belongs to you. We host it on your behalf, but we claim no licence over its content. More importantly, because it's an open standard, you're insulated from pricing changes: if our prices change you don't like, you can move your pod — and every app goes with it.
Apps that integrate with Dropbox use the proprietary Dropbox API. If you switch to another storage provider, every Dropbox integration you've set up breaks. You would need to reconnect each app — if the new provider even supports the same apps.
Solid apps connect to your pod URL using open protocols. Your pod URL belongs to you. If you choose to move to a different Solid host, your pod URL can migrate with you — and all your connected apps keep working without any reconfiguration.
Dropbox sharing is folder-based. You can share a folder or a link, but you can't express fine-grained rules like "this app can read my contacts but only if I'm logged in" or "this person can see this folder until a specific date." Revoking access requires hunting through shared folder settings.
Every resource in your pod has its own Web Access Control rules. You can grant read-only access to a single file, set expiry conditions, or restrict access to a specific app's identity — and you can audit and revoke everything from one place in your pod's settings.
Dropbox's cheapest personal plan (Plus) sells 2 TB of storage for ~$11.99/month. That's a lot of storage — but most people don't need 2 TB, and you're paying for it regardless. Dropbox has a history of price increases and plan reshuffles. There's no "just a basic, cheap storage" option anymore.
We offer 1 GB free forever and a $9.99/month Pro plan with 10 GB. For most people storing documents, contacts, and personal data — not media libraries — 10 GB is more than enough. You pay for what you need, not for a 2 TB floor you'll never use.