Dropbox: Update or switch to iCloud Drive?

[danqi]

I wonder if I should update Dropbox or switch to iCloud Drive. Here's my situation:

I am still using macOS 12.5.1 and have not updated Dropbox yet (even though it has been pressuring me to do so for weeks).

I use the free version of Dropbox exclusively as a simple folder in my home directory that syncs between different computers. That's really all I care about.

But: I have a bunch of symlinks to it (I sync my .bashrc and .bash_profile files across computers in that way, for example) and many programs on different Macs are pointed to it.

I heard that the new update moves everything to a different place. So that means all of that would break I guess.

So is it even worth it to update or should I just move everything over to iCloud Drive if I have to set it up anew anyway? Do the symlinks work with iCloud Drive? (On a sidenote: Is there a way to place iCloud Drive in the dock as a folder?)

 

[TorbenIbsen]

Perhaps it is best if you get to know iCloud better before you decide. - Dropbox syncs files but iCloud syncs data. That is two very different things.

iCloud - Official Apple Support

Learn how to set up and use iCloud or iCloud+. Find all the topics, resources, and contact options you need for iCloud.

support.apple.com

 

[danqi]

Dropbox syncs files but iCloud syncs data. That is two very different things.

What do you mean by that exactly? I can't quite figure it out.

 

[SDAVE]

It should be fine

 

[danqi]

It should be fine

Moving over to iCloud Drive you mean?

 

[sgtaylor5]

I wouldn’t use either: Dropbox is too expensive and iCloud Drive is far too unreliable with regard to sync. OneDrive might be your best bet.

 

[subjonas]

Perhaps it is best if you get to know iCloud better before you decide. - Dropbox syncs files but iCloud syncs data. That is two very different things.

iCloud - Official Apple Support

Learn how to set up and use iCloud or iCloud+. Find all the topics, resources, and contact options you need for iCloud.

support.apple.com

I believe iCloud Drive syncs files just like Dropbox.

 

[TorbenIbsen]

What do you mean by that exactly? I can't quite figure it out.

By "data" I mean information which is stored "inside" an app. Like in Contacts, Calendar, Notes. By files I mean information which is stored "outside" the creating app. Like Numbers and Pages documents.

Icloud is used to synchronize the data inside apps between Apple devices. So a contact you create on the Mac will automatically be synchonized to the iPhone. Like it happens with Apple Photos.

But files (the "outside app" data) do not necessarily synchronize between devices. (Settings matter here). They may stay in iCloud and an then be accessed from the various Apple devices. They may or may not (also) recide on one or more of your devices, but the version in iCloud is the "mother ship" version of the file.

So when it comes to files there is much likeness between iCloud and Dropbox. But when it comes to all the data of the "inside app" type there is a big difference.

 

[TorbenIbsen]

I wouldn’t use either: Dropbox is too expensive and iCloud Drive is far too unreliable with regard to sync. OneDrive might be your best bet.

In my home there are 11 Apple devices which uses iCloud sync (all on same Apple Id). There has been no sync issues for several years now.

 

[DarkPremiumCho]

For me, after the update something did break.

The Dropbox folder was moved to

~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox

but the Dropbox Updater also created a shortcut in the original location

~/Dropbox

Several applications rely on the old path reports file-not-found errors after I deleted the shortcut, but they returned to normal as long as I set the file path(s) to Dropbox's new location (macOS will ask for your permission once). So, if you keep that shortcut, I guess it will be just fine.

Some files in my Dropbox were set to cloud-only (not sure what decides that). They will be automatically downloaded when those files are being accessed, so I sometimes see increased application loading time.

Another problem is 1 or sometimes 2 spreadsheet documents failed to sync. I don't have time to troubleshoot yet and not sure it's really a Dropbox issue.

I don't have the experience with symlinks in iCloud Drive. But I would not switch to iCloud Drive. I encounter iCloud sync issues about 3 times a year. For Dropbox it's less than 10 times in the past 12 years.

 

[shenfrey]

iCloud is fine. Never had any issues with it. it does suck that I have to download files from the cloud in order access them because it then it just becomes a local drive, but it's pretty quick and is really nicely integrated across all Apple devices.

 

[danqi]

Wow, this seems like quite the mess.

I truly appreciate everyone's input! Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be an obvious answer/solution. Haven't decided what I'll do yet. So if anyone has any more experiences to share, please keep them coming!

 

[TorbenIbsen]

Why not simply try out iCloud Files and iCloud sync (the two very different things) on small samples and get a better understanding. Many users who move to Apple and iCloud makes assumptions about how iCloud works based upon how their current cloud solutions works. And these assumptions are wrong. So it really is best to read all Apple's information and try it out in a very small scale yourself. - I have no clue to what "symbolic links" and the other technical terms you use means so I can't really give concrete advice.

 

[danqi]

Why not simply try out iCloud Files and iCloud sync (the two very different things) on small samples and get a better understanding. Many users who move to Apple and iCloud makes assumptions about how iCloud works based upon how their current cloud solutions works. And these assumptions are wrong. So it really is best to read all Apple's information and try it out in a very small scale yourself. - I have no clue to what "symbolic links" and the other technical terms you use means so I can't really give concrete advice.

I am mainly concerned about data integrity and reliability. I've read some reports of people claiming that iCloud drive had some sync and corruption issues for them or cases where newer versions of files were replaced by old ones.
I am hesitant to move everything over, re-link it all, and try it out only to find out a few months down the line that there are issues and lost work.
So ideally I'd prefer to make an informed decision now if it's better to update to the new Dropbox, switch to iCloud Drive or go another route. But of course I also now realize that there is no perfect answer. When I originally posted this question I thought that the advantages and disadvantages of one or the other might be much more clear.

 

[TorbenIbsen]

I am mainly concerned about data integrity and reliability. I've read some reports of people claiming that iCloud drive had some sync and corruption issues for them or cases where newer versions of files were replaced by old ones.
I am hesitant to move everything over, re-link it all, and try it out only to find out a few months down the line that there are issues and lost work.
So ideally I'd prefer to make an informed decision now if it's better to update to the new Dropbox, switch to iCloud Drive or go another route. But of course I also now realize that there is no perfect answer. When I originally posted this question I thought that the advantages and disadvantages of one or the other might be much more clear.

Good thing that you asked in here, then.

The reports you have read must come from people who have made their own mess locally. Then they blame iCloud (or some other Apple thing) instead of solving the local issue(s). So ignore those reports. - Remember that here are about 100 million Macs out there and at most there are about 0,25% of those users in forums like this (and reddit). And that the vast majority of posts in forums are about self-inflicted wounds. It is very rarely "Apple's fault" at all.

 

[danqi]

Good thing that you asked in here, then.

The reports you have read must come from people who have made their own mess locally. Then they blame iCloud (or some other Apple thing) instead of solving the local issue(s). So ignore those reports. - Remember that here are about 100 million Macs out there and at most there are about 0,25% of those users in forums like this (and reddit). And that the vast majority of posts in forums are about self-inflicted wounds. It is very rarely "Apple's fault" at all.

I guess that makes sense, thanks.

Really, all I want is a local folder that reliably syncs between computers. It feels like it used to be much simpler...