TL;DR: Filecoin is a more secure alternative to Google or Dropbox. It is based on blockchain technology, and they count with different features. However, there are questionable aspects about its security, and that’s why we offer an alternative: Internxt Drive. To learn more about it, keep reading.
Filecoin is a decentralized cloud storage based on Blockchain technology. Filecoin is known for using a digital payment system through cryptocurrency, as they have their own token and it was one of the first blockchain projects to introduce the concept of decentralized storage network.
Filecoin has a section called ‘Filecoin Network Inspector App’ on their website where they explain the services they have, the blockchain, they show the miners, the market status, the storage agreements with the local network, etc.
- 🔒:It is clear that the fact that they use blockchain is a good thing as it solves some of the problems that exist in file sharing in the cloud, as well as with its decentralization.
- 💰: The user can choose to contract different plans in their website at different prices.
- 🌱: It is also a positive aspect to contribute to the sustainability of the planet that instead of building new facilities they use existing resources.
But as much as there are positive things, not everything that glitters is gold!
Things to improve:
Despite having a website and a desktop app, they do not have a mobile app, so the user experience is not that easy and integrated since in an app you can see in a simpler way all the services, and the user can clearly perceive the files he has uploaded to the cloud.
In regard to the prices, their website does not clearly show the prices of their services, it is more focused on the different products they offer. As a consequence, for example, when you are looking for pricing information, you rather find corporate or cryptocurrency information, than the customer prices.
Is Filecoin more interested in making its cryptocurrency valuable than in its cloud users?
Filecoin should think more about the final user and improve the usability of the website, making information more accessible, including prices, etc. A mobile app would certainly be a good way to improve this.
In addition, in recent months there has been a controversy that creates doubts among users: Is there really profitability in mining in Filecoin? Managers have tried to deny this information but there are many users who have already researched about whether it is worth investing in their project.
On the other hand, they do not have a free trial of the service. This makes me feel distrustful because not being able to try it before paying makes me wonder: is the product really that good?
Their security has also been questioned despite the fact that they claim that their users’ information is fully encrypted.
Several users have had problems with their privacy. In fact, they have enabled a web page in which they tell you that when you find a bug it is probably a security vulnerability, which may even compromise the integrity of the live network. Below, there show a list of emails and different ways to contact them if there is a problem and they monitor it every day to solve the problems.
They also state that if it happens, you should not announce the vulnerability on public sites such as Twitter or Slack, and contact them immediately, so it obviously shows that they are aware of their weakness in terms of security. Filecoin, what are you trying to hide?
Not only has this been criticized but there have also been comments about Filecoin’s ambition that after raising $52 million in a pre-sale for a pre-product offering, they wanted to raise an exorbitant amount of money, considered by many people. I think this can be seen in a greedy way because a token that could potentially be leveraged ends up reflecting to its users an image that they prioritize raising money (even if that’s their objective, it’s not good for their image to be seen in that way).
Because of all this, I wonder if the purpose is the cloud or if it is just a project that supports cryptocurrency. Does Filecoin really care about their users? Or are they more focused on cryptocurrency?
Alternative to Filecoin
I think there are better options, especially for users who value security in storing their data, privacy and engagement.
A good alternative is Internxt, which offers a secure cloud storage service. In addition, Internxt has a free trial, so you can have 2GB forever. This gives me confidence, and also allows people to evaluate whether they like the service or not before paying for it.
As you can see on their website, they have affordable prices and they do not put your security and that of your data at risk (as that’s the least you can ask for when you leave all your data on the network). Also, unlike Filecoin, Internxt does have a mobile app that allows for a better user experience.
For all this, Filecoin is not a bad option to store your data but after using it and looking for information from other users who have used it, I think another alternative is Internxt.
Nowadays as all the information is on the network available to everyone, what less could you ask than saving your files in a system that respects your privacy, what do you think?
