What is file hosting and what different services are there?

Online and cloud storage services are highly useful for storing and syncing files. File hosting enables you to keep your files in a storage system that you can access from the client side.

What is the definition of file hosting?

The term “file hosting” refers to making files available on the internet. Since cloud computing is commonly used to do this, it is often called cloud storage or cloud hosting.

But what is cloud computing and what does cloud storage actually mean? Cloud storage simply means that programs are executed via computers that are connected to a network. The files you are accessing are not stored on the computer you are using (or at least, not exclusively), but rather in the cloud that your computer is connected to. Certain interfaces enable coordination between a personal computer and a cloud server (or servers) that are networked together in the cloud.

What is file hosting used for?

File-hosting services make it possible to store and sort files online and access them from anywhere. All you need is a computer and an internet connection that is fast enough to support the use of file-hosting services. With most providers, you can manage, edit, upload and download documents, music, photos and videos using a PC, a smartphone or a tablet. File-hosting sites are often used to access data on the go, to share files with other users or to create backups of files.

Cloud storage is especially popular for team collaboration. It allows files to be effortlessly shared and modified by multiple users. This is often referred to as file sharing. In cloud storage, files are automatically updated whenever changes are made, making it possible to manage work done simultaneously directly in the cloud.

What about data protection for file hosting?

Numerous cloud storage providers have faced criticism in the area of data security. When utilizing online storage services, it’s often unclear who else might have access to your files. For this reason, experts consistently advise users to encrypt all files before uploading them to a cloud storage service. It’s best to avoid uploading sensitive files to the cloud altogether.

For companies, server location can be crucial. The location of the computers where user files are stored dictates which data protection laws apply. Many hosting providers’ servers are primarily (or even completely) located in the U.S., where data protection is not as strict. If your data is stored in European clouds, the GDPR is just one of the regulations that your hosting provider is obligated to adhere to.

It’s generally not advisable to store personal customer data in cloud storage. The EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, the successor to the Safe Harbor Agreement between the EU and the United States, came into force in mid-2016. This is intended to provide more protection for data from Europe that is transferred to the U.S. However, many critics of the new EU-U.S. Privacy Shield have voiced their concern that it does not adequately protect the data of European users and that U.S. authorities can still easily gain access to their personal data. This is why it’s all the more advisable to not store customer data in the cloud if the provider’s servers are located outside the EU.

An overview of popular file-hosting services

There are many different services that now offer file hosting, with many of the providers focusing on different aspects of storage. Some provide file-hosting services free of charge, while others center the security of users’ data. We’ve compiled a list of the six most popular file hosting providers for you below.

Updated: February 2024

What is the difference between file hosting and file sharing?

With file hosting, you’ll often come across the closely related term file sharing. What exactly does this mean? Whenever you share the data you store with a file hosting provider, this is basically file sharing. However, a file-sharing service has other features that make it easier to collaborate on documents.