Alternatives · File Storage
Shade alternatives
As of Nov 13, 2026, the highest-graded Shade alternative is Dropbox (2.8 GPA). It's also the best free one. The catch, in its listing's words: "Basic plan: 2 GB to store and share files."
Shade compared with 5 alternatives: LucidLink, Dropbox, Suite Studios, MASV and Box.
Shade is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $29.75 per seat / month, billed annually ($35 billed monthly). 3 of the 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 2 more offer a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a Shade sale?
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| ShadeThis tool | Free trial · from $29.75/mo | Trial only | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux |
| LucidLink | Free trial · from $7/mo | Trial only | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Dropbox | Free plan · from $9.99/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Suite Studios | Free trial · from $75/mo | Trial only | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| MASV | Free plan · from $58/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Box | Free plan · from $5/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
Price against what you get
Shade starts at $29.75 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 2 of the 5 alternatives on this chart score higher and start lower: Dropbox and Box.
LucidLink starts lower without scoring higher.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Shade
LucidLink
Cloud file system that streams large files to your desktop
- LucidLink starts at $7 per member / month (billing basis not shown).
- LucidLink also lists iOS and Android apps.
- LucidLink lists no web app, which Shade has.
- LucidLink is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- LucidLink does not cover transcription, which Shade does.
Suits: Distributed creative and engineering teams working with very large files
Dropbox
Cloud storage and file sync with transfer and signing tools
- Dropbox starts at $9.99 per month, billed yearly.
- Dropbox has a free plan, which Shade lacks.
- Dropbox also lists iOS and Android apps.
- Dropbox also covers documents.
- Dropbox does not cover transcription, which Shade does.
Suits: Individuals who want 2 TB synced across Windows, Mac and Linux
Suite Studios
Cloud storage that streams large media files like a local drive
- Suite Studios starts at $75 per TB / month.
- Suite Studios lists no web app, which Shade has.
- Suite Studios does not cover transcription, which Shade does.
Suits: Video and creative teams moving very large project files
MASV
Pay-per-GB large file transfer for media and data teams
- MASV starts at $58 per month, billed monthly with a 12-month commitment (250 GB included).
- MASV has a free plan, which Shade lacks.
- MASV also covers workflow automation.
- MASV does not cover transcription and file sync, which Shade does.
Suits: Teams that move large media or dataset files on irregular schedules
Box
Business content storage with e-signatures, workflows and AI
- Box starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually (minimum 3 users).
- Box has a free plan, which Shade lacks.
- Box also lists iOS and Android apps.
- Box lists no Linux app, which Shade has.
- Box also covers workflow automation.
Suits: Companies that need unlimited storage priced per user
Limits worth knowing in Shade
- Growth is capped at 15 seats, 150 guests and 1 workspace; larger teams need Enterprise, which has no published price.
- Storage is 500 GB of active storage per seat on Growth, and the page says storage add-ons are available.
- SSO/SAML, SCIM and audit logging are limited to Enterprise.
- The site markets Shade as a replacement for LucidLink, Frame.io and Dropbox; these claims are the vendor's own.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Shade?
The alternatives to Shade in this directory are LucidLink, Dropbox, Suite Studios, MASV and Box. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Shade.
Is there a free alternative to Shade?
Yes. Dropbox, MASV and Box have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Shade alternatives work on Android?
The Shade listing does not include an Android app. LucidLink, Dropbox and Box list one.
Which Shade alternatives work on iOS?
The Shade listing does not include an iOS app. LucidLink, Dropbox and Box list one.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.