Box vs CTERA (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Box grades higher than CTERA: 2.8 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Box grades higher on the free plan, features and ease of use. CTERA grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Box
Business content storage with e-signatures, workflows and AI
Which one is for you
Pick Box if
- Fits if your company wants unlimited storage priced per user, from 3 users up
- Works for teams that send contracts for signature from where they're stored, or plug files into Microsoft 365, Salesforce or Slack
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're one person wanting more space, as every paid plan priced here needs at least 3 users
- Pricey if you want the unlimited storage and the AI, which start at $15 a user against a $5 category middle
- Not for you if you're on Linux, since Box Drive is Mac and Windows only
- Tight if you stay free: 10 GB, no file over 250 MB, 1 version kept and 5 signature requests a month
- Watch out: uploads cap at 2 GB on Starter and 5 GB on Business, and Enterprise Plus is billed yearly only
Pick CTERA if
- Fits if you run offices that need to share one set of files
- Works for enterprises that want a private or CTERA-hosted deployment
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you are a small team, as it is sold to enterprises
- Skip it if you want a price or a trial
- Watch out: each site needs its own virtualisation capacity for the Edge Filer
- Watch out: Drive Connect and Drive Protect list Windows and macOS only
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABoxGood | 1.8GPACTERAWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DStorage in this category has a middle price of $5 a month, and the dearest tenth starts at $9.99. Box's entry plan is $5 a user but needs 3 users, so $15 a month minimum for 100 GB. The parts people actually come for, unlimited storage, Box AI and unlimited signing, start at $15 a user. | CNo price is published, so it cannot be set against the category. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree for one person with 10 GB, which sounds fine until you read the caps: no file over 250 MB, 1 version kept of anything you edit, 5 signature requests a month. A phone video can breach that upload limit. | FNo free plan or trial on record. The site offers demos and sales contact. |
| Features | BStorage and sharing, plus Box Sign for e-signatures, workflow automation and Box AI, with Box Drive opening files on a Mac or PC without filling the disk. The listing's own upload ceilings, 250 MB free and 2 GB on Starter, keep it off an A. | CA global file system, Edge Filers and apps for web, desktop and mobile. Drive Connect and Drive Protect are Windows and macOS only. |
| Ease of use | A4.8 from about 191,000 App Store ratings. On a computer, Box Drive puts your Box files in Finder or Explorer, so there's nothing new to learn. | DVirtual Edge Filers at each site and a private or hosted model to choose. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, and Box counts more than 1,500 connected apps, Microsoft 365, Salesforce and Slack among them, with API call allowances on the paid plans. No Linux app, mind. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, plus AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Microsoft 365 Copilot. |
| Best for | company files with signing and workflows built in | one global file system across offices for enterprises |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Box and CTERA. How we grade
Where they differ
- CTERA is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Box also covers workflow automation.
- CTERA also covers file management.
At a glance
| Box | CTERA | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $5 per user / month, billed annually (minimum 3 users) | Not published |
| Free plan | Individual plan: one user, 10 GB of storage, a 250 MB file upload limit, 1 file version and 5 Box Sign requests per month. | None |
| Free trial | Free trial offered on Business Starter, Business, Business Plus, Enterprise and Enterprise Plus | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Box, Inc. | CTERA Networks |
| Price read from | peony.ink (not the vendor's own page) | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Box
- Business and Enterprise plans require a minimum of 3 users.
- File upload size is capped by plan: 250 MB on the free plan, 2 GB on Business Starter, 5 GB on Business and 15 GB on Business Plus.
- Enterprise Plus is sold on annual billing only, and Enterprise Advanced is priced through sales.
- The downloads page lists Box Drive for Mac and Windows only, with no Linux app.
CTERA
- No prices are published; the site offers demos and sales contact only.
- Deployment is either a private subscription or a CTERA-hosted model, so hosting responsibility depends on which is chosen.
- Edge Filers are virtual appliances, so each site needs its own virtualization capacity.
- Drive Connect and Drive Protect are listed for Windows and macOS only.
Key features
Box
- Box Drive
- A desktop app for Mac and Windows that opens Box files from the computer without taking up much local disk space.
- Box Sign
- E-signatures are built in: 5 signature requests a month on the free plan, 10 on Business Starter, and unlimited from the Business plan up.
- Box AI
- Box AI is included from the Business plan. Enterprise adds 1,000 AI Units a month and Box Hubs, and Enterprise Plus raises the allowance to 2,000.
- External collaboration
- The Business plan charges for each external collaborator, while Business Plus and the Enterprise plans allow an unlimited number.
- File version history
- The free Individual plan keeps 1 version of each file, Personal Pro keeps 10 and Business Starter keeps 25.
- Integrations and API
- Box lists more than 1,500 apps and AI agents that connect to it, and paid business plans include a monthly allowance of API calls.
CTERA
- Global file system
- Cloud and on-premises storage silos are presented as one logical namespace, managed from a web-based multi-tenant portal.
- Edge Filers
- Virtual appliances at remote sites provide caching and NFS and SMB gateways, in sizes the site says range from a few users to thousands.
- CTERA Drive apps
- Drive Share syncs and shares files on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android; Drive Connect mounts the file system on Windows and macOS; Drive Protect backs up desktops and laptops.
- Encryption and key control
- The vendor says data is protected with AES-256 end-to-end encryption and that customers keep control of their keys.
- Ransomware and archiving tools
- Ransom Protect and immutable snapshots handle attacks, and an AI-assisted archiving service helps decide what to move to cheaper storage.
Plans
Box
Individual$0
Single user with 10 GB of storage, a 250 MB file upload limit and 5 Box Sign signature requests per month.
Business Starter$5
per user / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly)
Minimum of 3 users: 100 GB of storage, 2 GB file uploads, 25 file versions and 10 Box Sign requests per month.
Business$15
per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
Minimum of 3 users: unlimited storage, 5 GB file uploads, Box AI, unlimited e-signatures and 50,000 API calls per month.
Business Plus$25
per user / month, billed annually ($33 billed monthly)
Minimum of 3 users: unlimited storage, 15 GB file uploads and unlimited external collaborators.
Enterprise$35
per user / month, billed annually ($47 billed monthly)
Minimum of 3 users: 50 GB file uploads, 1,000 AI Units per month, Box Hubs and 100,000 API calls per month.
Enterprise Plus$50
per user / month, annual billing only
Minimum of 3 users: 150 GB file uploads, 2,000 AI Units per month and support with 24-hour coverage.
CTERA
Pricing could not be confirmed. See ctera.com.
Ways to pay less
Box
- Annual discount
About 25% lower with annual billing
Box's pricing page has a monthly or annual toggle that advertises a saving for paying annually. The listed prices put Business at $15 per user annually against $20 monthly.
CTERA
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Box or CTERA?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Box starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually (minimum 3 users), and CTERA has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Box or CTERA?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Box has a free plan. CTERA does not.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.