CloudMounter vs ExpanDrive (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ExpanDrive grades higher than CloudMounter: 3.0 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
ExpanDrive grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
CloudMounter
Mount cloud storage and servers as drives on Mac and Windows
ExpanDrive
Mounts cloud storage and servers as drives on Mac, Windows and Linux
Which one is for you
Pick CloudMounter if
- Fits if you want cloud files to appear in Finder or Explorer without a sync folder
- Works for people who have several Dropbox or Google accounts to open side by side
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want one license for both systems, as Mac and Windows are separate
- Tight if you want to try the Mac app for long: it has a 7-day trial tied to the yearly plan
- Too light for offline work on Windows, which is listed as coming soon
- Watch out: the Team license for Mac and the one for Windows cannot be shared across both
- Pricey if you want the Mac app for good, since lifetime is $74 against a $29 yearly plan
Pick ExpanDrive if
- Fits if you want Google Drive, S3 or SFTP showing as a drive on your own machine
- Works for teams of up to 10 who can live on community support
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need Server Edition, the web console or priority support, as those are Business at $29 a month
- Pricey if you're past 10 users: it's $29 a month for each further 10
- Watch out: annual billing is arranged by emailing sales, not chosen on the page
- Not for you if your storage isn't among the 15 services and has no SFTP, FTP or WebDAV endpoint
How we grade them
| 2.2GPACloudMounterFair | 3.0GPAExpanDriveVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$29 a year on Mac, which is the bottom of the cheaper quarter, and $29.99 once on Windows. A Mac lifetime license is $74. | AFree for personal use and for up to 10 users or devices, with every service included. Business is $29 a month for up to 10 users. |
| Free plan and trial | CWindows keeps one Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive account usable after a 14-day trial. Mac has only a 7-day trial on the yearly plan, and the lifetime license has none. | AThe free plan carries all 15 services, offline caching and Finder or Explorer integration, with community support only. |
| Features | CMounting, transfers between clouds, encryption and several accounts. The listing's own gaps: offline work is 'coming soon' on Windows, and the supported services differ between Mac and Windows. | BOn-demand streaming, offline pinning, FTP, SFTP and WebDAV and a command line tool. Storage outside the 15 services needs an SFTP, FTP or WebDAV endpoint. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating is on record. Each cloud account has to be signed in to and mounted before it shows up. | CEach drive needs account details and a connection set up. No store rating is on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac and Windows computers only. Nothing for phones or the web. | CMac, Windows and Linux, plus Windows Server and Linux for the server edition. Computers only: no phone or web app. |
| Best for | showing cloud storage as a drive in Finder or Explorer | cloud storage in Finder or Explorer for free |
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: CloudMounter and ExpanDrive. How we grade
Price against what you get
CloudMounter starts at $2.42 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. ExpanDrive starts at $29 a month and scores 2.3.
ExpanDrive scores higher, and starts $26.58 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, 27 score higher than CloudMounter for less, and 14 score higher than ExpanDrive for less.
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
Where they differ
- ExpanDrive also covers file sync and file sharing.
At a glance
| CloudMounter | ExpanDrive | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $29 per year (macOS, 1 Mac); Windows $29.99 one-time for 1 PC | $29 per month for up to 10 users, billed monthly |
| Free plan | Windows only: after a 14-day Pro trial, one Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive account stays fully usable; other accounts and services become read-only. | Free for personal use with all 15 cloud services and protocols, and for teams of up to 10 users or devices, with community support. |
| Free trial | 7-day trial on the macOS yearly plan; 14-day Pro trial on Windows | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Electronic Team, Inc. | Files.com |
| Price read from | cloudmounter.net | expandrive.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
CloudMounter
- The Mac free trial is tied to the yearly subscription; the lifetime license has none.
- Offline work is listed as supported on macOS and coming soon on Windows.
- Mac and Windows licenses are separate, and a Team license cannot be shared across both.
- Supported services differ between the Mac and Windows versions.
ExpanDrive
- The free plan covers up to 10 users or devices; past that the Business plan is $29 a month per 10 more.
- Server Edition, the web console and priority support need the Business plan.
- Annual billing is arranged by emailing sales rather than chosen on the page.
- Supports 15 services and protocols, so storage outside that list needs an SFTP, FTP or WebDAV endpoint.
Key features
CloudMounter
- Mount clouds as drives
- Cloud accounts and servers appear in Finder or Explorer and can be browsed like local folders.
- Many services
- Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Amazon S3, WebDAV, SFTP and FTP, plus Box, MEGA and others on some platforms.
- Transfers between clouds
- Drag files from one cloud to another without downloading them to the computer first.
- Encryption
- The Mac purchase page lists AES-256 encryption for cloud files.
- Multiple accounts
- Connect as many cloud accounts as you need, including several from the same provider.
ExpanDrive
- Mount any cloud as a drive
- Lists Amazon S3, Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint, Dropbox, Box, Backblaze B2, Wasabi and more as drives alongside local folders.
- Stream on demand
- Files are fetched when opened, with local caching, rather than mirrored in full to the disk.
- Offline access
- Pin the files you need offline and let changes sync back once the connection returns.
- FTP, SFTP and WebDAV
- Generic protocol endpoints are supported alongside the named cloud services, for servers that are not on a major cloud.
- Server Edition
- A headless service for Windows Server and Linux that mounts at boot and can re-share a cloud as SMB on Windows.
- Command line control
- The exfs tool lists, mounts and unmounts drives and installs license keys, so it can be scripted.
Plans
CloudMounter
Windows Free$0
After the trial, full access to one account each for Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive.
Mac Personal, yearly$29
per year for 1 Mac
Personal use only; free upgrades during the license period.
Windows Personal$29.99
one-time, for 1 PC
One-time purchase for a single Windows PC.
Mac Personal, lifetime$74
one-time, for 1 Mac
Shown as $74, down from $99; personal use only, no end date stated for the discount.
Mac Team, yearly$99
per year for 5 Macs
Business and personal use; a lifetime Team license is $249, down from $299.
Windows Team$99.99
one-time, for 5 PCs
Five Windows PCs; larger company licenses are quoted by sales.
ExpanDrive
Free$0
All 15 services and protocols, offline caching and Finder or Explorer integration. Up to 10 users or devices.
Business$29
per month for up to 10 users, billed monthly
Adds one Server Edition instance, the web management console, team configuration sharing and priority email support.
EnterpriseCustom
Sold through sales. Adds a response SLA under 30 minutes, SAML SSO, audit logs and role-based access controls.
Ways to pay less
CloudMounter
No public discounts listed.
ExpanDrive
- Annual discount
Annual billing saves 10 to 15%
ExpanDrive says annual customers typically save 10 to 15% against the monthly Business rate, arranged through sales.
- Education
Typically 40% off for academics and nonprofits
Verified academic institutions and registered non-profits are typically offered 40% off Business plans, requested by email.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CloudMounter or ExpanDrive?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CloudMounter is cheaper to start with: $2.42 a month when paid by the year, against $29 a month for ExpanDrive. CloudMounter starts at $29 per year (macOS, 1 Mac); Windows $29.99 one-time for 1 PC, and ExpanDrive starts at $29 per month for up to 10 users, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, CloudMounter or ExpanDrive?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both CloudMounter and ExpanDrive have a free plan.
Which platforms do CloudMounter and ExpanDrive run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only ExpanDrive lists a Linux app. Both list macOS and Windows apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.