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Box

Content management for enterprises.

What it is

Box stores and shares files with enterprise governance: retention policies, legal holds and detailed permissions. Governance is the product: retention schedules, legal holds and granular permissions are why it appears in regulated procurement. For a small team that just needs shared folders, all of that is cost without benefit.

Box pricing

Box does not publish a plan ladder we could verify. Free tier available.

Prices read from the vendor's own pricing page on 2026-08-31. Vendors change plans without notice — check the source before you budget.

Cheaper alternatives to Box — same category, ordered by verified starting price.

Key features

  • Retention and legal hold

    Applies policy-driven retention and preserves content for litigation.

  • Granular permissions

    Sets access at folder and item level with external collaborator control.

  • Compliance certifications

    Supports regulated industry requirements and audit reporting.

Strengths and trade-offs

What works well

  • Strong governance and compliance controls
  • Granular permissions
  • Good audit trails

Where it falls short

  • Costs more than consumer storage
  • Interface is heavier than rivals
  • Sync client has a mixed reputation

Who it is for

Regulated organisations that need content governance, not just storage.

Our verdict

Buy it for compliance requirements. For plain file sync it is more than you need.

Frequently asked questions

Does Box have a free plan?
Yes. Box offers a free tier with limits; paid plans unlock higher usage or team features.
Who is Box best for?
Regulated organisations that need content governance, not just storage.
What are the main drawbacks of Box?
The trade-offs we noted: Costs more than consumer storage; Interface is heavier than rivals; Sync client has a mixed reputation.

What we checked

  • Public APIOffers a documented API you can build against.Yes
  • Mobile appHas a native app for iOS or Android, not just a mobile website.Yes
  • Open source / self-hostableSource is open and the tool can be run on your own infrastructure.No
  • SSO (SAML)Supports SAML single sign-on on at least one plan.Yes

“Not checked” means exactly that — we have not verified it, and we do not guess.

Evidence and freshness

Status: Source listed, figures not recordedReviewed: 2026-08-31

  • Box — Pricing ↗

    Checked 2026-08-31 · Supports: An automated check confirmed this vendor pricing page was reachable on the date shown. No plan name, price or limit was extracted from it.

Limit: This record's price has NOT been verified line by line by an editor: the only evidence is an automated reachability check of the vendor pricing page. Treat the figures as unconfirmed until an editor reviews the page. Automated check: the pricing page was fetched on this date and contained pricing information. An editor has not read it line by line.

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