Cloud Storage

Dropbox Business vs Personal vs Standard: Which Plan Do You Need?

Dropbox Personal means Plus: one person, 2 TB, $9.99 a month billed yearly. Dropbox Business is the team side, and Standard is its entry plan: $15 per user a month billed yearly, at least 3 TB shared by the team, no user minimum. If you need SSO, tiered admins or ransomware recovery, that starts at Advanced.

By Bill Belcamino · Last updated October 9, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team

Personal · $9.99/mo billed yearly

Dropbox Plus

Business · $15/user/mo billed yearly

Dropbox Standard

Business · $24/user/mo billed yearly, 3+ users

Dropbox Advanced

Compare the plans Which plan do I need?

Dropbox Business vs Personal vs StandardVerified Oct 9, 2026

Bottom line up frontby Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare

Editorial assessment

Bottom line up front: Which Dropbox plan do I need: Personal, Business or Standard?

Standard is Dropbox's entry business plan, so the real choice is Plus at $9.99 a month for one person or Standard at $15 per user a month, both billed yearly.

Plus gives one person 2 TB and 30 days to get deleted files back, while Standard gives the team at least 3 TB, 180 days of recovery and an admin console, with no user minimum since mid-2026. The admin console is the part people skip and later regret. On Plus the files live in one person's account, so when that person leaves nobody else can manage or transfer what's there, and moving a pile of shared folders into a team account later means redoing every share link and permission. If anyone besides you will touch the files, start on Standard and keep Plus for personal storage.

My read of the verified data on this page, checked against vendor sources on October 9, 2026. Disagree or spot an error? Tell Bill

Dropbox plans compared: Plus vs Standard vs Advanced vs Enterprise

Plan	Plus (personal)	Standard (business)	Advanced (business)	Enterprise
Who it is for	Personal, 1 person	Teams and professionals	Companies	Large organizations
Price, billed yearly	$9.99/mo	$15/user/mo	$24/user/mo	Contact sales
Price, billed monthly	$11.99/mo	$18/user/mo	$30/user/mo	Contact sales
Users	1 person	1 or more (no minimum)	3 or more	Custom
Storage	2 TB	Starts at 3 TB for the team, +1 TB per extra active license	Starts at 15 TB for the team (5 TB per active license)	Custom
Restore deleted files / version history	30 days	180 days	1 year	1 year
Dropbox Transfer size	Up to 50 GB	Up to 100 GB	Up to 100 GB	Up to 250 GB
Admin console	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
SSO, tiered admins, audit logs	No	No	Yes	Yes
Ransomware detection and recovery	No	No	Yes	Yes
Signature requests	3 per month	3 per month	3 per month	Not listed
Support	Priority email and live chat (no phone)	Priority email, live chat, phone in business hours	Phone, chat or email	24/7 phone, chat or email + support manager

Prices in USD from dropbox.com/plans with the billing toggle on “Billed yearly” and on “Billed monthly”, plus dropbox.com/business/plans-comparison and the Dropbox Help Center plan pages, all checked October 9, 2026. Dropbox Basic, the free plan, gives one person 2 GB. Dropbox says Standard and Advanced prices can vary with team size and country.

Dropbox Business vs Personal: what actually changes

“Personal” on Dropbox means the plans built for one account holder: Basic (free, 2 GB), Plus (2 TB) and Family (2 TB shared by up to 6 people). “Business” means the team plans: Standard, Advanced and Enterprise. The storage and sync are the same technology. What you pay extra for on the business side is control.

Who owns and manages the account

On Plus, you are the only person in the account. Standard adds an admin console, centralized billing, company-managed groups and an account transfer tool, so a business can add and remove people and keep their files when someone leaves. None of those are on Plus.

Storage

Plus gives you 2 TB. Standard gives the team 3 TB for the first member, then 1 TB more for each additional actively-used license, pooled across the team. Advanced starts at 15 TB (5 TB for each active license, 3-license minimum). Both business plans top out at 1,000 TB.

Getting files back

Deleted files and old versions can be restored for 30 days on Plus, 180 days on Standard and a full year on Advanced. If a bad sync or a deleted folder would cost you real money, that gap matters more than the storage number.

Sending big files

Dropbox Transfer handles up to 50 GB on Plus and up to 100 GB on Standard and Advanced. Enterprise goes to 250 GB.

Standard vs Advanced

Advanced costs $9 more per user a month on yearly billing ($24 vs $15) and needs at least 3 users. For that you get tiered admin roles, single sign-on, audit logs with file event tracking, sign-in-as-user, invite enforcement, data classification, suspicious activity alerts, ransomware detection and recovery, end-to-end encryption and Advanced Key Management. If nobody on your team has asked for SSO or an audit trail, Standard covers most small businesses.

Monthly vs yearly billing

Paying yearly saves $2 a month on Plus ($9.99 vs $11.99), $3 per user on Standard ($15 vs $18) and $6 per user on Advanced ($24 vs $30). For a 3-person team on Standard that is $45 a month billed yearly against $54 billed monthly.

If you already have Standard

Dropbox changed Standard on June 30, 2026. Most teams that bought it before then are on what Dropbox now calls Standard Classic: 5 TB shared across the team, with a minimum of 3 members. Your account settings show which version you have.

Old and current Dropbox plan names

Search results, invoices and older articles still use names Dropbox no longer sells on its main plans page. Here is what each one is today, in Dropbox’s own words.

Name you may see	What it is now	Source
Plus	Personal plan, 1 person, 2 TB. Sold on dropbox.com/plans today.	dropbox.com/plans
Family	Personal plan: 2 TB shared by up to 6 members, each with their own account. Can’t be created with a corporate email address.	Help Center, updated July 28, 2026
Professional (“Dropbox Pro”)	Individual plan with 3 TB and 180 days of version history. Now sold on dropbox.com only in Brazil and Japan (and through mobile app stores); Dropbox points everyone else to Standard.	Help Center, updated July 21, 2026
Essentials	Plan for self-employed professionals: everything in Professional plus unlimited signature requests and up to 5 eSignature templates. Not listed on dropbox.com/plans today.	Help Center, updated April 9, 2025
Standard	Entry business plan. No user minimum, 3 TB for the first member plus 1 TB per extra active license.	dropbox.com/plans + Help Center, updated July 24, 2026
Standard Classic	The pre-June 30, 2026 version of Standard: 5 TB shared, 3-member minimum. Existing teams keep it.	Help Center, updated July 24, 2026
Business	A team plan Dropbox’s Help Center still documents: 9 TB to start (3 TB per active license, 3-license minimum), unlimited signature requests. Not listed on dropbox.com/plans today.	Help Center, updated May 22, 2025
Business Plus	Team plan with 15 TB to start (5 TB per active license, 3-license minimum) and 365 days of version history. Not listed on dropbox.com/plans today.	Help Center, updated May 22, 2025
Advanced	Business plan for companies, 3+ users, 15 TB to start, SSO and admin tiers.	dropbox.com/plans + Help Center, updated July 7, 2026

Dropbox’s Help Center lists Business and Business Plus as separate articles next to Standard and Advanced, and does not say one was renamed to the other. Their storage formulas differ from today’s Standard, so check the plan name in your admin console before comparing prices. Prices for Family, Essentials, Business and Business Plus are not printed on Dropbox’s plan pages, so we don’t list them.

Which Dropbox plan do you need?

Just you, personal files

Plus. 2 TB for $9.99 a month billed yearly. If 2 GB is enough, Basic is free.

You and your household

Family. Up to 6 people share 2 TB and a Family Room folder. It is for personal use only and can’t be set up with a work email.

A one-person business

Standard, if you want 3 TB, 180-day recovery and 100 GB transfers. Standard has had no user minimum since mid-2026. Plus is cheaper if 2 TB and 30-day recovery are enough.

A team of 2 to 10

Standard. You get an admin console, team folders and pooled storage, and you can remove a leaver without losing their files.

IT needs SSO or audit logs

Advanced, $24 per user billed yearly, minimum 3 users. It is the first plan with SSO, tiered admins, audit logs and ransomware recovery.

Hundreds of seats or device rules

Enterprise. Custom pricing, 250 GB transfers, domain capture, network control and 24/7 support.

Verified data

Dropbox vs Dropbox Business: security, offline & remote work

How Dropbox and Dropbox Business compare on compliance reports, sign-in controls, offline access and the setup details that matter for remote, hybrid and in-office teams. Every value links to the vendor page it came from.

What we checked	Dropbox	Dropbox Business
Security & compliance
SOC 2 report	SOC 2 reportType not stated by vendorsource	SOC 2 Type IIsource
ISO/IEC 27001	Certifiedsource	Certifiedsource
Other certifications	ISO/IEC 27017, ISO/IEC 27018, ISO/IEC 27701, ISO 22301, CSA STAR Level 2, ISMAP, PCI DSS (merchant), EU Cloud Code of Conduct Level 2source	ISO/IEC 27017, ISO/IEC 27018, ISO/IEC 27701, ISO 22301, CSA STAR Level 2, SOC 3, ISMAPsource
HIPAA (BAA)	BAA availableStandard / Business and abovesource	BAA availableStandardsource
GDPR data processing agreement	Not published	DPA offeredsource
Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)	YesAdvanced / Business Plussource	YesAdvancedsource
SCIM user provisioning	YesStandard / Business · automated provisioning via Microsoft Entra IDsource	Yessource
Two-factor authentication	YesEnforcement: All team planssource	Yessource
Admin audit log	YesStandard / Businesssource	YesStandardsource
Data residency choices	US, Australia, EU, Japan, UKStandard / Businesssource	US, Australia, EU, Japan, UKStandardsource
Encryption	AES-256 at rest; SSL/TLS in transitsource	256-bit AES at rest; SSL/TLS in transitsource
Self-hosting option	Not published	Not published
Offline access
Offline mode	Works offlineIn the desktop app (Windows, macOS, Linux), files marked available offline can be opened and edited in local apps with no internet connection, and the mobile apps can save files for offline use. Offline changes don't sync until the device is back online.source	Works offlineFiles and folders marked 'Make available offline' in the desktop app (and files, or whole folders on eligible plans, in the mobile app) can be opened and edited offline; changes sync to all devices automatically when you reconnect.source
Desktop apps	Windows, macOS, Linuxsource	Windows, macOS, Linuxsource
Mobile apps	iOS, Androidsource	iOS, Androidsource
Offline limits	Whole folders offline on mobile need Plus, Family, Professional, Standard, Advanced or Enterprise; any plan can make individual files available offline.Plussource	Whole-folder offline on mobile requires Plus, Family, Professional, Standard, Advanced or Enterprise; single files can be made offline on any plan.Standardsource
Remote, hybrid & in-office
IP allowlisting	Not published	Not published
Device & session controls	YesStandard / BusinessDevice approvals (limit which devices members use), remote wipe of linked computers (Business/Advanced and up), and web session control for dropbox.com sessions.source	YesStandardDevice approvals let admins limit how many desktop and mobile devices each member can link (Standard and above); Dropbox help also documents remote wipe of a member's device.source

Editorial assessment

What this means for your team

Audit reports: both state a SOC 2 report on their own sites, but not the same kind: Dropbox (type not stated) and Dropbox Business (Type II). Dropbox and Dropbox Business also hold ISO/IEC 27001. A Type I report checks controls at a single point in time; a Type II report tests them over months. If your security team requires Type II, confirm it with Dropbox, and ask each vendor for the latest report under NDA.
Single sign-on: Dropbox includes it on Advanced / Business Plus; Dropbox Business includes it on Advanced. If your team signs in through Okta, Microsoft Entra ID or Google, price the plan that includes SSO, not the entry plan.
Health data: Dropbox and Dropbox Business will sign a HIPAA business associate agreement (Dropbox: Standard / Business and above; Dropbox Business: Standard).
Working offline: Dropbox and Dropbox Business let you keep working without a connection. Details are in the Offline mode row above.
Where your data lives: Dropbox lets you choose US, Australia, EU, Japan, UK on Standard / Business; Dropbox Business lets you choose US, Australia, EU, Japan, UK on Standard. This matters for teams hiring across the EU, UK or Australia.

Dropbox: worth knowing

OfficeOn Enterprise, network control works with your proxy or CASB to decide which Dropbox accounts can sign in and sync on the corporate network. source
OfflineOffline edits on a device don't show up on your other devices until that device syncs with Dropbox again. source
RemoteOn mobile, offline files update only over Wi-Fi by default unless you change the setting. source
SecurityRemote wipe removes synced files from computers. Phones and tablets can't sync files, so for them it just signs the member out. source

Dropbox Business: worth knowing

OfficeOn Enterprise, network control lets IT block personal or other-team Dropbox accounts on the corporate network via a proxy or CASB that adds custom HTTP headers. source
SecurityMoving a team's data to a non-US region is by support request only (10+ licenses, annual billing, billing address in another region), is reviewed case by case and can't be undone. source
OfflineOffline edits sync automatically across all your devices once you are back online. source
RemoteThe desktop app also runs on Linux (officially Ubuntu 18.04+ and Fedora 28+, 64-bit), so it suits mixed-OS remote teams. source

Checked September 24, 2026 against each vendor’s own trust center, help docs and app pages. Hover or tap “source” to see the exact wording we relied on. “Not published” means we could not find the vendor saying it on its own site; it doesn’t mean the feature is missing. Plan names are the lowest plan the vendor says includes the feature. Security · Offline · Remote vs office · Download the data

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Dropbox Business and Personal?

Personal plans (Basic, Plus, Family) are for individuals: one account holder, no admin console. Business plans (Standard, Advanced, Enterprise) add an admin console, pooled team storage, an account transfer tool for people who leave, and longer file recovery. Plus is $9.99 a month billed yearly for 2 TB; Standard is $15 per user a month billed yearly, starting at 3 TB for the team. Prices checked October 9, 2026.

Is Dropbox Standard the same as Dropbox Business?

Standard is the entry plan in Dropbox’s business line, which Dropbox sells at dropbox.com/business next to Advanced and Enterprise. Dropbox’s Help Center also documents a separate team plan named “Business” (9 TB to start, 3-license minimum) that is not listed on dropbox.com/plans today, so check the exact plan name in your admin console.

Dropbox Business vs Standard: which one should I buy?

If you are buying today on dropbox.com, the business plans on offer are Standard ($15/user/month billed yearly, no minimum), Advanced ($24/user/month, 3+ users) and Enterprise (contact sales). Standard is the right starting point for most small teams; move to Advanced when you need SSO, audit logs or ransomware recovery.

Dropbox Family vs Business: can I use Family for my business?

No. Dropbox says Family is for personal use and can’t be created with a corporate email address. If you sign up with a work address you are prompted to join or create a team account instead. Family gives up to 6 people 2 TB to share; Standard gives a team at least 3 TB with admin controls.

Dropbox Professional (Pro) vs Business: what is the difference?

Professional is a plan for one person with 3 TB and 180 days of version history. Dropbox now sells it on dropbox.com only in Brazil and Japan and points other buyers to Standard, which has no user minimum and adds an admin console and team storage.

Dropbox Essentials vs Business: which is better for a freelancer?

Essentials is Dropbox’s plan for self-employed professionals: everything in Professional plus unlimited signature requests and up to 5 eSignature templates. It is not listed on dropbox.com/plans today. A freelancer buying new will usually choose between Plus (2 TB, $9.99/month billed yearly) and Standard (3 TB, $15/user/month billed yearly).

Dropbox vs Dropbox Business: do I need the business version?

You need a business plan when more than one person shares the files and someone has to manage access, or when you want more than 30 days to recover deleted files. If it is only you and 2 TB is enough, Plus is cheaper.

How much does Dropbox Standard cost per month?

$15 per user a month billed yearly, or $18 per user billed monthly, on dropbox.com/plans as of October 9, 2026. Advanced is $24 billed yearly or $30 billed monthly, with a 3-user minimum. Dropbox notes the price can vary with team size and country.

Dropbox Business pricing and plans, our tool page with the current plan record.
Box vs Dropbox Business, if you are choosing a business storage vendor rather than a Dropbox plan.
Dropbox Business vs Google Workspace, if you also need email and office apps.
Dropbox vs Google Drive, for the personal plans.
Moving from Dropbox Business to Google Workspace, a step-by-step switching guide.
All cloud storage comparisons.

Check the price for your team size

Dropbox says Standard and Advanced prices depend on team size and country, and Standard and Advanced both offer a free trial. Confirm the figure at checkout before you buy.

See Dropbox plans See the business plan comparison

Canonical data for the tools on this page

Every pricing fact, rating, AI billing model and switching guide we hold on each tool, on one page, with the date each figure was last verified.

DropboxPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›

Dropbox BusinessPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›

Sources

Prices on this page were recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page on the date shown at the top of the page. Vendors change pricing often — check the live source before you buy.

Dropbox pricing (dropbox.com)
Dropbox Business pricing (dropbox.com)

Every figure is also in our open dataset (JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0), with its source page and verification date. See how we research pricing.

Source links on this site are checked every month; last check October 4, 2026. How sources are checked.