What you get free
2 GB (up to 18 GB total: 2 GB base + up to 16 GB earnable via referrals at 500 MB each)
Referrals and promotional tasks can raise this to about 18 GB. That ceiling is deliberately kept out of the headline figure, because a plan you have to keep working for is not the same as one you are simply given.
Taken from Dropbox's own pricing page on 2026-07-29. Free tiers move, so check the source before you plan around the number.
How it changed
5Every entry below is dated and linked to the announcement it came from. This is the part worth reading before you commit: a free tier that has been cut once can be cut again.
| Date | Change | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| March 2019 | Cut | In March 2019 Dropbox quietly capped free Basic accounts at three simultaneously linked/logged-in devices. Devices linked before March 2019 were grandfathered and remain on the device list, but no new devices can be added once at or over the limit. Paid plans (Plus, Family, Professional, Essentials, team plans) have no device cap. Browser access and third-party API apps do not count toward the limit. How many devices can I use with my Dropbox account? - Dropbox Help |
| March 15, 2017 | Cut | On 15 March 2017 Dropbox converted the legacy Public folder into a standard private folder on Basic (free) accounts, breaking all existing public links to files in it. The files themselves were retained. Plus and team accounts kept the Public folder until 1 September 2017. Changes to the Dropbox Public folder - Dropbox Help |
| October 3, 2016 | Cut | As of 3 October 2016, Dropbox Basic (free) users could no longer use public links to render HTML content in a web browser — ending the common practice of hosting simple static web pages from a free Dropbox account. Changes to the Dropbox Public folder - Dropbox Help |
| April 2012 | Feature | Dropbox doubled referral rewards for free accounts from 250 MB to 500 MB per referral and doubled the earnable cap to 16 GB (32 referrals). Pro accounts went to 1 GB per referral capped at 32 GB. The change was applied retroactively to referrals already made. Base free storage stayed at 2 GB. Dropbox Will Give You 32GB of Free Storage for Referring Friends - Gizmodo |
| September 11, 2008 | Launch | Dropbox exited private beta and launched to the public at TechCrunch50 with a permanently free 2 GB tier, alongside a paid 50 GB plan at $9.99/month or $99.99/year. Dropbox launches to the public! - Dropbox Blog |
What happens if you stop using it
Inactive for 12 months: Dropbox measures inactivity by log-ins and file activity (adding, editing, deleting) anywhere on Dropbox over the past 12 months. Account closure for inactivity affects Dropbox Basic (free) accounts only — paid accounts are exempt. If an account is flagged…
This is the policy as written by Dropbox, checked on 2026-07-29. It is the clause people discover too late, which is why it gets its own section.
Can a backup tool reach it?
| rclone | Supported via the dropbox backend docs |
|---|---|
| WebDAV | Not publicly specified — being verified |
| API on the free tier | Not publicly specified — being verified |
The page has a dedicated "Get your own Dropbox App ID" section: "When you use rclone with Dropbox in its default configuration…
Should you rely on it?
Not on its own. A free tier is a reasonable third copy under the 3-2-1 rule and a poor only copy, for the reason this page documents: the allowance is a business decision the provider can revise, and several on the tracker already have.
If the data matters, pair it with something you control. The offsite backup guide covers the pattern, and cloud backup options compares paid tiers that come with a retention promise instead of a marketing page.
2 GB (up to 18 GB total: 2 GB base + up to 16 GB earnable via referrals at 500 MB each) Last verified 2026-07-29.
The tracked history holds 5 dated changes, the most recent being Cut on March 2019. Each entry links the announcement it came from.
After 12 months. Dropbox measures inactivity by log-ins and file activity (adding, editing, deleting) anywhere on Dropbox over the past 12 months. Account closure for inactivity affects Dropbox Basic (free) accounts only — paid accounts are exempt. If an account is flagged…
Yes, via the dropbox backend. WebDAV: Not publicly specified — being verified. Free-tier API access: Not publicly specified — being verified.
No. One copy in one place is not a backup, whoever hosts it. A free tier is a useful third copy inside the 3-2-1 rule, never the only one — free tiers change, and this page exists because they have.