BackThen vs Permafiles
BackThen
backthen.comPermafiles
permafiles.comSide by side
| Figure | BackThen | Permafiles |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | £1.99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 8 |
| Spec score · Photo Storage Services | 8.0 (#32) | 8.9 (#7) |
| Intended users | The site presents BackThen as a family space for parents to preserve children’s stories and share them with relatives and friends. | Permafiles says it is primarily aimed at customers in the UK and EU and presents family photo storage and sharing as a key use case. |
| Sharing controls | Users choose whom to invite and set individual permissions; invited family and friends can view, comment and add memories. | Shared links can use permissions, passwords, expiry dates, download limits and access restrictions. |
| Support | The company directs users to its support site or [email protected] for help. | The contact page promises replies within 24 hours and offers live chat during office hours. |
Plans
BackThen
- Free Starter PackFree
- VIP annualPrice not published
- VIP monthlyPrice not published
Permafiles
- Nextcloud FreeFree
- Nextcloud Tiny£1.99 a month
- Nextcloud Small£2.99 a month
- Nextcloud Medium£3.99 a month
- Nextcloud Large£4.99 a month
- Nextcloud 1TB£9.99 a month
- Nextcloud 2TB£18.99 a month
- Nextcloud 3TB£27.99 a month
In their own words
Permafiles
Permafiles is managed cloud storage built on the open-source Nextcloud platform, for files, photos, and folders. Users can share family photos and set permissions controlling who may access, edit, or download them. Shared links can also have passwords and expiration dates. Nextcloud Office supports online editing of documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, while Nextcloud Talk provides calls with up to 10 people. The Nextcloud Mail app can connect to Gmail and other email services through IMAP and SMTP. Sync clients are listed for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, with web access as well. Security measures described include HTTPS/TLS, two-factor authentication, brute-force and antivirus protection, and optional end-to-end encryption for supported folders and use cases. Permafiles says its server infrastructure is hosted in Germany, while customer file data is stored with third-party S3-compatible storage in the United Kingdom. It also says it makes daily offsite backups and can restore a complete server failure within a couple of hours. The free plan includes 5 GB. Paid plans range from £1.99 per month for 64 GB to £27.99 per month for 3 TB.