ExpanDrive vs Paragon Image Mounter

ExpanDrive mounts cloud storage and protocol endpoints as desktop drives, letting you access files through Finder, Explorer, and other applications. Files stream on demand rather than syncing folders, with local caching and an option to pin files for offline access. Listed connections include Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint, Nextcloud, FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, and others. It runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Server Edition can operate as a headless service on Windows Server and Linux, expose mounted storage as a Windows SMB share, and includes a command line for managing mounts and connections. ExpanDrive says connections use TLS and credentials are kept in the local operating system credential store. Plain FTP sends credentials and file contents in the clear; FTPS or SFTP is recommended for sensitive connections. The Free plan is free, billed forever. Business is $29 a month, billed monthly; Enterprise pricing is custom.

Paragon Image Mounter is a Windows utility for mounting disk images during advanced data analysis. It supports RAW, VMDK, VDI, VHD, pVHD, and VHDX image types. Disks can be mounted at the physical level with all partitions, and partitions in known operating-system formats can mount automatically. Users choose read-only or read-write mode. Paragon File System Link drivers let Windows mount and operate Linux, HFS+, and APFS-formatted drives. The minimum listed requirement is Windows 7 SP1 or Windows Server 2008 R2 or above. The maker describes the tool for IT professionals and forensic experts. A free preview version can be requested from sales. A planned advanced version is described as adding E01 and Ex01 forensic formats, APFS read-write support, and automatic mounting at system startup. The paid product has pricing on request; the preview plan is listed at free. Paragon provides support contacts and regional business sales contacts.