If you’ve been shopping for the best way to preserve photos and other family memories then read on to see comparisons between analog storage, digital storage, and the best cloud storage solution.
Your family’s memories are a treasure unique to you, and I use a cloud storage option that I chose after scanning photos by hand and studying other solutions.
If you’re shopping online, then you’ll see how to use specialized metal boxes for printed photos; external hard drives for digitized photos; and you’ve likely checked out online photo storage companies.
Each option has benefits and risks like I’ve highlighted in this table.
Printed photos are nice to hold but are easily damaged; technology becomes obsolete and can be lost or get stolen; the cloud has advantages but there’s only one company that I trust completely: FOREVER®.
Scroll down to learn why.
Here are three main types of storage with a glimpse at their pluses and minuses.
| Analog (print) | Digital Storage | Cloud Storage | |
| Benefits | Printed photos are fun to hold Memories go back decades a century or more | Can be kept longer and shared easily Easily uploaded to social media Easy to print, usually for a fee | The cloud can’t get lost Easy to share anywhere Becomes a central repository |
| Risks | Easily damaged by natural disasters and household problems like broken pipes Easy to lose | Device can get lost or stolen Technology breaks down Older devices may not be compatible with newer tech | Files are compressed by most companies Companies may not have a secure back up system Likely don’t have a decades-long business plan or commitment to the user |
A Storage Solution with Peace of Mind
It makes sense to digitize your printed photos because now you have two sets—one digital and one hard copy.
Look at the categories I’ve laid out and you’ll see that each category varies widely in the ability to protect your files.
- We know printed photos, old cassette tapes, slide shows and other similar media are easily lost or damaged. However, you can store them in light-tight boxes and with protective coverings so they can last for many decades.
Of course, they’re difficult to share since they can only be in one place at a time.
- Digital storage can mean using any type of device like a flash drive, external hard drive, laptop or other electronic device. Are they perfect?
Hardly. Technology breaks down and becomes obsolete.
I know a friend who had her flash drive and laptop stolen from off her kitchen table. She lost years of photos and videos. Someone had broken into her house in the afternoon. She went to pick up one of her children from school and was only gone for fifteen minutes. The table was cleaned off when she returned.
- Cloud storage isn’t tied to a physical location or device. Cloud storage makes sharing files easy with multiple people living across the globe, wherever there’s an internet connection.
But not all cloud storage companies offer the same quality of service and many can be quite limited in what they provide. Many compress files. They control your account whether it’s free or you’re paying a small monthly fee and they can leverage your content for data mining and other marketing and advertising needs.
Which is why I use FOREVER® for my files and my clients.
Permanent Cloud Storage, Guaranteed Safe
In March 2025, I’ll observe my 30th anniversary of being a photo coach. Yep, I started in March 1995 and I’ve been dedicated to safeguarding my family’s life stories through their photos, videos, home movies and many more types of media.
I’ve searched the industry for the best solutions and I settled on FOREVER® and have now partnered with them for almost a decade.
Here’s why:
FOREVER® makes it easy to digitize all of your old printed photos, VHS tapes, home movies, slide shows, audio, and more.
You can store your oldest memories in the same safe and secure place as your newest photos and videos that you’ve taken with your smartphone.
In this 1962 Christmas photo, you can see in the right hand margin there’s room to write a description of the file. You can keep the writing brief or write a short story.
Your files remain in their original dimensions.
Don’t worry about your account. With FOREVER®, you own it.
I call this true, permanent storage because FOREVER® is designed to last for a lifetime, plus 100 years and with the goal of being stored well beyond that time frame.
FOREVER® is guaranteed safe. Files are triple-backed up and are transferred to the newest formats thanks to the FOREVER® Guarantee Fund.
Versatility
Enjoy versatility with your files. FOREVER® lets you:
- Digitize older files
- Store older and newer files permanently, guaranteed
- Create printed photo books and other gifts, seamlessly from your stored files
- Research your family’s history with FOREVER®’s professional genealogists and chronicle your family tree
How can I help you safeguard your family’s memories?
I’ve enjoyed family photos and other memories since I was a child and I’m here to help.
Contact me for answers on how to get the most enjoyment possible from your newest and oldest photos, videos, and more.
Your story is one-of-a-kind so let’s make sure it’s ready for generations and family descendants who you’ll never meet.