Softwr

File Storage · head to head

Box vs Panzura

Box logo

Box

File Storage

Cloud content management for the enterprise

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Panzura logo

Panzura

File Storage

Global file system putting one namespace over object storage across sites

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Box has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Box pricing not disclosed for Personal Pro, Business Plus, Enterprise, and Enterprise Plus tiers; Panzura cloud egress charges apply whenever data is read from the object store into a site that has not cached it, and organisations routinely discover this during a restore or a new site rollout rather than during procurement.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Box and Panzura actually diverge.

Attributes where Box and Panzura differ
AttributeBoxPanzura
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebLinux, Windows, Web

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (File Storage).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Box

Nothing recorded that Panzura does not also cover.

Only in Panzura

  • Global file system
  • Global file locking
  • Local caching filers
  • Deduplication
  • Immutable snapshots
  • Cloud mirroring
  • Symphony data services

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Box

  • Enterprise cloud file storage and collaborationnot Panzura
  • Document management with AI capabilitiesnot Panzura
  • API integration for business automationnot Panzura

Panzura

  • An architecture firm with offices in three cities working on the same Revit models without copy conflictsnot Box
  • A media company consolidating project storage into object storage while keeping editors on a normal SMB sharenot Box
  • A manufacturer replacing per-site NAS filers and the backup estate that came with themnot Box
  • An organisation that needs immutable snapshots of unstructured file data as a ransomware recovery positionnot Box

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Box

  • Pricing not disclosed for Personal Pro, Business Plus, Enterprise, and Enterprise Plus tiers
  • Enterprise Advanced requires quote and minimum purchase commitments
  • File upload limits vary from 250 MB to 500 GB across tiers
  • Business plan requires minimum 3 users

Panzura

  • Cloud egress charges apply whenever data is read from the object store into a site that has not cached it, and organisations routinely discover this during a restore or a new site rollout rather than during procurement.
  • Performance depends entirely on cache hit rates, so a team that works across the whole dataset rather than a hot subset sees latency that a local NAS would not have produced.
  • Licence cost is only part of total cost; object storage capacity, per-site filer nodes and egress all sit outside the vendor quote and can exceed it.
  • Recovery of a very large dataset is bounded by your internet link and by egress cost, so the practical recovery time after a site loss is often much longer than the snapshot policy implies.
  • Encryption keys can be held by the customer, but organisations that accept vendor-managed defaults give up the ability to render the object store unreadable independently, which some regulators now ask about explicitly.

Pricing, plan by plan

Box

Free
  • IndividualFree
    • 10 GB storage
    • 250 MB file upload limit
    • 1 file version
  • Business$5/month
    • Unlimited storage
    • 5 GB file upload
    • 25 file versions
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Unlimited storage
    • 50 GB file upload
    • 1,000 AI Units per month
  • Enterprise Plus$null/month
    • Unlimited storage
    • 150 GB file upload
    • 2,000 AI Units per month

Panzura

On request
  • Panzura CloudFS$undefined/year
    • Priced by usable capacity under management
    • Filer nodes licensed per site, physical or virtual
    • Object storage and cloud egress billed by your cloud provider separately

Which should you pick?

Choose Box if

  • You want to start without paying.
Box review

Choose Panzura if

  • You need global file system.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Web.
  • You also want global file locking.
Panzura review

Questions people ask

Is Box or Panzura better?
Neither clearly leads. Box starts at Free and Panzura at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Box or Panzura?
Box has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Box and On request for Panzura.
Does Box or Panzura run on more platforms?
Box runs on Web. Panzura runs on Linux, Windows, Web.
Can I use Box for free?
Yes. Box has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Panzura starts at On request.
What is Box best used for?
Box is most often used for enterprise cloud file storage and collaboration, document management with ai capabilities, api integration for business automation. Of those, enterprise cloud file storage and collaboration and document management with ai capabilities are not what Panzura is typically brought in for.
What can Box do that Panzura cannot?
Panzura covers Global file system, Global file locking, Local caching filers, Deduplication.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Box: What is the starting price for Box Business plan?

Business plan starts at $5 per user per month with unlimited storage, 5 GB file uploads, and Box AI included.

Source
Panzura: Who holds the encryption keys?

Customer-managed keys are supported. Insist on them if you need the ability to revoke access to the object store independently of the vendor, and confirm the key custody model in writing.

Box: Does the free plan support file sharing?

Yes, Individual free plan includes 10 GB storage, 250 MB file uploads, and 5 Box Sign signature requests per month.

Source
Panzura: What does it actually cost to run?

Model three things: the Panzura subscription, the object storage capacity, and cloud egress. The third is the one that catches buyers out during restores and site bring-ups.

Box: What are the file upload limits by tier?

File upload limits are 250 MB (Individual), 5 GB (Business), 50 GB (Enterprise), 150 GB (Enterprise Plus), and 500 GB (Enterprise Advanced).

Source
Panzura: Does it replace backup?

Immutable snapshots cover many recovery scenarios, but confirm your retention and compliance requirements before removing an existing backup product.

Box: How is AI priced in Box?

Business plan includes Box AI at no extra cost; Enterprise tiers include 1,000-20,000 AI Units per month depending on plan level.

Source
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