Dropbox is among the oldest cloud storage services still active today, and it has its fair share of loyal users. But so many of them only use the default Dropbox app and nothing else. Third-party developers have made some fantastic Dropbox tools that every user should know of.

There are plenty of problems with Dropbox that the company itself hasn't solved yet. For example, you might be running out of space regularly, or you might need a better way to receive files to your cloud drive. Dropbox's own tools to address these issues are woefully inept, so we went looking for better solutions.

1. Finesse (Web): Schedule Files to Delete Automatically Later

Dropbox offers only a limited amount of storage space. If you're running short, you can try to unlock more space for free. But a better option is to clean out your drive.

Chances are, you upload files to Dropbox and then forget to delete them. Finesse takes your memory out of the equation by letting you schedule files to be deleted automatically at a later date and time. Just log in to Dropbox through Finesse, select the files, and choose when you want them to be discarded.

It works flawlessly, but selecting several files can be a bit cumbersome since you can't "select all" in a folder. And yes, you can't delete a folder either. But it's still awesome since automating Dropbox can save you time every day.

2. Sort My Box (Web): Create IFTTT Rules Inside Dropbox

We're big fans of IFTTT (If This Then That) to create simple rules to connect two apps. To manage files in Dropbox with rules, Sort My Box is the best equivalent and one of the best tools for the Dropbox power user.

There are three basic ways you can manage the rules: by extension, by what the name contains, and by file name patterns. Based on this filter, you can specify where to move the file to. It's simple and easy.

The only caveat to this is that these rules apply to files stored in the Sort My Box folder in your Dropbox, which is auto-created the first time you log in. In a nutshell, you'll need to start storing all your files in the Sort My Box folder. It's a small price to pay for complete automation.

3. Drop It To Me (Web): Bringing Back Dropbox Public Folders

In March, Dropbox will be disabling its new "Public Folders" feature on free accounts. That means if you want others to upload files to your Dropbox, you need a Pro account. Or you can just use Drop It To Me.

Create an account at Drop It To Me with a custom URL like

        dropittome.com/makeuseof
    

and give that URL to anyone else. Meanwhile, connect your Dropbox to the Drop It To Me (DITM) account. Now, when you share the URL and you want someone to upload files to it, share your DITM password as well.

It can be an excellent Dropbox tool for creative geeks, since they can collaborate on an open or crowd-sourced project.

4. Boxpx [Broken URL Removed] (Web): Create Beautiful Image Galleries From Dropbox

Dropbox automatically backs up photos and can serve as an excellent cloud drive for your images. And while you can share a folder of photos, even Carousel leaves a lot to be desired as an image gallery. Boxpx fixes everything Dropbox lacks.

Connect your Dropbox to Boxpx, select photos, and create a blog-like image gallery. You can rearrange the photos as you like, in full resolution. But the best part is that Boxpx lets you add captions to each photo, which is a tremendously useful tool that several photo apps lack. Heck, even our much-loved Google Photos doesn't allow it.

Boxpx is super simple to create a gallery out of, and you can then share the link with anyone you want -- no Dropbox permissions needed.

5. Whisp.ly (Web): Encrypt and Upload Without Installations

Dropbox is pretty secure now, but let's face it, no online account is completely safe. If you really want to protect your data, you should encrypt it first. BoxCryptor encrypts all Dropbox files, but it encrypts everything, and needs you to install a program offline. Whisp.ly is a much better solution.

At Whisp.ly, you can add a file you want to encrypt and then, in one click, upload it to Dropbox. Then choose how you securely you want it sealed. Send the recipient a link, a PIN, or a password to this new file. Importantly, you can send all three through different methods (email, SMS, or by copy-pasting).

It's a safe and secure way of transferring sensitive files to someone else, and making sure unwanted eyes can't see it. And since Whisp.ly is made by the same people who developed BoxCryptor, you know the encryption is good.

Are You Still Using Dropbox?

In the past couple of years, it seems like more and more people are switching to Google Drive or OneDrive. They offer more storage for free, and they seamlessly link to other popular services by Google and Microsoft.

Are you still using Dropbox? Will you ever shift or are you happy with it?