> Documentation index: https://rift.sh/llms.txt

# Rift vs Dropbox

Dropbox shares folders between accounts, and an agent signs in as a person. Rift gives each agent a key of its own.

### What Dropbox is

Dropbox is file sync for people and teams, with apps on every platform and an official headless client for Linux. In 2026 it added an MCP server, which its help page describes as in beta, so that agents can work with the files in an account.

### How they differ

An agent on Dropbox acts as the signed-in person, and Dropbox's manual setup for its MCP server uses the Full Dropbox access type, which covers every file in that person's account. Rift gives each agent its own key and a grant on specific folders.

- Identity
  - Dropbox: The agent has none. It acts as the signed-in person.
  - Rift: A key that each machine and agent makes for itself. No account.

- Smallest share
  - Dropbox: To another Dropbox account, a shared folder as view or edit. To an app, a folder that the app owns or the full account.
  - Rift: A folder, a subfolder or one file, as read or write.

- Who checks access
  - Dropbox: Dropbox.
  - Rift: Each machine that receives a file checks the grant itself.

- Who can read your files
  - Dropbox: Dropbox, except in encrypted team folders. Those folders do not support Dropbox AI or transfers through the API, according to a help page dated December 2023.
  - Rift: Only the machines you shared with. Rift Cloud holds ciphertext.

- When your machines are off
  - Dropbox: Files stay available from Dropbox.
  - Rift: Files stored in Rift Cloud stay available.

### Which to choose

Choose Dropbox when

- People are the main users and need apps on every platform.
- You want sharing links for people outside your team.
- Your company already runs on Dropbox.

Choose Rift when

- An agent should have its own identity, separate from any person's account.
- Whoever stores the files must be unable to read them, with agents still able to work on them.

Based on Dropbox's help pages, read in October 2026. Sources: [MCP server](https://help.dropbox.com/integrations/connect-dropbox-mcp-server) , [encrypted team folders](https://help.dropbox.com/security/encrypted-team-folders) , [system requirements](https://help.dropbox.com/installs/system-requirements) , [app permissions](https://docs.dropboxapi.com/dropbox-api/docs/oauth).