Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Mountain Duck VS CloudShell

Compare Mountain Duck VS CloudShell and see what are their differences

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Mountain Duck logo Mountain Duck

Cyberduck for mounting volumes in the file explorer. Available for Mac and Windows.

CloudShell logo CloudShell

Cloud Shell is a free admin machine with browser-based command-line access for managing your infrastructure and applications on Google Cloud Platform.
  • Mountain Duck Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-12-17
  • CloudShell Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-12

Mountain Duck features and specs

  • User Interface
    Mountain Duck offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface that makes it easy to mount various types of cloud storage as local drives.
  • Seamless Integration
    The tool integrates seamlessly with Finder on macOS and File Explorer on Windows, allowing users to manage remote files as if they were local.
  • Wide Protocol Support
    Mountain Duck supports a variety of protocols including FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, S3, and more, making it versatile for different needs.
  • Encrypted Storage
    Offers options for client-side encryption to ensure that data remains secure during transfer and storage.
  • Synchronization
    Allows for real-time synchronization between local and remote directories, ensuring that the most recent versions of files are always accessible.

Possible disadvantages of Mountain Duck

  • Cost
    Mountain Duck is a paid software, which may be a deterrent for users looking for a free solution.
  • Resource Intensive
    The application can be heavy on system resources, which may affect performance on lower-end machines.
  • Learning Curve
    Though the interface is user-friendly, new users may still find a learning curve associated with understanding all the features and settings.
  • Occasional Lag
    Users have reported occasional lag times or delays in file transfers, particularly with large files or slower internet connections.
  • Limited Mobile Support
    Mountain Duck is primarily designed for desktop environments and lacks robust mobile support.

CloudShell features and specs

  • Integrated Environment
    CloudShell provides a fully integrated development environment directly within your browser, including access to Google Cloud resources, pre-installed Google Cloud SDK, and other useful tools.
  • Convenience
    Because it's browser-based, there is no need to install or configure anything locally, which can save considerable setup time and eliminate environment inconsistencies.
  • Security
    Operating within Google's infrastructure can add layers of security, including secure connection to cloud resources and less risk of exposing local machines to vulnerabilities.
  • Access to Project Resources
    Directly connects to Google Cloud resources associated with your account, making it easy to manage and deploy applications within your cloud environment.
  • Scalability
    Seamlessly scalable environment that can handle different workloads without performance degradation.
  • Persistent Storage
    CloudShell offers persistent storage, allowing users to save their work and configurations, which are available in future sessions.
  • Pre-installed Tools
    Includes a range of pre-installed tools, such as git, gcloud SDK, and language libraries, enabling efficient development and deployment workflows.

Possible disadvantages of CloudShell

  • Resource Limits
    CloudShell has usage limits, including limited disk space and CPU, which may not be sufficient for all types of workloads, particularly resource-intensive tasks.
  • Inactive Use Timeouts
    Sessions that are inactive for a period of time may be automatically terminated, which can disrupt ongoing work.
  • Dependency on Internet Connection
    Being a cloud-based solution, a stable internet connection is required. Any disruption in connectivity can hamper development and deployment processes.
  • Latency Issues
    Depending on your geographical location, there may be latency issues which can affect performance and response times.
  • Limited Customization
    While CloudShell provides many pre-installed tools, users have limited control over the environment compared to a locally managed development setup.
  • Paid Subscription Needed for Extensive Use
    Beyond the free tier, extensive usage of CloudShell resources may incur additional costs, which can add up depending on the scale and nature of the tasks.
  • Learning Curve
    New users who are not familiar with Google Cloud's ecosystem may face an initial learning curve to fully leverage CloudShell's capabilities.

Analysis of Mountain Duck

Overall verdict

  • Mountain Duck is considered a robust and reliable tool for users who need seamless integration between cloud storage or remote servers and their local file system. Its ability to integrate with Finder on macOS and File Explorer on Windows enhances user experience, which, combined with its strong security features like end-to-end encryption, makes it a great choice for personal and professional use.

Why this product is good

  • Mountain Duck is a versatile tool that allows users to mount cloud storage and server files as local disks on macOS and Windows. This makes it convenient for users to access, edit, and manage remote files with the same ease as local files. It supports a wide range of protocols and cloud services, such as SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, S3, and more, making it a flexible solution for different needs.

Recommended for

  • Individuals and businesses looking for efficient remote file management.
  • Users who want to integrate multiple cloud services into their desktop experience.
  • Professionals who require secure file transfer and synchronization across different platforms.
  • Organizations that need to facilitate collaboration by simplifying access to shared storage.

Analysis of CloudShell

Overall verdict

  • Yes, CloudShell is a good tool, especially for those who are actively using Google Cloud Platform. It provides a user-friendly interface and a comprehensive set of tools to manage cloud resources effectively. Its convenience, combined with the power of GCP, makes it a valuable asset for cloud-based development and operations.

Why this product is good

  • CloudShell is a versatile tool offered by Google Cloud Platform (GCP) that provides a command-line environment directly in your web browser. It is particularly beneficial for developers and system administrators because it allows them to manage GCP resources easily without needing to install additional software on their local machines. CloudShell includes the Google Cloud SDK, along with other essential tools, making it a convenient and efficient option for cloud management tasks. Additionally, it offers persistent storage, allowing users to save their scripts and data between sessions. The integration with other GCP services enhances productivity by providing seamless access and control.

Recommended for

  • Developers who frequently work with Google Cloud Platform
  • System administrators managing GCP resources
  • New users of Google Cloud who need an easy introduction to command-line tools
  • Teams collaborating on GCP projects, as it supports session sharing

Mountain Duck videos

How to Mount your Server as a Local HDD

CloudShell videos

No CloudShell videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Mountain Duck and CloudShell)
Cloud Storage
100 100%
0% 0
Text Editors
0 0%
100% 100
File Sharing
100 100%
0% 0
Development
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Mountain Duck and CloudShell

Mountain Duck Reviews

  1. Andreas Schott
    Lots of bugs & permanently annoying Updates (Of cours everytime with a reboot)
  2. Works well in general, many supported cloud services

    It's able to mount a cloud / network services as a drive and works seamlessly with your operating system. Found it a bit slow compared to the native software for a cloud service like Google Drive File Stream. Also include native support for Cryptomator encrypted volumes.

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: Drive File Stream by Google, Rclone
    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Offline|End to end encrypted|Encryption|Smart synchronization (cache)
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž Cons:    Slow|A little buggy

CloudShell Reviews

We have no reviews of CloudShell yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Mountain Duck should be more popular than CloudShell. It has been mentiond 44 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Mountain Duck mentions (44)

  • Ask HN: Is iCloud a viable alternative to Dropbox? Any other alternatives?
    Is Mountain Duck (https://mountainduck.io) still viable for this sort of thing? I use Dropbox, iCloud and GDrive but, it's inconsistent and a bit fractured. I've never looked into consolidation seriously. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • RcloneBrowser: Simple cross platform GUI for rclone
    I've had a good experience with CyberDuck too. Recently I learned they also have MountainDuck for mounting remote storage: https://mountainduck.io/ I'm still excited to learn more about Rclone since it looks like a great way to sync the data across different cloud provider. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Recommendation for file-streaming (folder sync) for Unraid?
    Edit: The more I try to Google this, the more it seems like it's more of a Mac software question than it's something I could easily enable by way of a docker-hosted solution. Something like Mountain Duck might do the trick. But I'll hold out a bit to see if anyone has a suggestion before I buy one of their $50 licenses. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Backblaze Product and Pricing Updates
    Not open source, but I had my work buy me a license for: https://mountainduck.io/ and I quite like it. - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • Best secure and encrypted cloud service?
    For a secure cloud storage setup, I use Cryptomator, accessible at https://cryptomator.org/, on my Android device, and Mountain Duck, available at https://mountainduck.io/, on my desktop. This configuration enables me to choose my own storage provider on a pay-as-you-go basis. My preferred storage provider is S3, mainly because it facilitates easy backup of cloud files on my NAS or via tools such as WinSCP, which... Source: about 3 years ago
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CloudShell mentions (13)

  • GCP Fundamentals: Cloud Shell API
    The Google Cloud Shell API empowers organizations to automate cloud operations, accelerate software delivery, and improve efficiency. By providing a programmatic interface for managing Cloud Shell environments, the API unlocks new possibilities for developers, SREs, and data teams. Explore the official documentation and try the hands-on lab to experience the benefits of the Cloud Shell API firsthand. ... - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Intro to the YouTube APIs: searching for videos
    Command-line (gcloud) -- Those who prefer working in a terminal can enable APIs with a single command in the Cloud Shell or locally on your computer if you installed the Cloud SDK which includes the gcloud command-line tool (CLI) and initialized its use. If this is you, issue this command to enable the API: gcloud services enable youtube.googleapis.com Confirm all the APIs you've enabled with this command:... - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Explore the world with Google Maps APIs
    Gcloud/command-line - Finally, for those more inclined to using the command-line, you can enable APIs with a single command in the Cloud Shell or locally on your computer if you installed the Cloud SDK (which includes the gcloud command-line tool [CLI]) and initialized its use. If this is you, issue the following command to enable all three APIs: gcloud services enable geocoding-backend.googleapis.com... - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Getting started with the Google Cloud CLI interactive shell for serverless developers
    While you might find that using the Google Cloud online console or Cloud Shell environment meets your occasional needs, for maximum developer efficiency you will want to install the Google Cloud CLI (gcloud) on your own system where you already have your favorite editor or IDE and git set up. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
  • Cloud desktops aren't as good as you'd think
    Here is the product https://cloud.google.com/shell It has a quick start guide and docs. - Source: Hacker News / almost 4 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Mountain Duck and CloudShell, you can also consider the following products

Cyberduck - A libre FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, S3, Backblaze B2, Azure & OpenStack Swift browser.

GitHub Codespaces - GItHub Codespaces is a hosted remote coding environment by GitHub based on Visual Studio Codespaces integrated directly for GitHub.

Rclone - rsync for cloud storage.

CodeTasty - CodeTasty is a programming platform for developers in the cloud.

ExpanDrive - ExpanDrive is a fast network drive and browser for cloud storage.

Glitch - Glitch is the friendly community where everyone builds the web. Simple, powerful interface for creating web apps.