I’m trying to figure out if it’s possible to link two separate Dropbox accounts so I can easily manage files between them. Right now, I keep switching accounts and it’s becoming a hassle. Does anyone know how to connect or sync two Dropbox accounts, or recommend a workaround to make sharing files easier?
I seriously wish Dropbox would just let us sign into more than one regular account from the desktop app—like, what year is it? Anyway, here’s the real deal if you’re trying to juggle a couple of Dropbox accounts on the same computer. Spoiler: They make it easy only if one of your accounts is a Business account (the good ol’ money wall).
How I Got Two Dropbox Accounts Working (Sorta)
You can only hook up two accounts in the official app when one is Business and the other is Personal. Here’s how I navigated that absurdity:
- Hit the Dropbox icon lurking in your taskbar (on Windows) or roosting in your menu bar (on Mac).
- Smash your avatar—the little profile photo or just your initials—in the top-right.
- Dive into “Preferences.”
- Find the “Account” tab, click it.
- Look for that magic button: “Add personal account” (or “Add Business account” if you’re on your personal already).
- Just follow the prompts and punch in your creds.
I wish I was lying about the restrictions. If you have two basic or two plus accounts? Dropbox will make you jump through flaming hoops (switching back and forth, logging in and out—it’s 2006 again, apparently).
Gotten Around It Using a Third Party
You know what’s less painful? Installing CloudMounter. Pretty slick—lets you mount as many cloud accounts as you want, and the cloud drives look like any other drive on your computer. Here’s the “hack”:
- Download CloudMounter.
- Fire it up; pick Dropbox from the services menu.
- Log in with your first Dropbox account and “Mount” it, like plugging in a thumb drive.
- Rinse and repeat for the second Dropbox account.
Boom! Now you’ve got both Dropbox accounts chilling in your File Explorer or Finder window, and you can drag, drop, and mess around with files like they were on your C: drive.
Visual Vibes
Final Thoughts in Meme Format
Ten years into the cloud era and this is still a workaround? Come on, Dropbox. For now, we band-aid and move on. If anyone finds a magic all-accounts-at-once hack, let me know before my hairline recedes any further.
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Let’s be real, Dropbox totally dropped the ball on this multi-account thing—@mikeappsreviewer nailed it. Why should you need a business subscription just to juggle your own files, right? But, okay, if you’re living in Dropbox’s world, linking two personal/basic accounts natively on one desktop just isn’t gonna happen. That’s not just inconvenient—it’s like fax machine-level backward.
Personally, I skip all those third-party app installs for a quick fix: use one Dropbox account on the desktop app and the other in your browser (either Dropbox.com or dropbox in an incognito/private browsing window). Yeah, it’s clunky, but until Dropbox gets its act together or you pony up for Business, it works for basic file moves. (Bonus tip: If you make a “shared folder” from Account A & invite Account B, you can access certain files in both, but it gets messy to manage).
Another “meh” solution is setting up syncing via a local folder that’s watched by both Dropboxes—think symbolic links (symlinks) on Mac or Windows. That’s nerdy, fiddly, kinda risky if you’re not careful with what you’re syncing, and honestly most people will just want to avoid all that.
Not gonna lie, CloudMounter is the cleanest hack unless you’re cool with browser back & forth. But honestly? The fact that none of these workarounds replicate just clicking between Google Drive accounts makes me question why Dropbox still gets so much love.
So: short answer, nope, you can’t directly hook up two standard Dropbox accounts in their app. But if you don’t want to keep switching, either run one in your browser and one on your desktop, use the shared folder trick, or check out CloudMounter (solid as far as third party apps go). Otherwise, yeah, let’s cross our fingers Dropbox finally gets with the times.
Can we just admit Dropbox is stuck in, like, the internet stone age here? Seriously, @mikeappsreviewer and @sterrenkijker hit all the big workarounds (and got a laugh out of me, not gonna lie), but how is native support for two normal accounts not a thing in 2024? I mean, Google Drive lets you hot-swap accounts without breaking a sweat. Dropbox? “Switch accounts! Log out! Now beg us for a Business subscription!”—come on.
Here’s the reality: You asked if you can connect two standard Dropbox accounts together and, yeah, the short answer is NO—at least if you want actual, seamless integration where files just show up for both. What you CAN do, which is kinda what others said but let me be straight:
- One account in the desktop app, one via browser. Feels like my workflow’s on crutches.
- Shared folders, so you can mirror a set chunk of files in both accounts, but then you’re tied to that shared space and have to remember who owns what and what happens if you hit quota caps. Gets real messy, real fast.
- Yes, there’s CloudMounter, and while I usually don’t like throwing extra software into the mix, this one isn’t malware-ridden and actually does just mount both Dropboxes like new drives—so if you don’t mind installing one more app, it wins hands-down for convenience. Just don’t be shocked if Dropbox randomly asks for reauth sometimes, since they love breaking 3rd party access.
Honestly, anything involving symbolic links or “sync folders” is a one-way ticket to data loss (been there, wept over deleted files, not recommended). And while the browser/app split is the poor man’s fix, it’s clunky.
Bottom line? If you’re looking for real integration where both Dropbox accounts play nicely on the same desktop without paying for Business or living in Copy/Paste Hell, CloudMounter is the only reasonable tool. Still, I’d keep hounding Dropbox support until they cave—who knows, maybe enough angry tweets and forum rants will make them catch up to 2015. But if you want “easy” today? Install CloudMounter. File management drama: solved-ish.
Real talk: Dropbox has been behind the curve forever with multi-account support unless you pony up for a Business plan. That said, the workarounds everyone’s been tossing around have their ups and downs, and yeah, CloudMounter’s the most “plug-and-play” if you’re juggling more than one personal Dropbox account.
Here’s where CloudMounter gets it right:
- Dead simple—mounts each Dropbox account as a separate drive, no need to constantly log in-and-out or synchronize awkward shared folders.
- Makes things look local in Finder/Explorer, which means you can drag and drop across accounts without thinking.
- Supports pretty much every other cloud service too (bonus if you’re a serial cloud hoarder).
But before you dump your workflow into it:
Pros
- No more switching browsers/accounts—true multi-account, side-by-side access.
- Integrates with a ton of other cloud apps, not just Dropbox.
- Lets you avoid Dropbox’s weird quota/ownership games with shared folders.
Cons
- Paid license after the trial (not brutal, but not free).
- Sometimes, 3rd-party apps get throttled or need to be reauthorized by Dropbox, so expect the occasional “login again” interruption.
- Doesn’t replace Dropbox’s Smart Sync—if you rely on those desktop-only features (selective sync, etc.), you might miss a few tricks.
- Sync speed is internet-dependent, not LAN-fast.
For those pushing for native solutions: you aren’t going to get better than what @sterrenkijker and the others mentioned unless Dropbox does a 180, which isn’t looking likely. You could look at alternatives like Cyberduck or odrive, but honestly, CloudMounter is cleaner if you just want file management without fiddling with command lines or messy sync conflicts.
If you’re hoping for real seamless integration, we’re in a holding pattern until Dropbox gets its act together. For now, CloudMounter is about as seamless as it gets—just budget in the price and expect an occasional re-login dance. If anyone finds an actual cloud-native solution that doesn’t need third-party tools, it’ll be headline news around here.