I need to manage files from two different Dropbox accounts on my Windows PC for work and personal use. I’m not sure if I can have both accounts active at the same time or how to set this up. Any advice or step-by-step help would really be appreciated.
How to Use Two Dropbox Accounts on One Computer in 2024
So here’s the deal—I keep running into people who ask: “Is it even possible to use two different Dropbox accounts on the same machine?” Short answer: If you’re hoping Dropbox will just let you log in with two personal accounts at once, keep dreaming. Their official desktop app locks you into one unless you shell out for Dropbox Business, which… nah.
Real Talk: The “One Account Only” Thing
Every time I try to flip between my personal and side-hustle Dropbox accounts, it’s like Dropbox just can’t comprehend that someone might have more than one life. Swapping accounts in the app means logging out, logging in, waiting for sync, and basically grinding my productivity down to dust. Web browsers? Sure, I guess, if you live for chaos and managing three dozen tabs.
What Actually Works: Mounting Cloud Drives
Someone on another forum mentioned CloudMounter and my first thought was, “Okay, whatever, probably vaporware.” But I was wrong. For anyone running macOS, it lets you attach cloud storage (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, the whole crew) as if they’re just extra hard drives in Finder. No more launching a million browser windows, no screaming at Dropbox to “just work.”
How I Pulled It Off
I opened CloudMounter, linked both of my Dropbox accounts (yep, both personal), gave them different names, and suddenly two new “drives” appeared in Finder—one for work files, one for memes and dumb videos. They show up like they belong right on your desktop. Drag files between them like they’re folders on your actual disk.
Honestly, it’s almost suspiciously easy. I was waiting for something to break. Spoiler: It didn’t.
Stuff I Love (and Don’t)
- No more frantic account switching. No more browser gymnastics.
- Files move at normal Finder speeds. I don’t have to stop and wonder where my data actually is.
- Looks and works like plain old external drives.
If I could change one thing, I wish Dropbox would just let us do this natively. But until then, this is my workaround.
If you’re stuck with multiple Dropbox accounts, this is the cleanest method I’ve found that actually works in daily life. Welcome to the future—sort of.
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Short answer: Yes and no—and honestly, I get why this drives people nuts. Officially, Dropbox wants you to pick one (unless you pay them extra for Business or team plans) and juggle the rest. Giant productivity facepalm, right?
If you’re on Windows and @mikeappsreviewer’s CloudMounter fix isn’t your style or you just want other options (btw I wish Dropbox would chill out and let us do this natively like he said), here’s the hacky reality I’ve lived:
- Desktop app: Total bummer, only one normal (personal) Dropbox at a time. Unless one is work/Business and the other is personal—THEN you can link and sync both in the same app, but not two personal. Classic Dropbox “not understanding mortal needs” situation.
- Web browsers: You can open one Dropbox account in Chrome, another in Edge or Firefox, or use Incognito windows. Not smooth, but works for quick drag-and-drop. Prepare for tab overload, though—it’s like whack-a-mole for files.
- Multiple user accounts: On Windows, you could create a second user profile just to run the other Dropbox account there. Seriously clunky, but if you need to run auto-sync, it’s an option.
- CloudMounter: Like @mikeappsreviewer says, CloudMounter is probably the cleanest third-party workaround. Works on Windows too now, not just macOS (the irony of easier 3rd-party solutions than native ones…). Lets you mount both Dropbox accounts as network drives right in File Explorer, and honestly, feels like the way Dropbox should’ve done it.
- Other third-party file managers: MultCloud, RaiDrive, and odrive also let you manage multiple cloud accounts in one spot if you want to compare to CloudMounter.
Wouldn’t say any of these are perfect—cloud managers can cost money (just like Dropbox’s own solution, sigh), and browser windows get chaotic fast. But hey, at least we’ve got choices, kind of.
Just my 2 cents: every “fix” has trade-offs. Tried them all, and it really depends if you want sync in the background, easy drag-and-drop, or just need a fast file transfer. CloudMounter’s probably the least painful, but if anyone’s found a totally free, seamless way—let me know. My patience for account-switching is literally zero these days.
Short answer: Dropbox makes this way harder than it needs to be, but yes, you can kinda run two accounts on the same Windows machine—just not as seamlessly as any sane person would want.
So, echoing what the others here said (even if it sounds like a broken record), if you don’t pay for a fancy Dropbox Business/Work plan, you’re locked out of running two personal Dropbox accounts in sync at the same time using the vanilla app. Frustrating? Basically the brand at this point.
But! Here’s a twist nobody ever seems to mention: if you just need to move files between two Dropbox accounts now and then, you can take advantage of collaborative folders. Just share a folder between Account A and Account B, and voilà, that folder will sync on whatever Dropbox app you’re signed into. Not perfect (because you can’t segregate everything), but for short tasks, it’s lightweight.
I definitely disagree that multiple user Windows profiles is worth it unless your idea of fun is logging in and out all day. Pain level: root canal.
Personally, I burned through the browser trick in like 20 minutes before the tab explosion drove me to rage-quit. Plus you lose out on background syncing and Finder/File Explorer integration.
CloudMounter actually is worth hyping as a workaround (even if Dropbox should be embarrassed), especially if you’re sick of switching. Mounts both Dropboxes as drives, works with other clouds too, and (bonus) you don’t need to pray to the browser gods for your uploads/downloads not to fail. Only downside: paywall. But hey, time is money, right?
And if Dropbox ever makes it natively possible? I’ll eat my keyboard.
So yeah—doable, but apologies in advance for the hoops you’ll jump through. Sometimes it feels like Dropbox’s motto should be “one account only, unless you wanna pay up, peasant.”
Here’s the play-by-play for handling two Dropbox accounts on the same PC (Windows flavor):
First off, attempts to run two Dropbox desktops side-by-side—don’t bother unless you want digital whiplash from all the account switching. Previous posters nailed that. Also riding the “Not ideal” train: browser tabs. Sure, it works if you’re into repeatedly hunting for the right window, but eventually you’ll misplace something important.
What barely gets enough love: using shared folders between your work and personal dropboxes. You only have one active account in the app, but create a shared folder between two accounts and boom—files you drop there show up on both. Limited, though. You can’t keep everything walled off so it’s more like a patch for leaks than a full second roof.
Now, CloudMounter. I’ll join the chorus: this app lifts both your Dropbox clouds into File Explorer, no fuss, no switching, no dozens of tabs. Worthy pros:
- Separate Dropbox accounts side by side—looks like two drives.
- Background access—no browser lag, can drag and drop with ease.
- You can also mount Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, etc.
But, here’s the rub:
- It’s not free. Ongoing subscription if you want full features.
- Dependent on third-party reliability—if CloudMounter hiccups, your workflow might too.
- Advanced Dropbox tools (like selective sync specifics) aren’t identical to native app.
Alternatives like RaiDrive or odrive exist, each with their own quirks, so it’s worth checking if they match your preferences. Also, there’s the ol’ “multiple Windows user profiles” workaround, but unless you want to relive the days of dial-up-era logins, skip it.
Unless Dropbox pulls their head out of the sand and supports true multi-account access, CloudMounter’s basically top of the food chain here. With caveats, sure, but for most folks it’s the only way you’ll get two Dropbox accounts in one File Explorer window without losing sanity.