Manilla vs Dropbox
A shared folder is a place to put files. It doesn't tell either of you what's missing.
A Dropbox file request works, but the client is usually prompted to set up an account first, and once files land, all you have is a folder — you still open it and count what's there against what you asked for. Nothing tells the client what's still outstanding, so they assume they're done and you're the one who finds out otherwise.
| Decision criteria | Manilla | Dropbox |
|---|---|---|
| What the client sets up | Nothing — they open a link | An account, usually |
| Documents and answers together | One request, both | Files only |
| Knowing what's still missing | Live per-field status | Open the folder and count |
| Chasing | They see what's left | You, repeatedly |
| How it looks to them | Your firm's name and colour | The drive vendor's UI |
| Next client, same list | Saved as a template | New folder each time |
SwitchingDropbox doesn't go away — it just stops being the intake step
Manilla isn't trying to be where your firm stores files long-term; that's still Dropbox's job. It's the step before that — the link a client opens with no account, sees exactly what's asked for, and fills in field by field with live status. What comes in still gets downloaded and archived wherever you already keep it.
QuestionsBefore you switch
Do I still need Dropbox for my own file storage?
That's a different job. Dropbox is where your firm keeps files long-term; Manilla is how a client's files get to you in the first place, with a checklist showing what's still outstanding. Plenty of firms still archive into Dropbox afterward.
Does my client need a Dropbox account?
No. A Manilla request page opens for anyone with the link — no account, no sign-in, on either side of the exchange.
Can a client see other clients' files, like a shared folder sometimes allows?
No — each request link shows only that one client's checklist, with your firm's name and colour on it, not a browsable folder.