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Best cloud storage services in 2020: Free, paid and business providers

July 8, 2020
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What’s the best cloud storage provider? Right now, it’s IDrive

$3.48 for a whole 12 months is what you will pay for the first year with our Editor’s choice, IDRIVE. It is ridiculously cheap, not to mention that 5TB should go a very long way in covering your storage needs. It can hold countless hours of music, thousands of photos and hundreds of video games.VIEW DEAL ON IDrive

You may not know it but you’re probably already using cloud storage without even thinking about it. If you use Windows 10, Android or iOS, it’s almost a certainty that somewhere out there, some files that belong to you are stored, safely on a server.

Online cloud storage solutions have come to replace traditional on-premise storage hardware. Instead of the traditional “folder and file storage” on a single computer (usually) a server, cloud storage distributes that data across someone else’s hardware (data center, cables server, hard drive etc.).

Given the multitude of cloud storage providers out there, one has to wisely choose a provider who will offer the absolute best value for money while still keeping your data safe.

Our experts have tested more cloud storage, cloud backup, file sync, file backup, online storage, online backup and cloud sync services than any other publications

Our experts have curated a list that represents our top picks for cloud storage: most offer a free tier allowing you to see if they’re right for you before handing over any hard-earned cash. 

Whether you want to pay a little or nothing at all or are purchasing for a business, we’ve got the right web storage deal for you. 

Go straight to your desired option through these jump links: Best free cloud storage | Best business cloud storage


IDrive provides cloud storage for PCs, Macs, iPhone, Android, servers and other mobile devices all into one account for one low fee.TechRadar's editor's choice logo

IDrive provides cloud storage for PCs, Macs, iPhone, Android, servers and other mobile devices all into one account for one low fee.

1. IDrive cloud storage

Best overall choice thanks to a rock-bottom price

Free tier: 5GB | Storage size: 5TB | Number of devices: Unlimited

Fast and capacious

Easy to use

Good Security

No two-factor authentication

IDrive offers continuous syncing of your files, even those on network drives. The web interface supports sharing files by email, Facebook and Twitter. Cautious or click-happy users will be pleased to hear that files deleted from your computer are not automatically deleted from the server, so there’s less danger of removing something important by accident. 

Up to 30 previous versions of all files backed to your account are retained. Another thing to note is that IT admins have access to the IDrive Thin Client application, which allows them to backup/restore, manage settings, and more for all their connected computers via a centralized dashboard.

For photos, you have a neat facial recognition feature that helps you to automatically organize them as well as syncing them across all your linked devices. IDrive also offers IDrive Express which sends you a physical hard disk drive if you lose all your data, allowing for the swift restoration of all your backed up files. 

A business version – aptly named IDrive Business – exists and offers priority support, single sign-on as well as unlimited users and server backup. While IDrive Personal offers 5TB or 10TB per user, their business counterparts get between 250GB and 12.5TB of online storage.

EXCLUSIVE IDrive 5TB plan | $69.50 $3.48 for 1 year | 95% off
$69.50 may seem a bit expensive for a year’s worth of cloud storage but $3.48 for a whole 12 months is ridiculously cheap. Not to mention 5TB should go a very long way in covering even the most demanding storage needs.
View Deal

pCloud is a European-based cloud storage provider that is one of the few to sell on-off subscriptions.

pCloud is a European-based cloud storage provider that is one of the few to sell on-off subscriptions.

2. pCloud cloud storage

Best for those who want to pay for a one-off fee

Free tier: 10GB | Storage size: 2TB | Number of devices: 5

Affordable

Elegant, intuitive interface

Simple to use

No collaboration tools

pCloud is one of the very few cloud services that offer lifetime subscriptions; you essentially get a virtual, permanent cloud drive. It describes itself as a “personal cloud space where you can store all your files and folders. It has a user-friendly interface that clearly shows where everything is located and what it does.”

pCloud comes with 30-day trash history and unlimited remote upload traffic (you only need the URL of the file); you are – as expected – limited on the download link traffic: 500GB for the Premium package and 2TB for the Premium Plus package every month.

While some bandwidth limits apply, there seems to be no limit to the size of files you can upload, so feel free to sync large media files. The service is available for all desktop and mobile platforms – users can also log in via the website.

The company itself is registered in Switzerland which has strong privacy laws and you can also pay a premium of $4.99 a month for pCloud Crypto to lock (and unlock) individual files with passwords.

There’s also a family option that allows you to share your space with up to four other family members and a business option – pCloud  Business – that offers 1TB per use with pCloud Crypto included.

pCloud 2TB lifetime cloud storage – $350
At face value, you might think pCloud’s offering is a little on the expensive side. However, a one-off payment will be cheaper in the long run, because you won’t have to worry about outrageous renewal fees. Plus, you can rest easy in the knowledge your data is secured by strong encryption and extensive redundancies.View Deal

Zoolz offers secure and affordable cloud storage, backup and disaster recovery services for home users and businesses

Zoolz offers secure and affordable cloud storage, backup and disaster recovery services for home users and businesses

3. Zoolz cloud storage

Best for those who want unlimited everything

Free tier: 1GB | Storage size: 5TB | Number of devices: Unlimited

File versioning

Very, very affordable

Hybrid backup

No live backup

Lacks 2FA

There are lots of things to like about Zoolz Cloud Backup. It offers an easy-to-follow interface with excellent web management options and the ability to combine cloud operations with local external storage.

This UK-based company leverages Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure to deliver a compelling price/performance ratio, with prices cheaper than the competition but adds far more features like instant search or data policies.

Personal customers can connect unlimited external drives, users and servers with GDPR/HIPAA compliance and a 30-day money-back guarantee present de facto; they can choose between 1TB, 2TB or 5TB of cloud storage with yearly subscriptions getting two months free.

For those looking for a bit more oomph, Zoolz also has a 100TB package that costs as little as $500 per month when booked for 60 months (or five years). Zoolz also has a more evolved version of its service called BigMind that adds a layer of artificial intelligence, primarily for image discovery and facial recognition. 

With more than 20PB (that’s 20,000 Terabytes) of data stored for three million users for more than a decade, Zoolz is also not as short-lived as some of its rivals and also comes with an SLA (service level agreement), promising an uptime of 99.9%.

Exclusive Zoolz 5TB cloud storage | $124.99 $49.95 for 1-year (60% off)
Zoolz has teamed up with TechRadar to deliver one of the best cloud storage packages ever. Get 1TB of cold storage on AWS for only $19.95 per year. This offer is limited to one user and includes file versioning and unlimited external drives. That’s a saving of more than 53%. Need more storage? Then grab 5TB of cold storage for a mere $49.95. Not that this version is limited to one user only.View Deal

Onedrive comes by default with Microsoft's popular Windows operating system and gives you 5GB storage space for free.

Onedrive comes by default with Microsoft’s popular Windows operating system and gives you 5GB storage space for free. (Image credit: microsoft)

4. Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage

Best for those who are invested with Microsoft Office

Free tier: 5GB | Storage capacity: 6TB | Number of devices: 30

Comes with Microsoft 365

Can edit files online without downloading them

No advanced features

Like Google Drive’s appeal to Google users, OneDrive will be a good fit for anyone who is committed to using Microsoft’s services. Let’s pause a minute because there’s a lot to take in. There’s the neat integration with Outlook.com, Microsoft’s popular email service, for instance. 

It’s also integrated with non-Microsoft services like design behemoth, AutoCAD. OneDrive also ties in nicely with Windows 10 and there is a selection of reasonable mobile apps to facilitate access on the move.

It’s possible to share files with other people even if they aren’t OneDrive users (complete with customizable permissions), and the ability to edit files online without downloading them is a welcome touch.

Coming from Microsoft – a company with plenty of money to throw at the cloud – it’s a little disappointing to find that OneDrive doesn’t include more space free of charge. Free users get a mere 5GB of storage, although it’s relatively inexpensive to increase this to 100GB.

If you have Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Office 365) either through your work, educational institution or private purchase, you’ll automatically get 1TB of space per user for free with an option to boost it up. Just bear in mind that this is cloud storage at it simplest with barely any advanced features here.

Microsoft 365 Family | $99.99 for 1-year
This is the best value for money offer from Microsoft. 365 Family costs only $99.99 per year and provides you with 6TB of cloud storage in all, spread across six separate users. Other than the apps included (Outlook, Word, Excel, Access, Publisher, OneNote and PowerPoint), you get AI-powered creative tools and 60 minutes of Skype calling per month.
View Deal

Google Drive allows easy and secure access to all of your content. Store, share, and collaborate on files and folders from any mobile device, tablet, or computer.

Google Drive allows easy and secure access to all of your content. Store, share, and collaborate on files and folders from any mobile device, tablet, or computer. (Image credit: google)

5. Google Drive cloud storage

Best for those who are using G Suite by default

Free tier: 15GB | Storage capacity: 2TB | Number of devices: Unlimited

Generous amount of free storage

Integrated with Android devices

Web interface isn’t the best

Google Drive is a natural choice for owners of Android devices as it’s already integrated, but users of other platforms may appreciate the generous free storage too. 

You can also store unlimited high definition photos on your mobile phone with companion app Google Photos, and make use of Google’s own office suite (now known as G Suite). Also, individuals upgrading to paid Google Drive plans will join Google One (although it might not yet be available, depending on the region).

The array of features delivered by Google Drive via One – which ties into Google’s Cloud platform – is bewildering and evolves continuously. At the time of writing, Google engineers were rolling out the ability to request approvals for Drive items and lock approved versions.

The 2TB tier – which offers 10% back in Google Store credits – allows the main account holder to can invite up to five other additional members and costs a mere $79.99 with 10TB, 20TB and 30TB tiers on offer; the later costing a whopping $2,880 per year.

Downsides include the fact that the web interface isn’t very easy-to-use, although Windows and Mac users can download a desktop app to drag-and-drop files easily. Drive also integrates Google’s powerful AI and search technology, probably one of the best in the world.

Google One (2TB) | $80 for 1-year
Google punts One as a membership, a quasi-lifetime commitment that’s not unlike Amazon Prime. Although you get unlimited storage for your photos (terms and conditions apply), you “only” get 2TB to play with via Google Drive. You can share it among up to six members and Google Experts are only a phone call away should you want to.View Deal


Best business cloud storage

Business users will need to consider carefully what their needs are as terms and conditions as well as quality of service is likely to differ significantly from their consumer alter ego.

Unless you are on a very, very tight budget, we’d discourage anyone to use free or personal cloud storage solutions as they’re simply not build for the sort of legal and technical features required by businesses.

How to choose a cloud storage service for business?

Florian Malecki, International Product Marketing Senior Director at StorageCraft gives us his thoughts

Organisations are often unclear about the best way to keep their files and systems safe, but there are plenty of preventative measures that can be taken to avoid the costly risk of downtime. Arguably the most important factor is backing up and recovering data quickly and efficiently. That is where cloud storage comes in.

With most cloud services providers, companies can tailor coverage to meet unique recovery and budget requirements while enjoying access to data anytime, anywhere, with instant failover in a cloud built specifically for disaster recovery.

The cloud combines low setup, management and overhead costs with high flexibility. The important thing is protecting and securing backups offsite and giving businesses peace of mind knowing that data is safe and secure.

Key factors organisations should consider when moving to the cloud are:

● Keep backups on-site and off-site. With any data, redundancy is the key. Data copies should be kept both on-site and off-site. Off-site could be in the cloud, but it could also be backup images stored on a hot-swappable hard drive that you can take to a secondary location (i.e. a “poor man’s cloud”).

● Choose a cloud with recovery options. If it’s not possible to recover data locally, organisations need to have a backup strategy in place. Some cloud services will allow you to spin up a Virtual Machine (VM), even if local recovery is impossible. For systems that have zero tolerance for downtime, a cloud-based recovery option is the best option.

● Mirror critical data. 99.999% uptime is exceptional, but nothing is infallible. It is important to remember that, while uptime is great, errors do occur, and data can be accidentally deleted or somehow corrupted. For extra critical data, it’s wise to not only backup data in the cloud, but to mirror it to a geographically disparate region for extra assurance.


Dropbox claims to be the world’s first smart workspace by bringing all your team’s content together while letting them use the tools they are used to.

Dropbox claims to be the world’s first smart workspace by bringing all your team’s content together while letting them use the tools they are used to.

1. Dropbox business cloud storage

Reliable and reasonably priced storage from a leader in online storage

Max file size: 100GB | Free trial: 30 days | Available storage per user: Unlimited

Slick and smooth throughout

Packed with file sharing features

Advanced selective sync options

No full device backups

Not the cheapest option

Dropbox is one of the oldest cloud storage providers, was founded in 2007. To date it is one of the simplest storage providers to use. Dropbox can be installed on most computers or devices and syncs easily between apps. 

The app can store almost any kind of file while never having any issues with compatibility. You can drag and drop files into the desktop app with ease.

You can also share files with other users easily through links. These can be shared with users who don’t have a Dropbox account. Also, teams can make use out of Dropbox spaces, which transforms folders into collaborative workspaces. 

Furthermore, with Dropbox Transfer you can send up to 100 GB of files in just a few clicks. As Dropbox has been around for a long time it integrates with most other apps such as MS Office and Slack.

All files and folders can be shared with other users even if they are not part of your account. These users will be limited to their own plan’s storage limits.

Dropbox Business can be connected to your personal account so you can access all your files in once place. Personal account feature “automatic camera upload” is now also available to Business accounts.

The dashboard is simple and easy to use. From here, admins can see how many team members they have as well as any pending invites. You can restrict sharing, and allow/block commenting as you see fit. The dashboard allows you to access settings and to monitor usage.

Egnyte is a serious solution for those businesses that don’t just want the largest amount of cloud storage for the lowest possible price

Egnyte is a serious solution for those businesses that don’t just want the largest amount of cloud storage for the lowest possible price

2. Egnyte business cloud storage

Generous storage paired with flexible sync tools

Max file size: 10GB | Free trial: 15 days | Available storage per user: 10TB

Packed with third-party integrations

Speedy and clean web app

Excellent user management tools

Desktop programs are a bit bare bones

Multi-factor authentication costs extra

Egnyte allows businesses to store their data locally and online. All types of data can be stored in the cloud, whilst data of a more sensitive nature can be stored on servers on-premise. This hybrid integration makes for better security and compliance.

Business teams can work how and where they want with an easy to use collaboration system through Egnyte’s content services platform.

The solutions provider integrates with popular industry applications such as Office 365 (now known as Microsoft 365), Salesforce or Gmail. This allows both remote and internal employees to access all files with ease.

Egnyte’s ‘Office’ plan starts at $8 per employee per month. This covers 5-25 employees, 5TB of storage and 10GB max file size. The ‘Business’ packages starts at $20 per employee per month. This includes 25-100 employees, 10TB online storage and 10GB max file size.

In order to take advantage of their ‘Enterprise tier’, which includes over 100 employees, 25GB max file size and unlimited storage, you will need to contact Egnyte directly.

To make things slightly more confusing there’s also a “team plan” that cost $10 per month per user: the differences between the traditional business plans and the team plan are not at all obvious.

Backblaze knows what it's good at and sticks to it: while the service is lacking in some areas, it should certainly be near the top of your shortlist

Backblaze knows what it’s good at and sticks to it: while the service is lacking in some areas, it should certainly be near the top of your shortlist

3. BackBlaze business cloud storage

The best choice if you want unlimited everything for your business

Max file size: Unlimited | Free trial: 15 days | Available storage per user: Unlimited

Unlimited cloud storage

No file size limits

Straightforward operation

Basic web interface

No full disk image backup

BackBlaze is well known for its quarterly report on hard disk drive reliability which sort of answers the question of what is the best hard drive out there. The company prides itself for offering its services at a fraction of the price of the (main) competition, Amazon S3 in that case.

Its Business Backup offer, which allows teams to preserve files, doesn’t have any limits, either in terms of capacity or file size. For as little as $55 per year per user, you get business-grade cloud storage and computer backup while server and NAS backup to its B2 cloud storage costs $5/month/Terabyte.

They will even send you a hard drive with your (encrypted) data anywhere in the world for a much faster hard drive restore. Send it back for a full refund when you’re done. As for web-based restore sizes, the upper limit is a whopping 500GB, bigger tha most.

Just be certain you know exactly what Backblaze is before your business parts with any cash: it’s not for syncing files between computers or getting easy access to your files through a web browser. It’s a comprehensive, set-it-and-forget it backup solution for protecting data should the worst happen, and at that job it’s very good.

While Tresorit isn't as comprehensive or as feature-packed as some of its competitors, it does excel in its encryption protocols, and in the quality of its client software. Just

While Tresorit isn’t as comprehensive or as feature-packed as some of its competitors, it does excel in its encryption protocols, and in the quality of its client software. Just

4. Tresorit business cloud storage

Encrypt your files in place with Tresorit’s elegant apps

Max file size: 10GB | Free trial: 14 days | Available storage per user: 1TB

14-day free trial

End-to-end encryption

Several enterprise packages available

Relatively expensive

Few add-ons/extras

Tresorit is a cloud storage provider based in Hungary and Switzerland. It was founded in 2011. The provider emphasizes enhanced security and data encryption for businesses and personal users alike.

If you are concerned with ensuring that your stored data is kept safe online then Tresorit is the service for you. This provider allows you to keep control of your files through ‘zero-knowledge encryption’ meaning that only you and the chosen few you decide to share with can ever see your data. 

Your Tresorit account can also be secured by two-factor authentication login and you can choose where to keep company data with Data Residency Options. Furthermore, you also have features like Document Scanner which securely scans and uploads documents directly to Tresorit.

Its ‘Business’ plan begins at $10 per month for the annual plan for businesses with over 10 users. This includes 1TB encrypted storage, secure access on up to 10 devices and syncing of existing folder structure and extras such as File Upload link, Remote Wipe, Access logs and a Data Residency Option.

The extra security offered by Tresorit makes it relatively expensive compared to other cloud backup solutions. However, most users will probably appreciate the greater piece of mind and extra features offered by Tresorit.

If you've got files on computers, networked drives, and external drives to back up, sync and share across multiple devices, then SpiderOak One is a dependable option for doing just that.

If you’ve got files on computers, networked drives, and external drives to back up, sync and share across multiple devices, then SpiderOak One is a dependable option for doing just that.

5. SpiderOak business cloud storage

A ‘zero knowledge’ cloud storage provider

Max file size: unlimited | Free trial: 21 days | Available storage per user: 5TB

Tight security

Plenty of native clients

Limited free offering

SpiderOak is part of a new trend of zero knowledge cloud storage providers. The platform allows users to access, synchronize and share data using a cloud-based server. It’s One Backup service (which reminds us of Google’s One account) is what we tested.

The company claims that after installing the client your data is encrypted before syncing. Unfortunately since SpiderOak hasn’t made the client source code public, there’s no way to confirm this. 

The SpiderOakOne client is available for Windows, Mac and Linux as well as Android and iOS (although, both Android and iOS are read-only apps, meaning you can only view files, and can’t upload or sync anything). You can also log in via the web interface but privacy lovers may prefer not to as it exposes your password to SpiderOak employees. 

SpiderOak’s main focus is on privacy and security. As a result, the tool itself has a very basic design. This makes the admin console and all central device management very straightforward to use. They also include a handy drag and drop feature for organising files.

From the centralized device management dashboard, users can access settings for all applications such as backup selection and sharing. The dashboard also allows users to manage their accounts, set group permissions and gain insight into usage.


Best free cloud storage

Over the past decade, free cloud storage has really taken off thanks to ubiquitous fast, reliable internet connections and fierce competition between the big cloud companies, all of whom have a free cloud storage offer. 

Microsoft has Onedrive (5GB free), Google has Drive (15GB free with unlimited photos), Amazon has unlimited photos (for Prime users) and Apple with its 5GB iCloud free storage. Facebook is the only one who doesn’t have a true free cloud storage to date. You can’t upload files for free unless they are photos. Cheeky!

The appeal is understandable: you can store your files online and then access them from any device that’s connected to the internet, including desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones.

You can also back up important files to a remote location (essential in case your own hard drive or USB stick is damaged or stolen), and share files with friends, family and colleagues by simply sending them a link.

The only problem is choice. There are so many free cloud storage services to choose from, it can be hard to decide which is right for you.

Size isn’t everything, so as well as capacity, we’ve also considered the security offered by each service, multi-platform support, ease of use, and any limitations on file size or bandwidth.

Take Degoo Cloud for what it is – a backup service focused on photo uploads from mobile devices – and it scores relatively highly.

Take Degoo Cloud for what it is – a backup service focused on photo uploads from mobile devices – and it scores relatively highly.

1. Degoo free cloud storage

The biggest free cloud storage company in the world right now

Free storage: 100GB | Max file size: Unlimited

Available on multiple mobile platforms

Slick and intuitive interface

Free tier with 100GB of storage space

Upload speeds can be hit and miss

No desktop application, just a web app

Short on serious backup features

Degoo is not a household name, and therefore it comes as a surprise that it has managed to carve itself a niche inside the ultra-competitive cloud storage market.

With only two offerings, this outfit has managed to attract more than 15 million users globally since its inception earlier in 2019 – an estimated 20,000 people join Degoo every day.

It is one of the few cloud storage companies worldwide that encrypts stored files and disperses them across four different continents. It also supports two-factor authentication via the Google sign-in.

Unlike some rival services, there are no file size limits and you don’t need another Degoo account to receive files.  Uploaded files are encrypted in chunks (zero knowledge encryption) and spread out to data centres on four continents to eliminate the risk of account compromise.

Carl Hasselkog, CEO of Degoo, told TechRadar its infrastructure is five times more efficient than Dropbox per stored byte.

It’s worth noting the free version has basic storage replication and no zero knowledge encryption, plus a 90-day account inactivity limit. It also carries adverts in the feed on Android.

The Swedish company has teamed up with TechRadar to deliver an even better package than usual – get 200GB free cloud storage for a year with no strings attached. After 12 months, this will revert back to the regular 100GB package, which is still plenty for most.

Exclusive Degoo 10TB cloud storage backup | $239.76 $99.99 for 2-years (58% off)
TechRadar and Degoo have partnered to provide a one-off exclusive. You can get a staggering 10TB of storage for just $99.99 for two years. That’s a 58% saving compared to the standard price of $9.99 per month, and is exclusive to TechRadar. It’s a price that’s far less than the cloud storage competition. That price is a locked-down one as well and will not change.View Deal

With the self-hosted model available on NextCloud, you get extra security and privacy options, and the amount of storage you have access to is completely up to you.

With the self-hosted model available on NextCloud, you get extra security and privacy options, and the amount of storage you have access to is completely up to you.

2. NextCloud free cloud storage

One of the best DIY cloud storage solutions

Open source platform

Huge amount of flexibility

Packed with features

Software can be a bit clunky

Takes more time to implement

Backups are your responsibility

Nextcloud is a popular open source file sync and online collaboration technology. While it isn’t strictly speaking an online cloud storage provider itself, it offers free software to download and install a cloud storage service on your own server. 

You therefore need to know what you are doing. Using a server on your home network for cloud storage is much faster. You can also enable encryption and make sure the information never leaves your home network, which is far safer but also more perilous if you make mistakes.

If you’ve no server or IT experience, you can even purchase a preconfigured NextCloud Box (if you can find one) which comes with a 1TB hard drive and will work with an inexpensive Raspberry Pi board to keep your data synced. 

Nextcloud has added significant collaborative features to its Dropbox-like, file syncing base since ‘forking’ the source code from ownCloud and setting up business in Stuttgart in 2016.

All of Nextcloud’s code is fully certified by OpenChain and backed by a Security Bug Bounty Program, paying security experts for any vulnerabilities that they uncover. In recent times, the project has rebadged itself as a “self-hosted productivity platform, offering groupware and cloud-based video conferencing features.

Mega is one of the best cloud storage services around, though it lacks the suite of apps you get from the likes of Apple, Google, Microsoft and Dropbox

Mega is one of the best cloud storage services around, though it lacks the suite of apps you get from the likes of Apple, Google, Microsoft and Dropbox.

3. Mega free cloud storage

Cloud storage with a premium on security

Free storage: 50GB | Maximum file size: Unlimited

Easy-to-use UI

Extremely generous free offering

Sync client is open source

Basic business support

Limited extra apps and add-ons

Lacks collaboration options

With an insanely generous free tier and a simple drag-and-drop interface, New Zealand-based Mega is one of the cloud storage heavyweights. There’s a handy mobile app to allow you to upload files and photos, as well as sync clients with desktop machines. 

Mega claims that all data stored in its cloud is encrypted on your device before it reaches the firm’s servers. As the company has released the source code to its sync client, experts can check that there are no vulnerabilities. 

The company also has business tailored plans with limitless storage and transfer plus a slew of tools that are not available on the free plan. 

Its generous free offer, 50GB is second only to Degoo and with more than 186 million registered users is an order of magnitude bigger than its Swedish competitor. Mega also claims that the free and Pro accounts enjoy the same fast transfer speed without throttling.

Note that you have to maintain the free storage and transfer allowance by completing actions. 15GB of storage is what you get when you register and keep the account alive.

At the time of your registration you also get an additional 35 GB of free storage space, valid for 30 days (bringing that up to 50GB); that’s sadly not clear on the home page.

iCloud Drive has made significant strides forward in recent years, and is now much better placed to take on the likes of OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox

iCloud Drive has made significant strides forward in recent years, and is now much better placed to take on the likes of OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox.

4. Apple iCloud free cloud storage

Apple’s competitively priced cloud storage

Free storage: 5GB | Maximum file size: Unlimited

Reasonable pricing

Tight integration with Apple’s platforms

No Android support at all

Still lacks some advanced features

Very few options for power users

The exotically-named iCloud is Apple’s internet-based (or cloud-based) backup and sync service. Instead of creating a backup on your Mac or PC, iCloud can automatically back up your contacts, calendars, bookmarks, notes and other data, and store it all securely on Apple’s online servers. 

What’s more, all this will be seamlessly synced with all your iOS devices, and you can also access your data via the web from a Mac or PC. Another key feature of the service is Photo Stream, which automatically uploads any photo you take with any of your iOS devices and makes it available on all your other connected devices. 

By default you get 5GB of storage space for free, and you can buy more if you need it. However, your Photo Stream doesn’t count towards this quota, nor do any songs, apps, books and TV shows you’ve purchased from the iTunes Store, App Store or iBookstore. 

If you want to back up your iPhone to iCloud, you’ll need more than the free 5GB allowance Apple gives you, but compared to rivals, iCloud prices are very reasonable. 

Windows users can also sync their files with iCloud Drive using the official client and access the iWork apps on the iCloud website. As expected, the solution is so tightly integrated with Apple’s products that it makes so much sense for iOS and MacOS users to embrace it.

A bare bones file sharing service, Mediafire is missing many of the useful features that are standard with its peers

A bare bones file sharing service, Mediafire is missing many of the useful features that are standard with its peers

5. MediaFire free cloud storage

A highly experienced cloud storage operator

Free storage: 10GB (up to 50GB) | Maximum file size: 4GB

Can boost free storage to 50GB

Impressive UI and sharing options

No desktop app

No file previews

No sync

No encryption

MediaFire has been around for over a decade and those years of experience – with more than 150 million users every month – really show. You’re given 10GB of free space initially, but you can boost this by an extra 40GB through activities like referring friends and following MediaFire’s social media accounts. 

Few people would disagree that 50GB of free cloud storage is impressive. Free accounts carry ads, but this is a small sacrifice to make especially as there’s no wait time.

There’s support for large files up to 4GB, and the sharing options are very impressive, even allowing sharing with non-users (within limits). Its lack of a desktop sync client and any sort of encryption, makes it nearly impossible for us to recommend it.

The web-based interface is excellent too, and MediaFire offers mobile apps for convenient uploading and downloading on iOS and Android. 

These make it easy to access files you’re storing in the cloud, and include convenient features such as automatic photo syncing. What’s surprising is that you don’t even need an email when you start. However, files will only stay there for 14 days before being considered abandoned – and therefore deleted.


What is cloud storage?

To understand what cloud storage means, you need to grasp what the Cloud (or cloud) is. In one line, that’s resource (usually computing power or storage) that you can access remotely either for free or for a fee. 

Think of it as the self-storage services  – cherished by home movers and renters – but instead of filling them up with boxes, you fill cloud storage accounts with your own files.

There’s dozens of services that fall under that umbrella term (cloud storage) and many users interchangeably call them cloud backup, online storage, online drives, online backup, file hosting, file storage and so on.

At its simplest, it is a secure virtual space that you will usually access via your browser or an application (or a mobile app). The actual location of your files is usually in a data center somewhere, in a server, on a hard drive or solid state drive.

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