The continuing trend towards digital transformation continues for both consumers and businesses, and finding the best cloud storage for both purchasing groups is key. As data storage needs evolve alongside this, backing data up to the cloud has become commonplace in business, with an observable shift from local hardware and infrastructure onto less centralized, more secure cloud providers.
There are many options available, whether you're looking for personal or business cloud storage. As such, it's integral that you find a service that provides the adequate bandwidth and storage for your needs, while also keeping data safe and secure. Many of the best cloud storage providers offer free plans, meaning you can trial the service before paying for a premium package if you wish to.
When it comes to businesses in particular, considering all of these factors is so important simply because choosing a provider requires considering (in depth) your business's needs, and the levels of service and support required. While these elements aren't so significant for personal cloud storage, they're still key to consider.
How we choose the best cloud storage providers
The best cloud storage services offer strong security, high-performance infrastructures, and the ability to access files anywhere, from any device, anytime. We analyze these three factors, evaluate how each service meets them, and as such aim to help you make the right choice.
Our detailed guides to the best overall, free, and business-specific cloud storage services explore pricing, security, features, and test and review the best cloud storage solutions across capacity, file size limits, and ease of use.
The top 3 best cloud storage services
Which is the best cloud storage service?
Our top choice for premium providers is IDrive, because its top-quality solution and its extensive features are great value, via an impressive range of plans. Highly secure storage is another top draw element, and it's the clear leader for those without larger storage needs, as well as being unmatched when it comes to features relative to cost.
Second and third are Google Drive and Nextcloud, followed by pCloud, Mega, Box, Microsoft OneDrive, iCloud and SpiderOak. For free cloud storage, Google Drive ranks first, thanks to its free 15GB storage, top mobile and desktop apps, integration with Google's productivity tools, and more. pCloud comes second, Dropbox third, and OneDrive and MediaFire just behind.
Finally, we placed Egnyte first for business cloud storage, as its excellent software allows synchronization and sharing for any file types, while you can keep sensitive data on on-premise servers for extra security. Its other leading elements include a range of strong features, such as user-friendly collaboration systems and third-party integration. Tresorit and Box for Business are second and third, and SpiderOak and Dropbox for Business round out our list.
The best cloud storage providers available
Arguably the biggest advantage of IDrive is that it applies to network drives as well, meaning everything from servers to mobile devices is covered. Users can share files via email, Facebook and Twitter, as well as restore up to 30 previous versions of backed-up files.
Speaking of backup, IDrive offers IDrive Express, which provides a physical hard disk drive in case you lose all your data, making a backup quick and painless (disk image backup is also covered). The service doesn’t automatically delete cloud files if you delete something on your hardware, so there’s no risk in completely erasing valuable data by accident.
IDrive also ranks first in our list of the best cloud storage for photos, and photo-minded users will be happy to hear there’s a facial recognition feature that automatically organizes images, and syncs them across all linked devices. Plans start at $79.50 a year for one user, unlimited devices and 5TB of storage under the IDrive Personal plan, while IDrive Team offers five users, five computers and the same storage for $99.50 a year.
Businesses can also opt-in, with single sign-on, server backup, and priority support part of the package. IDrive Business offers unlimited users, computers, servers, Exchange, SQL and NAS devices alongside 250GB of storage.
Read our comprehensive IDrive review to find out more about the platform, and our views on its features; and take a look at our IDrive cloud storage interview, which saw CEO Raghu Kulkarni discuss its growth, the pandemic, and new ventures.
For both personal and professional projects, Google Drive is the natural go-to cloud storage for Google Workspace and Android users, due to seamless integration and versatility. You can use Google’s office suite to create and store documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more, and store mobile-based high-quality photos via Google Photos.
The generous 15GB of free storage will appeal to users of other platforms too, even if the web interface is somewhat poorly executed and not as user-friendly as elsewhere. However, native clients allow Windows and Mac users easier file storage through drag-and-drop.
The platform was recently consolidated into Google One, which starts at $1.99 a month or $19.99 a year for 100GB (when paid annually). Each subscription can be shared for free with up to five other people, but everyone will have to share the same amount of storage.
Upgrading to 200GB costs $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year, along with 3% cashback in store credit from the Google Store, while the top plan comes with 2TB of storage and 10% cashback for $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year.
While this isn’t always clear online, additional Google Drive storage is also available through Google Workspace. 30GB is available for $6 per user a month, while unlimited storage for teams of five or more users costs $12 per user a month. For $25 per user a month, you’ll also get priority support, data loss prevention, and other helpful perks.
To find out more about what we thought, read our Google Drive review.
Technically speaking, Nextcloud is not an online cloud storage provider on its own. Rather, it's a self-hosted file sync and content collaboration platform, which provides free software that you can install on your own server, and administer cloud storage services yourself.
The benefit of a self-hosted product is that you get to keep your data on your servers, offering complete control and faster performance. While this might seem intimidating for IT beginners, or futile for serverless users, the service offers preconfigured hardware that runs Nextcloud out of the box.
As free open-source software, you can download and install it at no cost, but need to factor in the cost of setting up, running, and administering your own servers. However, if you already have infrastructure in place, using Nextcloud instead of a commercial cloud storage solution could save you money.
Third-party providers can deploy, optimize, and maintain your Nextcloud installation for you, and if you have at least 50 users, you can choose Nextcloud Enterprise, a pre-configured, production-ready version.
Read our Nextcloud review for more information.
Hailing from Switzerland, pCloud offers no file size limit, making it ideal for storing large media files, although there are some bandwidth limits.
You can also send up to 5GB for free with pCloud Transfer, which covers all desktop and mobile platforms, and also has a web-based login. You also have the option of spending more on a monthly, annual or lifetime basis for pCloud Crypto, which can encrypt individual files.
It’s worth noting that the pricing plans include lifetime subscriptions, a fairly unusual sight when it comes to cloud services. Each plan comes with unlimited remote upload traffic and 30 days trash history, with the difference being the amount of storage and download link traffic: these are 500GB for the Premium package, and 2TB for the Premium Plus package.
For more information, read our pCloud review to learn more about the provider, and take a look at our pCloud interview with the company's Ivan Dimitrov, which discussed the company's plans looking forward, its aims for expansion, and more.
A 50GB free plan is a bonafide rarity in cloud storage, so MEGA delivers right from the start. Add in the easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interface, and you have one of the best cloud storage solutions. A mobile app allows uploading of files and photos, while desktop users have sync clients at their disposal.
As the invention of the infamous Kim Dotcom, MEGA allows you to upload files via an encrypted connection, and maintain control over your encryption key. That effectively prevents others, including MEGA, from scanning your content. In addition, its sync client is open-source and open to vulnerability checks, further adding to this already secure service.
For those seeking a paid option, there are four tiers ranging from Pro Lite to Pro I, Pro II, and Pro III: the only main difference between them being storage and transfer amounts (all four maintain the same additional features).
The lowest priced plan has 400GB of storage and a 1TB transfer limit per month, with the others offering 2TB storage and transfer (Pro I), 8TB storage and transfer (Pro II) and 16TB storage and transfer (Pro III).
Learn more about this cloud storage provider by reading our MEGA review.
One quick look at pricing, and it’s clear Box is prioritizing businesses as its key demographic. There’s a two-week free trial on Business plans featuring advanced collaboration options, unlimited storage, and a particular focus on security with multiple encryption methods.
Offering individual and business plans, Box's pricing structure is very simple for the former: you pay nothing for up to 10GB of storage, with a maximum file size of 250MB, or $10 a month for the Personal Pro plan, with up to 100GB of storage and a maximum file size of 5GB.
Businesses have four plans to choose from, prices (for annual subscriptions) starting from $5 a month with the Starter plan (allowing collaboration for up 10 users) up to $35 a month for the Enterprise plan. The annual subscriptions' monthly payments are 25% cheaper than monthly subscriptions, with all business plans featuring built-in integrations for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.
Box apps for desktop cover Windows and Mac, while mobile can use the official Android client. To find out more, read our Box review.
Ever since the switch to Windows 10, Microsoft’s cloud storage solution has been directly integrated into the file explorer, providing immediate access for users who want to jumpstart their online backup. There are also Android and iOS apps for mobile uploads, as well as an improved app for Mac users.
As a Microsoft platform, OneDrive works closely with Microsoft 365, which is rather helpful if you're looking to boost productivity. Photos app can also sync images across all your devices using OneDrive, and you can selectively sync files stored on your hard drive.
In addition, the mobile app has interesting features, such as multi-page scanning that allows you to save them as a single document, which you can then access anywhere from any device.
OneDrive has plans for home and business use, with four for home: two of which are OneDrive only, while the other two incorporate Microsoft 365. Prices range from the free Basic plan offering 5GB of storage, up to $9.99 a month ($99.99 a year) for 6TB with the Microsoft 365 Family plan, which accommodates up to six people (1TB per person). Microsoft 365 plans offer Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Skype.
Business plans are structured in the same way, two including Microsoft 365 and two not. Prices go from $5 per user a month (with an annual commitment) up to $12.50 per user a month. The most expensive plans for both home and business also come with a one-month free trial. For more information on this cloud storage platform, read our OneDrive review.
Right on the heels of Microsoft, Apple’s own cloud storage delivers a sound service. Even if 5GB of free storage won’t back up your iPhone or iPad entirely, the paid subscriptions are competitively priced.
The standout feature is how easily accessible the service is across Apple’s platforms. For instance, you can store anything through the Mac Finder app, which integrates with iCloud Drive, and also sync iWork documents across all your devices, which are saved to iCloud.
If you’re a Windows user with an iPhone, you can also sync files with iCloud Drive via the official client, as well as use the iCloud website to access iWork apps. iCloud's 5GB for free is more than the 2GB you get from Dropbox, but significantly less than the 15GB available with Google Drive.
Additional storage is available at different prices, with 50GB for $0.99 a month, 200GB for $2.99 a month, or 2TB for $9.99 a month. Unfortunately, there aren’t any long-term subscriptions, which could be a significant disadvantage for some users.
To learn more about this Apple-centric provider, read our full iCloud review.
Zero knowledge cloud storage pertains to encryption, which, according to SpiderOak, takes place before syncing, so the service has no idea what you're storing. You're the only one who knows what's being encrypted and stored, which makes your data utterly private. The source code of the client isn’t public though, so you’ll just have to take SpiderOak’s word for it.
While we’re on the subject of clients, there is native support for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS, although the mobile apps are read-only and don’t allow you to upload files. SpiderOak One has four pricing plans, with the cheapest $6 a month plan including 150GB of storage and support for unlimited devices.
For $11 a month, you get 400GB of storage, and 2TB for $14 a month, while a $29 a month plan gets you 5TB, with a small discount of around 5% if you pay annually. For companies with over 500 employees, SpiderOak also offers an Enterprise Backup plan. You’ll need to contact the sales team for pricing, though.
Find out more by reading our SpiderOak review.
What you need to know about free cloud storage
Thanks to the strong competition among cloud storage services, many offer free plans for users seeking basic storage, or who may also be on a tight budget. While such plans have fewer features and smaller maximum capacities, they are more than enough for personal cloud storage, and are perfect for the average consumer wanting to save documents and photos in the cloud.
While those with more files to store will need to upgrade to premium plans, for the majority of people even a small amount of free storage can make a world of difference, allowing them to save secure copies of important files that can be accessed easily.
Another benefit of free services can be in allowing collaboration across small projects, such as when undertaking freelancing. There are of course however factors to consider, as while free plans might seem perfect for most consumers, it's worth learning all you can before signing up. We discuss those factors below, in order to help you choose the right platform for you and your needs.
If you're still keen on purchasing storage, but have a strict budget, read our feature exploring reducing cloud storage costs and what you need to know.
The best free cloud storage available right now
With 15GB included at zero cost, Google Drive is one of the more giving cloud providers. Do note that all files from your other Google services (Gmail, Photos, etc.) are also stored within this capacity, meaning each email attachment you download takes up space.
However, a Gmail address isn’t mandatory to sign up. Create a new Google account and you’re good to go, but don’t be confused if you see Google One, the rebranding of paid Google Drive storage as part of Google Workspace.
As for the current service, there are mobile apps for Android and iOS users, Google’s own office productivity tools, and a nifty Backup and Sync desktop app that enables you to automatically duplicate files in the cloud, just in case your laptop or PC dies or gets pinched.
The free pCloud package starts with 10GB of file space, which can be increased to 20GB through a combination of completed offers (4GB) and referrals (1GB each). As a bonus, there’s 50GB of downlink traffic bandwidth allowance available on a monthly basis.
The appealing and highly functional interface makes storing files easy, whether through finely crafted desktop and mobile apps or pCloud’s website. File sharing features are as simple as they can be, with the ability to share files with non-pCloud users. Built-in streaming features, and no restriction on file size, mean you can freely send large files like HD videos to others.
PCloud also offers appreciable deals for upgrading to a paid service. 500GB storage will cost you $3.99 a month, while there are also affordable annual and lifetime subscriptions if you’re looking to save some money.
Let’s get to the bad news first. For such a respected service, Dropbox doesn’t do itself any favors with only 2GB of free storage, one of the least generous allowances around. However, there are multiple ways to rake up additional space that include completing the starting guide (250MB), referring people to the service (500MB per referral, up to 16GB), and contributing to the Dropbox Community forum (1GB).
Once you get past that initial drawback, Dropbox reveals some crafty tricks. For instance, Dropbox Paper is a collaborative tool that allows seamless file sharing between different users, and syncs photos automatically via the desktop app.
You can also request users upload directly to your Dropbox account with the File Requests feature, and edit files without downloading them when working on the web version.
The service also exhibits serious flexibility, with a bundle of desktop and mobile apps that include all the regulars and some uncommon platforms like Linux and Kindle. This allows access to your storage from virtually any device, accompanied by a wide range of supported third-party apps and services.
Make sure to read our Dropbox review to learn more about the service and its features, as well as details of its paid cloud storage plans.
One would expect that a tech giant like Microsoft would offer more file storage space for free to users, but that’s not the case: you have to make do with 5GB. Granted, the basic paid plan offers 50GB for a fair price, and Microsoft 365 subscribers get 1TB of space for their trouble.
Therein lies OneDrive’s biggest appeal: much like Google Drive, the service will primarily find a home with Microsoft users, thanks to its close relationship with Office apps and automatic Windows 10 integration. For users on the go, there are mobile apps that allow easy cross-platform use.
OneDrive makes collaboration easy, as it doesn’t limit use to OneDrive users, and you can even customize access and how you share files with others. Remote document storage also includes the ability to work on files online without downloading them, which certainly simplifies things.
MediaFire starts you off with 10GB of free space, which you can then increase fivefold through various usual activities, such as referring other people or following the company across social media. You’ll end up with 50GB of free cloud storage, but note that you’ll have to suffer through advertisements.
The service has been around for a long time, and it has had plenty of time to work out some kinks, such as speed and ease-of-use for file management, though its security is still very poor compared to the competition.
MediaFire supports files up to 4GB in size, with no download limit. Apart from the impressive web version, the service is available for Android and iOS users through apps that work well, and have a few practical features, such as automatic photo and video syncing and streaming options.
Read our comprehensive MediaFire review to learn more about the platform.
How to choose the best cloud storage for business
Looking for the best cloud storage for business starts similarly to choosing personal storage, with some key differences. Business cloud storage needs to be stable, highly secure, and able to protect important or sensitive company data at all times.
As a result, it's best to look for services offering end-to-end encryption and zero-knowledge architecture: specifically the latter, because it prevents cloud storage providers from accessing data, even if law enforcement authorities compel them to. Many come under the banner of storage as a service (StaaS), offering collaborative, advanced functionality for seamless digital workflows.
These business-focused cloud storage services can, in turn, facilitate and increase employee productivity and collaboration as a result. With hybrid working becoming more common, this is particularly important, as many businesses and their staff have, and will continue to, operate remotely.
Cloud sync technologies form an integral element of StaaS products, allowing for edits made to one document to be immediately visible across all connected devices. Administrative features are important too, as they enable access management and systems usage auditing via 2FA (two-factor authentication) and roles-based permissions.
Businesses should look for cloud storage providers that offer storage and sync capabilities, as these elements increase productivity and streamline workflows. Our guide below lists our recommendations for the best cloud storage for businesses, taking these key factors into consideration.
The best cloud storage for businesses available now
Established in 2007, Egnyte provides quality software for every business's file synchronization and sharing need. You can stow any type of data in the cloud both locally and online, whereas more sensitive data can be kept on on-premise servers for additional security.
The company’s content services include a user-friendly collaboration system, which allows teams to work wherever and in whichever way they want. The service can be fully-integrated with platforms like Microsoft 365, providing internal and remote employees with access to important files.
As for pricing, the ‘Team’ plan, aimed at groups of one to 10 employees, begins at $10 per employee a month, and offers 1TB storage for files up to 10GB in size. Egnyte’s ‘Business’ option kicks off at $20 per employee on a monthly basis, covers 10 to 100 employees, and provides 1TB online storage plus 10GB per employee, while the maximum file size is again 10GB.
The ‘Enterprise’ and ‘Enterprise Lite’ plans require you to contact Egnyte for a custom quote, but offer additional benefits like unusual behavior detection, security issue alerting, content lifecycle management, AI-based content classification, behavior-based ransomware detection, and more. If there's any downside, it's that online critics have pointed out concerns over long loading times for certain files, namely photos.
To learn more about why we ranked this first for business cloud storage, read our Egnyte review.
Hailing from Hungary and Switzerland, Tresorit is a cloud storage provider with a focus on increased security and strong data encryption for businesses, as well as personal users.
It will primarily entice businesses whose main priority is keeping online data safely stored, as Tresorit offers ‘zero-knowledge’ encryption. This means that only the people you choose can have access to your data. Moreover, its 2FA login provides an additional layer of security for your account.
Let’s talk pricing: the ‘Standard’ plan costs $14.20 a month, per user, billed annually. You get 1TB of encrypted storage per user, syncing of existing folder structure, secure access for up to 10 devices per user, and a few other features.
The ‘Plus’ plan starts at $19 monthly per user, on the annual billing basis, and includes data residency options, enhanced collaboration and tracking, and support via phone. It also increases the storage per user to 2TB.
The ‘Enterprise’ option will cost you $23.70 a month, and is perfect for businesses with more than 50 users. Additional features include admin API, personalized staff training and custom deployment. If you decide on this option, you will need to contact the Tresorit team directly in order to sign up.
All Tresorit’s packages are accompanied by a 14-day free trial. While it might be considered a bit pricey, keep in mind that it offers a higher scale of security compared to other similar services, as well as additional features, so it's probably worth it.
Find out more by reading our Tresorit review.
With almost a decade and a half under its belt, Box is a mainstay in the cloud content management and file sharing scene. Its strong points are broad management abilities and an emphasis on security.
The UI makes feel you at home right from the start, and is quite easy to navigate. Access to settings, files, and folders is regulated through the user dashboard, where admins can keep an eye on all users, track activity, and manage sharing options.
Users can access files through the Box Drive client, available for Mac and Windows, and also from its Android client. The service is supported by a variety of commonly used app packages, including Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.
Price-wise, the Starter plan is the entry package, starting at $5 per user a month. This gets you 100GB secure storage alongside 2GB maximum file size upload, with a maximum of 10 users (the minimum is three users for all plans).
The Business plan starts at $15 per user a month, and incorporates unlimited storage, 5GB maximum file size upload, advanced security, customization and reporting, and no limit on the maximum number of users. There's also a Business Plus package that costs $25 per user a month, offering unlimited storage, 5GB maximum file size upload, advanced admin controls and capabilities, and unlimited external collaborators.
As for the final package, Enterprise, this is priced at $37 per user a month, and includes extras such as unlimited integrations, password policy enforcement, document watermarking, and more. Box offers a 14-day free trial for all packages, with one common complaint being that the service is missing online editing functionality for external users: thus access is restricted to read-only.
Read our Box review to learn more about the consumer element of the provider's services.
SpiderOak serves as a collaboration tool, online backup and file hosting service, leveraging a cloud-based server to allow its users to access, synchronize, and share data.
Not only does it boast high-level data security and privacy, but it also provides cloud storage, online backup and sharing services using a ‘zero knowledge’ privacy environment (at least the company claims so).
Considering the focus is on security and privacy, SpiderOak didn’t waste much energy on intricate design. Its interface is pretty simple and straightforward, with a convenient drag-and-drop feature that helps you organize files quickly and efficiently.
The centralized device management dashboard grants users easy access to settings for all applications, such as sharing and backup selection, allowing them to manage their accounts, set group permissions and monitor usage.
In terms of pricing for businesses, a minimum of 500 users is required to qualify for the enterprise package, and you will need to contact SpiderOak’s sales team for a quote. As per the online community, SpiderOak is said to lack many of the collaboration tools that can be found with other cloud storage providers.
What characterizes Dropbox Business and makes it such a popular choice is its ease of use. There are no compatibility issues with different file types, and cross-platform functionality across most devices and apps, along with the drag-and-drop action for the desktop app, makes this one of the easiest services to use.
Users can freely share content via links, even if the person you're sharing it with is not a Dropbox user. The business iteration allows you to connect your personal account, so as to have all your files in one place, with its automatic camera upload feature recently made available for business users.
Administrators can gain insights into the status of each team member from the dashboard, as well as modify how they share and manage files, set access permissions, and monitor usage. Third-party support is high level, with apps such as Microsoft Office and Slack part of the package.
Speaking of packages, Dropbox Business offers three different tiers. The Standard plan will cost you $12.50 per user a month, starting at three users, and includes 3TB of space for secure storage, 120 days of file recovery, 2FA, and more.
The Advanced package builds on this, starting at $20 per user a month with unlimited storage, advanced admin controls, and user management tools. To subscribe to the Enterprise tier, it’s necessary to contact Dropbox directly and work out a deal.
There is a 30-day free trial available, for which you will have to provide your payment credentials: after this, you’ll be automatically bumped up to a paid plan and charged. One consistent complaint from users however was the absence of online editing tools.