The cloud (or online storage) is a specialised internet service in which a provider offers the sharing and use of various programs and applications. More and more individuals, groups, families or businesses are using clouds to share documents or photos. We’ve put together 6 of the most well-known and used clouds for you to compare.
MEGA Cloud (link to service)
MEGA cloud is an internet storage service whose predecessor was the well-known MegaUpload. Founder Kim Dotcom claims that MEGA is supposed to be more powerful, secure and indestructible. MEGA offers users a whopping 50GB of space completely free. So you can back up large amounts of documents, photos or videos without any problems. It lures you with unbreakable encryption for your stored data, which is a big plus, but if you forget your password, you could lose your files forever.
Mega offers several plans- 400GB, 2TB, 8TB and 16TB of storage space. Not only individuals but also businesses will come into their own. The price for an individual starts from €4.99 per month, where you get 400GB of storage space. For businesses (3 or more users), it offers 3TB for 15€ per month.
Microsoft OneDrive (link to service)
OneDrive is Microsoft’s cloud service where you keep all your files in one place. You can use OneDrive to store photos, documents and other larger files. You can also share them with friends and even edit them with each other. Today, you’ll only find OneDrive as part of Microsoft 365.
OneDrive offers a wide choice of tariffs. Whether you’re an individual, a business, or want to share your photos and files with your family. You can have Microsoft 365 Basic for €20/year (or €2/month) and get 100GB of storage for yourself. Personally, however, we recommend buying Microsoft 365 Family for 99€/year (or 10€/month) and you get a free trial month. So you can use OneDrive for up to six, enjoying up to 6TB of cloud storage (1TB per person). The package also includes premium features like Word, Excel, Teams, etc.
What caught our eye? family package for up to 6 people, premium features, free trial month
What we take as a minus? problems with photo synchronization, slower loading of photos especially from the mobile app
IDrive (link to the service)
IDrive is an easy-to-use service for backing up your data online. IDrive allows the user to back up data from all compatible devices into one account. It was first launched in 1995 (it was also known as iBackup) and has held its own ever since thanks to its regular updates among the best clouds available. It puts a lot of emphasis on data security, so you don’t have to worry about backing up the contents of your entire hard drive or the files on your phone. IDrive’s reasonable pricing makes it affordable not only for an individual and one of their devices, but also for a larger number of devices and users. Backups can be run manually or automatically according to set requirements.
IDrive offers free storage with a capacity of 10GB. Furthermore, you can choose from a number of tariffs that IDrive offers. For the unpretentious user, it offers a 100GB package for €2.75/year or 500GB for €9.26/year. Their largest tariff starts the offer at 250GB for unlimited devices and users starting at 69,48€/year.
What caught our eye? the price to storage size ratio, the security, the setup of backup options
What do we take as a minus? only an annual subscription can be set up
Google Drive (link to the service)
Perhaps the most well-known cloud undoubtedly belongs to Google Drive. Here, users automatically get 15GB of free storage space. Google Drive integrates with the company’s other services and systems – including Google Docs , YouTube, Chrome, Gmail, Android, Google Analytics and Google+ . Google Drive competes with clouds like Microsoft OneDrive or Apple iCloud.
Google Drive offers a truly wide range of storage space not only for individuals, but also for groups. You can opt for monthly or annual payments. Basic will set you back €1.99 per month and get you 100GB of storage space. There is a free one-month trial period with each plan.
What attracted us? great value for money, a popular solution for families, groups or businesses
What do we take as a minus? sharing between all Google services, automatic account deletion after 2 years of inactivity
pCloud (link to the service)
pCloud is currently one of the best cloud storage providers. It offers a number of affordable plans and provides a lot of free cloud storage. It can’t compete with the aforementioned Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive when it comes to document creation and sharing, but it rivals them when it comes to privacy and security. The FREE version offers up to 10GB, which you’ll have available immediately after signing up. You can also get extra space for sharing links to services or inviting friends. PCloud offers two plans- 500GB and 2TB of storage space. These will set you back €49.99 (500GB) and €99.99 (2TB) for a year. In addition to the classic monthly or yearly subscription, Pcloud also offers a one-time lifetime subscription. In this case, you can choose between 500GB for 199€, 2TB for 399€ or 10TB for 1190€.
What caught our eye? price, speed, one-time lifetime subscription
What do we take as a minus? the cloud would need better photo sharing and sharing options
Apple iCloud (link to service)
Apple introduced its iCloud cloud storage in 2011. It’s mainly designed to store photos, data and sync music between iPhones, iPads and macOS computers. Of course, you can also use iCloud on your Windows PC, where it offers multiple options for storing photos, documents, and other files.
Apple’s iCloud offers 5GB of free storage space. There’s also 50GB, 200GB, or 2TB of storage on offer. You can get the smallest mentioned for as little as €0.99 per month. You can enjoy 200GB for 2,99€ per month and the largest storage space offered you get for 9,99€ per month.
What caught our eye? syncing music and data storage along with photos between multiple devices, affordable price, file sharing and editing
What do we take as a minus? use only with Apple devices, the smallest free storage space (5GB) of all mentioned
Summary
With the online clouds, there is something for everyone. Each of them has its pros and cons, which you should take into account when making your decision. If you crave more free storage space, reach for the MEGA Cloud. OneDrive offers 1 free trial month and a package that families will appreciate. With IDrive, there are a number of plans on offer, but only an annual subscription. With Google Drive, you have the other Google services at your fingertips, but they take up shared space. With pCloud, some will appreciate the one-time lifetime subscription, and Apple iCloud will be appreciated by Apple enthusiasts.
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