13 Best Cloud Storage Services of 2022
Data security is a crucial factor for any business. Along with that comes the storage capacity. When compared with physical storage, cloud storage services offer more security and storage space.
So, it is very important to choose the right cloud storage service for your business to meet your business needs and goals.
What is the Best Cloud Storage Service?
Here are the best cloud storage services to choose from whether you are a single person who is looking for cloud storage or a business owner who is looking for the best cloud storage service that has to apply to your business.
1. Google Drive
Google Drive is the most familiar cloud storage among people. Everyone with a google account will be given FREE 15GB storage to store documents, pictures, and videos.
You can share your files in Google Drive with anyone you like. When sharing you can also grant permission to edit the file contents or just to view the content only.
It supports over 100 file formats like PDFs, images, videos, and many others. So it saves time to convert between file formats just to store them on Google Drive.
Also, Google Drive integrates with Google sheets, slides, and docs. That means, that when you work on those apps, they automatically save on Google Drive. So, you don’t need to move the content between several tools.
Pricing
If you want to expand the storage with Google Drive, they provide four paid plans in addition to the 15GB of free storage.
- 100GB: $1.99 per month
- 200GB: $2.99 per month
- 2TB: $9.99 per month
- 30TB: $29.99 per month
2. Apple iCloud
Apple iCloud is a cloud storage provided by Apple that can store files photos and videos. By default, you will get free 5GB storage but you can add more storage by moving into a paid plan.
All original photos and videos get uploaded to iCloud through Apple-related devices. Only the lightweight version will remain on the device. Because of that reason, you can save a massive amount of inbuilt storage on your devices and if your files on the devices get lost you will have an original copy of them on the iCloud storage.
You can share your stored files with anyone using a private link, So, you can give them the access and ability to edit the files.
Pricing
There are three plans you can choose from if you want more storage with Apple iCloud.
- 50GB: $0.99 per month
- 200GB: $2.99 per month
- 2TB: $9.99 per month
3. Microsoft OneDrive
As a part of Microsoft 365, the Microsoft OneDrive file hosting service was started. Once you save files on the Microsoft OneDrive folder you can access them anytime from anywhere.
OneDrive provides the facility to share files with a simple text message or with an email. So, any member can access your files via the link you gave them
Also, OneDrive has a feature called Personal Vault which allows you to store sensitive documents such as your passports, driver’s licenses, insurance documents, and many more.
Pricing
Microsoft OneDrive has a free plan which gives 5GB of storage. Other than that, they have three paid plans.
- OneDrive Standalone (100GB): $19.99 per year
- Microsoft 365 Personal (1TB): $69.99 per year
- Microsoft 365 Family (6TB): $99.99 per year
4. IDrive
IDrive is a cloud storage and data backup service provider. It is mainly famous as a data backup service provider. IDrive lets you back up any device such as PCs, Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Android.
You have the ability to access, share and manage your files on IDrive from any device. They also have an app called IDrive online backup which eases the backing up process even further.
Pricing
With IDrive, you get 5GB of cloud storage for free. Aside from that, you can choose any plan from their paid plans,
- IDrive Mini: $4.95 per year
- IDrive Personal: $79.50 per year
- IDrive Team: $99.50 per year
- IDrive Business: $95.50 per year
5. SpiderOak One Backup
SpiderOak One Backup service offers end-to-end encryption which will provide more security for your files when transferring and when stored in the storage.
No one will be able to access your data but you. So, it is better to keep your password secure. This cloud service is mainly focused on the security concerns of the client.
Relative to the other cloud storage services, SpiderOak One is a bit much expensive.
Pricing
There are four paid plans available in SpiderOak One Backup.
- 150GB: $6 per month
- 400GB: $11 per month
- 2TB: $14 per month
- 5TB: $29 per month
6. Dropbox
Dropbox is a cloud storage service that allows you to save and synchronize tools, content, and files and share them with anyone you like.
It has a mobile app that has a document scanning facility. So you can use both the web version and the mobile app to get the most out of Dropbox.
It allows you to access your files from any type of device and lets you store multiple types of content such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Microsoft Office files.
Pricing
You will get a trial period with any of the following paid plans if you decide to subscribe to them. They don’t currently provide a free plan.
- Plus (2TB): $9.99 per month
- Family (2TB): $16.99 per month
- Professional (3TB): $16.58 per month
- Standard (5TB): $15 per month
- Advanced (Unlimited storage): $24 per month
- Enterprise (Unlimited storage): Quote based
7. Box
Box is mainly focused on businesses that are in need of cloud storage options. But they offer personal storage options also.
Box has a 10GB free plan which gives a limit of 250MB for single files. So, you won’t be able to store large video files using the free plan.
It also supports document encrypting, granular permissions, and storing previous versions of files.
Pricing
In addition to the 10GB free plan, Box offers six paid plans.
- Personal Pro (100GB): $11.50 per month
- Business Starter (100GB): $5 per month
- Business (Unlimited storage): $15 per month
- Business Plus (Unlimited storage): $25 per month
- Enterprise (Unlimited storage): $35 per month
- Enterprise Plus (Unlimited storage): Custom price
8. Next Cloud
Next Cloud is a self-hosted cloud storage platform that allows you to integrate on-premise storage with a local area network to create a cloud storage system.
Pricing
There is no free storage plan given by Next Cloud, but you can ask for a trial for any of the following paid plans.
- Basic: €36 per year
- Standard: €65 per year
- Premium: €95.50 per year
9. pCloud
pCloud helps you to keep your files safe, and accessible from all your devices. And it provides a 10GB free plan with no limitations on the file size.
This platform provides good security options for your stored files. They keep five copies of each file distributed across their servers. So, you won’t have to worry about the safety of your important files and documents.
Unlike other cloud storage service providers, pCloud offers a lifetime fee option in addition to yearly plans. This means you can pay for the same yearly plan a one-time fee and use the service as long as you need. So, you don’t have to pay yearly for pCloud.
Pricing
pCloud offers both annual and one-time payment plans for you.
- Premium (500GB): $49.99 per year
- Premium Plus 2 (2TB): $99.99 per year
- Premium (500GB): $175 one-time payment
- Premium Plus 2 (2TB): $350 one-time payment
- Custom Plan (10TB): $990 one-time payment
10. Sync.com
Sync.com is a Canada-based cloud storage service provider. Like SpiderOak One and Mega, Sync.com also provides end-to-end encryption which provides safety for your data before even uploading it to the cloud storage.
You can share the files in the cloud using password-protected links, and granular permissions to only view documents/files.
Sync.com offers 5GB for free and you can sync all your data from any device. You can specify the files that need to be on the device and what should be on the cloud storage.
Pricing
There are five total paid plans to choose from. You can select a plan which suits best for your needs.
- Solo Basic (2TB): $8 per month
- Solo Professional (6TB): $20 per month
- Teams Standard (1TB): $6 per month
- Teams Unlimited (Unlimited storage): $15 per month
- Enterprise: Quote based
11. Icedrive
Icedrive is a new cloud storage service that was started in 2019. They provide 10GB of free storage for starters.
It comes with end-to-end encryption so your files are safe when in transit and on the cloud.
Pricing
Icedrive offers three main paid plans. But all the paid plans consist of tier-based pricing. So it will be cost-effective when you upgrade between storage.
- Lite (150GB): $1.67 per month
- Pro (1TB): $4.17 per month
- Pro+ (5TB): $15 per month
12. MEGA
Mega is a New Zealand-based cloud storage service provider which offers 15GB of free storage.
It is mainly focused on providing a more secure place to store files. Because of that, they offer end-to-end encryption which protects your files when in transit between your device and its servers.
Mega also offers both Chrome and Firefox extensions and allows you to chat with other Mega users using a secured chat.
Pricing
In addition to the free plan, Mega has four other paid plans.
- Pro Lite (400GB): €4.99 per month
- Pro I (2TB): €9.99 per month
- Pro II (8TB): €19.99 per month
- Pro III (16TB): €29.99 per month
13. Koofr
Koofr offers a free 10GB free plan and the paid plans are a bit expensive compared to other cloud storage services.
The best thing about Koofr is that you can link your other cloud storage and access those files from Koofr. And remotely copy and move files between your storage. As per the current situation, you can only connect the Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive accounts with Koofr.
Pricing
There are three main paid plans available at Koofr.
- Briefcase (10GB, 25GB): €0.5-€1 per month
- Suitcase (100GB, 250GB, 1TB): €2-€10 per month
- Crate (2.5TB, 10TB, 20TB): €20-€120 per month
What is Cloud Storage?
Cloud storage is a computing model where data can be stored in a virtual space that can be accessed from anywhere. You can easily upload and download data on the cloud servers without any difficulties and in a more secure way.
Benefits of using Cloud Storage Services
- You will only be charged for the storage that you are actually using.
- Removes the cost of maintaining physical data storage and also the practical issues associated with them.
- Share files easily and remotely update and sync data.
- Powered with more secured features such as end-to-end encryption.
- Easily back up your data and automate the process even further.
Final Thoughts
Cloud storage services come in handy if you want to store your files and backups in a more secure way.
But all the cloud storage services will not match everyone’s needs. If you are a single user that needs to store your most important files and documents then you should consider a simple cloud storage plan. Sometimes the given free storage might be well enough for your daily activities.
If you are a small business owner, you must consider a plan that is giving more storage space to work on. You should also think about the software your business is using and find a cloud storage service that gives the ability to integrate all of the tools and software.
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