The Best Cloud Storage – Our Top Picks for 2024

IDrive is a business-oriented suite of cloud-based storage and data-management services for all platforms and devices. Windows and macOS users can easily download and install IDrive on PCs and laptops. Android and iOS apps bring the service to mobile devices.

IDrive provides the best cloud storage service for Linux lovers too, so it really covers all the bases. You’ll even find that you can back up files from external hard drives, file servers, and network-attached storage devices.

IDrive allows you to scan the entire computer and store files on the cloud. It comes with an easily navigable dashboard so even technophobes can manage their files. You can select individual documents, photos, or videos to save on the cloud or back up entire directory trees. The dashboard allows you to add new users, create groups, and manage accounts.

While Google Drive offers 15 GB of free storage, the free version of IDrive is limited to only 5 GB. It really serves as a demo version of the company’s best cloud storage services, which can be bought at a reasonable price.

IDrive offers business packages with capacity ranging from 250 GB to 12.5 TB. You can create as many accounts as you want and store terabytes of files. The packages are currently offered at discount prices:

250 GB: $74.62 per year
500 GB: $149.62 per year
1.25 TB: $374.62 per year
2.5 TB: $599.62 per year
5 TB: $1,124.62 per year
12.5 TB: $2,249.62 per year

Prices are slightly lower for multiple-year contracts and higher if you pay by the month.

These prices are competitive because IDrive offers more than data storage. It also works as one of the best cloud backup and synchronization systems on the market. In addition to backups you schedule, IDrive automatically takes a snapshot of synchronized folders and stores a backup once a day. These snapshots stretch back 30 days, allowing you to restore old versions of files and data even if they’ve been deleted.

These backups may not seem to be worth hundreds of dollars per year, but if you’re attacked by ransomware, you’ll be glad to know there’s a current copy of your data on your IDrive.

It’s these features that mark IDrive as a candidate for the best cloud storage for photos, business plans, tax records, blueprints, accounting files, and other data, no matter the format. In addition to storing data and providing appropriate access to staff members, IDrive intelligently handles synchronization and backup chores.

IDrive lets you back up your entire hard drive or select particular files and folders to be scheduled for storage online. IDrive software performs incremental backups in the background as you are working, or you can schedule backups as you wish.

IDrive may not be the industry’s cheapest cloud storage solution, but it lets you perform bulk uploads, synchronization, and file sharing according to your preferences. You can set read-only or full access to particular data elements on a user-by-user basis. IDrive even has an optional face-recognition feature that allows you to compile databases of photographs and perform intelligent searches.

IDrive has a handy physical drive option: IDrive Express. The company ships you a high-capacity external disk drive so you can perform an initial full backup in hours instead of tying up your internet connection with days of uploading. When you’re finished, ship the drive to IDrivel the company will put your data online and begin incremental backups. IDrive’s business contracts allow use of IDrive Express three times a year.

Like all the best cloud storage options, IDrive uses the latest technology to protect your data. The company uses 256-bit AES encryption during transfer and storage. Two-factor authentication protects your accounts from unauthorized access, and the company supports both public key and private key encryption.

IDrive is not the least expensive cloud storage solution, but it may be the best value.

Launched in 2012, Google Drive is the best cloud storage for personal use. This industry leader offers a generous 15 GB of free storage. That’s separate from storage requirements for G Suite documents and GMail.

Google Drive is a great choice for business, too. It’s accessible from PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones, electronic cameras… practically anything with a CPU. That means it will work for every staffer in your BYOD office.

Google Drive pricing is one of its best features. The monthly subscription fee for 100 GB of storage is just $1.99, which may make Google Drive the cheapest cloud storage solution on the market.

In addition to its low cost, Google Drive is popular because of its intuitive, easy-to-use interface. In many ways, Google Drive cloud storage looks like a local hard drive on your PC. Files on Google Drive are sorted into folders and you move or access them with the mouse, just as if they were local.

Google Drive supports file and folder sharing, too. Shared data is displayed in a distinct section of the screen.
Despite the simple sharing features, Google Drive is cloud storage, not a comprehensive backup system. Even the most expensive Google Drive plans lack features for full or incremental data backups. Compared to solutions from cloud storage providers like IDrive, Google Drive’s backup functions are basic at best.

That said, Google’s Backup and Sync application is handy. You can mark folders on your device to be synchronized with Google Drive. You can mark Google Drive folders to be synchronized to your PC too. When you update the file in one location, the other copy will also be updated.

You could synchronize files among different devices and copy them to the cloud as a sort of manual backup, but the system lacks a client to organize or perform scheduled backups and other tasks. If your system crashes, Backup and Sync won’t get you back up and running.

It may be that the very best online cloud storage is storage that supports smooth integration with third-party applications. Google Drive is a winner in that regard. It integrates easily into the business landscape, allowing users to share data with team members effortlessly. Google Drive integrates with popular project management tools like Asana, ClickUp, Basecamp, and Trello.

Another great thing about Google Drive is that it has advanced features for finding your files. For example, Google Drive has an optical character recognition feature that lets you scan documents and convert them to searchable PDFs.

The 15 GB free version of Google Drive is a generous solution for personal use. It is probably one of the best photo cloud storage systems too, since it uses AI for image searching. If you want to use Google Drive for business, you’ll definitely need to buy cloud storage, but its plans are among the market’s most affordable.

pCloud is a Swiss company that offers cloud services to individuals and to companies that want to store, synchronize, and share files with team members. The free personal version comes with only 10 GB of storage, so businesses will need to subscribe to one of pCloud’s paid plans.

You can subscribe to pCloud’s pricing plans on an annual or monthly basis. If you’re looking for the cheapest online storage, pCloud has an excellent candidate: a €175 lifetime subscription that includes 500 GB of cloud storage. For users who need to share large amounts of data on a daily basis, there is the Premium Plus plan with 2 TB of cloud storage. It costs €350 per year.

Most of pCloud’s solutions are designed to help team members organize workflow and boost productivity by sharing and managing data. Pricing options for pCloud Business start at €287.64 per year for three users and 3 TB of cloud storage.

Clients all around the world say that pCloud is the best cloud storage for business because it helps users access the organization’s documents easily, allowing fast communication among team members. You can set different permissions to allow team members to view documents, edit them, or attach comments. Thanks to advanced search options, finding a document is a breeze.

pCloud lets you sync almost all types of files across different devices. This is a critical feature for business travelers, who can access corporate data, read reports, and edit files on the road. pCloud supports all types of devices, so you can log in to your account from your mobile phone, make changes to documents as needed, and automatically synchronize across all devices.

pCloud is a candidate for the best-encrypted cloud storage crown. With this cloud, sharing and transferring operations are protected with the latest TLS encryption technology. Private information and valuable documents are protected from third-party apps, viruses, and unauthorized access.

pCloud stores copies of your data on at least three servers. If the hard drive fails on one and a careless tech spills orange juice into another, your data will remain safe.

As an extra layer of security, you can purchase pCloud’s Crypto service. This is a client-side encryption utility that encodes your files before you upload them to the cloud. You can even set a private password so no one, not even pCloud technicians, can access your data. Compared to other cloud storage companies, pCloud encryption and security services are definitely the best on the market. pCloud Crypto is included free with pCloud Business subscriptions.

pCloud offers fast, secure cloud service. You can even try its services for free. Each subscription plan comes with a 10-day money-back guarantee so you can get a refund if you aren’t satisfied with pCloud.

Just as Windows users have a platform for hosting documents on the cloud and syncing them across all devices, Apple users can leverage the Apple platform to back up and sync their digital assets. Launched in 2011, iCloud is a cloud hosting service that lets Apple users save files on Apple servers.

Unlike OneDrive, which must be installed on your device, iCloud Drive is already installed on all Apple hardware. You don’t need to download or install anything because each Apple device is iCloud-ready right out of the box.

Before you start using the best cloud backup for Mac, you should know that there is a difference between iCloud and iCloud Drive. iCloud is a cloud storage platform where data from all Apple apps is stored. iCloudDrive is part of iCloud, essentially one folder on the iCloud platform.

Unlike the OneDrive client, which integrates seamlessly on all devices, iCloud Drive doesn’t work so well on Windows. You can download iCloud for Windows and back up photos, documents, and other files, but it is better to use Google Drive or Dropbox.

With iCloud, each Apple hardware owner gets 5 GB of free storage. That’s not especially generous compared to the 15 GB you get free with Google Drive. With just 5 GB of cloud storage services, you may not even be able to back up all the photos, videos, and other files on your iPhone.

Apple allows you to upgrade iCloud storage at great prices compared to the competition. You can choose from three options: 50 GB of storage costs $0.99 per month, 200 GB will set you back $2.99, while 2 TB costs $9.99. There is also an option to share 200 GB or 2 TB with family members.

Although it is the best cloud storage for Mac, iCloud Drive is not a feature-rich service. You can share files, documents, and photos with other Apple users via iCloud Drive. But if you want to share files with those who don’t have Apple accounts, it is almost impossible.

Photographers will appreciate the iCloud Photo app, which lets them upload photos and videos directly to the cloud.
As for security and privacy features, there is no doubt that iCloud is a sterling example of the best in secure cloud storage. It uses two-factor authentication as an extra layer of protection. Each time you want to log in to iCloud, the system requires 2FA. Even if your password is stolen or compromised, the system will protect your account from unauthorized access.

The next cloud storage and backup solution on our list is Mega. Thanks to its straightforward user interface and excellent security features, Mega is the first choice for millions of users worldwide. Clients appreciate the fact that they can easily store and sync all types of files.

If you have a large number of media files like photos, albums, or videos, Mega is the best cloud file storage. Regardless of the file size, Mega file-transfer speed is among the fastest.

You can access the Mega cloud drive directly from the browser or you can download the Mega app, MEGAsync, for iOS, macOS, Android, Windows, or Linux devices. As for the interface, countless client reviews speak for themselves. Mega has a modern yet simple interface that was designed around the intention to provide the best user experience for clients.

You don’t need to scroll or search to find the options you need. In the top-right corner of the desktop app you’ll see the small icon with the letter M. With a single click, a dropdown menu reveals all the app’s features.

One of the reasons Mega is the best cloud storage for videos, music, and pictures is that it allows you to access media files directly from your browser. If you want to share a single photo or video, you can simply click on it.

Mega online storage of 15 GB is entirely free for all registered users. If you want to upgrade the storage, you can choose from pricing options that vary according to storage capacity, bandwidth, and number of users.

The Mega business package is designed for a minimum of three users. It comes with unlimited storage space and bandwidth. The price is $10 per user per month.

Mega is a contender for the most secure cloud storage crown. Like other storage and backup providers, Mega uses the latest TLS technology and two-factor authentication to protect your data from hackers and other potential threats.

Moreover, Mega enables some extra levels of security. For example, end-to-end encryption starts before you send your files to the cloud. Additionally, you can protect files with a personal key. You can also send encrypted files to colleagues and send the encryption key separately – or even set the expiration date for links. Of course, you are the only one who knows your personal key. But don’t worry – the best cloud file storage system lets you back up the recovery key so you can retrieve it if you lose your password.

Another great privacy feature is MEGAchat. This is a special communication channel that you can use to communicate safely with colleagues, employees, and team members. You can send messages or even have video calls with the rest of your team.

Overall, Mega is an excellent solution for companies that need a fast, easy-to-use storage and backup system with advanced privacy and security features.

Zoolz Cloud Backup provides a lot of useful tools and features for your money. It heads the list of top cloud providers for companies looking for comprehensive cloud storage, backup, and tool management services.

Thanks to the fact that Zoolz leverages Amazon Glacier technology, cost-effective cold-storage protection is also available. Cold storage is designed for files that you don’t use often. Many businesses use cost-effective cold-storage services to archive and protect data.

The Zoolz platform is easy to use. You can access your Zoolz account from a web browser or you can download a client for macOS or Windows. No matter how you access it, Zoolz is simple, clearly designed to help businesses transfer files, create backups, and monitor accounts.

Unlike some other cloud storage solutions, Zoolz allows you to store and back up files and folders from almost all devices you want. You can also back up external drives, servers, and network-attached storage devices.

Zoolz combines simplicity with powerful features. You don’t need to be tech-savvy to use its powerful console, which monitors all the computers connected to your account, the activity of other users, and bandwidth usage.

Zoolz cloud backup services are available on a monthly or yearly basis. Depending on the amount of storage, you can choose from three pricing options. The first includes 1 TB of cloud storage. It costs $15 per month or $150 for an annual subscription.

The best cloud storage pricing is for 5 TB of storage. It costs $75 per month or $750 annually. The medium solution costs $30 per month ($300 with an annual plan) and it includes 2 TB of storage. The pricing plans come with 30-day money-back guarantees.

Among so many benefits that come with Zoolz, the most important for many businesses is that you can upload files of any size. In addition, Zoolz allows users to control bandwidth use during backups. If you want to back up files quickly, you can use a lot of bandwidth. But you can also slow down the backup if you find it’s hampering use of your computers.

The best business cloud storage solution should provide additional features for fast and easy file search. BigMind is a Zoolz product that allows you to store all types of files – text documents, pictures, videos, music files – whatever. It organizes files so that you can easily find them any time you want from any device you are using.

Your files are safe and secure with Zoolz. This cloud storage and backup system leverages 256-bit military-grade encryption technology to protect your files from third-party access, cyberthieves, and viruses.

The last entry on our list of the best cloud storage solutions is Dropbox. Founded in 2007, Dropbox is one of the oldest cloud storage providers. A simple drag-and-drop interface, great tools for organizing workflows, and smooth integration with team management apps make this cloud service popular.

Although its backup features are not as powerful as IDrive’s or Zoolz Cloud Backup, Dropbox helps users upload all types of files to the cloud and share them with anyone they want. Millions of individuals and 450,000 teams already use Dropbox.

Dropbox is one of the easiest cloud storage systems to use. What makes it a candidate for the title of best home cloud storage system is that it’s got both a desktop client and mobile apps. Installation is smooth and fast. The system automatically recognizes the platform you use – iOS, Android, macOS or Windows – and downloads the appropriate client.

But you don’t need to install anything if you don’t want to. You can access your account from the web. Once you upload files to Dropbox, they will be automatically synced and accessible to you on every device you use.

To share files, simply send access links – even to people who don’t use Dropbox. Anyone can access files and download them with your permission. Thanks to the fact that it supports transfers up to 10 GB, Dropbox is widely acknowledged as the best cloud storage for video and other large media files.

Dropbox offers 2 GB of cloud storage at no charge. To upgrade the storage, you’ll choose among several pricing options. Business prices start at $19.99 per month with 3 TB of cloud storage. Next is the Standard plan for teams. It costs $15 per user per month. It includes 5 TB of cloud storage and business collaboration tools. The Advanced plan is for those who need unlimited cloud storage. It is $25 per user per month and it has more features and tools than any other Dropbox storage plan.

Based on reviews of the best cloud storage on Reddit, people like Dropbox collaboration and syncing features. Sync Smart allows you to choose whether you want to save your files only online, freeing up local hard disk space, or you prefer to save copies locally too. You can choose to sync each new file and folder automatically.

Dropbox offers several options for sharing files and collaborating with other users. The simplest way is to use the Share button, but there is also a Dropbox Paper feature for creating and sharing documents. It speeds up workflow by allowing you to assign tasks and make edits online.

Dropbox is one of the best personal cloud storage systems, and it offers robust tools and features for business users. It also integrates with popular apps like Trello, Slack, and Salesforce, which makes Dropbox one of the most popular cloud storage systems for businesses large and small.