You’ve probably heard of Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive. Maybe you use their cloud-storage plans already. Cloud storage is an excellent way for individuals and businesses to store, protect, share, and back up data. Cloud storage companies offer many useful features and tools to enhance security, fine-tune sharing options, automate backups, and much more. In this review of the industry’s best cloud storage solutions, we present a list of top providers and explain what you can expect from their products.
IDrive is a cloud storage and backup system that lets users upload and save files from an unlimited number of computers, external drives, and network-attached storage devices. It is the perfect solution for businesses with large amounts of data stored on different devices. Regardless of whether your staff members use MacBooks, Android-based smartphones, Windows PCs, or Linux laptops, they can store all their files in one IDrive central hub. Clients who accidentally delete their files will be happy to learn that IDrive has an excellent backup system that saves the last 30 versions of a file by default. Thanks to this cloud data storage feature, you can restore files despite mishaps. Read Review
- ⦿Easy-to-use dashboard
- ⦿Instant synchronization
- ⦿Real-time incremental backups
Launched in 2012, Google Drive is an industry behemoth with about 800 million users worldwide. If you’re looking for personal cloud storage where you can upload documents and images, then Google Drive is for you. It comes with 15 GB of cloud storage and it is entirely free. Additional space is available at a price. Although Google Drive is not designed to continuously back up your files, it can still help you sync files from different devices and perform manual backups. Read Review
- ⦿Excellent free version
- ⦿Easy-to-use interface
- ⦿Low prices
Our review includes only the best cloud storage deals on the market, and pCloud tops the list. Thanks to its generous lifetime subscription models, instant synchronization across multiple devices, and useful tools for team collaboration, pCloud has a large cadre of satisfied clients all around the world. Business users choose this provider because it offers high-level protection tools. In addition to 256-bit encryption, pCloud secures client data from equipment failure by storing copies on three servers. The company’s pCloud Crypto encryption plug-in provides even more data security. Read Review
- ⦿Several layers of protection
- ⦿Multiple file sharing options
- ⦿Automatically syncs files across multiple devices
If you’re looking for the best cloud photo storage service, look no further. Although OneDrive comes from Microsoft, it allows users to upload files from Macs, iPhones, Linux PCs, and Android devices and synchronize them instantly. OneDrive leverages the latest AI technology to help you organize and search your photos. In addition to the powerful photo app, OneDrive’s cloud-based storage integrates with Office 365. Whichever pricing plan you choose, you’ll get Microsoft tools and apps that help organize workflow efficiently. Read Review
- ⦿Mobile apps for Android and iOS
- ⦿Integrates with Microsoft 365
- ⦿Responsive customer support
iCloud Drive is OneDrive’s counterpart in the Apple ecosystem. Like OneDrive, it welcomes users with 5 GB of free cloud space that you can upgrade anytime. Unlike other cloud storage and sharing systems, iCloud Drive is effectively limited to Apple devices despite the existence of client software for Windows PCs. Read Review
- ⦿Photo features
- ⦿Easy to use
- ⦿Integration with Apple apps
If you’re looking for the best unlimited cloud storage solution for storing and protecting business data, Mega could be a great choice. Its business plan includes unlimited cloud storage and unlimited bandwidth for €10 (about $11.40) per user per month. Moreover, this is one of the most secure cloud storage systems. You can rest assured that your data is safe and protected with the latest security technology. Read Review
- ⦿Several layers of security
- ⦿Privacy features
- ⦿Intuitive interface
Whether you’re looking for the best cloud storage for a small business or a large enterprise, Zoolz Cloud Backup is worth considering. This robust service lets you protect an unlimited number of computers, mobile devices, NAS devices, and servers. Zoolz backup allows you to set schedules and do incremental backups on selected files. Moreover, it comes with a powerful management tool. Read Review
- ⦿High capacity
- ⦿Scheduled backups
- ⦿Comprehensive management tools
Dropbox is a well-known cloud storage and file-sync service. It is compatible with all types of devices and very easy to install. For a long time, it was known as the best cloud storage for photographers. It has recently become more popular among teams and businesses. Thanks to its great collaboration tools, dashboard, and terabytes of cloud storage, Dropbox has a growing community of users all over the world. Read Review
- ⦿Drag-and-drop system
- ⦿Transfer up to 100 GB of files
- ⦿Compatible with all devices
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Methodology
Before we present our evaluations of individual cloud storage options, we’re going to outline the criteria we use to rate them. This section of the review can help you in two ways.
First, it will tell you what features we consider important so you understand our ratings better and can make mental adjustments based on your company and its needs. Second, it represents a framework that you can use when evaluating cloud storage services that are not on our list.
In this section we tell you exactly what features we consider important in a cloud storage and backup system - and why.
Storage Space
The first thing we had in mind when choosing cloud storage for music, videos, and documents is the amount of space you get to store and protect your files.
All providers offer a certain amount of free storage. However, even if you use the most generous free plan, you will eventually need additional storage for your business.
Prices rise along with capacity. On our list you will find vendors with paid storage plans ranging from 50 GB to multiple terabytes. A couple of vendors even promise unlimited storage of appropriate materials.
Free plans are enough for most home users. They let you store everything you need. But if you have a large and growing video library, you may need an upgrade to get enough online video storage to hold your collection.
In general, businesses need even more storage. And once they find out how convenient it is to protect, share, and back up data on the cloud, their needs will keep growing.
User Experience
The next criteria: functionality and usability.
Most companies offer web interfaces or desktop clients that are compatible with all the important operating systems - iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux - but a few clearly favor particular ecosystems. (We’re looking at you, iCloud.)
Unsurprisingly, Google Drive turns out to be the best cloud storage for Android.
We think it’s important to check everything related to user experience: from how easy it is to install and set up a system to whether the storage space allows you to undelete data that you have accidentally erased.
Some of the solutions we’ve evaluated come with simple drag-and-drop interfaces for uploading files to the cloud. Others are robust file management and backup platforms that allow you to connect external drives, manage user accounts, and schedule backups. We favor dashboards and administrative consoles that are simple enough for even managers to use.
Security and Privacy
Anyone who has ever used one of the market’s many cloud storage options knows that the cloud can be the best and safest place to secure valuable data that is otherwise vulnerable to computer crashes, viruses, and cyber attacks.
But what happens to your data when you store it in the cloud? Is it safe there, protected from crashes and hackers?
Thankfully, it is - much safer than on your staff’s PCs and smartphones, anyway.
All cloud providers employ 256-bit encryption to protect files as they are uploaded and downloaded. Most allow you to store data in encrypted form on their cloud servers. As an extra layer of security, you can require two-factor authentication for access to prevent unauthorized access, even if your password has been hacked.
When you choose a cloud and backup service for your company, it’s not just your vacation pictures that are at risk.
It’s your company’s strategic plans, your private communications, your payroll and personnel records - the sensitive information that allows your company to remain in business. No cloud service makes our list without convincing us that it takes data security seriously.
Sync and Sharing
PCs are great, but sometimes figuring out whose hard drive holds an urgently needed document is like participating in a scavenger hunt.
The use of personal mobile devices in business makes it even worse.
One benefit of cloud storage is that it brings all of your company’s data together in one place where it can be organized, shared appropriately, and backed up deliberately.
From photo cloud storage to document management, cloud storage helps ensure that the data you need is where you can find it whenever you need it.
Modern cloud storage supports heterogeneous data sources and automated synchronization across all connected devices. When you load the text for a marketing campaign from the cloud, you can be sure that it’s the latest iteration - and that everyone on your conference call is looking at the same version.
This data synchronization feature is one of the most important reasons businesses use cloud file storage systems. They help managers organize work, boost productivity, and solve problems faster.
Backup Features
Cloud storage is primarily designed to store and synchronize data in the cloud, not to back up files at regular intervals.
However, some of the providers on our list provide software for setting up scheduled backups of hard drives or selected folders. This could be a crucial feature when choosing which cloud storage is best.
Price
It would be great to purchase all these features at an affordable price. But cheap cloud storage usually comes with limited space, a limited number of users, and limited capabilities. Our advice: Read our reviews and see which company’s services suit you and your company best.
Maybe you don’t need unlimited storage, but reliable offsite backup would help you breathe easier. Maybe you need a big shared directory where employees can store the files they collaborate on. Maybe security is a key concern, or you need a reliable place to store sensitive data. Some providers offer lifetime cloud storage for a reasonable price, which might be exactly what you need.
The Best Cloud Storage for 2022:
- IDrive
- Google Drive
- pCloud
- OneDrive
- iCloud Drive
- Mega
- Zoolz Cloud Backup
- Dropbox

The Best Cloud Storage Services - Reviews
IDrive Review
EXCELLENT
GOOD
EXCELLENT
- ⦿ Photo recognition app
- ⦿ IDrive Express for large full backups
- ⦿ 30 days of data history kept online
Google Drive Review
GOOD
EXCELLENT
EXCELLENT
- ⦿ Integration with third-party applications
- ⦿ Backup and Sync
- ⦿ Advanced search options
pCloud Review
EXCELLENT
GOOD
GOOD
- ⦿ GOOD
- ⦿ Set customized file permissions
- ⦿ Sync photos and videos from mobile devices
OneDrive Review
EXCELLENT
EXCELLENT
EXCELLENT
- ⦿ AI recognition engine
- ⦿ Automated synchronization
- ⦿ Manual file backups
iCloud Drive Review
FAIR
EXCELLENT
GOOD
- ⦿ Affordable pricing
- ⦿ Easy-to-use interface
- ⦿ 2FA
Mega Review
EXCELLENT
EXCELLENT
EXCELLENT
- ⦿ MEGAchat feature
- ⦿ End-to-end encryption
- ⦿ Fast uploads and downloads
Zoolz Cloud Backup Review
EXCELLENT
EXCELLENT
EXCELLENT
- ⦿ 24/7 technical support
- ⦿ BigMind
- ⦿ Full control over bandwidth
Dropbox Review
GOOD
EXCELLENT
EXCELLENT
- ⦿ Sync Smart
- ⦿ Dropbox paper
- ⦿ Admin dashboard for business users
Almost all modern cloud storage providers give a decent amount of cloud storage free to all users. The best free cloud storage you’ll find today is from Google Drive or Mega. These providers offer up to 15 GB of free cloud storage.
IDrive is the best option if you want to save and synchronize photos from multiple devices. You can do bulk uploads too, and the uploading and downloading process is smooth and fast. The system leverages a facial recognition option, so organizing and finding photos is a breeze. There are also options to invite other users to collaborate and edit photos with the permission of the administrator.
Our favorite is definitely Google Drive. Its first-tier pricing plan costs only $1.99 for 100 GB of cloud storage.
Generally, yes. It might be one of the safest ways to protect your files. The alternative is to save them on external hard drives or USBs, but this technology needs to be checked and updated regularly. When it comes to cloud storage, the biggest concern is whether your files are protected from third-party access, cyberattacks, and viruses. All reliable cloud storage providers protect data transfer with end-to-end encryption, while most use 2FA and personal keys as extra layers of protection. In our cloud storage comparison chart, you can see which security measures are implemented by each provider on our list. In general, more security is always better.
The price of cloud storage varies quite a lot depending on several factors. The first is the amount of space you want. Second is the number of users and devices. Third, the availability of additional features like collaboration tools, extra security measures, productivity tools, and real-time backup. These tools transform cloud storage from extra hard disk space to a strategic asset for your company.
It depends on your needs. If you’re not sure which company offers services that are most suitable for you, you can read our reviews and choose from the providers from our list.