Most CloudPlans visitors are comparing cloud hosting. If that is you, start on the hosting table →. Otherwise, keep reading — the storage comparison is checked monthly with the same rules.
Cloud storage plans compared: every provider, every price.
The full table with 2 TB tiers, annual pricing, family plans, and the fine print. Human-checked against each provider’s own pricing page.
Answer, first
Most people pay $9.99 a month for 2 TB: iCloud+, Google One 2 TB and Dropbox Plus (yearly billing) all sit at that price. Free tiers run from 2 GB at Dropbox to 15 GB at Google. The cheapest per terabyte we verified is IDrive Personal, 5 TB for $6.99 a month in the first year on yearly billing. For automatic computer backup, Backblaze is $99 a year with no storage limit.
✓ Prices checked October 23, 2026
| Provider | Free plan | Entry paid | 2 TB class | Family | The catch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google One | 15 GB | $1.99/mo (Basic 100 GB) | $9.99/mo (Google One 2 TB) | Share with up to 5 others | Free tier shared with Gmail + Photos | See current price → |
| iCloud+ | 5 GB | $0.99/mo (50 GB) | $9.99/mo (2 TB) | Share with up to 5 others | Weaker Windows client | See current price → |
| Microsoft 365 / OneDrive | 5 GB | $1.99/mo or $19.99/yr (Basic 100 GB) | Personal 1 TB, $99.99/yr | Family $129.99/yr, up to 6 people | Bundles Office apps; confirm Family storage at checkout | See current price → |
| Dropbox | 2 GB | $9.99/mo yearly (Plus 2 TB) | $9.99/mo yearly or $11.99/mo monthly (Plus 2 TB) | Family: 2 TB shared by up to 6 | Smallest free tier | See current price → |
| IDrive | 10 GB | $0.25/mo billed yearly (Mini 100 GB) | $6.99/mo billed yearly, first year (Personal 5 TB) | See current plans | First-year discount; standard price from year two | See current price → |
| pCloud | Up to 10 GB | $219 lifetime (500 GB, sale; list $279) | $499 lifetime (2 TB, sale; list $709) | Family lifetime, up to 5 accounts | Encryption is a paid add-on | See current price → |
| Backblaze | None (free trial) | $9/mo or $99/yr, unlimited backup | Unlimited (backup) | Personal Backup plan | Backup only, not a shared drive | See current price → |
| Sync.com | 5 GB | $9/mo billed yearly, first year (Personal 1 TB) | $21/mo billed yearly, first year (Solo 5 TB) | 1 user per personal plan | First-year promo; renews at the regular price | See current price → |
| Mega | See current plan | See current price | See current price | See current plans | Pricing page did not load in our October 23 check | See current price → |
| Proton Drive | 5 GB | $4.99/mo monthly (Drive Plus 200 GB) | $19.99/mo monthly (Proton Duo 2 TB, 2 users); less on a 12-month plan | $29.99/mo monthly (Family 3 TB, 6 users) | End-to-end encrypted; cheaper on 12-month billing | See current price → |
| Amazon Photos | See current plan | See current price | See current price | See current plans | Photo-first, not a general drive | See current price → |
| Box | 10 GB | $10/mo (Personal Pro 100 GB) | Unlimited via Business, $15/user/mo, 3-user minimum | Business team plans only | Enterprise-first; individual tier is capped | See current price → |
| Icedrive | 10 GB | $9.99/mo billed yearly ($119.88/yr) or $12.99/mo monthly (Pro 3 TB) | $499 lifetime (2 TB, sale; list $749) | Lifetime 500 GB, $229 (sale) | Smaller brand; lifetime prices shown are sale prices | See current price → |
Storage or backup, decide before you compare
Cloud storage is a drive in the sky you organize yourself: you drag files in, share what you want, and see the same folders on every device. Google One, iCloud+, OneDrive, Dropbox, pCloud, and Sync.com are storage products.
Cloud backup is different. It automatically copies everything on your computer to a separate cloud and lets you restore your machine after a crash. Backblaze and IDrive are backup-first. Pick the wrong one and the price comparisons stop meaning anything.
The per-terabyte math
Most personal buyers land on a 2 TB plan. Here is what each verified plan costs per terabyte per month, checked October 23, 2026.
- iCloud+ 2 TB: $9.99/mo, about $5.00 per TB
- Google One 2 TB: $9.99/mo, about $5.00 per TB
- Dropbox Plus 2 TB: $9.99/mo on yearly billing ($11.99 monthly), about $5.00 to $6.00 per TB
- Sync.com Solo 5 TB: $21/mo on yearly billing in the first year, about $4.20 per TB
- IDrive Personal 5 TB: $6.99/mo on yearly billing in the first year, about $1.40 per TB, the cheapest verified storage in the table
- pCloud Premium Plus 2 TB lifetime: $499 one time at the sale price, break-even against $9.99/mo at about month 50
Microsoft 365 Family costs $129.99 a year for up to six people and includes the Office apps. Microsoft’s own plan page listed the Family storage two different ways when we checked on October 23, so confirm the amount at checkout if you are buying it mainly for storage.
Free tiers: what fills them and when to jump
Free tiers are real, but they are also a funnel. The catches to know before you commit:
- Google One’s 15 GB free tier is shared with Gmail and Google Photos. Email attachments and high-quality photo uploads eat it fastest.
- Dropbox’s 2 GB free plan is a trial in practice: one phone backup will finish it.
- iCloud’s 5 GB free tier includes iPhone backups, which is why Apple users are the first to hit the upgrade prompt.
- IDrive’s 10 GB free tier is a genuine long-term free plan if you only need it for a few small folders.
Lifetime plans, break-even math
pCloud’s lifetime plans sit outside the subscription frame: one payment, storage for the life of the company. At $499 for 2 TB lifetime (the sale price on October 23; list is $709) versus $9.99/month for iCloud+ or Dropbox Plus 2 TB, break-even is about 50 months, or a little over four years. If you plan to stay in the same 2 TB tier for five years or more, the math favours the lifetime plan. At the $709 list price, break-even stretches to about six years. Provider longevity is the risk on the other side.
Privacy tier: zero-knowledge by default
Zero-knowledge encryption means the provider cannot read your files, even if compelled. Sync.com applies it to your whole account by default. pCloud offers it through a paid Crypto add-on. Google Drive, iCloud, OneDrive, and Dropbox can technically read your files. If that distinction matters to you, the two names to shortlist are Sync.com and pCloud with Crypto.
Common questions
What is the cheapest cloud storage plan?
By verified per-TB math, IDrive Personal 5 TB at $6.99 a month (yearly billing, first year) is the cheapest storage plan in the table. From the second year it moves to IDrive’s standard price, which was $9.99 a month when we checked.
Is lifetime cloud storage legit?
pCloud’s lifetime plans are one payment, storage for the life of the company. At the $499 sale price for 2 TB, break-even against a $9.99/month subscription comes at about month 50. If you plan to stay in the same tier for five years or more, the math favours it. Provider longevity is the risk on the other side.
How much is 2 TB of cloud storage per month?
$9.99 a month at iCloud+, Google (Google One 2 TB) and Dropbox Plus on yearly billing. Dropbox Plus is $11.99 a month if you pay monthly.
Which cloud storage plans are free?
Google gives 15 GB free. IDrive, Box and Icedrive give 10 GB, and pCloud gives up to 10 GB. iCloud, OneDrive, Proton Drive and Sync.com give 5 GB. Dropbox gives 2 GB.
How much does cloud backup cost?
Backblaze Personal Backup is $9 a month or $99 a year with no storage limit. IDrive Personal backs up to 5 TB for $6.99 a month on yearly billing in the first year.
Can I use cloud storage as a backup?
Not the same way an actual backup product works. Storage products sync files you organize, backup products copy your whole computer so you can restore it after a crash. Backblaze and IDrive are backup-first, everything else in the table is storage-first.
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