10 Best Cheap Cloud Storage of 2026

This list is for people who want the most storage for the least money and are comparing price per terabyte, one-time lifetime plans and free tiers. We compared documented features and published prices on each vendor's own site in November 2026. Rankozo weights value at 40%, features at 35% and ease of use at 25%. Starting prices are the cheapest paid personal plan per month in USD. Four vendors showed only euros or zloty from our location, so their prices are marked pending and we describe their plans without a USD figure.

1. 01Top value

   

   Icedrive

   8.8/10

   Gibraltar-based cloud drive with cheap yearly plans, lifetime options and client-side Twofish encryption.

   Price

   $2.99per month for 100 GB, first year on yearly billing

   Free 10 GB plan; Pro 100 GB from $2.99 per month and Pro 2 TB $6.29 per month on yearly billing in the first year ($75.52), normally $8.99; lifetime 500 GB $229

   “100 GB $2.99/mo POPULAR 2 TB $6.29/mo 5 TB $11.89/mo 10 TB $20.99/mo” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   9.4

   Features (35%)

   8.4

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.5

   Best forBudget buyers who want 2 TB or more at a low price, with encryption included.

   Icedrive is the cheapest consumer drive we could verify in USD once you look at price per terabyte. Its plans page shows 100 GB at $2.99 a month, 2 TB at $6.29, 5 TB at $11.89 and 10 TB at $20.99 on yearly billing with 30% off the first year. The 2 TB plan is billed $75.52 for that year and is normally $8.99 a month, so the regular cost is about $4.50 per TB. Paid plans include client-side Twofish encryption, where files are encrypted on your device before upload, plus version history, file requests and protected public links with passwords and expiry dates. The Pro 2 TB plan lists 90 days of file versioning and a 1 TB monthly public share quota. Buyers who dislike renewals can pick a lifetime plan instead: 500 GB for $229 or 2 TB for $499 as one payment. The free 10 GB account is a fair trial, but it has no encryption and no file history, and the Docs editors are not out yet.

   • ✓Lowest verified first-year price per TB among consumer drives here
   • ✓Paid plans include encryption at no extra cost
   • ✓30-day money-back guarantee on subscriptions and lifetime plans

   • ✕The 30% discount covers only the first year
   • ✕Free plan has no encryption and no file history
   • ✕Icedrive Docs is still listed as coming soon

   Free storage:

   10 GB

   2 TB plan:

   $6.29 a month first year, normally $8.99

   Lifetime:

   500 GB $229, 2 TB $499

   Refunds:

   30 days

   Bottom line: Icedrive gives the most storage per dollar among the consumer drives we could price in USD. Take the yearly 2 TB plan for low running costs or a lifetime plan if you want no renewals.

   Visit icedrive.net ↗

2. 02

   

   pCloud

   8.7/10

   Swiss cloud storage known for lifetime plans, built-in media players and photo and document tools.

   Price

   Free plan

   See vendor pricing (USD check pending)

   US price check pending. Vendor pricing page

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   8.8

   Features (35%)

   8.8

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.4

   Best forBuyers who want to pay once for storage from a long-running provider.

   pCloud is the classic choice for a lifetime cloud storage deal. Its pricing page offers monthly, annual and lifetime billing, with lifetime sizes of 500 GB on Premium, 2 TB on Premium Plus and 10 TB on Ultra, plus a bundle that adds encryption and the pCloud Pass password manager. Every Premium plan includes pCloud Photos, which shows photos in a timeline or on a map, and pCloud Docs, with six editors for documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDFs, text and markdown. pCloud says it accepts files of any size with unrestricted transfer speeds, keeps previous versions and recovers data from up to 30 days ago, and it has a built-in music and video player that suits media libraries. The company says more than 24 million people have used it. The catch is that zero-knowledge encryption is not part of the standard plans; it is sold as pCloud Encryption. Prices loaded in euros from our location, so we could not confirm a USD figure, and the refund window is only 14 days.

   • ✓The widest choice of lifetime sizes on this list, up to 10 TB
   • ✓Uploads of any file size with no speed limits stated
   • ✓Family Plan shares one purchase with up to 5 users

   • ✕Client-side encryption is a separate add-on, not included in Premium plans
   • ✕Only a 14-day money-back window
   • ✕Prices showed in euros from our location, so USD is unconfirmed

   Lifetime sizes:

   500 GB, 2 TB, 10 TB

   Users:

   24+ million, per pCloud

   Family plan:

   Up to 5 users

   Refunds:

   14 days

   Bottom line: pCloud is the best pick for buyers who want a lifetime plan with mature apps and media tools. Check the USD price at checkout and add encryption if you need it.

   Visit pcloud.com ↗

3. 03

   

   MEGA

   8.6/10

   End-to-end encrypted cloud storage with a 20 GB free plan and Pro plans up to 20 TB.

   Price

   Free plan

   See vendor pricing (USD check pending)

   US price check pending. Vendor pricing page

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   9.1

   Features (35%)

   8.4

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.0

   Best forBuyers who want the largest free tier or the lowest price on very large plans.

   MEGA is the strongest option here for free storage and for very large accounts. Its free plan gives 20 GB with limited transfer, more than any other service on this list. Paid plans step up from Essential with 200 GB through Pro Lite with 750 GB, Pro I with 3 TB and Pro II with 10 TB to Pro III with 20 TB of storage and 240 TB of transfer. MEGA states that files are end-to-end encrypted and that only you hold the keys, and paid plans bundle MEGA VPN and the MEGA Pass password manager. On its own comparison MEGA lists €1.25 per TB per month based on the Pro III yearly plan, which is the lowest per-TB figure any vendor here publishes for a consumer drive. Pro Flexi suits uneven needs: a 3 TB base at €15 a month, then €3.50 per extra TB. The page notes that you will be charged in euros for all transactions, so USD buyers should expect a currency conversion, and every plan has a transfer quota.

   • ✓Biggest free storage allowance on this list
   • ✓MEGA cites €1.25 per TB per month on its Pro III yearly plan
   • ✓VPN and password manager bundled with paid plans

   • ✕Transfer is limited on the free plan and capped on Pro plans
   • ✕All transactions are charged in euros
   • ✕No USD price confirmed from our location

   Free storage:

   20 GB

   Largest Pro plan:

   20 TB storage, 240 TB transfer

   Pro Flexi:

   €15 a month for 3 TB, then €3.50 per extra TB

   Billing currency:

   Euros

   Bottom line: MEGA is the best free cloud storage on the list and very cheap per TB at the top end. Watch the transfer quota if you share large files often.

   Visit mega.io ↗

4. 04

   

   iCloud+

   8.5/10

   Apple's paid iCloud storage with privacy extras, from 50 GB to 12 TB.

   Price

   $0.99per month for 50 GB

   Free 5 GB; iCloud+ 50 GB $0.99, 200 GB $2.99, 2 TB $9.99, 6 TB $29.99 and 12 TB $59.99 per month in the US

   “United States 4 (USD) $0.99 $2.99 $9.99 $29.99 $59.99” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   8.8

   Features (35%)

   7.8

   Ease of use (25%)

   9.0

   Best foriPhone, iPad and Mac owners who want backups that just work.

   iCloud+ is the cheapest way into paid storage on this list and a sensible buy for anyone with Apple devices. Apple's US price table lists 50 GB for $0.99 a month, 200 GB for $2.99, 2 TB for $9.99, 6 TB for $29.99 and 12 TB for $59.99. From 2 TB up, that is a flat $5 per TB, cheaper than most consumer drives at their regular price, though not as cheap as Icedrive's first year. Every Apple account gets 5 GB free, and every iCloud+ plan adds iCloud Private Relay, Hide My Email, a custom email domain and Apple Invites. HomeKit Secure Video recording support grows with the plan, from one camera on 50 GB to an unlimited number on 2 TB and larger. Each plan can be shared with up to five other family members, which makes the 2 TB tier good value for a household. The limits are the small free tier, the lack of yearly or lifetime pricing, and fewer tools for people who live on Windows or Android.

   • ✓Lowest paid entry price we confirmed, $0.99 a month
   • ✓2 TB and larger plans work out to $5 per TB
   • ✓Built into iPhone, iPad and Mac backups

   • ✕Only 5 GB free
   • ✕Limited tools on Windows and Android compared with cross-platform drives
   • ✕No lifetime or yearly discount listed

   Free storage:

   5 GB

   Cheapest plan:

   50 GB for $0.99 a month

   Largest plan:

   12 TB for $59.99 a month

   Family sharing:

   Up to five other family members

   Bottom line: iCloud+ is the easy, low-cost pick for Apple households, starting at $0.99 a month. The 2 TB family-shared plan is the best value tier.

   Visit apple.com ↗

5. 05

   

   Google Drive (Google One)

   8.4/10

   Google's storage plans that expand the space shared by Drive, Gmail and Google Photos.

   Price

   Free plan

   See vendor pricing (USD check pending)

   US price check pending. Vendor pricing page

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   8.2

   Features (35%)

   8.2

   Ease of use (25%)

   9.0

   Best forAndroid and Gmail users who want more space without a new app.

   Google One is the default upgrade for anyone whose Gmail or Google Photos is nearly full. Google states that every account comes with up to 15 GB, and that this space counts toward the total of each paid plan. The plans page lists Basic with 100 GB, Google AI Plus with 2 TB and Google AI Pro with 5 TB, and each one can be shared with up to 5 others. Annual billing saves up to 16% over monthly. The upside is convenience: the storage works across Drive, Gmail and Photos with nothing new to install, and Android phones back up to it by default. The downside for budget buyers is that the 2 TB and 5 TB tiers are now packaged with Gemini AI features, so you pay for an AI plan to get the larger storage. Prices loaded in Polish zloty from our location, so we could not confirm the USD amounts, and Google offers no lifetime option.

   • ✓Generous 15 GB free tier
   • ✓Storage covers Drive, Gmail and Photos together
   • ✓Family sharing on every paid plan

   • ✕Larger plans are bundled with Gemini AI features you may not need
   • ✕Free 15 GB is shared with Gmail and Photos
   • ✕Prices showed in zloty from our location

   Free storage:

   Up to 15 GB

   Plans:

   100 GB, 2 TB, 5 TB

   Sharing:

   Up to 5 others

   Annual saving:

   Up to 16%

   Bottom line: Google One is the simplest upgrade for Android and Gmail users, with the most generous free tier among the big platforms. Budget buyers who only want storage may find better per-TB value elsewhere.

   Visit google.com ↗

6. 06

   

   Microsoft OneDrive

   8.3/10

   Microsoft's cloud drive, sold alone at 100 GB or with Office apps and 1 TB.

   Price

   $1.99per month for 100 GB

   Free 5 GB; Microsoft 365 Basic 100 GB $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year; Personal 1 TB $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year; Family up to 6 TB $129.99 per year

   “Or buy at $1.99 per month” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   8.2

   Features (35%)

   8.4

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.2

   Best forWindows users who also want Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

   OneDrive is the cheap choice when you also need Microsoft Office. Its US comparison page lists Microsoft 365 Basic at $19.99 a year or $1.99 a month for 100 GB of cloud storage and 100 GB of mailbox storage, with ad-free Outlook. Microsoft 365 Personal costs $99.99 a year or $9.99 a month and adds 1 TB of storage and the Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote desktop apps. Microsoft 365 Family costs $129.99 a year for up to six people, each with 1 TB, so up to 6 TB in total. That family price works out to about $1.81 per TB per month if all six seats are used, one of the lowest figures here. The free tier, Microsoft 365 Free, gives 5 GB of cloud storage. For storage alone the value is weaker: no plan gives one person more than 1 TB, and the Personal price includes apps a storage-only buyer will not use.

   • ✓Basic costs $19.99 a year for 100 GB
   • ✓1 TB plans include Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
   • ✓Family plan covers up to six people

   • ✕Storage tops out at 1 TB per person
   • ✕Paying for Office apps raises the price if you only want storage
   • ✕Only 5 GB free

   Free storage:

   5 GB

   Basic:

   100 GB, $19.99 a year

   Personal:

   1 TB, $99.99 a year

   Family:

   Up to 6 TB, $129.99 a year

   Bottom line: OneDrive is the best value for households that want Office apps and storage together. If you only need space, cheaper per-TB options sit higher on this list.

   Visit microsoft.com ↗

7. 07

   

   Proton Drive

   8.1/10

   End-to-end encrypted cloud drive from the company behind Proton Mail and Proton VPN.

   Price

   $2.49per month for 200 GB, billed $29.88 for 12 months

   Free 5 GB; Drive Plus 200 GB $2.49 per month for the first year ($29.88), regularly $4.99; Proton Unlimited 500 GB $6.49; Proton Duo 2 TB $14.99

   “Drive Plus 200 GB $4.99 $2.49 /month” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   7.8

   Features (35%)

   8.6

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.0

   Best forPrivacy-first buyers who need modest storage and want encryption by default.

   Proton Drive is the privacy pick for people with a few hundred gigabytes to store. The free plan gives 5 GB with no credit card and includes the online document and spreadsheet editors, all protected by end-to-end encryption. Drive Plus adds 200 GB for $2.49 a month on a yearly plan, billed $29.88 for 12 months, against a regular $4.99. It also keeps previous file versions for 10 years, far longer than most rivals. Proton Unlimited raises storage to 500 GB for $6.49 a month and bundles Proton VPN, Mail, Calendar and Pass, and Proton Duo gives 2 TB for two users at $14.99. Every paid plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee. For pure price per TB Proton is weaker than Icedrive or iCloud+, because the cheap plan is capped at 200 GB and terabyte storage comes only inside bundles. Buyers who already pay for another Proton product get more out of it.

   • ✓Encryption on every plan, including free
   • ✓Long version history on paid plans
   • ✓30-day money-back guarantee

   • ✕Drive Plus stops at 200 GB
   • ✕2 TB needs the Proton Duo bundle at $14.99 a month
   • ✕Discount applies to the first billing period

   Free storage:

   5 GB

   Drive Plus:

   200 GB, $2.49 a month on yearly billing

   Version history:

   10 years on Drive Plus

   Refunds:

   30 days

   Bottom line: Proton Drive is the best low-cost encrypted drive for modest storage needs. Look elsewhere if you need several terabytes cheaply.

   Visit proton.me ↗

8. 08

   

   Internxt

   7.9/10

   Open-source, zero-knowledge cloud storage with annual and lifetime plans.

   Price

   Free plan

   See vendor pricing (USD check pending)

   US price check pending. Vendor pricing page

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   8.0

   Features (35%)

   7.8

   Ease of use (25%)

   7.8

   Best forPrivacy buyers who want a lifetime plan with open-source apps.

   Internxt is a younger, privacy-focused alternative for buyers who want to pay once. Its pricing page offers annual and lifetime billing, and the lifetime tiers are Essential with 1 TB, Premium with 2 TB and Ultimate with 5 TB. Internxt says files are end-to-end encrypted with zero-knowledge AES-256 before leaving your device, lists post-quantum encryption on every plan, and publishes its code on GitHub. It also cites an audit by the penetration testing firm Securitum. Plans include apps for Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, plus CLI, WebDAV, NAS and Rclone support, which helps people who back up from a home server. Bundled extras include antivirus, a cleaner, Meet and VPN locations that grow with the plan. The limits are clear on the page: file size caps of 10 GB, 50 GB and 100 GB, trash retention of 7, 14 or 30 days, and a free plan of only 1 GB. Prices showed in euros from our location, so the USD price is pending.

   • ✓Code is published on GitHub for review
   • ✓Lifetime plans include antivirus, VPN locations and a cleaner
   • ✓30-day money-back guarantee

   • ✕Free plan is only 1 GB
   • ✕File size limit of 10 GB per file on the Essential plan
   • ✕Prices showed in euros from our location

   Free storage:

   1 GB

   Lifetime sizes:

   1 TB, 2 TB, 5 TB

   Trash retention:

   7 to 30 days by plan

   Refunds:

   30 days

   Bottom line: Internxt suits privacy buyers who want an open-source drive on a lifetime plan. Check the per-file size limit before picking the 1 TB tier.

   Visit internxt.com ↗

9. 09

   

   Sync.com

   7.7/10

   End-to-end encrypted cloud storage with 1 TB, 5 TB and unlimited personal plans.

   Price

   $9per month for 1 TB, billed $108 for the first year

   Personal 1 TB $9 per month billed annually ($108 first year), regularly $12; Solo 5 TB $21; Personal Unlimited $33.75; first-year promotional prices

   “Personal 1TB Perfect for personal use and essential storage 25% off for 1 year $16 $12 25% off for 1 year $12 $9” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   7.0

   Features (35%)

   8.2

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.2

   Best forBuyers who want encrypted storage with no capacity cap.

   Sync.com is an encrypted drive that makes most sense at the high end. Its individual pricing page lists Personal 1 TB at $9 a month on yearly billing, $108 for the first year, after 25% off a regular $12, or $12 a month on monthly billing. Solo 5 TB is $21 a month on yearly billing and adds custom branding, and Personal Unlimited is $33.75 a month on yearly billing with no capacity limit and 365-day file recovery. Sync states that annual prices are monthly equivalents and that promotional pricing applies for the first year, then plans renew at the regular price. At 1 TB that is the weakest per-TB value on this list, roughly double iCloud+ 2 TB. The Solo plan is better at $4.20 per TB in year one, and the Unlimited plan suits people with very large archives, though Sync notes that upload speed management may apply beyond 10 TB. The individual pricing page lists only paid plans.

   • ✓Personal Unlimited has no capacity limit
   • ✓End-to-end encryption on personal plans
   • ✓Monthly and yearly billing

   • ✕Highest price per TB at the 1 TB level on this list
   • ✕Prices rise to the regular rate after the first year
   • ✕Upload speed management may apply beyond 10 TB on Unlimited

   1 TB plan:

   $9 a month yearly, first year

   5 TB plan:

   $21 a month yearly, first year

   Unlimited:

   $33.75 a month yearly, first year

   Renewal:

   Regular price after year one

   Bottom line: Sync.com is worth it for encrypted storage at 5 TB or more, or for an unlimited plan. At 1 TB, cheaper options rank higher here.

   Visit sync.com ↗

10. 10

    

    Backblaze B2

    7.3/10

    S3-compatible object storage billed per terabyte, used with backup tools, NAS devices and apps.

    Price

    $6.95per TB per month, pay as you go

    Pay as you go from $6.95 per TB per month, billed on storage used; free egress up to 3x average monthly storage

    “Starts at $ 6.95 / TB / mo” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

    Free plan

    No

    Value (40%)

    8.8

    Features (35%)

    6.8

    Ease of use (25%)

    5.6

    Best forTechnical users who back up a NAS or server and want the lowest pay-as-you-go rate.

    Backblaze B2 is not a consumer drive, but it belongs on a price-per-terabyte list. Its pricing page shows B2 starting at $6.95 per TB per month, billed on the data stored per byte-hour over the month, so 500 GB costs about half that and there are no fixed plan sizes to outgrow. Egress is free up to 3x your average monthly storage and $0.01 per GB beyond that. Backblaze lists no minimum file size or storage duration fees, and Class A, B and C API calls are free for pay-as-you-go customers. Because B2 is S3-compatible, it works with backup software, NAS devices and tools such as Rclone, which is how most home users reach it. That is also its weakness for this audience: there is no photo app, no phone backup and no sync client from Backblaze for B2, so setup takes some technical comfort. Annual capacity commitments and volume discounts are available for larger users.

    • ✓Pay only for what you store, with no fixed tiers
    • ✓No minimum storage duration fees
    • ✓Works with many backup and NAS tools

    • ✕No consumer sync app of its own
    • ✕Egress beyond 3x storage costs $0.01 per GB
    • ✕Needs technical setup with third-party software

    Storage rate:

    $6.95 per TB per month

    Free egress:

    Up to 3x average monthly storage

    Extra egress:

    $0.01 per GB

    API:

    S3-compatible

    Bottom line: Backblaze B2 is the cheapest flexible per-TB storage for people comfortable with backup tools. Most consumers will find a drive with apps easier.

    Visit backblaze.com ↗

Questions or corrections: editorial@rankozo.comSee our disclosure. Prices change; confirm on the vendor page before buying.