Cheap Cloud Storage 2025: Who Has the Best Value for Money?

Which cloud storage is the cheapest? It depends on how much storage space you need and which features you can't live without.

We've crunched the numbers and found the best cloud storage options that offer the most value for money. We'll also reveal which providers are cheapest based on your storage needs.

First things first: There's no such thing as the cheapest cloud storage option because plans and storage packages differ greatly between providers. Some services offer the best prices for small amounts of storage, while others become cost-effective only when you need lots of space in the cloud.

To help you choose, we compared the costs of popular cloud storage providers for common amounts of storage. As you'll see, identifying the cheapest provider depends on how much storage you need:

Cost isn't everything, though. Features matter too: If the storage is cheap but important features are missing or need to be purchased separately, you might end up paying more than with a cloud storage that has slightly higher base prices but includes them.

We've prepared a list of providers that we think offer the best value for money and/or particularly low costs:

MEGA* (short for "Mega Encrypted Global Access") is a cloud storage service from New Zealand with more than 300 million registered users.

One reason for its popularity is its generous free plan: Every MEGA user gets 20 GB of free storage - more than any other cloud storage service in our comparison. MEGA also offers competitive prices for larger storage needs (2 TB and more).

However, if you need more than 20 GB but less than 2 TB, MEGA might not give you the most bang for your buck: Since it doesn't have a budget-friendly starter plan, you'll end up paying for storage you don't need.

MEGA stands out for more than just pricing. By combining solid security standards, strong performance, and user-friendly design, it finished first in our cloud storage comparison.

A key advantage MEGA has over many other cloud storage services is its built-in end-to-end encryption: All data is encrypted on your device before reaching MEGA's servers, meaning even MEGA can't access your files - unlike Google or Microsoft.

In our performance tests, MEGA also earned top scores for its fast upload and download speeds during synchronization. Files updated quickly between devices and remained current at all times.

Google Drive* is the cloud storage that comes with every Google account. It's part of Google Workspace, Google's productivity suite, which includes Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

Google also offers a good amount of free storage: you get 15 GB just for creating an account. Keep in mind this space is shared with other services you use from the Internet giant, like Gmail and Google Photos.

Google Drive stands out with its budget-friendly basic plan: if 100 GB is enough for you, it's one of the cheapest options available. The 2 TB plan is also reasonably priced.

Google Drive shines when it comes to collaboration. Thanks to its seamless integration with Google Workspace, you can edit documents directly in the cloud and work on them with others in real time.

You can write in suggestion mode, comment, and assign tasks to your team members. It's also possible to schedule calendar events and meetings without leaving the editor.

Google Drive also features a sleek, user-friendly interface that makes managing your cloud storage and working together with your team on shared files easy, regardless of the device you're on.

pCloud* is a Swiss cloud storage provider that offers competitive prices, especially for mid-range storage plans (500 GB to 2 TB).

You can save money in the long run with pCloud's lifetime subscriptions - pay once, and you get unlimited access to a specific amount of cloud storage. This option pays off after about four years compared to annual subscriptions. After that, you can use the storage forever without any additional costs.

If you're not ready for that kind of commitment, they also offer a good free plan: This gives you 3 GB to start, but you can increase the amount to 10 GB by completing certain tasks, like verifying your email address and uploading your first file.

However, pCloud gets pricey if you need lots of storage or want to use it with a team.

pCloud performed excellently in our review: Thanks to its impressive upload and download speeds and smart CPU usage, pCloud ranked second behind MEGA.

pCloud also supports end-to-end encryption, but only if you purchase a business plan or a paid upgrade to an individual subscription. Their client-side encryption doesn't cover all your cloud storage, but just files in a special Crypto folder.

IceDrive* is a newer cloud storage service that offers good value for money across the board: Its 100 GB, 500 GB, and 2 TB plans are all reasonably priced. There's also a free plan that includes 10 GB of storage. The only downside is that IceDrive doesn't market team plans for multiple users.

Like pCloud, IceDrive has lifetime plans that could save you money long-term, but the same concerns apply: There's no guarantee you'll be able to or want to use the cloud storage "for life."

IceDrive brings some fresh air to the somewhat stale world of cloud storage, where most apps look the same. We really like the smart "mount" feature in its desktop app that lets you add your cloud storage like a virtual hard drive with a single click - and remove it just as easily.

There's also end-to-end encryption: All files in the "Encrypted" folder are encrypted on your device before being sent to the cloud, protecting even file names and folder structures. This means IceDrive can't access your files.

There are many other cloud storage providers with similar pricing. Since cloud storage has gotten so affordable, it's a good idea to look at more than just the price tag. When choosing a provider, pay attention to the features that are included, its performance, and the platform's ease of use.

Here's a full ranking of all the cloud storage providers we reviewed:

Looking for free cloud storage? Check out the best free plans here:

Which cloud storage is the cheapest? The answer depends on what you need:

Some providers, including pCloud and IceDrive, even offer lifetime plans, which could save you money in the long run. But be careful: There's no guarantee that these providers will stay in business for decades or that their storage solutions will continue to meet your needs.