The Best Cloud Storage Services

Slick and accessible, OneDrive boasts loads of features. It’s a natural choice for folks who primarily work on a Windows PC and use Microsoft Office. It has a powerful search tool, excellent collaborative editing support, and solid file-sharing options (including password protection and expiry dates). There’s support for most platforms, and you can sync files across them or save space by only downloading files on demand. There’s also a personal vault with 2FA protection. OneDrive is perhaps the best option for reviewing or editing files, as you can open anything within the app. (It even allows photo editing.)

On the downside, the free storage is limited, there’s no end-to-end encryption, and the free and basic tiers have a small feature set. It’s an obvious pick if you use Microsoft Office and Skype because it’s a good value bundled with those as a part of Microsoft 365.

5 GB free storage, 100 GB for $2/month or $20/year (with Microsoft 365 Basic), 1 TB for $7/month or $70/year (with Microsoft 365 Personal), 6 TB for $10/month or $100/year (with Microsoft 365 Family)

Backblaze is a straightforward service for backing up your files from a single device. If you want something simple that you don't need to configure, it might be the right backup service for you. It includes end-to-end encryption with private encryption keys, so only you can access your data, two-factor authentication, custom scheduling, and a 30-day version history (extendable to a year or forever for an extra fee). It works equally well on Windows or macOS and there are Android and iOS apps too.

Perhaps the best thing about Backblaze is the relatively fast upload speeds. You can also have your data shipped to you on a hard drive for $189 (returnable within 30 days for a full refund). But, because it is designed to be a simple solution for backing up everything from a single machine, it does lack some configuration options you will find with other services. There are also no folder syncing or editing tools; it's just a backup.

$9/month or $99/year for unlimited storage

★ Alternative: IDrive (10 GB free, 100 GB for $2.95/year) is a good value alternative with some extra features that also offer private encryption keys, 2FA, and wide platform support. On the downside, it can be slow and you must watch out for overage charges if you exceed your allowance.

For security and privacy-conscious folks, SpiderOak’s One Backup is worth a look. It has a zero-trust, no-knowledge policy, so no one but you can access your data, and everything is end-to-end encrypted. Plan prices are per person but support unlimited devices and file versions. SpiderOak also uses transport layer security (TLS) for data in transit to guard against man-in-the-middle attacks. (TLS is the successor to SSL.) The service prizes security and SpiderOak has a transparent set of policies. You will find support for Windows, Mac, and Linux; solid recovery options; file versioning; and versatile file-sharing options, including self-destructing links.

SpiderOak is relatively expensive, and there is no mobile app support. There’s no 2FA for web logins, which is an odd omission for a security-focused company. It’s vital you keep your password safe, not just because people can access your files if they get it but also because SpiderOak cannot reset it if you forget it.

100 GB for $5/month or $59/year, 250 GB for $9/month or $99/year, 1 TB for $12/month or $129/year, and 5 TB for $25/month or $279/year

★ Alternative: Tresorit (5 GB free, 1 TB for $12/month) is fast, effective, and secure. There is support for end-to-end encryption and 2FA, comprehensive platform support, and a versatile set of features. However, it is expensive, slow to upload files, and lacks collaborative options.

One of the early players in cloud storage, Dropbox is accessible, boasts support for just about any device, and is reliable. I’ve been using it for more than a decade, mainly as an easy way to move files from one platform to another. It has many integrations and works well for collaboration (whether file-sharing or coauthoring and editing documents), especially when collaborators all use different platforms. But the extras elevate Dropbox; it has a solid password manager and digital signature support. I also like the built-in document scanner in the mobile app.

There’s no end-to-end encryption. Dropbox promises not to look, but it has the key to decrypt your files. It may comply with a government request for access, or a rogue employee could conceivably take a peek. Dropbox is also comparatively expensive, and the free version offers limited storage.

2 GB free storage (additional 500 MB for friend referrals up to 16 GB), 2 TB for $10/month or $120/year, 3 TB for $20/month or $200/year

Cloud storage services tend to be utilitarian, with rows of folders and file names, but Bublup takes a refreshingly different approach. Pronounced “bubble up,” this service brings some much-needed flair and pizzazz to file-sharing and backups with a customizable interface that is visually interesting. You can drag and drop files using your web browser (there are also browser extensions and mobile apps) and create a visual mix of notes, documents, images, videos, web links, and more. It’s easy to share links, and group folders are ideal for things like vacation planning and interior design. There’s also a discovery tool that bubbles up related content based on what you have saved in a folder, as well as an option to share publicly.

Bublup uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) to store your data (everything is saved multiple times in multiple US locations). Data is AES-256 encrypted in transit and at rest, and web browser connections use the Transport Layer Security (TLS). Bublup also promises not to share or sell any of your info. Sadly, there is no 2FA, but you do get login alerts.

250 MB free storage, 2 GB for $4/month, 100 GB for $8/month, 1 TB for $10/month, 5 TB for $25/month

There are so many cloud storage services out there. Here’s a quick rundown on some of the best alternatives to our top picks.

• Amazon Photos: Amazon Drive no longer exists, but you still get 5 GB of free storage for photos and videos with an Amazon account in Amazon Photos and free unlimited storage with an Amazon Prime subscription.
• Box: You get 10 GB of free storage, though there is a 250 MB file size limit. Box also supports 2FA and end-to-end encryption, and it’s good for file-sharing.
• Sync: This service offers 5 GB of free storage, and reasonably priced Pro plans offer lots of collaboration, file-sharing, and other features, including end-to-end encrypted security.
• pCloud: You can get 10 GB of storage for free, and this is one of the few cloud storage services with a lifetime plan option (500 GB for $199).
• Jottacloud: You can get unlimited storage from $10/month with this cloud storage service that promises privacy, secure backups, and green data centers located in Norway.
• Icedrive: Offering 10 GB of free storage, Icedrive is based in the United Kingdom, and has a zero-knowledge policy and Twofish encryption. It starts from $3/month for 100 GB, but it lacks collaboration features.
• Mega: You can get 20 GB for free with Mega, and there’s end-to-end encryption, cross-platform support, built-in chat, and versatile file-sharing. However, paid plans are pricey, and collaboration options are limited.
• Internxt: Billed as an affordable privacy and security-focused option, Internxt boasts a zero-knowledge policy and end-to-end AES-256 data encryption, but it is slow and lacks collaboration features.
• TeraBox: Offering a whopping 1 TB of free storage, TeraBox is a fairly barebones backup service. There are limitations and throttling on free accounts, but the premium 2 TB plan is reasonable at $3.50/month when you pay annually.
• Nextcloud: You can host this open source platform yourself, and it offers backup, file syncing, loads of collaboration tools (including video chat), and some handy integrations.
• Wasabi: This versatile business-focused cloud storage service charges a transparent $7/month per TB and boasts several advanced security tools, end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, file syncing and sharing, and more.
• Boxcryptor: This isn’t a cloud storage service, but rather an encryption tool that you can use with services that lack end-to-end encryption, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive.
• Zoolz: The free tier offers only 1 GB of storage, but you can get 1 TB for $150/year, and packages go up to 50 TB. The service offers a decent range of features.
• SugarSync: There’s no free tier, though you can get a 30-day trial, and prices are steep, starting from $7.50/month for 100 GB. SugarSync is very easy to use, and you can send files by email, which is handy sometimes.
• NordLocker: Better known for its VPN service, NordLocker offers 3 GB of cloud storage for free with end-to-end encryption and offers frequent discounts on premium plans at 500 GB or 2 TB.
• Degoo: Claim 20 GB of free storage with end-to-end encryption at Degoo, though it is short on features and a little slow. Upgrades to 500 GB or 5 TB are competitively priced.