The options for cloud storage today are extremely wide-ranging. Services like iCloud, for example, offer only 5 GB free. Others, such as Google Drive, bring this limit up to 15 GB. Beyond these options, there is a whole range of services that offer free subscriptions. To put all these options into context, we’ve compiled some of the most popular platforms, platforms that offer much more space in the cloud than Apple’s iCloud and Google Drive.
Google Drive: 15 GB Free and Additional Benefits on WhatsApp and Google Photos
It is well known that Google Drive offers 15 GB of free cloud storage. The advantages that this service adds over others are twofold. The first has to do with the possibility of storing WhatsApp backups on Android without taking up space. That is, the space occupied by the copies does not interfere with the initial 15 GB.
Also, the service is compatible with Google Photos. In this case, the service offers us unlimited storage if you set the quality of the images to High Quality. Also, the managing of the contacts in the phonebook is done in a completely independent way from the base storage of Drive. On the other hand, documents created using applications such as Spreadsheets, Google Documents, or Presentations will take up space in the cloud.
iCloud: 5 GB with very Limited Options
Apple’s product offering is the most limited in size and options. The free space offered by the service is only 5 GB. If you have an iOS device, uploading photos from your camera film will take up space, as well as file sharing via the iCloud Drive application.
Outside the Apple ecosystem, the service’s capabilities are somewhat limited. There’s no app for Android, but there is an iCloud Drive version for Windows. If you want to access iCloud, you will have to use the web version of the platform. From this platform, you can also access several Apple applications online, such as Keynote or Pages.
Mega: 50GB Free Space for All Users
Mega is probably one of the most complete alternatives to Google Drive and iCloud. The free subscription to this service offers no less than 50 GB in the cloud, although the platform is geared towards sharing large files.
Despite this, the mobile application has different options that allow users to synchronize photos from the camera, contacts from the calendar, or files downloaded to the phone. Also, the free subscription has no speed or bandwidth limit. Unfortunately, you can’t download multiple files at once unless you sign up for a paid plan.
Yandex Disk: The Russian Google that gives 10GB of Free Space
Yandex is the quintessential Russian search engine. Rated by many as the ‘Russian Google’, it has a cloud storage service that provides users with up to 10 GB of free space. Its mobile application also has unlimited photo storage. It also has an entire document editor belonging to the Microsoft Office suite, such as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. It also allows you to manage files of any nature and format. Videos, games, programs, etc.
Degoo: 100 GB Free Storage
Yeah, you read that right, 100 GB. Degoo’s service comes in the form of a mobile application, although you can also access the browser version. The free subscription allows users to upload any type of file from a single device simultaneously. That is, you cannot use the application to upload files from two mobiles. To download files, on the contrary, you can use two or more devices.
As for the mobile application, the platform has different options for uploading gallery photos and large files. Its operation indeed leaves a lot to be desired sometimes, especially when it comes to uploading elements that take up several gigs of space.
pCloud: 10GB with Security
pCloud is advertised as one of the most secure platforms. It has a function called iCloud Crypto that allows users to encrypt the content they upload through the application.
It offers 10 GB of free data, with a mobile application that allows synchronizing different elements. It has a ‘space-saving’ tool that transfers part of the content from the phone’s internal storage to the platform. It also has the possibility of creating shared folders with other users, as well as backup copies of applications such as Instagram, Facebook, Dropbox, or OneDrive.
OneDrive: 5 GB Free with Office 360
Microsoft’s venture does not differ much from Apple’s. Where the service is gaining followers in Office 360, the service platform that was born from OneDrive. Within this platform, there are applications such as Word, PowerPoint, or Excel.
The free subscription allows users to use all these services without any kind of limit. However, you can only use them in their web version, with no application for Windows or Mac. Otherwise, OneDrive allows users to synchronize contacts and large files through its mobile application or web platform.
Box: 10 GB free with Integrated File Viewer
The Box is not too different from the others. It offers 10 GB of free cloud space and different applications for mobile and web. Its greatest advantage is the presence of a file viewer.
From the application, you can play MP4 videos, view PowerPoint presentations, or read a PDF document. It also has an integrated search engine that allows users to find words or phrases within documents.
MediaFire: 50 GB if you use its Android Application
Does MediaFire ring a bell? The web that became popular for hosting copyrighted content nearly a decade ago has now converged into a cloud storage service. Its Android app gives away up to 50GB of free cloud space, a space that can be used by any file hosted within the phone’s memory. The web version is limited to 10 GB free.
Like Mega, MediaFire allows you to back up videos and photos recorded with the phone’s camera. You can also upload documents, presentations, and spreadsheets. Unfortunately, the performance of the mobile application leaves something to be desired. When uploading files, no progress bar is displayed, something that is present in the web version.
Dropbox: 3GB with the Option to Expand through Referrals
It was the pioneer in the cloud services sector. Paradoxically, Dropbox is the most limited today, with only 3 GB of free space. The application has focused on the storage of documents and images, although we can save files of all kinds.
Where the service shines against other competitors is in its referral system. The free subscription will give you an additional 500 MB for each user who signs up with your guest link up to a total of 16 GB. If you have a Dropbox Plus or Professional subscription, the service will give you 1 GB thanks to a maximum of 32 GB.
Amazon Drive: 5 GB Free with Paid Add-ons
Yes, Amazon also has a cloud storage service. If you are an Amazon customer, the company provides you with 5 GB of virtual space for free. Within this 5 GB, you can handle any file you want. If you also have an Amazon Prime subscription, you will have unlimited photo storage through the Amazon service of the same name. To enjoy a larger amount of space (100 GB) you will have to use the paid subscription, which is currently set at around 20 euros per year.
As far as the mobile application is concerned, Amazon Drive has a file viewer that allows users to play content without having to depend on third-party applications. Videos, images, PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, and PDF documents.
FlipDrive:10 GB Free
A site very similar to Box, with add-ons that allow users to encrypt the information hosted in the cloud. Like the latter, FlipDrive offers users 10 GB of free space, with a file size limit of 25 MB and the possibility of synchronizing photos from the gallery, as well as contacts and bookmarks.
It also allows users to create shared folders with other users of the service. And yes, it has an application for Android, although it works somewhat poorly when uploading files from a mobile. On more than one occasion the upload generated some kind of error.
Telegram: Your Best Bet with Unlimited Storage
Telegram was born as a simple messenger service and today comprises a whole network of channels and supergroups. One of the application’s most useful features concerns the ability to send files of up to 1.5 GB in size without any restrictions.
But what is interesting about the application is the possibility to send ourselves files via the Telegram option. You can also create subfolders or channels to classify the content according to its nature. Documents, movies, photos, downloads… The options in this aspect are endless. The key is precisely not to exceed that 1.5 GB size per file.
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