How to Compare Cloud Storage Costs
Enter the amount of storage you need, and this tool shows the cheapest eligible plan from each major service side by side. The ⭐ icon marks the lowest-price option for your required capacity. Prices reflect US annual billing rates as of 2025.
Service Strengths at a Glance
| Service | Free storage | Best for | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google One | 15 GB | Android / Google users | Gmail + Photos + Drive unified quota |
| iCloud+ | 5 GB | iPhone / Mac users | Seamless Apple ecosystem integration |
| OneDrive | 5 GB | Office / Windows users | Microsoft 365 bundles Office apps |
| Dropbox | 2 GB | Teams / creative workflows | Best-in-class file versioning |
Annual vs Monthly Billing
Most services charge 10–20% less for annual billing compared to monthly. Google One, iCloud+, and OneDrive all offer both options. If you're certain you'll use the service long-term, annual billing saves noticeably. Most services refund the unused portion if you cancel mid-year, though policies vary — check the provider's terms before committing.
Hidden Value: Bundled Services
Microsoft 365 Personal ($6.99/month) includes 1 TB of OneDrive storage plus full desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. If you use any Office app regularly, this bundle delivers significant value compared to buying storage alone. Google One at higher tiers also includes Google VPN and expanded Google Photos editing tools at no extra cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — many people use iCloud+ for device backups and Google Photos for photo storage simultaneously. The main consideration is total monthly cost and whether you'll actually manage multiple apps regularly.
Google stops accepting new emails and photo uploads. iCloud pauses device backups and message sync. OneDrive blocks new file uploads. Regular housekeeping — deleting large attachments and old files — helps avoid hitting the limit.
All major services encrypt data in transit and at rest. For highly sensitive files, consider client-side encryption (e.g., encrypting files before uploading) since the service providers technically have access to the encryption keys in standard plans.