iCloud has been one of the most important players in the cloud storage system market, especially for iOS users. While it does a good job of providing a space to put your data into, iCloud alternatives offer interesting features and pricing. What are they? Check out the list below to find out.
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Intro on iCloud: What Is It and What It’s For?
It is surely hard to imagine navigating life and work without cloud services in this modern era. What they offer is not just a mere storage or backup to your data, but it also serves memories of important events you want to remember and keeps private information intact.
One of the most famous cloud services is iCloud. Now, all iOS users, and maybe some non-users, must be familiar with that.
iCloud is a cloud service by Apple. It was first introduced back in 2011, and it is available for all iOS devices, including Apple TV.
With iCloud, you are able to sync all your data to all your Apple devices, regardless of which device you put the data on initially. Yes, the era of manually moving data between devices is over.
iCloud service comes automatically with a free email account and 5GB of storage. All you need to do is create your Apple ID, and then you are good to go.
Apple also allows you to enlarge your iCloud space by subscribing to iCloud+. The service comes with storage addition, starting from 50GB to 2TB, as well as a Hide My Email feature, customizable email address, and iCloud Private Relay. The price of each package differs in each country.
Best iCloud Alternatives and the Facts
Despite all the outstanding services, some people might find iCloud unsuitable to their liking. Many factors come into play, including the pricing, the feature, or maybe just the need to explore.
Your reasons are justified and understandable. So, whatever it is, here are 8 iCloud alternatives for iPhone, iPad, Android, or computer that you can try next.
1. Microsoft Onedrive
Coming from a big corporation, OneDrive is probably one of the strongest competitors of iCloud. How is iCloud vs OneDrive, compared?
The two services are similar in some ways. For example, they both offer 5GB of free storage upon registering, which is upgradeable at some fee.
Moreover, both OneDrive and iCloud also work seamlessly for their own platforms, with OneDrive synchronizing perfectly with Microsoft’s apps, such as PowerPoint, Excel, and Word. You may find this feature more suitable if you are a heavy Microsoft user.
However, there are several features that the 2007-born cloud service offers differently. For example, OneDrive enables you to do remote uploading and file versioning, something iCloud does not offer. And there is also no bandwidth or traffic limit in OneDrive.
Despite the exclusivity, OneDrive is quite accessible on any platform and OS. They provide access through browsers and applications that you can access via iOS, macOS, Android, Kindle, and even Xbox.
2. pCloud
If you seek a free iCloud alternative that is very confident in its security level, then pCloud is the way to go with “The most secure cloud storage” as its slogan, pCloud claims to have military-grade encryption in its system, which ensures your files’ security.
pCloud’s free account gives 3GB of space, which you can upgrade to 10TB. This Swiss-based company offers a monthly, annual, and lifetime package to make it easier. Some packages come with the offline mode, data recovery, and the ability to encrypt your own data for extra protection.
However, what makes pCloud stand out is its level of security and some unique features that not all cloud platforms have. For example, a social media backup enables your social media files to pCloud without hassle.
Moreover, there is also a chance to backup all your local computer’s files to pCloud and sync it so that the two locations are interconnected. Not stopping there, pCloud also gives a way to access – and it means listening and watching your photos and videos straight from pCloud. Neat, right?
You can enjoy pCloud from any device, including iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, and macOS.
3. IONOS HiDrive
IONOS HiDrive is similar to iCloud in terms of its basic feature. Just like iCloud, IONOS HiDrive – or just HiDrive enables you to put your data in the space and do file synchronization.
However, it has a slight difference in terms of privacy. HiDrive enables you to set a two-factor authentication through the setting option. And they also provide end-to-end encryption, meaning you should remember your password very well because no one except you has access to your files.
The installation and interface of HiDrive are pretty simple, and it does not need a tech-savvy person to use it. That is why HiDrive is ideal for companies that focus on productivity more than training their employees to get used to the high technology.
Price-wise, HiDrive can be safely considered one of the cheapest cloud storage platforms in the market.
However, HiDrive does not have a free trial or a free account for you to try before subscribing. But it can easily be redeemed by its 30-day refund guarantee that they have, which is basically the same thing.
The bottom line is that HiDrive might be perfect if you seek privacy and simplicity.
4. Dropbox
Drag the item and drop it in the box. Being one of the first ones to popularize the cloud as a file-sharing and storage platform, Dropbox has a way to become a strong contender. How is iCloud vs Dropbox?
In its basic pack, Dropbox offers 2GB of free storage, and it is upgradable to up to 2TB with a certain fee. Aside from the free one, Dropbox also has six more packages according to your needs. Fortunately, some packages, such as Professional Package, even offer a free trial.
Depending on your chosen package, you can get useful features such as file recovery and version history. There is also a chance for offline access, remote device wipe, and setting a time limit and password when you are link-sharing.
In addition, Dropbox always tries to be at the forefront of the field, and one of the ways is by providing more useful features. Some examples are e-signature services, as well as screenshot-taking and video recording.
Dropbox can be easily accessed through Windows, macOS, and Linux devices. The mobile version is also accessible on Windows, Android, and iOS phones.
5. Box Cloud Storage
When it comes to integration, Box Cloud Storage is a definitive winner. Aside from the classic storage and file-sharing platform, Box also integrates with around 1500 apps, including Slack, Adobe, Microsoft 365, and even Google Workspace.
Age-wise, Box was developed in 2005, making the platform even older than Dropbox. That time is enough for Box to create an alternative to iCloud storage with mature features that the market needs, such as remote uploading, file versioning, and even two-factor authentication.
For a free account, you can get 10GB of free storage. What makes Box worth trying, though, is the paid packages. There are five paid packages, ranging from 100GB storage space to unlimited space.
Yes, you read it right; they offer unlimited space.
In addition to that, each package has a free trial scheme, and you can access Box through significant devices such as Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS.
6. Sync.com
There are many iCloud alternatives for Android that you can find on the internet, but only a few provide the level of privacy as strictly as Sync does. So, how private is Sync private?
First of all, you should know that Sync is a Canada-based cloud company famous for its seriousness toward data privacy. Not keen on big talk, Sync confirms its compliance with global data standards such as HIPAA, PIPEDA, and GDPR.
Second, you can also control the data key as it provides end-to-end encryption. In short, no one can access your data, not even Sync’s employees and third-party apps.
Moreover, you can also set your link to be as private as you want. Sync enables you to set a password to the links, set an expiry date, and even deactivate links.
Such a policy, of course, limits your productivity. But if you are focusing on privacy, then Sync is definitely worth trying.
If you are still unsure how your experience will go, you can just try Sync’s free package first. It comes with 5GB of initial storage space and is upgraded to 6TB for individual use.
Lastly, you can try Sync in almost every major OS, such as Windows, iOS, and Android. Unfortunately, it is not available for Linux yet.
7. Google Drive
How about iCloud vs Google Drive? Of course, if you are relying heavily on Google ecosystems, Google Drive might come in handier. But how so?
First, it is because you do not need to register separately for Google Drive as it comes automatically with your Google account. Yes, having a Google Mail counts as having a Google account.
When it comes to the initial capacity, Google Drive is quite generous. Unlike iCloud, which only gives 5GB of space, Google Drive provides 15GB from the get-go. Even though it is shared with Google Mail, it is still a pretty good deal.
In terms of popularity, Google Drive is a clear A-lister. Due to this fact, Google Drive is ideal for file-sharing and collaborative working. Moreover, it is accessible through various devices, starting from Android and iOS. There is also a web version that you can save on the bookmark of your browser.
Need more space? You can also upgrade to Google One, which gives you up to 2TB of space, along with Google experts and Google Workspace premium. Interested?
8. Icedrive
When it comes to Icedrive, there are a lot of prospects waiting in the future, as the company is still new in the cloud storage scene. However, its current feature is not something to be overlooked either.
Icedrive brings forth a sleek yet elegant interface, which provides a fresh breeze to its customers. It is a good iCloud alternative for photos, videos, and many other data types.
Aside from focusing on the storage and security side, Icedrive also makes sure that its customers navigate through its system swiftly. How so?
One of Icedrive’s selling points is its easiness of mounting. You will not feel like it is a hard app to set up. Instead, it will feel just like another drive you add to the computer. In other words, each upload, download, and click will feel as light as on your computer.
What computer? Well, obviously, Icedrive features cater to Windows, macOS, and Linux users. And for the mobile client app, Icedrive is also available for Android and of course, iOS users.
The only downside is that Icedrive will need quite an improvement in data collaboration and third-party apps integration, as currently, nothing is integrated into the cloud. It will become challenging in a professional environment.
However, Icedrive is still new after all, and there will be lots of room to improve in the future.
With a free account, you can get 10GB of free storage, which you can upgrade to 5TB for the monthly package, and 10TB for the lifetime. There is also a 14-day refund guarantee should you ever need any.
Finding the best iCloud alternatives can be much easier if you just know what you want to do with your data, how you like your security level to be, how much you need third-party apps integration, and of course, the limitation of your budget. Hopefully, this list will help you decide.
