Cloud storage has never been so popular before, with the benefits these services give us when it comes to being able to access the files and content hosted there without affecting local storage on devices.
Mac, iPad, and iPhone owners naturally tend to use the one that Apple provides by default, which is none other than iCloud, as it is very well integrated into the operating systems of their devices.
We also have to recognize that this is an easy to use and fairly reliable service. However, there are other alternatives on the market that you should be aware of, with very different plans and prices.
In this article, we summarize all of the best iCloud alternatives – cloud storage services for Mac, iPhone, and iPad that offer the most attractive combination of price, features, security, and reliability.
Do you want to know what is the best way to backup your Mac? Do you want to use iCloud, Dropbox, or another cloud service? Consultation how to backup on a Mac.
Best cloud storage services for Mac
Apple iCloud Reader
As an Apple user, you will have heard of iCloud and your devices will surely use it on a daily basis even if you are not aware of it. And it is that it is Apple’s own cloud-based storage system that is responsible for the backups.
In fact, if you have an iPhone or iPad and have an Apple ID, you get 5GB of free storage by default. This is the basic plan associated with the operating system and any user of Apple devices.
With it, you get contacts, notes, files, photos, and more sync, both in the Apple cloud and across all your brand’s devices, so you have all the relevant information and photos. , accessible in all.
What prices and what features do Apple’s iCloud plans offer? Beyond the free plan that gives you 5 GB, we find the 50 GB one at the monthly price of 0.99 $; the 200 GB at $ 2.99; and finally, the 2 TB at $ 9.99 per month. Check here
iCloud Drive is also an application which allows users to view the file system on iOS, which Apple has always avoided doing on mobile devices. So we like to use iCloud, but be aware that there are alternatives of great interest.
Amazon Drive
Amazon Drive is part of the package of services that the company offers associated with the Amazon Prime subscription. That way, in addition to free parcel deliveries on many items and Amazon Prime Video, you also have Drive.
As users of macOS and iOS, we have dedicated apps that you can install with the initial 5 GB storage offer. To this must be added the free and unlimited storage for photos if you belong to the Amazon program. Premium.
In the plans offered by Amazon Drive It’s worth noting that the company is offering up to 5GB with the purchase or use of any of its Fire devices. If you need more storage, you can go for 100GB for $ 19.99 per year.
Above the plan shown is the 1TB of storage for a price of $ 99.99 per year, or the 2TB for $ 199,987 per year.
Box
Although it is obvious that in our country it is less well known than the previous ones, Box mainly focuses on commercial payment accounts with a wide range of additional features for large organizations.
There are a variety of different options available, including version tracking controls and collaboration tools. online and project management.
Sharing is obviously important for business users, and Box gives you great control by letting you specify preview, edit, and download permissions for each file.
If you want to share between a small team, the ‘Starter’ plan costs only $ 4.5 per user per month, which is a guarantee of security. With the basic account you get 10 GB for free, but you are limited to 250MB per file. This is useful if you want a Plan B to store documents, photos, and other interesting files.
Dropbox
As with Box, Dropbox has focused since its inception on the corporate sector to deliver differential value. So users have to pay a minimum of $ 12 per month per user, in exchange for up to 3TB of storage with extended file recovery and granular options.
The free version is great for the end consumer, but it only offers 2GB free compared to 5GB for iCloud, so it might be worth it if you really need the extra storage.
You can increase it to 2TB
One useful feature is its small drop-down menu on your Mac’s main toolbar, which lets you monitor your files while they’re uploading, and you can also set up Dropbox to upload photos from your iPhone or iPad.
Google drive
Google Drive has become a very mature file recording and sharing platform, and that’s our recommendation if you don’t want to use iCloud for any reason. App downloads for macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android let you get connected and stay connected across all of your devices.
Drive works efficiently with your Mac, allowing you to record directly to it through the file system instead of using a separate application. The load time is good and the base storage starts at 15 GB, three times more than iCloud.
Sharing links to files, albums, and more is a snap, and the simple yet responsive user interface is more convenient than features offered by its competitors.
It also works well with Microsoft, Apple, and Google file types. It is the best cloud storage for personal use. On the contrary, we believe that businesses and organizations should opt for Box or Dropbox for more secure collaboration.
If you want more storage, you can join google one (It’s the same) and go for the Personal or Enterprise plan with plans that start at $ 1.99 per month for 100 GB, or Drive Enterprise for businesses with $ 8 per month per active user for 25 GB.
Microsoft OneDrive
Microsoft OneDrive is part of a Microsoft Office plan, either a one-time installation or a subscription to the Office 365 service. However, the annual base price for Office 365 includes 1TB of OneDrive storage by default.
This way you have access to tools like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, with the incentive that you can store your documents in the cloud up to 1TB of storage.
You can also buy OneDrive without Office for free, but again, we wouldn’t recommend it if you have iCloud as you only have 5GB free. For $ 2 per month, Microsoft gives you 100 GB of storage, but again, you don’t have the full functionality of the service.
Tell yourself that the design of the file directory has been easier to manage for us than that of iCloud, and without a doubt, this should be the number one option for Office users. For those who don’t use Office, Google Drive seems to work better with different types of files.
pCloud
You might not be as familiar with PCloud as the rest of the ones discussed here, but it’s an alternative to iCloud that might surprise you due to the kind of security it offers to store your data.
The service is capable of handling all types of files using AES 256-bit encryption to ensure they remain secure when stored in the cloud. The entry level offers 10GB of free storage, with the option to add an additional 3GB by sending recommendations to friends.
There are no file size restrictions and 30-day version control is standard, giving you a bonus when it comes to handling files important for recovery.
If the 10 GB plan is insufficient, you can opt for the Premium with 500 GB for a price of $ 3.99 per month ($ 47.88 per year with 20% reduction), or the Premium Plus with 2 TB of storage for $ 7.99 per month ($ 95, 88 per year with 20% discount).
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