Best cloud storage of 2024

I get it - there's a lot of options when it comes to picking the best cloud storage offering around today for all your needs.

The best cloud storage services backup your files and folders to the cloud, ideally offering plenty of storage capacity at a convenient price point.

It's December 2024 and, as ever, I've updated this page to feature the best cloud storage services we've tested, doing my level best to keep you up-to-date with the best services for sole traders and small businesses.

Cloud storage is also commonly bundled with online collaboration tools, such as Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 - and in practice, it’s often more cost-effective, especially in an enterprise setting, to opt for these kinds of services when choosing the cloud storage for business. Offering plenty of storage capacity and more besides, they make it easy to secure, access, and share files, photos, and email wherever you are, online, on desktop, and on mobile.

However, you might have reservations about opting for a Big Tech company's cloud storage services, whether due to data privacy concerns, not wanting to put all of your eggs in one basket, or to feel more confident pricing won’t gradually skyrocket.

Accounting for budget is also important, so I've also listed the best free cloud storage services, plus lifetime cloud storage deals, which charge a large one-off sum for unlimited access to a hefty data allowance.

I've tried to account for all of these perspectives when reviewing the best cloud storage services, looking at set-up, security, sync speeds, and sharing performance. Our testers have also been keen to checked file recovery and versioning options, so everyone’s always on the same page.

It’s advised to back up data according to a ‘3-2-1’ backup strategy, and using one of the best cloud backup tools is an affordable way to achieve this - I've got an extensive write-up on what this means, and why it’s important for sensitive data.

• It's that time of year - I've rounded up the best Cyber Monday cloud storage deals around now, if you're quick

Best cloud storage: deals

1. IDrive: 10TB of storage for $4.98
Cloud storage veteran IDrive offers an incredible amount of online space for a small outlay across a wide range of platforms. 10TB of storage for $4.98 for the first year is unmatched, as is the support for unlimited devices and the extensive file versioning system available.

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2. pCloud: Save on lifetime cloud storage
pCloud is more expensive than the competition, but the one-off payment means that you won't have to worry about renewal fees that can be horrendously expensive. 2TB for life is $399 while the 10TB plan costs only $1,190.

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3. Reader Offer: $100 off Sync Pro
Sync delivers outstanding value for anyone looking for terabytes of cloud storage space, and the secure file sharing and collaboration features are an added bonus. Get $15 per user, per month for unlimited storage with this exclusive offer from us.

View Deal

The best cloud storage 2024:

Best overall

IDrive tops my best cloud storage list with its appealing mix of easy-to-use desktop and mobile apps, excellent backup features, strong security and great value.

Signing up gets you allowances up to 10TB (personal) all the way up to 50TB (business), but that's not all. Sync support keeps files up-to-date across all your hardware, and excellent backup features enable protecting everything from individual files and folders to full SQL, Exchange, SharePoint and other servers.

It also excels at extras, such as an option to transfer your data to iDrive on a physical device, ideal if you've a slow internet connection and 50TB to protect. IDrive sends you the drive, pays return postage (in the US), but it's still free once a year for personal users (three times for business plans.)

▶ Read more: IDrive cloud storage review.

Performance: This is an area where IDrive really shines. It boasts fast upload speeds and a file recovery feature that is especially handy if you think you’ve lost some important data. IDrive also provides block-level syncing when you are syncing files from a device, such as a smartphone or tablet, to the cloud. Our tests revealed iDrive's performance was a close match to Google Drive and the other top contenders.

Other backup features, including disk image backup, NAS backup and server backup, are useful additions depending on what you’re looking for from your cloud storage.

Security: IDrive is strong on the security fundamentals, with end-to-end encryption and two-factor authentication to protect you from attack.

It comes with two-factor authentication and end-to-end encryption to protect your data. This works via a private key that is unique to you, so look after it.

There’s also the offer of standard encryption, which although not as secure as end-to-end encryption, still provides protection against most potential breaches. It also means a bit less responsibility for the end user as iDrive keeps hold of the encryption key, so you can restore your data whenever you need to, without having to remember a private key.

Customer support: IDrive has live chat functionality, as well as the option of contacting support via either telephone or email, so you should be able to contact the company should an issue arise. As with many companies, some users have complained that response times vary, but we’ve been pleasantly surprised on this front whenever something's come up.

Features: IDrive offers users the possibility of backing up their files across an unlimited number of devices, from computers to mobile devices, as well as NAS drives.

Real-time syncing and backup scheduling are both great for ensuring you never forget to back up the latest version of your files. You can also opt to receive desktop or email notifications informing you when your backups are completed.

IDrive's link-sharing functionality is super robust. You can configure links to expire after a set period - up to a maximum of 30 days - or a number of downloads. All of your active share links are also visible through the IDrive dashboard, so there’s complete clarity over what you’re sharing with external partners.

Usability: IDrive does boat some good usability on the whole, although a revamp of its design and interface in certain areas could improve this. Menu and setting screens are pretty clear, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble configuring IDrive exactly to your liking.

There are some differences here depending on the type of device you are accessing IDrive through. For instance, there are fewer options if you’re using the iOS version.

While the Android app lets you backup SMS messages, this isn’t possible with the iPhone and iPad versions, which are limited to contact, calendar, photos and videos. While this may be more of an Apple issue than an IDrive one, it will still affect usability for certain users.

Price: IDrive offers 5GB of free storage. After that, you’ll probably want to look at the Persona, which costs $59.62 a year for 5TB, and there’s the option of a $15 upgrade for twice the amount of storage (10TB).

The Business plan is more likely to suit your needs, if you need to provide access across an unlimited number of users and devices. This is available from $74.62 a year for 250GB, increasing to $8699.62 for 50TB of space per user.

Alternatively, there’s the Team plan, which comes in several versions. Here, the cheapest plan starts at $74.62 for one year.

It’s also worth remembering that TechRadar readers can get 10TB of cloud storage from iDrive for $4.98 for the first year. You can grab this exclusive deal by clicking here.

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Best lifetime value

Switzerland-based pCloud stands out from the cloud storage crowd for its hugely advanced file sharing features. If regular download links aren't enough, you can create special download pages with custom messages, build slideshows of shared images, even stream audio or video files directly from your storage space.

There's a 10GB free plan, too, though beware: as with many providers, you must sign up friends, install the app and do other tedious tasks to get the full amount.

There's a lot to like here, but we also noticed one or two issues. The desktop interface isn't quite as slick as some of the competition. 2TB isn't a lot of storage by today's standards, either, and iDrive's Personal plans can give you up to 20TB for only a little more.

▶ Read more: pCloud Cloud Storage review.

Performance: Our tests found that pCloud’s upload speeds fared well against competitors like iDrive, Internxt, and Apple iCloud.

File recovery also performed well, but it’s worth keeping in mind that the free version of pCloud only stores file revisions for up to 15 days. If you need longer than this, you’ll have to select a paid plan.

Security: All file transfers involving pCloud use a TLS/SSL encrypted channel for additional protection and files are stored across five different server locations as a safeguard against data loss. In fact, pCloud is so confident regarding the security credentials that it offered a $100,000 reward for anyone that could crack their defenses as part of the 'pCloud Encryption Challenge'. No one was successful.

Customer support: Response times can vary a lot and if you want to contact pCloud directly, you have to pick up the phone. Head office is in Switzerland, so US customers have to battle against the time difference. You can also send an email, but the addition of a live chat option would help speed up their customer service.

Features: Sharing files is straightforward with pCloud and there are a couple of additional features worth talking about too. 

One of these is Extended History, which extends the time that pCloud retains deleted files to 360 days. Another is pCloud Crypto, which adds client-side encryption to your account.

These features are at an additional cost, however, costing $80 a year and $50 respectively.

The desktop app adds a Dropbox-like virtual drive to your file manager, simplifying operations, but Internxt's mobile app can make life even easier by (optionally) automatically uploading pictures and videos direct from your phone.

There's also offline functionality, so you can access your shared files via your computer or mobile even if you don't have a working connection. Then, as soon as the connection is restored, there'll be an automatic sync.

Browser extensions are also available for Firefox, Chrome, and Opera, allowing you to save audio, video and pictures directly from a web page to your pCloud account.

Usability: We found the service very easy to set up and use. Sample folders and files helped us immediately try out its powerful file management and sharing features. We had no issues connecting our account to Facebook, Instagram and other social media accounts, and backing up their content.

Some users have complained pCloud’s software is not short of a bug or two, which diminishes its usability significantly. When things are working well, however, the desktop client is pretty intuitive.

Price: A strong point for pCloud is its competitive price points. There’s a generous free plan offering 10GB of storage (although you will have to complete a few simple tasks to unlock the full amount, such as recommending friends).

In terms of paid plans, There's no monthly pricing model, but annual plans are fair value at $49.99 for 500GB, and $99.99 for 2TB when we last checked in December 2024.

Even better, pCloud's lifetime plans give you 500GB forever for a one-off $199, 2TB for $399, or 10TB for $1190. Despite mooted savings of up to 37%, we check this plan every month and the prices remain the same.

Interestingly, pCloud also offers not just these 'lifetime' payment plans, but the ability to stack one lifetime allowance on top of others. That's certainly an investment, but we like that the option is there, because it could pay off over time with enough use.

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Best for syncing

Sync.com may not have the range of features you'll see elsewhere, but, as the name suggests, it excels at simple file syncing, delivering an easy-to-use, speedy and secure service that works for personal and business users.

Sophisticated file sharing allows creating read-only, password-protected or expiring links, set download limits and more. Sync.com's versioning supports restoring files from at least the last 180 days (most providers stop at 30.)

The mobile apps can automatically sync photos and videos as you take them, while two-factor authentication and end-to-end encryption keep your account and data safe.

Elsewhere, we found Sync.com's apps and web interface slick and easy to use, and performance was a real highlight, with both upload and download speeds amongst the best we've seen.

▶ Read more: Sync cloud storage review.

Sync.com particularly impressed us with its team-oriented feature set, including the ability to add comments to file-sharing links, share folders with groups of people, open and edit Office documents direct from your Sync space (if you subscribe to Office 365) and manage all your users from a central console.

There are the rudimentary file and folder sharing features you'd expect here but there's also support for more advanced sharing controls, including the option of adding password protection and expiry dates on any links you do share.

In addition, if you subscribe to a team account, you'll find that your files gain added security from protocols like HIPAA, GDPR, and PIPEDA. PIN code locks are also provided for the Sync mobile apps.

Prices start higher than most providers, with a 2TB personal plan costing $96 a year. However, demanding teams can get unlimited storage for only $360 per user per year (minimum two users), which works out at $15 per user per month. As of late April 2024, the company is offering $100 off annual bills for its Solo Professional and Teams+ Unlimited plans until May 6.

There's a 5GB free plan for you to try out, and you can expand this to 27GB by carrying out various tasks (some as simple as creating a folder. We're not huge fans of this kind of busywork generally, and always suggest buying in if you have a pressing need to store sensitive data at scale.

Performance: Sync offers some impressive upload and download speeds - although this is, of course, just for a single folder.

We really liked that users can control these speeds, throttling them where necessary. This means you can ensure that Sync doesn’t affect your other commuting tasks if you haven’t got the best connection. This added control you have over Sync’s performance is a handy addition.

Security: Sync takes cloud security very seriously. The service isn't interoperable with third-party apps (like collaboration tools) and doesn’t make its API available for others to use externally.

While this does prohibit potentially useful integrations, it also reduces the possible attack vectors for outside actors to exploit. Sync has even published a white paper explaining how it uses 2048 Bit RSA encryption keys to keep your data safe. Two-factor authentication is also easily enabled for your account.

Customer support: Starting with the positives, Sync does come with an extensive Help Center that provides support regarding setting up your account, creating shared folders and more.

Unfortunately, finding help any other way is more of a challenge. There’s no community forum and you can only get directly in touch with Sync via an online form. We did receive a helpful response pretty quickly, though.

Features: Sync’s primary function is letting users maintain a single folder on their device, or devices, of their choosing that is automatically synced with the cloud.

Versioning is offered but the length of time that files are kept for will vary depending on your subscription. The lack of more advanced features may disappoint some but Sync has chosen to focus on its core functionality instead.

Usability: Sync is easy-to-use across its web and mobile versions that only lose points for style. There’s also an option to store files online only, without taking up space on any of your devices.

Price: Sync’s free plan comes with 5GB, but does include the option of raising this to 27GB by inviting friends and completing other tasks.

Paid-up personal users can access 2TB of storage for $8 a month or 6TB for $20 per month (when paid annually).

For businesses, there’s a Teams Standard plan that offers 1TB at a cost of $5 per user per month. Enterprises may need the Teams Unlimited plan, however, which delivers unlimited cloud storage for $15 per user per month.

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Best for security

From now until the 31st of October, for its Cyber Awareness Month sale, Internxt is offering 80% off discounts on all of its premium plans.

Internxt is a security-focused cloud storage provider who applies multiple technologies to ensure your data stays safe. Paid plans start at just €4.99 a month for 200GB of storage, so worth a look if you're looking to extricate yourself from a big tech provider like Google Drive.

End-to-end encryption shields your data from snoopers; the service stores files in chunks spread around its networks, protecting it from hardware failures; a virus scanner checks your files for malware, a password generator to protect your accounts, and a temporary email.

We found Internxt's well-designed web view and apps did a good job of helping us find and manage files. However, Internxt can't quite match the advanced features you'll find with OneDrive or Dropbox, and it comes with a free plan with plenty of optional hassle built in.

▶ Read more: Internxt cloud storage review.

Performance: During our speed tests, Internxt held up well and it was especially impressive to find that the encryption process didn't have a detrimental effect on speed at all.

The upload of 625MB of data took just 1 minute 55 seconds, which holds its own against other cloud storage services we've reviewed that don't offer encryption.

Security: Perhaps the main reason you'll want to choose Internxt as your cloud storage platform is that all of your data is instantly encrypted upon being transferred from your device, only being decrypted when it is downloaded back to the device in question.

You can be sure of this because, unlike a number of other 'secure' cloud providers, Internxt is committed to open source: making the app source code available on Github so developers can check that end-to-end encryption and other features have been set up correctly.

Also, your data isn’t stored in a single location - it’s broken up and spread across multiple servers. This means even if a server was to suffer a data breach, your entire file won’t be compromised - making it of limited use to cyberattackers. Internxt has also passed an independent security audit by Securitum.

Customer support: Internxt users' first port of call for customer support should be live chat or e-mail. The Internxt Help Center is also on hand with numerous support articles.

Features: Available on desktop, mobile, or tablet, Internxt comes with many of the basic features that users have come to expect from a cloud storage service. You can enjoy media streaming of your video and audio files without downloading the files to your computer.

There’s automatic syncing functionality and offline access, both of which will be much appreciated by business users who can’t afford to be without access to their files. Of course, security should also be mentioned here too as it’s one of Internxt’s features that received the most praise.

Windows Explorer and Mac Finder integration makes uploading as simple as a drag and drop. Sync support keeps files up-to-date across all your devices, and you can share files with others via custom links.

Usability: Set up is simple, and among the fastest processes we’ve experienced putting this guide together. There’s even an introductory guide to ensure you don’t experience a steep learning curve when getting to grips with the platform.

The dashboard is clean and well-designed and the drag-and-drop process for uploads means there’s little opportunity for any issues to arise.

Price: The free plan on offer initially sounds too good to be true, giving users 10GB of storage for no cost, and I suppose it is. Reading the fine print reveals that the free plan offers “up to” 10GB of storage, but you’ll actually start with 2GB of storage and can unlock the rest by completing certain actions.

Many of these aren’t difficult, such as downloading the mobile or desktop app, but they are time-consuming. The measly extra capacity doesn't justify the effort in this day and age.

There are seven other subscription plans available, with businesses able to choose from price levels of €5, €10, and $25 a month for 200GB, 2TB and 10TB respectively.

You can also get their popular 5TB Lifetime Plan at an 80% discount, or annual and lifetime plans of up to 10TB.

Business plans were available from Internxt for a time, but the company is, as of December 2024, directing users to sign up to an e-mail list to be notified when these become available again.

Internxt also offers up to 50% off of its lifetime plans occasionally - so the website's worth checking every now and then if you think you'll get value from the long term investment.

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Best for backups

Backblaze is a high-powered cloud backup service that provides unlimited storage with no file size limits for a very fair price.

Install the Backblaze desktop app and it immediately scans for important files, and begins uploading them. You're able to take manual control, if you like, but we found it simpler to let Backblaze handle everything automatically.

The initial transfer of data to the web can take a long time, but our tests found impressive upload speeds kept delays to a minimum. And on the download front, if you need your data in a hurry, Backblaze will ship up to 8TB to your door on a USB drive.

The focus on backups means there's no file syncing, no clever collaboration tools, and only the simplest of file-sharing options. You can only protect one computer per account, too, and network drives aren't supported.

▶ Read more: Backblaze review.

Price: Backblaze keeps pricing simple: it's just $6 per TB billed monthly, a fifth of the cost of Amazon Web Services.

There's also a free 15-day trial, which you can access without having to hand over your financial details. After that, there's no free plan, but you can get three months free on an annual plan.

Usability: The Backblaze interface is another strength of the platform. While the options are somewhat limited, there’s a real clear focus apparent when engaging with the user experience.

This includes a useful file manager feature, which makes it easy to search and sort through the files you have stored in the platform. The interface is minimal, which is both a strength and a weakness - especially if you are used to some of Backblaze’s competitors that offer more advanced functionality.

Extras: If you also need a VPN to protect yourself online, you can alternatively get Backblaze completely free for a year when you sign up for our #1 favorite, ExpressVPN (and you get three extra months of ExpressVPN protection, too).

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Best for Windows file management

UK-based IceDrive has only been in the cloud storage business for a very few years, but its groundbreaking file management features more than justify its place in our 'Best...' list.

Windows users can browse their storage space from Explorer, for example, moving, renaming, opening, and even editing files, just like working on a local drive. Install the Windows, Mac or Linux app and you can also preview documents and stream media files without having to download them first.

The clean and easy-to-navigate browser interface is so simple that even newbies will figure it out in moments. The desktop and mobile apps have similar functionality, but we found inconsistencies in design and layout made them a little more awkward to use.

▶ Read more: IceDrive review

Security:  IceDrive encrypts data on your device before it's transferred, and its zero-knowledge approach ensures that only you decrypt and view your data.

Two-factor authentication is available to all, while SMS authentication is only available to premium customers. We don't recommend using the latter, as text messages are far easier to intercept than one-time passwords generated by reliable authenticator apps.

Price: A 10GB free plan gives you an easy way to get started despite restrictions (no client-side encryption, plus a 3GB/ day bandwidth limit.) If you need more, annual plans range from $4.99 a month for 100GB, $7.99 a month for 1TB, and $14.99 for 3TB.

When we last checked in December 2024, these prices had been raised slightly, and previously available monthly/annual 10TB plans had been axed. There are savings to be had when buying in for a year or two, but the value of that depends on your usecase.

However, IceDrive is now once again offering lifetime plans after revising its pricing structure. Right now, 512GB of storage is a one-time payment of $299 will get you 512GB of lifetime storage, 2TB is $479, and 10TB is $1199.

Those prices are okay, but what we really like about this structure is that additional data allowances can be stacked on top with subsequent payments, currently $79 for an additional 128GB, 512GB for $199 and 2TB for $399.

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Best for ease of use

NordLocker is hard to beat for privacy in the cloud storage space: it comes from the people behind NordVPN, one of the best VPNs around.

The service scores well on the fundamentals. We found NordLocker's leading-edge encryption extremely quick, upload times were reasonable, and the addition of multi-factor authentication protects your account from attackers.

▶ Read more: NordLocker review.

Usability: We've reviewed more than 20 cloud storage platforms just recently in December 2024, and NordLocker is by far one of the easiest to use. The desktop apps enable uploading, downloading, and managing your files with little more than a drag and drop.

The mobile apps are just a mobile browser running inside an application, but that's not an obstacle to functionality. Security: With its zero-knowledge encryption system, not even a NordLocker security worker can decrypt your stored files. But that shouldn't be a problem - such is NordLocker's confidence in its security protocols. In fact, the vendor even offered a $10,000 reward to any individual that could break into its encrypted locker. 

Price: As of December 2024, Nordlocker is offering offered 53% off its 2TB plan when billed annually, coming to $6.99 a month, or 40% off 500GB billed annually for $2.99 a month.

A free plan gives you 3GB of storage to play with, but that's disappointing compared with the 5-10GB (or Google Drive's comparatively mammoth 15GB) allocated elsewhere.

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Best for users in Microsoft's ecosystem

Microsoft OneDrive doesn't have the features of some of the cloud storage competition, but its Windows and Microsoft 365 integration, XBox support, and simple interface, make this a great solution for anyone committed or open to the Microsoft ecosystem.

OneDrive comes built into Windows 10/ 11, for instance, so there's nothing to install. It shows up in Explorer, and you can drag and drop files to sync them to the cloud and your other devices.

Features: Microsoft 365 support includes auto-saving to the cloud, and collaboration options include the ability to work on documents simultaneously with others, or share them via OneDrive-generated links.

Usability: Microsoft hasn't forgotten other platforms, but we found they delivered mixed results on the usability front. The web interface covers the basics, for instance, but doesn't have the simplicity or style of Google Drive or Dropbox.

The Mac client is more straightforward, though we found some conflicts with iCloud. The elegant and intuitive mobile apps are the real highlight, though, with strong photo and video syncing tools and solid security.

Price: OneDrive's free plan offers only 5GB, half the allowance you'll get with some providers. You can pay $19.99 a year to upgrade, but that still only gets you 100GB. Microsoft 365 users get the best value, with Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and 1TB of OneDrive storage from $70 a year.

▶ Read more: Microsoft OneDrive review.

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Best budget option

Whatever platform you choose, we found Google Drive to be intuitive and easy to use. The Android and iOS apps are a close match for the browser view, ensuring smooth operations even when you're regularly switching devices.

We've been a little disappointed by previous versions of the desktop apps, but the latest edition is just as easy to operate as Drive apps on other platforms.

Google Drive's Android and Google Workspace integration make it an ideal cloud storage platform for staunch Google users, but a generous 15GB free tier, and a host of desktop, mobile and Drive-supporting third-party apps, ensure it carries plenty of appeal for newcomers.

▶ Read more: Google Drive review.

Price: Business Workspace plans are billed per user per month, require a one year commitment and, in offering far more beyond cloud storage, cost anywhere between around $8 to $25.

These provide up to 5TB of storage per user, and allow for large scale business meetings up to 1000 users, as well as in-domain live-streaming. It's comprehensive, but probably only worth it for large companies. Enterprises are encouraged to contact Google's sales team privately for trials and custom quotes.

In terms of personal pricing, you can choose between 100GB or 2TB personal plans, which are, as of December 2024, priced at $1.99 and $9.99, per user per month respectively, with up to 16% saved when billed annually. An 'AI Premium' plan offers 2TB of storage alongside access to Google's Gemini AI service, but it also costs $19.99.

Features: Small team management is also on the cards, as you can share your allowance with up to five people, and the service more than delivers on the cloud storage essentials, with versioning support, offline access, syncing, file sharing all here.

Business users will love the Google Sheets, Docs and Slides integration, for instance, where you can create, edit and share cloud files with others, without ever downloading anything.

Security: Drive doesn't have end-to-end encryption, which means that, in theory, Google could see your files. So, if you're not a Google fan, tying yourself so tightly into the company's ecosystem may not appeal. 

But for everyone else, it offers a slick and powerful free service, and plenty of benefits if you upgrade.

Cloud storage services: Honourable mentions

There are some providers that, for one reason or another, aren't on this list. Some are on our radar and have impressed us, but we haven't had a chance to review them yet and so we don't feel qualified to comment with an expert opinion.

There are also some providers that are a little too specialised for this guide. CloudSpot offers storage as part of a store system for freelance photography businesses, while Filepass prides itself on supporting collaboration between creatives and clients.

Meanwhile, for free cloud storage, and a generous 20GB starter allowance that bests even Google Drive's offering, I like Blomp.

I will, of course, keep adding to this list as I gather more info on newer cloud storage services that go up against the larger companies: in the short term, they can often offer more features for less money.

Frequently asked questions

How to choose the best cloud storage service

How do we test cloud storage services?

There are a number of factors that I look for when considering the best-in-class cloud storage services.

In directing our testers, I've advised them to look at the upload and download speeds of file transfers, but this is a minor component of the overall rating as there are scores of other factors that affect your download or upload speeds that cannot be easily mitigated (contention rate, time of day, and server load, for instance).

Testers also check to see if the storage provider can recover deleted files, as well as if they keep multiple versions of files in case users need to undo changes

The other thing I ask testers to consider is the cost of a service. While cloud storage can initially be a very low-cost investment, the money can add up when you factor in additional storage requirements, and opting for premium features such as artificial intelligence support on a service that also offers collaboration tools.

Security standards and credentials are also key. Look for a cloud storage provider that can boast the certifications that promise an SLA you can rely on - and safeguards that protect your data.

Last but certainly not least is the level of support that a cloud storage service will provide to its customers, whether it's 24-7 over the phone or web-based only.

▶ Read more detailed coverage: Cloud storage reviews: how we tested them

Finding the perfect cloud storage solution starts by thinking about your needs. What are you hoping the service will do?

If your goal is to protect all your data from harm, then look for a service with solid backup tools and the ability to access your files from anywhere.

If you'd like to share a group of files - photos, say - across multiple devices, then you'll need quick and easy syncing abilities.

If you're more interested in sharing individual files or folders with others, look for a platform that supports password-protected or time-limited links, anything that helps you stay more secure. Businesses will benefit from collaboration tools, too, allowing users to work on files together, add comments and more.

Pay attention to the figures. Most cloud storage keeps previous versions of your files for up to 30 days, for instance, but that's not always the case. If your provider says it supports 'versioning', that's good, but check the details, see how it really compares to the competition.

You'll want to consider a provider's cost and capacity, too, but be careful. Don't simply opt for a high-capacity plan just because it seeks better value: think about whether you really need that much space.

And when it comes to price, browse the small print, look out for hidden charges or fees which jump on renewal, make sure you know exactly what you're getting.

Credentials around service and security standards are also key. Look for a cloud storage provider that can boast the certifications that promise an SLA you can rely on - and safeguards that protect your data.

In addition, make sure your storage provider offers the scalability you need should you grow - and a flexible pricing model to accompany it. Perhaps the best thing to do when choosing a cloud storage provider is simply to shop around. There’s bound to be a solution that suits your needs - but don’t simply go with the first cloud provider you find.

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