Best iCloud alternatives: 6 cloud storage options for Mac and iPhone in 2026

As a content creator, I’ve collected hundreds of gigabytes of video projects, raw footage, and photos over two decades. My childhood photos from the 2000s sit alongside recent 4K video files, creating an archive I can’t afford to lose. When I got the notification that I hit the 2TB limit, I had two options: pay even more or look for an iCloud storage alternative.

After researching and testing multiple services, I found solutions offering better capacity, stronger privacy, and often lower costs. In this article, I will share 8 alternatives to iCloud storage that may be useful to anyone who is also looking for a way to store heavy business files, video content for a blog, or precious memories.

Compare iCloud alternatives: Storage, pricing, and key features

Cloud storage providers differentiate through storage capacity limits, pricing models, and privacy implementations. While iCloud caps storage at 2TB with standard encryption, alternatives offer lifetime subscriptions, zero-knowledge protection, and capacity exceeding 10TB.

Service	Best for	Max Storage	Price
pCloud	Lifetime storage	10 TB	From $5/month
Google Drive	Collaboration	30 TB	Free or from $1.99/month
Dropbox	Integrations	3 TB for individuals/ unlimited for business	Free or from $9.99/month
Internxt	Budget-conscious	10TB	Free or from $18/first year
Microsoft OneDrive	Microsoft 365 users	6 TB	Free or from $1.99/month
IDrive	Comprehensive backup	5 TB	Free or from $9.95/month

pCloud: Best iCloud alternative with lifetime storage plans

pCloud puts an end to recurring subscriptions with lifetime plans that pay for themselves. The one-time payment of $600 for 2 TB seemed high at first, until I calculated that the monthly fee of $9.99 for iCloud would cost twice as much over a period of ten years.

The virtual drive implementation mounts cloud storage directly in Finder without consuming local disk space. Files download temporarily when opened, with modifications syncing automatically to the cloud. This approach freed up 800GB on my Mac while maintaining access to my complete video project library.

Source: pCloud

“I've had many years with Pcloud 2Tb lifetime. No complaints. Some things I love: 1. Automatic backup of photos/videos from my phone at full res which is great as Google Photos does not sync full res for free. 2. Automatic backup of Google Drive. 3. Automatic backup of social media accounts”, shares a Reddit community member.

Best features:

• Favorable lifetime plans 
• 10TB maximum capacity
• Block-level sync transfers only modified file portions
• Built-in media player with playlist creation
• Optional zero-knowledge encryption (pCloud Crypto)
• Extended file versioning 

Pros:

• One-time payment becomes cost-effective long-term
• Fast upload and download speeds
• iOS and macOS apps with automatic photo upload

Cons:

• Cannot replace iCloud for iPhone system backups
• Higher upfront cost for lifetime plans

Price: From $5/month or from $300/one-time.

Google Drive: Best iCloud alternative for collaboration

Google Drive provides 15GB of free storage, triple iCloud's 5GB allocation. Therefore, it was my first choice as an iCloud storage alternative. In addition, I appreciate the real-time editing capabilities. I can collaborate with my team on scripts and storyboards with automatic conflict resolution. 

One Reddit user explained why he likes using Google Drive:

“I like that I can set up a folder on one machine and find it on everything else. Full integration with gmail (my mx points to google.) Integration with GSuite. I can open a .docx with gsuite while in my G: drive. The ungodly amount of storage I have available. Still haven't come close to filling it up. It's included with my gsuite sub. If I'm paying for it already (and a good price at that), I'm going to use it, and at the end of the day, it just works”.

However, some Reddit users complain that the Google Drive desktop app may work incorrectly.

“As an IT professional working mainly with companies using Macs, Google Drive Desktop is horrible, because it's so unreliable (stops syncing/uploading, not showing up-to-date content sometimes, etc.). That's the most frustrating part — you then have to completely uninstall it manually.”

Source: Google

Best features:

• 15GB free storage 
• Real-time collaborative editing
• 5 TB individual file size limit
• Google Workspace integration (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
• Fast upload and download speeds
• Powerful search with OCR capabilities

Pros:

• Generous free tier
• Excellent collaboration features
• Works seamlessly across all platforms
• Integrated with Gmail and Google Photos

Cons:

• Cannot replace iPhone system backups

Price: Free or from $1.99/month. 

Dropbox: Best alternative to iCloud  for professional workflows and integrations

Dropbox pioneered cloud storage file synchronization and maintains extensive third-party integrations. The service connects directly with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, allowing users to create and edit Office documents or Google files without leaving Dropbox’s interface.

Dropbox Paper provides collaborative document creation with rich media embedding and task assignment. The eSignature feature eliminates third-party document signing services. Screen recording capabilities capture and automatically upload recordings to cloud storage.

Best features:

• Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace integration
• Dropbox Paper for collaborative documentation
• Includes eSignature functionality
• Screen recording with automatic upload
• Password-protected file sharing
• Extensive third-party app ecosystem

Pros:

• Strong collaboration features
• Professional tools for business workflows
• Fast synchronization speeds
• Works across all major platforms

Cons:

• Only 2GB free storage

Price: Free or $9.99/month.

Internxt: Most affordable iCloud alternative

Although Internxt only provides 1 GB for free, it offers the best terms for paid storage of large amounts of files. For 5 TB of storage, you only have to pay $4.5 per month on an annual basis.  The service implements end-to-end encryption with distributed data storage across multiple locations, fragmenting files to prevent unauthorized access. All paid plans include basic VPN access and antivirus protection. 

“I purchased storage from Internxt and from the get go the support from the team was really good! I am paying less than I did when using other cloud servers like Drive and iCloud, and when asking ChatGPT to summarise the fine print, Internxt is much more secure. Very happy with the service, and excited about the new updates rolling out this quarter!”, shares a Reddit user.

Best features:

• Lowest cost for large capacity with encryption
• Fast transfer speeds
• Included VPN and antivirus on paid plans
• Lifetime plan options

Pros:

• Most affordable per-GB pricing
• Strong privacy protections
• Additional security tools included
• iOS and macOS app support

Cons:

• Limited collaboration features
• Smaller feature set than established providers

Price: Free or from $18/first year for 1TB, then $120/year.

Microsoft OneDrive: Best alternative to iCloud bundled with Microsoft 365

If you use both Windows and macOS at work, Microsoft OneDrive may fit your needs. It's easy to collaborate with colleagues and no problem to open office files from any device. 

The Personal Vault feature provides additional encryption for sensitive files, requiring biometric or two-factor authentication for access. Files On-Demand functionality displays cloud files in Finder without downloading until opened, similar to pCloud’s virtual drive approach but with deeper system integration on Windows.

Source: Microsoft

“I’ve used google drive, idrive, mega, box..all are pretty good but i still prefer onedrive for its longivity”, says a Reddit user.

Best features:

• Microsoft 365 apps included with subscription
• Native macOS and Windows integration
• Personal Vault for sensitive files
• Files On-Demand saves local storage
• Collaborative editing in Office apps
• Automatic file versioning

Pros:

• Best value when needing Office applications
• Deep system integration
• Strong collaboration features
• Works well across platforms
• Enhanced security with Personal Vault

Cons:

• Only 5GB free storage

Price: Free or from $1.99/month,

IDrive: Best comprehensive backup solution

IDrive combines cloud storage with full device backup. One 5TB plan can protect unlimited devices, including your Mac, external drives, iPhone, and iPad — all under one account. You get more space than iCloud’s 2TB plan, for a lower price.

For extra privacy, you can use your own encryption key so only you can access your files. IDrive can also back up data from services like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox, and Box.

Best features:

• 5TB storage with unlimited device backups
• Continuous automatic backup
• Client-side encryption available
• Cloud app backup (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace)

Pros:

• Excellent value for capacity
• True backup solution beyond storage
• Backs up multiple devices
• Physical shipping option
• First-year discount pricing

Cons:

• Primarily backup-focused, not sync-focused
• Interface less polished than competitors
• Price increases after first year

Price: Free or from $9.95/month.

To sum up: Choosing your iCloud alternative

The best iCloud alternative depends on what matters most to you — storage space, privacy, price, or collaboration tools. If you’ve ever searched how to buy more storage on iPhone not iCloud, you’ve probably realized Apple doesn’t offer extra device storage beyond iCloud upgrades. That’s why moving photos, videos, and large files to a separate cloud service can be a smarter long-term solution. My switch from iCloud’s 2TB limit to higher-capacity services showed me that protecting years of memories requires both enough space and strong security.

Choose pCloud if you want long-term savings and more than 2TB, especially for large photo or video libraries. Go with Google Drive or Dropbox if collaboration and integrations matter most. Internxt is a good budget-friendly encrypted option, OneDrive works well if you already use Microsoft 365, and IDrive is best if you want full device backups, not just file syncing.

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