Did you know that Google Drive is the most used cloud storage option, with 94.4 per cent of people choosing it over others? However, most people do not know that there are countless other cloud storage options you can turn to.
After almost two years of working from home and depending on cloud storage solutions, the market has expanded. How can you make sure you are using the proper cloud storage for your needs with all of the available choices? Let us look at some of the best cloud storage 2022 has to offer.
Cheapest and Best Cloud Storage 2022: IDrive
If your budget is a concern, IDrive is the right choice. It has the most affordable plans by far, with a considerable discount currently available which comes to $7.95 for the whole year, for 5TB of storage.
IDrive offers an extensive compatibility range, including Mac, Windows and Linux, and includes top media software. One of the most important features this option has is backing up unlimited devices to a single account. For people with many devices, including external hard drives, backing them up to IDrive is convenient and straightforward.
If you need to upload a lot of information quickly, IDrive is the right choice.
Right now, you can even save 90 per cent when you sign up for their plans.
Best Free Cloud Storage: Google Drive
Google cloud storage is the most generous cloud storage option if you do not want to pay. Its free plan offers an astounding 15 GB, and its cheapest paid option, coming in at £1.53, gives you a whopping 100 GB.
Google Drive is an easy platform to use, and it allows you to collaborate with others by making file-sharing simple. Even editing is a breeze.
Google Drive has an effortless set-up, requiring you only to create an account and sign in. It allows you to store any file in the secure system.
One of its best features is the Google Office Suite. You have access to a web-based office suite that lets you open, edit, and share documents, perfect for real-time editing. All of this is available to view on multiple devices, ensuring you can get your documents when and where you need them.
Google Drive is fast as well. Because it has servers worldwide, connectivity and speed will not be a concern.
Its Security is also good, offering data encryption in line with GDPR, though it could be better since it is encrypted only at AES128-bit. If you use Gmail and other Google features, this is a good choice.
Best Premium Cloud Storage: Dropbox
This option offers high Security and encryption and a range of functions that make it the best premium choice. Dropbox integrates with Office Suite, letting you view, share, and edit documents.
If you need more storage, you can opt for Dropbox Business, which offers unlimited storage with a fee per user.
Dropbox offers excellent backup options as well, allowing you to back up an entire hard drive to the cloud. You have a vault option, too, that allows only authorised people access to your documents.
Compared to other cloud storage options, Dropbox is pricey. The free plan will only get you 2 GB, and you can use some features only if you have a professional account. You can, however, expect great speed with Dropbox.
Best Security: pCloud
pCloud's Security is known as Zero-Knowledge, and the system offers an area of full encryption which not even pCloud staff can access. For people searching for the cloud storage option with the highest Security, this is the way to go. Remember that if you lose your password, staff will not be able to help you.
With pCloud, you can also back up from social media and other services. If you have media scattered throughout social media platforms, you can have it all in one place without doing this manually.
Pricing with pCloud is simple because there are only two options: Premium and Premium Plus. Premium offers 500 GB, and Premium Plus offers 2 TB.
Best for Unlimited Storage: Sync
Sync has the best of all worlds when it comes to cloud storage. It is more secure than Dropbox, but it has GDPR compliance built-in. It has a vault feature that lets users copy files to the Sync account without having them exist locally and consuming disk space.
The files in that vault will not be synced, so you have added protection. As soon as you upload something to the cloud, you can be sure it is unreadable to anyone but you.
However, the best feature of Sync is the unlimited storage for just $30 per month and is by far one of the best pricing available if you need a lot of cloud storage at an affordable price.
Best for Apple Device Users: iCloud
Apple iCloud continues to make considerable strides in improving its services, now offering folder sharing and better integration with macOS and iOS. It still does not have integration with Android, however.
iCloud works in the background, uploading and syncing files so you do not have to worry about it. Although it cannot back up a whole machine, it gets closer than other options.
The data is encrypted but not end-to-end, so Apple can help you recover your files if you run into issues. You also have protection with two-factor authentication.
iCloud's prices are also reasonable, and you can even get 5 GB of storage for free.
Best for Windows Users: OneDrive
This is a great cloud storage option if you are a Windows 10 user since it integrates seamlessly. You have a vault with this option, an area with added encryption that requires two-factor authentication, and OneDrive limits how many files you can place in this vault.
You also have access to Microsoft 365, and OneDrive syncs all of your files across all devices.
Pricing offers many options, including some that are just storage and others that come with Office 365. If you want to have more than 100 GB of storage, you will have to choose an option that includes Office 365.
Speed is not a concern since there are servers everywhere.
Choose What Works Best for You
When deciding on cloud storage, you need to know what works best for you. Do you prefer higher Security or free storage? Do you want a highly integrated option or one that has added features?
These are the best cloud storage 2022 has to offer, and I am sure you can find the one for you among them. If you want to know more about these options, check out my full video!
