Let's be honest: sometimes money is tight, and quality
cloud storage can get pricey. The good news is that many of the best cloud
storage providers on the market offer 5GB or more of storage space for free.
While 5 GB may not seem like a lot, many of the
companies on my list offer more than 5 GB for free, and even a relatively small
amount of free space gives users the opportunity to test different cloud
storage solutions without immediately making a paid commitment.
To help you sort through all the available options and
ensure that you get the best free space with no restrictions, I've researched
and compiled a list of the best cloud storage providers offering 5GB or more of
free space in 2022.
Sync.com - 5 GB Free
Sync.com is one of my favorite cloud storage
providers, and while their free 5GB plan might not seem like much storage
space, it's an excellent opportunity to try out one of the best cloud storage
solutions on the market and see if it works for you.
Why Sync.com?
Sync is a great all-around cloud storage provider that
strives to balance top-notch security features with a seamless user experience.
It comes with no-knowledge, AES-256-bit encryption, plus two-factor
authentication, and a 365-day return feature that protects your files if they
become corrupted or corrupted.
Best of all, none of these security features require
extra payment or effort to set up. Sync.com comes out of the box ready to
protect your data.
Because Sync.com focuses so much on security, it lacks
some of the collaboration features offered by other cloud storage providers.
However, it is integrated with Office 365, which means you can edit Office
documents directly in the app without having to download them first.
Sync.com offers a particularly smooth user experience
when it comes to its mobile applications and is one of the best cloud storage
solutions for Android. If you plan to access your cloud data regularly from
your phone, Sync.com might be the right choice for you.
Icedrive - 10 GB Free
Icedrive has only been around since 2019, but the
company has already built a reputation as one of the best cloud storage
providers.
Although it lacks some of the collaboration features
offered by other providers, it makes up for it with great privacy and security
features, ultra-fast sync speeds, and an elegant and intuitive user experience.
Icedrive Pros and Cons
Positives:
● Comes with 10GB of free storage, no restrictions or
conditions
● Great security features, including Twofish encryption
● The fastest cloud storage on the market today
● Affordable and Cheap Lifetime Plans 1 TB Cloud Storage
Plans
● Simple and straightforward user experience with a
beautiful interface
Negatives:
● Lacks some key features
Why IDrive?
Icedrive distinguishes itself from the competition
mainly in terms of unbeatable security features. It uses the Twofish encryption
protocol, a lesser-known encryption protocol that is particularly difficult for
hackers to crack.
In terms of privacy, Icedrive is a zero-knowledge
provider file, which means that only you and I can see your data. In addition,
the company offers the extraordinary opportunity to view and download all the
personal data they have recorded about you, which puts them largely at the
forefront of transparency in the industry.
IDrive is also the fastest cloud service provider in
terms of syncing speed, and it offers 10GB of free space with absolutely no
extra effort necessary (other than creating an account).
If you decide you want more than 10 GB, Icedrive paid
plans start at an incredibly low $1.67 per month ($19.99 billed annually) for
150 GB of storage and go up to $15 per month ($179.99 paid annually) for a
massive amount of space It is 5 terabytes.
Icedrive also offers lifetime plans, which give you
the opportunity to make one easy payment and access cloud storage forever - you
don't have to worry about renewing your subscription. Prices for the lifetime
plan are very reasonable, ranging from $99 for 150GB to $599 for 5TB.
Internxt - 10 GB Free
Internext isn't the brightest option on my list, but
its strong security features, easy-to-use interface, and ample 10GB of free
space make it an attractive option for those who aren't looking for a lot of
extra features.
Internxt Pros and Cons
Positives:
● Strong security and privacy features
● Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
● Wonderful customer support
Negatives:
● Some paid plans do not offer the best value for your
money.
Why Internxt?
Internxt is the best no-nonsense cloud storage
solution on my list. There may be a lack of many collaboration features and
third-party integrations offered by other cloud storage providers, but if
that's not an issue for you, Internxt is a powerful cloud storage provider that
gets the job done and gives you a whopping 10GB of storage for free.
You can access your data from any device, and all of
its apps are well-designed and easy to use. Internxt allows you to choose
between "full sync" and "upload only", as well as setting
specific time intervals for folders to be uploaded. You can send shareable
links, but you can't do much about setting specific parameters or permissions
for these links.
In terms of security, Internxt takes a unique
approach. It splits your data and stores it into pieces in multiple physical
servers across different countries, which means that your files are not only
protected by encryption but also by physical distance.
By splitting your data into 10,000 separate node
operators and securing it using blockchain technology, Internxt makes sure that
it is highly unlikely that all of your data will be lost at the same time.
In addition to its decentralized network of servers,
Internxt is also a zero-knowledge file provider and offers encrypted file
sharing and optional two-factor authentication.
If you decide you need more space, Internxt's paid
plans start at $1.12 a month (or $12.12 if you pay annually) for 20 GB and go
up to $11.33 a month (or $122.40 a year) for 2 TB. (Note: Internxt lists their
prices in euros, and the dollar amounts I have listed here reflect the exchange
rate at the time of writing.)
MEGA.NZ - 20 GB Free
Mega ranks as one of the most generous cloud storage
providers on my list, offering 20GB of free storage (the only cloud storage
provider that offers more space is Degoo, which I'll get to in a bit).
Pros and Cons of Mega
Positives:
● Takes privacy seriously
● Very generous free plan
● Easy setup and hassle-free user experience
Negatives:
● Downloading and uploading can be a bit slow
Why mega?
MEGA stands out from the flock in two main areas:
privacy and storage space.
MEGA refers to itself as the "Privacy
Company," and it does a good job of living up to its hype. In addition to
being a zero-knowledge provider, MEGA adds an extra layer of encryption to
protect your files in storage and when in transit.
MEGA also offers some unique privacy features,
including an integrated file chat platform with end-to-end encryption. In other
words, MEGA will not see your personal files or data, nor will anyone else.
In terms of storage, MEGA pretty much offers an
unbeatable 20GB of free space with no restrictions. You can expand this further
by completing what the company refers to as "achievements."
Achievements include referring new users and
installing MEGA apps on your various devices. Each achievement unlocks an
additional 5GB of space, and you can even get 5GB for each individual customer
you successfully refer.
However, it should be noted that these additional
achievement-based gigabytes will expire after one year.
If you decide that 20GB is not enough, you can sign up
for a paid plan. MEGA is serious about storage, and their largest plan comes
with a whopping 16TB of space for $33.99 a month, good value for your money.
Google Drive - 15 GB Free
One of the largest and most popular cloud storage
solutions today, Google Stand comes with the full power and reputation of
Google behind it.
Google's prevalence as an email and workplace
collaboration service makes it an obvious choice for many people who already
have a Google File, and its 15GB of free space is enough for many.
Google Engine Pros and Cons
Positives:
● Integrated with the Google ecosystem, including Google
Docs and Gmail.
● Amazing Collaboration Features
● Backup support
Negatives:
● Some serious security and privacy concerns
Why does Google lead?
Google ranks the engine as the best cloud provider for
workplace collaboration in my list. If you already have a Google File in your
account, 15GB comes included with no extra effort or setup necessary.
Google Drive is a storage for any documents created in
the Google Docs format and is an excellent collaboration system used by
businesses all over the world. In other words, if you regularly work in Google
Docs, you are already taking advantage of the 15GB of free storage space.
Google Docs - and by extension Google Drive - makes it easy to share files,
modify permissions, track changes, and edit documents.
Where Google Drive falls short of is its suspiciously
vague privacy policy. Google is not a zero-knowledge provider, and the company
has been criticized for scanning user documents.
Nothing is perfect in life, and everything comes with
a trade-off: With Google Drive, that means trading some privacy rights for
seamless, versatile collaboration features.
If that sounds like a fair trade to you, you can
easily upgrade to a paid plan, with prices starting at $1.99 a month ($19.99 a
year, with a 16% discount if you agree to prepay annually) for 100GB.
The biggest plan Google Drive offers is its Premium
plan, which comes with 2TB for $9.99 a month ($99.99 a year, 17% off if you pay
upfront).
Amazon Drive - 5 GB Free
Backed by one of the biggest names in the tech world,
Amazon Drive offers cloud storage at a great price. It's not the best cloud
storage provider on my list, but unlimited, high-quality photo storage, Amazon
Photos, makes it a great choice for users looking for plenty of space to store
their cherished memories.
Amazon Drive Pros and Cons
Positives:
● 5 GB of free storage for Prime
members
● Unlimited cloud storage for photos
● Simple and intuitive interface
● Beautiful HD photos and photo previews
● Affordable Plans
Negatives:
● The amount of free storage is not as impressive as
many of the others on my list
● The privacy policy is not clear
Why Amazon Drive?
Amazon Drive is one of the best cloud storage provider
sites for storing photos, especially for those who already have an Amazon Prime
account. Prime members get unlimited photo storage for free, which is great
value for your money, especially when you consider all the other features that
come with a Prime membership.
Amazon Drive stores your photos in a separate but
included program called Amazon Photos, which features a high-quality image
preview that can store and process many different image file types, including
JPEG, RAW, and HEIC files. Photos from multiple Amazon Drive accounts can be
combined into Family Storage and stored in a single folder in the cloud.
You can also make basic edits to photos stored in
Amazon Photos without having to download them first. Amazon Drive includes a
native video player as well, but you cannot edit videos within the app.
Amazon Drive does not come with any encryption
features, and Amazon is not a zero-knowledge provider. This means that your
data is theirs to view if they choose, a feature that is in line with Amazon's
generally questionable marketing and monitoring practices.
However, if that's not a deal breaker for you, taking
advantage of unlimited photo storage and 5GB of free space is an irresistible
proposition. If you decide you need more space, Amazon Drive paid plans to
start at a reasonable $19.99/year for 100GB and go up to a whopping 30TB for
$1,799.70/year.
Degoo - 100 GB Free
Yes, you read that correctly. By far the most generous
provider on my list, Degoo offers 100GB of free space. Unfortunately, Degoo
compromises a lot in some other areas. It doesn't come with a lot of features,
and it can be a bit confusing when using it.
As a cloud backup provider, it lacks the productivity
and collaboration tools that many of the others on my list include. However,
100GB is hard to argue with, which is a great deal for anyone looking for free
space on top of everything else.
Pros and Cons of Degoo
Positives:
● 100 GB free space
● Decent mobile app
● Good price per gigabyte
Negatives
● A free plan that displays ads
● Paid plans are a bit expensive
● Encryption additional costs
● Not the most user friendly
Why Diego?
Like I said before, they are not the best cloud
storage provider, but they are by far the most generous with free space. All
users automatically get 100GB of free cloud storage and can access even more by
subscribing to emails and referring friends.
And to be fair, they already have a pretty decent
mobile app that is compatible with iOS and Android and offers a much more
intuitive user experience than their web app, which requires a tedious manual
upload process (they don't have a desktop app).
Degoo comes with an audio file-sharing feature, as
well as a nice photo storage zoom tool that lets you view high-resolution
photos in the phone app while a low-quality version is stored on your device,
thus saving space. However, this is an add-on that only works with Degoo's
Ultimate plan.
Degoo advertises itself as a cloud backup service, but
if you're using it for cloud backup (if you're automatically backing up every
file on your computer), 100GB isn't enough, and you'll run out of space pretty
fast. However, it is still a generous offer if you only use it to store certain
files.
If you decide to get more space, Degoo's best deal is their Ultimate plan, which comes with 10TB of space for a one-time payment of $99.99. (Which, the company says, is good for 100 years of service.)