As well as recognizable services like Google Drive and DropBox, there is a multitude of cloud storage services that offer free online storage.
The amount of space they offer, as well as account, security, and privacy options, do differ though, and you should choose the one that best meets your needs.
Below, we have reviewed 20 of the best free cloud storage options available to you today. See how much storage they offer, whether they have upgrade options available, and whether accounts are limited to users of certain devices or platforms.
Best Free Cloud Storage
1. Google Drive
Free Space: 15GB
Google Drive offers 15GB of free storage so it doesn’t offer the biggest account. However, what it lacks in storage space, it makes up for in convenience and synchronization.
You can create documents in Google Docs and store them directly in your Drive account.
If you use a Chromebook or any device with a Chrome OS, it is easy to automatically synchronize the saving of data and files between devices and software, too.
It is easy to use and the interface will be instantly recognizable if you use any of Google’s other online services. Sharing and collaborating with other users is also really easy.
There are some privacy issues associated with using Google’s online services and these put some users off. However, 15GB of free storage from an account that you probably already have access to thanks to your existing Google profile, and the collaboration and sharing tools, mean that Google’s Drive is arguably the best online cloud storage service available.
2. Mega
Free Space: 50GB
Mega may not be as well known as Google Drive, but it has more than three times the free storage capacity, offering you up to 50GB of storage space for files and media. However, this only lasts for 30 days and after this period your account will revert to the same 15GB storage as Google.
You can earn a little extra storage for completing Mega’s achievements, which are the usual invite a friend and share a link actions.
All of your files are stored with end-to-end encryption and Mega includes good apps for syncing data on Microsoft, Mac, Apple, Android, and Linux.
Mega is clearly geared towards the cloud storage features, rather than Google’s collaborative tools. This does mean that documents are intrinsically more secure because one of Google’s major security flaws is unauthorized recipients gaining access to file links.
However, the lack of collaboration also limits Mega’s otherwise impressive functionality. If all you’re looking for is storage, go for it.
3. MediaFire
Free Space: 10GB
By default, MediaFire accounts only include 10GB of data but through special bonuses, you can get as much as 50GB. The account can be used to store documents and work, as well as videos, audio files, and other media types.
Once you have uploaded files to MediaFire, you can share them easily. Grab the link and email it, share it in group chat, or even share it on your website.
One-time links are a one-off link. The recipient can open the file but they cannot forward the link because it will be invalid. This can be a useful feature if you charge or otherwise restrict media downloads.
MediaFire apps are available on all the usual platforms and the company offers premium accounts with considerable storage limits, although these come at a price.
4. pCloud
Free Space: 10GB
pCloud does allow for the cloud storage of any type of file or document, but its features, especially the image resizing options, mean that it is geared towards users that want to store images. Image resizing allows you to optimize the file size, too, so it can help make the most of the pCloud storage space that you have.
The free account includes 10GB of storage and upgraded accounts offer storage limits of up to 2TB.
Sharing options are extensive, too, and enable you to invite others to access individual files or whole folders, while the Public Folder allows for direct links to be created to specific files. You can even use this to create a static HTML web page.
pCloud’s features enable its use as a mobile backup service by using Automatic Upload. Turn this feature on and it will save your pictures, videos, and other mobile files to your account.
You can also synchronize pCloud’s stored files with your own so that always access the latest version. Desktop apps are available for all platforms and they allow you to automatically update the stored files whenever any changes are made.
5. Sync
Free Space: 5GB
Unfortunately, Sync only offers 5GB of free storage, but if this is enough for your needs, then you can benefit from the cloud company’s other features, such as its end-to-end encryption or the fact that it retains deleted files, preventing any unintentional data loss from your account.
The main aim of this account is collaboration, so there are multiple collab features.
Send files to other people, including those that don’t have a Sync account. You and colleagues can work on the same version of your file and you will receive updates and alerts when changes are made to your documents.
Security and privacy are also ensured, thanks to password protection of files, secure encryption, and permissions. Permissions mean that you can give some users total access so that they can make edits and changes, while other users may only need viewing functionality without the need to make changes.
Sync’s free account size is limited but its collaboration tools are strong.
6. AmazonDrive
Free Space: 5GB
Amazon isn’t just an eCommerce company. One in 20 websites are built on Amazon Web Services, and their cloud services division continues to pick up the pace.
AmazonDrive offers a free component to its cloud storage services. You do only get 5GB of free storage, but the features are good.
AmazonDrive is used primarily for the storage of photos and videos. It does sync to your mobile and desktop devices, and it can be used to print photos too.
AmazonDrive’s free account is worth considering if you’re a Prime member because you receive unlimited photo storage if you are. If you aren’t already a member, AmazonDrive is somewhat limited by its features and by its maximum storage space, and you would be better served to find an alternative.
7. iCloud
Free Space: 5GB
iCloud is platform-specific and for Apple users. While it has strictly become one of the most popular cloud storage facilities available, this is because it is effectively included on iPhones and Macs. macOS and iOS default to iCloud, which means that a lot of people will have signed up simply because it is more convenient than choosing an alternative every time.
The platform has undergone numerous improvements in recent years, too, and these have helped make it a more formidable option than it once was.
However, it doesn’t have an Android app of any sort, so it won’t work with most mobile phones and while there is a Microsoft app, it is lacking when compared to a lot of other options.
Options are somewhat limited, and features are far from advanced, while the 5GB storage is not phenomenal either. The result is a service that is largely Apple dependent and that will only really benefit iPhone and Mac users, and then only because Apple has made it the least inconvenient option.
8. OneDrive
Free Space: 5GB
OneDrive is Microsoft’s alternative to iCloud and Google Drive, and it suffers a lot of the same limitations. It is also the default choice for Windows users because Microsoft virtually forces users’ hands.
If you use Office or any other Microsoft software, you will find that local autosave features have been replaced with OneDrive autosave. Similarly, if you want to automatically synchronize your work files, they default to OneDrive.
Unfortunately, OneDrive only offers a 5GB limit with its free accounts, and these are also missing many of the features of the paid plans.
Use it for autosave on your Word and Excel documents, but consider using a more advanced alternative that has greater features and superior account size for your main folders.
9. IceDrive
Free Space: 10GB
IceDrive is relatively new to the cloud storage game and, while its 10GB capacity is reasonable without being groundbreaking, it does have some very solid features.
An interesting feature of IceDrive is that you can sign up for a lifetime membership. This is like buying a virtual hard drive and it negates the need to have to save all of your work to your hard drive and then sync it with your remote backup drive.
It also works as a virtual drive. This means that you can mount it and assign it a drive label, for example, as your G: drive. When you use any software, you can then save to this in the same way you would save to your hard drive. This feature is slick but it is currently Windows only.
While the virtual drive is Windows only, IceDrive itself is not. They have apps for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Paid accounts benefit from end-to-end encryption but free accounts, which have a 3GB daily bandwidth capacity, have no client-side encryption.
IceDrive is slick and highly functional for Windows users, especially those willing to upgrade in the future, but it does have its drawbacks and you do only get the best features by paying.
10. Dropbox
Free Space: 2GB
Dropbox has been going forever and has enjoyed a lot of use by freelancers, small businesses, and even enterprise users. However, cracks are beginning to show as it ages, not least in the foundations of its free account.
The free Dropbox account only includes 2GB of storage, which is very little by modern file size standards. If you’re looking to upgrade, it is expensive.
There are also some concerns over Dropbox security, although if you do need elite security, you should consider paying for better quality cloud storage than any of the free services offers.
One of the better features of Dropbox, and the main reason for its inclusion on our list, is how well it integrates with other software from the likes of Microsoft and Slack.
11. Degoo
Free Space: 100GB
Degoo is another newcomer to the marketplace, and if you were to go by pure numbers, the 100GB of promised free storage would be enough to convince you this is your best option. However, that does only tell a part of the story.
You do receive 100GB of free storage and you can increase this by watching videos, viewing ads, and playing games.
You cannot upload anything with copyrighted content, though, and policies keep changing. Daily limits have been implemented and so too have maximum file sizes.
If you’re looking for a fairly casual means of backing up the photos and videos on your phone, the Degoo app might be worthwhile, but you should avoid it for serious storage requirements.
12. iDrive
Free Space: 5GB
iDrive has been offering backup and cloud storage services for some time now, more than 12 years. Its free account isn’t huge, with a 5GB cap, but it has some reasonable features, and the service’s experience does count for something, in this case.
iDrive has mobile apps and desktop apps. It can also be used online, but the desktop software lets you synchronize your files and folders for automatic backup. With that 5GB limit, you will have to be very selective over the folders that you regularly back up.
Using the online interface, you can share files, too. iDrive gives you the decryption key for your data and if you lose it, you will not be able to retrieve your data, so make sure you keep it somewhere safe.
iDrive is a decent option if you have a lot of devices and only need a minimal amount of storage, but you will need to keep your key safe.
13. Yandex Disk
Free Space: 42GB
Yandex is a Russian search engine. While it is very successful and well-known over there, few people have heard of it outside of Russian borders.
Yandex Disk does offer desktop, mobile, and web-based apps so it is accessible from most devices. It also has versioning now, which means that you can access an earlier version of a file if it has been overwritten or updated. It retains versions for up to two weeks, as part of your service, and this doesn’t come off your limit.
It integrates with Office software, so it can be used in applications like Word and Excel to open and save files and makes it easier to amend work documents. It even has media playback features, albeit limited ones.
Possibly the biggest drawback of the Yandex Disk account is that its security features are difficult to determine, so it is best to assume that files are not encrypted or secure.
14. Blomp
Free Space: 20GB
Blomp offers up to 20GB of storage as part of its free plan, however, there are limitations. Mobile, web, and desktop apps are available, although these offer limited upload and save features. In fact, there are no real sharing options available in Blomp, so it should be considered a backup and storage only service.
You will have to make sure that files have meaningful titles because you cannot preview them or view them without first downloading them. This does make the software easier to use, however.
The website claims to offer 200GB of storage for free, but to receive this amount, you will need to encourage friends to sign up as well.
15. Koofr
Free Space: 2GB
Slovenian web company Koofr offers 2GB of free storage. That isn’t a lot of space, especially in today’s file-heavy world.
Where Koofr is especially beneficial is in its ability to connect multiple cloud accounts. You can connect the likes of Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive through a single Koofr account.
If you do want to connect multiple storage accounts, the 2GB capacity will likely prove too restricting and the 500MB of additional free storage offered for inviting friends will do little to appease your disk space concerns.
Koofr is useful as a means of connecting multiple cloud accounts but be prepared to pay to do so.
16. Box
Free Space: 10GB
Box is a little different. It does offer 10GB of cloud storage, but it offers you the opportunity to upload and share your content, rather than specifically sharing files.
With that said, it does offer many of the same features. You can synchronize content with your desktop and your Box account and there are apps for Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS.
Unlike a lot of the free tools, Box has improved search functions, primarily because you are sharing content rather than storing files.
The way that Box is set up and facilitates the sharing of content makes it a good option for collaboration and for team use, so it is well suited to enterprises and big businesses.
17. MiMedia
Free Space: 10GB
MiMedia is another relative newcomer to the market and is aimed at individuals, offering up to 10GB of free media storage.
It offers browser access, as well as apps for iOS and Android. It operates as a cloud-based virtual drive while also giving online previews of media files, which is not standard with all software so worthy of mention.
There are simpler options for manual uploads, and even the likes of Dropbox make syncing your media files easier, but 10GB is more generous than Dropbox offers and there are certainly worse interfaces out there so it is worthy of your consideration.
18. Jumpshare
Free Space: 2GB
Jumpshare offers a relatively paltry 2GB of storage space with its free accounts but, while it does have some other limitations, it does some things very well and there is good reason to choose this over other service providers.
As you might have gathered from the name, Jumpshare is geared towards those that are looking to use their cloud storage for sharing files. As such, it is little surprise to find that this is where the account’s best features lay.
You can share a link to your document and add password protection to that link to prevent unauthorized access. You can even schedule the sharing of links, which means that you can get time-sensitive documents ready and then automatically share them with recipients when the time is right and without having to do so manually.
However, Jumpshare is not great at some of the basic synchronizing features that one might require. There’s no Android app, no private encryption, and you can’t sync files.
19. Syncplicity
Free Space: 10GB
On the other hand, Syncplicity is very good at file synchronization and, as you would expect from a company that was founded by four former Microsoft executives, it syncs well with Microsoft software.
A free account offers up to 10GB of online cloud storage. There is no file upload size limit, although you obviously cannot store more than your total capacity limit.
You can sort files, share them with others, and you can upgrade for relatively low prices.
Syncplicity doesn’t set the world on fire but it does a decent job and is worth considering as an alternative to free accounts with lower capacity limits.
20. Mydrive
Free Space: 512MB
Mydrive is a Swiss-based online data storage solution that offers a very limited free account. The free account only provides you with 512MB of storage which is minimal even for Word and text documents.
Files can be shared without the recipient having to log in or have an account and multimedia files can be watched or viewed online without the need to download them and watch via independent file viewers.
WebDAV allows you to connect your Mydrive account like it is a disk partition, which makes it quick and easy to store and access your online files.
The major drawback with this account is the 512MB limit, especially as it has been designed for multimedia use. That amount of storage will not allow you to store many videos or images.
Conclusion
Cloud storage can be used to back up important files and folders. It can be used to make it easier to access your files from anywhere you have access, and the software also allows you to share your files with other users, potentially offering collaborative features as well.
Above are 20 of the best free cloud storage accounts, although you will find that there are limitations with all free services. Choose the one that has a suitable file capacity limit and offers the types of features you require.
