Do you recall how much your first DVD player set you back? What about that external CD burner you bought?
And how much did your first external hard drive — the one you used to safeguard your computer files — cost? Probably around $250 or even higher.
As tech evolves, prices tend to drop. Storage for files like music, pictures and documents is no different. A decade ago, the average cost per gigabyte (GB) of storage hovered around $1.24. Today, you’re likely paying roughly $0.03 per gigabyte. A one-terabyte (TB) drive — that’s 1,000 gigabytes — typically goes for about $100. Not a bad deal for hardware that can hold about 17,000 hours of music.
Past the External Drive: Cloud Storage
So why doesn’t everyone simply stockpile external drives? The cloud is a bit more alluring. The ability to access your files from any location, without being tied to a single computer, is appealing. There’s also the reassurance that your data remains reachable even if your computer or local drive fails.
And the showmanship of cloud storage is fun too. Although security incidents have occurred (and Edward Snowden even urged a boycott of cloud services), it’s kind of thrilling to imagine your files humming away in massive data centers in places like Boardman, Oregon; Maiden, North Carolina; Council Bluffs, Iowa; or abroad in Dublin or Sydney.
But is cloud storage financially worthwhile for you? Up until recently, it’s been mainly about paying for convenience. Now, though, a fight for cheaper cloud storage is underway — and that could mean better prices for consumers.
Big Players Shake Things Up
Amazon unveiled its Unlimited Everything plan, which for roughly $60 a year provides — you guessed it — unlimited cloud storage. It also offers an Unlimited Photos plan for about $12 per year. Brian Barrett of Wired notes Amazon’s cloud interface may not be the most user-centric, but its extremely low pricing might push overall cloud-storage rates downward.
For now, here’s a snapshot of what various major cloud providers offer in their personal plans, price-wise:
ADrive: Offers 50 GB free in exchange for ads. One terabyte costs $25 per month or $250 annually.
Amazon Cloud Drive: Unlimited photo storage runs about $11.99 a year and includes 5 GB for video and other files. The Unlimited Everything tier is about $59.99 yearly. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, unlimited photo storage may be included at no extra cost.
Box: One of the originals (founded in 2005). It gives you 10 GB free, and about $5 per month gets you up to 100 GB. Box tends to cater more toward businesses than individual users.
Copy: Provides 15 GB free. Paid plans are around $9.99 per month for 250 GB.
Dropbox: Don’t mix it up with Box; Dropbox launched a few years later. It starts with 2 GB free. One terabyte runs $9.99 monthly or $99 if paid annually.
Google Drive: What began with Google Docs has grown into a full storage ecosystem for documents, photos, videos and more. Users receive 15 GB free before upgrading to $9.99 per month for a terabyte.
iCloud: Apple’s solution is convenient if you toggle frequently between a MacBook, iPad and iPhone. But after using up five free GB, you’ll pay roughly $19.99 per month for a terabyte.
Microsoft OneDrive: Offers a terabyte of storage for $6.99 a month and includes a Microsoft 365 subscription, which is the app-store edition of Microsoft Office.
Which Cloud Option Offers the Best Value?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when selecting cloud storage.
If you’re a traveling freelancer who hops between cities (or countries) within a year, keeping all your files backed up remotely might be essential in case your laptop is lost or damaged while you’re away. In that scenario, paying for greater convenience and the security that comes with it likely makes sense.
But if you mostly stay put, you might not need a lot of remote space — and you may not have to spend anything at all if your needs are modest.
Here are a few pointers to help you optimize cloud storage:
- Stick with what feels comfortable. Scoring large amounts of free space from a lesser-known provider like ADrive sounds great, but if you’ve never used that service, you won’t know how the experience will be. Conversely, if you’ve invested years in Google Drive, moving everything to another platform could be both stressful and time-consuming.
- Use all free storage before paying. Whether it’s five GB or 50, take the free tier first. Give the service a few months to see how much you’re actually uploading. Then you’ll have a clearer idea of the space you genuinely need.
- Explore ways to get extra storage. Some services let you earn more space through actions. Dropbox, for instance, rewards referrals with one GB per referral up to 32 GB.
- Verify file-size limits before buying. If you plan to store large files — such as hundreds of high-resolution client photos — upload caps could hinder you.
- Perform a cloud audit. If you’re not backing up your whole system, review your cloud account every few months to see what’s actually there. After picking your favorite images or finalized videos and documents, you can likely clear out a lot. Avoid mass-deleting, but do remove drafts, duplicates and plainly old stuff.
Your Turn: Do you keep files in the cloud? How did you select your provider?
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