Here's what Apple's iCloud Drive will cost you, compared with its competition
Thinking of using iCloud Drive? Here's what the cloud storage service will cost you.
iCloud Drive is Apple's answer to Dropbox. It's a cloud storage service where you can backup any type of file, and access anywhere you have an Internet connection.
The service is built into Max OS X Yosemite and newer, and iOS 8 and above, so whether you want to use it or not, it's there. iCloud Drive lets you back up important documents, photos, and other files, so you can access them from your Mac computer, iPhone, iPad, or PC. Everything syncs across your devices, so if you make changes to a file on one device, it'll update on another.
Apple is hardly breaking new ground here, as many companies offering affordable cloud storage have come before it. Dropbox and Box have been around for years, and Microsoft recently revamped its cloud offering with a new name and new storage tiers.
With so many options to choose from, let's take a look at your choices and what they'll cost you. You can make your own decision on which one is right for your needs, since there's not really a clear overall winner when it comes to price and storage.
| Windows | Mac | iOS | Android | Windows Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iCloud Drive | x | x | x | - | - |
| Amazon Cloud Drive | Web only | Web only | x | x | - |
| Box | x | x | x | x | x |
| Dropbox | x | x | x | x | - |
| Google Drive | x | x | x | x | - |
| Microsoft OneDrive | x | x | x | x | x |
Apple iCloud Drive
Apple iCloud Drive will be available for Mac, iOS, and Windows 8; no word yet if there is a desktop client for Windows 7.
- Free storage: 5GB
- 50GB: $0.99 per month (£0.79, AU$1.49)
- 200GB: $3.99 per month (£2.49, AU$4.49)
- 1TB: $9.99 per month (£6.99, AU$14.99)
Google Drive
You share your storage space between Gmail, Drive, and Google+ Photos accounts, if you use those services.
- Free storage: 15GB
- 100GB for $1.99 per month (about £1.20, AU$2.15)
- 1TB for $9.99 per month (about £6, AU$10)
- 10TB for $99.99 per month (about £66, AU$108)
Dropbox
Dropbox gives you a discount if you pay per year, and you can earn extra free space from referrals and through promotions from the company.
- Free storage: 2GB
- 1TB for $9.99 per month, or $99 per year (about £6 or £60, AU$10 or AU$108)
- Unlimited business plan costs $15 per user, per month, with a minimum of 5 users. (about £9, AU$16)
Microsoft OneDrive
OneDrive's individual plans are billed annually. The 1TB OneDrive for Business option has a promotional price of $2.50 per user per month until September 2014. After that, it's $5 per user per month.
- Free storage: 5GB (starting in early 2016)
- 50GB for $1.99 per month (£1.99, AU$2)
- 1TB only part of an Office 365 subscription, which starts at
Amazon Cloud Drive
You can no longer download a desktop app for Amazon Cloud Drive; instead, you can upload files to the website or one of the mobile apps.
- Free storage: 5GB
- Unlimited photo storage, plus 5GB for other files, for $11.99 per year (around £8, AU$16)
- Unlimited storage for any type of files for $59.99 per year (around £40, AU$80)
Box
Box's paid plans are designed for businesses and teams.
- Free storage: 10GB
- 100GB for $10 per month (about £6, AU$14)
- Unlimited - $15 per user, per month, with a minimum of 3 users. (about £9, AU$16)
Editors' note, December 16, 2015: This article was updated to reflect current pricing for each cloud services. All prices are given in US dollars, and converted where needed. Prices may vary by region.
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