Who is the best cloud storage provider? A com­par­i­son of 9 providers

The ad­van­tages of secure cloud storage make services such as Dropbox, iCloud Drive, Google Drive, pCloud and HiDrive appealing to both private users and busi­ness­es. Our com­pre­hen­sive cloud storage com­par­i­son explains what to look for when choosing a provider and shows which services offer the best overall package.

Overview com­par­i­son of the best cloud storage services

Last updated: May 2026

What makes the best online storage service?

Cost is often the first factor people consider when comparing cloud storage providers. While price is important, it should not be the only criterion in a reliable cloud storage com­par­i­son. As with other web services, usability and the security of your data are just as important. For busi­ness­es in par­tic­u­lar, it is also worth looking closely at the col­lab­o­ra­tion features offered by each cloud solution. Finally, re­li­a­bil­i­ty and the provider’s support offering should also play a key role in your decision.

In this best cloud storage com­par­i­son, the most important criteria for online file storage include the following:

• Costs: even the best cloud storage should fit your available budget. Before choosing a provider, consider how much storage space you need and which features are essential. This makes it easier to compare different cloud storage solutions.
• Usability: cloud storage should be easy to use on any device. The best cloud storage should also integrate smoothly into existing tools and workflows, for example through APIs or direct con­nec­tions to office and col­lab­o­ra­tion solutions for online file storage.
• Security: modern cloud storage providers use multi-layered security concepts. These can include en­cryp­tion during storage and transfer, role-based access controls, and certified data centers. For many companies, com­pli­ance is also a key factor, es­pe­cial­ly when cloud storage is used to store sensitive customer, financial, health, or business data.
• Re­li­a­bil­i­ty and support: high avail­abil­i­ty, service level agree­ments, redundant in­fra­struc­ture, and reliable backup strate­gies help ensure that data remains ac­ces­si­ble. Re­spon­sive, knowl­edge­able support is also important so that issues can be resolved quickly.

What are the various cloud storage providers available?

The best cloud storage combines strong security, simple and intuitive operation, and reliable avail­abil­i­ty with as little downtime as possible. A good overall package also includes generous storage capacity at a fair price. Which solution is the right fit depends on how you want to use cloud storage, your technical expertise, and your available budget. Below, we present some of the best online storage services.

HiDrive

The domain and hosting provider IONOS offers HiDrive, a cloud storage service that, unlike many competing solutions, does not include a free plan. Instead, it is available through several af­ford­able sub­scrip­tion options. Plans for in­di­vid­ual users start at just a few dollars per month and include 100 GB of storage. Business plans for multiple users also make the service a suitable option for small busi­ness­es. IONOS stores all data in ISO 27001-certified data centers that meet high security standards, while data transfers are protected with TLS en­cryp­tion.

You can access your files through the web ap­pli­ca­tion or via desktop and mobile apps for iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. These apps also let you access your files offline, with the most recently syn­chro­nized version available. You can also share files stored in HiDrive easily with friends and contacts using a sharing link.

pCloud

pCloud is a Swiss cloud provider that puts the security and pro­tec­tion of your data first. SSL/TLS en­cryp­tion ensures secure trans­mis­sion. When reg­is­ter­ing, you can choose the United States, specif­i­cal­ly Dallas, Texas, or the European Union, specif­i­cal­ly Lux­em­bourg as the server location. Op­tion­al­ly, you can add an extra layer of security with pCloud En­cryp­tion. This means your data is encrypted client-side so that no one but you has the keys required for de­cryp­tion. This feature is included in the business plans.

pCloud offers several ways to share files. For example, you can share large files or entire folders with other people using a sharing link, even if they do not use pCloud them­selves. You can also protect shared content with a password and allow re­cip­i­ents to upload files to your cloud storage. In the business plans for multiple users, pCloud adds col­lab­o­ra­tion features such as teams, access levels, comments, and an activity log.

The basic version of pCloud is available free of charge. It includes a limited amount of online file storage, which can be expanded through actions such as using the app or inviting ad­di­tion­al users. If you need more storage space, you can switch to a paid plan. Depending on your needs, pCloud offers monthly, annual, and lifetime sub­scrip­tions.

Google Drive

A pre­req­ui­site for using Google Drive, the official cloud storage of the search engine giant, is an active Google account, which you also need for other services such as Gmail or Google Photos – which, in­ci­den­tal­ly, are directly connected to the cloud via ap­pro­pri­ate in­ter­faces. The free storage space is shared between Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. By signing up for paid Google One sub­scrip­tions, you can increase the available storage capacity.

Google Drive shows why Google’s service is one of the best cloud storage options for storing, managing, sharing, and editing files and documents of all kinds. You can upload and download files with just a few clicks and access the popular apps included in Google Workspace. Google Drive also supports in­te­gra­tion with many third-party apps. The service au­to­mat­i­cal­ly syn­chro­nizes your stored data across all connected devices. If you prefer not to use the web app, free ap­pli­ca­tions are available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.

luck­y­cloud

luck­y­cloud is a cloud storage solution from Germany with a flexible pricing model. Its cloud con­fig­u­ra­tor lets you choose how much storage space you need and how many user profiles you want to create. Depending on the plan, luck­y­cloud also offers very large storage ca­pac­i­ties and flexible user man­age­ment, making it a suitable option for larger companies as well.

All luck­y­cloud plans are built around secure cloud storage. Data centers in Germany, combined with backup in­fra­struc­ture, support strong data pro­tec­tion and high avail­abil­i­ty. Data transfers are protected with TLS/HTTPS and AES-256 en­cryp­tion. The provider also offers reliable pro­tec­tion against ran­somware, as files can be restored to an earlier version with just a few clicks. In the Team and Business plans, users also benefit from a wide range of col­lab­o­ra­tion features, including upload and download links, col­lab­o­ra­tive document editing, user per­mis­sions, and ver­sion­ing. If needed, luck­y­cloud also offers custom cloud solutions with your own branding.

As mentioned above, luck­y­cloud does not rely on fixed service packages in the same way as many other cloud storage providers. Instead, you can choose your required storage capacity in­di­vid­u­al­ly, from just a few GB to several hundred TB, and adjust the price ac­cord­ing­ly. You can also test the service free of charge for up to 14 days.

Box

Box is a cloud storage service from the American company of the same name. For its business plans, Box has focused from the outset on features that make the platform easier to use as a shared col­lab­o­ra­tion tool. For example, users can share links, create tasks, or add real-time notes to selected files and tasks. All changes are recorded in the activity log, so you can track which user made which update. Access to in­di­vid­ual areas of the cloud can also be con­trolled through detailed per­mis­sion man­age­ment.

Box also performs well in terms of security and data pro­tec­tion. With Box KeySafe, the cloud service supports customer-managed en­cryp­tion keys, giving companies greater control over access to their stored content. Companies can also manage their en­cryp­tion keys through supported key man­age­ment services and, depending on their setup, secure them with a hardware security module (HSM). To help meet regional data residency re­quire­ments, Box uses in­ter­na­tion­al partner in­fra­struc­ture in selected regions, including Germany, Ireland, Japan, and Australia.

Like many cloud storage services in this com­par­i­son, Box provides a web ap­pli­ca­tion as well as desktop clients for macOS and Windows and mobile apps for iOS and Android. These let users access their cloud storage with Box Drive or create notes with Box Notes from their preferred device. Box offers up to 10 GB of storage space free of charge, with uploads limited to 250 MB per file. Private users can upgrade to 100 GB, while higher Business plans, starting with Box Business, offer unlimited storage. The entry-level Business Starter plan is limited to 100 GB per user.

Tresorit

Tresorit is a service from the Swiss cloud provider of the same name. With end-to-end en­cryp­tion, files are encrypted before they are trans­ferred, keeping them highly secure in the Tresorit cloud. File sharing is also par­tic­u­lar­ly well protected: encrypted links, password-protected file and folder sharing, con­fig­urable ex­pi­ra­tion dates, and granular user per­mis­sions provide a high level of control. These security features apply across all clients, whether users access Tresorit via the browser ap­pli­ca­tion, the desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux, or the mobile app for iOS and Android.

One of Tresorit’s biggest strengths is its com­pre­hen­sive yet clearly struc­tured admin center. It gives ad­min­is­tra­tors a clear overview of storage space, users, and connected devices. In­di­vid­ual user accounts can also be managed centrally, while security policies make it possible to block specific devices or IP addresses from accessing the service or to require two-factor au­then­ti­ca­tion.

Tresorit uses certified data centers (ISO 27001) in locations including Ireland, Germany, and the Nether­lands. This helps companies meet strict data pro­tec­tion re­quire­ments. Depending on the plan, private users receive between 50 GB and 4 TB of storage. Team plans include shared storage of 4 TB, 6 TB, or 15 TB.

iCloud Drive

The storage service iCloud Drive is likely to be es­pe­cial­ly familiar to Apple users – this cloud storage solution is part of the standard iOS and macOS package, which means it is au­to­mat­i­cal­ly installed and ready to use. However, Windows users with a valid Apple ID can also access iCloud Drive via the web interface or the desktop ap­pli­ca­tion. iCloud is aimed ex­clu­sive­ly at private users, who by default receive 5 GB of free storage. This can be upgraded to 50 GB, 200 GB, 2 TB, 6 TB, or 12 TB.

Files and folders in iCloud Drive can be shared with other users and edited col­lab­o­ra­tive­ly. With iCloud+, storage can also be shared through Family Sharing. To-do lists, calendars, pre­sen­ta­tions, and other content can likewise be shared easily across Apple services. Apple encrypts data during transfer and on its servers using AES-256. Ad­di­tion­al pro­tec­tion is available through optional two-factor au­then­ti­ca­tion and Advanced Data Pro­tec­tion for iCloud, which enables end-to-end en­cryp­tion for many iCloud data types.

Se­cure­Cloud

With Se­cure­Cloud, the Nuremberg-based cloud provider focuses primarily on business customers. Its business plans include user man­age­ment and, depending on the selected plan, advanced features such as user roles, audit logs, and custom com­pli­ance policies. Se­cure­Cloud also supports si­mul­ta­ne­ous online document editing in every plan.

Se­cure­Cloud offers extensive col­lab­o­ra­tion features across all versions. Users can share folders from their personal cloud with col­leagues, while activity histories show which files have been changed. Older file versions can also be restored when needed. Thanks to the in­te­grat­ed cloud office, Microsoft and OpenOf­fice documents can be opened and edited directly. Com­ment­ing and chat functions further support teamwork. All files are trans­ferred using en­cryp­tion (AES-256) and stored in certified data centers in Germany.

After a two-week trial period, users can choose from three plans: Business with 50 GB per user for smaller teams, Advanced with 100 GB per user for medium-sized teams, and En­ter­prise with a custom contract for larger or­ga­ni­za­tions.

Dropbox

Dropbox has been one of the most widely used cloud storage services for years. The free Basic edition includes 2 GB of storage, which can be expanded to up to 16 GB through actions such as inviting ad­di­tion­al users. Those who need more capacity can choose paid plans such as “Plus” with 2 TB or “Pro­fes­sion­al” with 3 TB.

Dropbox also offers business plans, including “Standard” and “Advanced”, which provide ad­di­tion­al ad­min­is­tra­tion and col­lab­o­ra­tion tools. For example, ad­min­is­tra­tors can create user lists, define in­di­vid­ual access per­mis­sions, and use activity reports to see who shares, grants access to, or deletes files. Storage usage can also be viewed for each user. For col­lab­o­ra­tive brain­storm­ing and task man­age­ment, Dropbox in­te­grates with Microsoft Office and also provides its own document tool, Paper. Files are encrypted during transfer using 128-bit TLS and on the server using 256-bit AES. However, data is stored across an in­ter­na­tion­al in­fra­struc­ture, which limits control over the exact storage location and ap­plic­a­ble security standards.

Why cloud storage and online backup work best together

Cloud storage keeps your most important files available wherever you are and makes it easy to share documents, photos, and other content. However, it only offers limited pro­tec­tion against risks such as malware, ac­ci­den­tal deletion, or hardware failure. This is where online backup comes in because your data is au­to­mat­i­cal­ly backed up to the cloud at regular intervals, making it a useful addition to online file storage.

Below, we present two backup solutions that com­ple­ment cloud storage services par­tic­u­lar­ly well.

My­De­fend­er

Anyone who wants to back up their data au­to­mat­i­cal­ly in modern, ISO-certified data centers will find a suitable solution in My­De­fend­er from IONOS. This security solution allows you to schedule backups precisely, whether you want to protect a computer, smart­phone, or tablet. You decide when the backup takes place, so you can make sure, for example, that your device is connected to Wi-Fi and does not use mobile data for the upload. After logging in to the central user interface, you can con­ve­nient­ly access your backed-up files at any time.

My­De­fend­er stores data in European data centers that meet high security standards and are certified according to ISO 27001. Data is stored in ac­cor­dance with European data pro­tec­tion law. Ad­di­tion­al security features such as virus scans, ran­somware pro­tec­tion, and AES 256-bit en­cryp­tion help protect backed-up files.

After a free trial period, users can choose between different plans with 100 GB, 250 GB, 500 GB, or 1 TB of backup storage. Depending on the plan, backups are available for one, three, five, or an unlimited number of devices. My­De­fend­er supports common operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

Cloud Backup

With Cloud Backup, IONOS focuses specif­i­cal­ly on cloud in­fra­struc­tures. The solution can be used to back up virtual machines (VMs), file servers, Exchange servers, and work­sta­tions, helping companies protect business-critical data and maintain un­in­ter­rupt­ed pro­duc­tiv­i­ty. All backups can be managed and con­trolled centrally, making it easy to hand over ad­min­is­tra­tion to the IT de­part­ment if needed. Pre­con­fig­ured backup agents keep the setup effort low, even for more complex server backups. You also decide when and how often backups are created.

In an emergency, IONOS Cloud Backup helps companies restore important data quickly. Flexible restore options and ver­sion­ing make it possible to roll back to earlier file versions or, if necessary, transfer data com­plete­ly to new hardware. Backed-up data is trans­mit­ted via an SSL/TLS con­nec­tion and protected with AES 256-bit en­cryp­tion to help prevent unau­tho­rized access. Backup files can also be com­pressed to make better use of the available storage space.

Cloud Backup from IONOS can be adapted flexibly to business needs, with storage volumes between 100 GB and 2 TB and various ad­di­tion­al features. Companies also receive support with setup and operation from IONOS experts and customer support.