Cloud storage is a computing model that stores data on the Internet and allows “anytime, anywhere” data access. Cloud computing providers manage and operate this data storage as a service, ranging from offerings for individuals to business plans for very large companies. Depending on the cloud service chosen, files can be backed up manually or automatically and then accessed via your web browser. Paid for plans can be very expensive, however, so we here at Infero have put together a list of the top-ten best free plans for you.

Is Cloud storage Safe?

Cloud storage companies typically use encryption to keep your information safe and two-step verification to ensure the right person has access to the account.

Zero-knowledge encryption is private, end-to-end encryption and means that no-one apart from you can access your data, not even the service you’re storing your files with. This is because encryption is performed on your local device before the files are transferred to the cloud. The downside is that if you lose your password, the data is gone forever.

Dropbox

Dropbox is the best known of cloud storage providers with 2GB on its free plan. It is easy to use, but its features are basic, although it does allow you to share your files publicly. It is possible to expand your free Dropbox storage up to 16GB by referring new users. Dropbox has suffered data breaches in the past and doesn’t support zero-knowledge encryption.

pCloud

pCloud’s has 10GB of storage free, but you are required to do additional tasks such as refer others to pCloud to get this. It has a built-in HD media-player that allows videos to be played and lets you build your own playlists from your saved music files.  It does not have zero knowledge encryption, however.

Sync.com

Sync.com has 5GB of free cloud storage, upgradable to 10TB of storage on its paid for plans There are no file size limits. It is one of the best free cloud storage options for Android, with an easy-to-use mobile app. It’s also one of the best zero-knowledge cloud storage providers.

Google Drive

If you have a Google account, you already have 15GB free of free storage. which seamlessly integrates with Google Docs. However, there are privacy concerns; Google has been known to scan users’ files without permission, and it doesn’t include file encryption. To get extra storage you will need a for paid plan, but extra storage can be shared with family members. There is also good support for backups.

MEGA

Mega calls itself “The Privacy Company” and has zero-knowledge encryption for files. New users get 50GB of free cloud storage, but this is temporary. The default free cloud storage amount on the free MEGA plan is 15GB; the extra 35GB expires after 30 days. Extra storage can be unlocked by installing the desktop/mobile apps and by referring users, but these too expire. There is end-to-end encryption for secure chats and integrated file versioning and recovery. However, transfer speeds are slow.

Amazon Drive

Amazon Drive offers 5GB of storage free for anyone subscribed to Amazon Prime, but as a service, it’s fairly basic, has few features, and no encryption for your files. Amazon Drive does have unlimited photo storage, and it is possible to create a shared “family vault” to combine and store shared albums. If you have Amazon Drive you may already have this, but not be using it.

Apple iCloud

Apple iCloud is simple. It is just there, available as a storage drive in your Mac Finder app, or as a backup solution for your iOS devices, with 5GB free online storage for Apple users. iCloud does come with two-factor authentication, and data is encrypted. It’s not zero-knowledge, but Apple has, in many high-profile cases, refused to give data to authorities. Upgrades are also relatively cheap.

Microsoft OneDrive

OneDrive is similar to Google Drive. It directly integrates cloud storage with Microsoft Office, i.e. you can save Word documents straight to your OneDrive storage. Free users get 5GB of storage, with a 20GB file-size limit. An Office 365 subscription, gets 1TB of storage. The storage can also be used with Microsoft’s mobile and desktop apps. Because of its seamless integration with Office, it is the best online storage for collaboration. Security wise, OneDrive offers encryption for files. Microsoft’s does, however, have a history of incidents regarding the privacy of its users’ data.

Box

It is geared towards businesses, but Box also offers personal plans. There is a desktop app for syncing between your computer’s hard drive and your account. The mobile app allows you to upload and access files online from your smartphone or tablet. There is 10GB of free storage with an individual file size limit of 250MB. Box for Office also lets you open, edit and save files in Box from within Microsoft Office

BT Cloud

All BT broadband customers get some storage space with BT Cloud, either 10GB, 200GB or 1,000GB depending on your broadband package. To find out your allowance, log into My BT and click on the ‘Manage BT Cloud’ button under ‘Your included extras’. It is possible to pay to get extra storage.

Keeping Your Online Storage Secure

It is important to keep your online storage and data safe: