5 Affordable Cloud Storage Services for Students, Professionals

If you work on several files and always run out of storage, maybe you should consider getting cloud storage to solve your problem. Cloud storage has become an essential part of digital workers as it provides a convenient and secure way to store, share, and access your files easily.

Whether you are a student or a professional, having cloud storage gives you a reliable solution for storing and backing up important files. Instead of relying on hard drives and flash drives, which sometimes run into a malfunction.

Moreover, many cloud storage are easily integrated into productivity tools and apps making it an essential collaborative tool for education and work.

Here are some of the affordable cloud storage services that you might consider getting:

Google Drive

Provided by Google, this cloud storage allows users to store and synchronize their files across all their devices. It offers 15GB of free storage per Google account and is shared across Google apps like Gmail, Photos, and such.

Most importantly, it has an integration with Google Workspace making it an automatic storage for your collaborative documents. As for the paid storage plans they have a $6 per month on the basic plan which gives 30GB of storage, business can also buy 2TB or more of cloud storage at a competitive price per user.

Microsoft OneDrive

Provided by Microsoft, OneDrive users are entitled to up to 5GB of free cloud storage upon sign-up. It is also integrated with Microsoft 365's suite of productivity tools such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and more, making it similar to Google Drive.

OneDrive has its own AI-powered search which can be used to search files using keywords and the system will recognize the objects and texts within images. OneDrive has various subscription plans that offer different storage depending on your needs.

Apple iCloud

iCloud is a default option for Apple devices from iPhones to Macs. It offers 5GB of free iCloud storage once you complete your Apple ID. The iCloud Drive serves as a file storage for the iCloud wherein users store their files, photos, and videos across all Apple devices.

This cloud service also offers family sharing features making it a tight-knit collaboration. As for additional storage, Apple users can buy from 50GB to 2TB, depending on their storage needs. Prices also vary depending on the plan that you choose.

Sync

Unlike the previous cloud storage services, Sync is not integrated into any big tech company apps. Regardless, the platform also offers a free 5GB upon sign-up. It also boasts zero-knowledge encryption, making it a secure option as only the users can access their encrypted files.

It is compatible with various operating systems so you can access your files across your devices regardless of their OS. It also has a selective sync feature which allows the users to control their storage usage. Sync has subscription plans for individual and teams that offers 2TB up to unlimited cloud storage.

pCloud

pCloud offers 10GB of free cloud storage upon sign-up and a lifetime subscription plan for users who prefer to make a one-time payment option for extended access to storage and features.

It shares similar features to the above-mentioned services. However, the company offers an additional layer of security called pCloud Crypto, which provides end-to-end encryption for selected files and folders.