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Cloudy with a Chance of Savings: The Best Cloud Storage Options for Australians (2023)

It seems that nowadays, every device that we use expects to have some form of cloud storage. Whether it is for keeping your photos safe or backing up your phone or PC, cloud storage has become a necessity. With so many options available, it can be difficult to know which one is the best value for your needs. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the most popular cloud storage options for home users in Australia and evaluate which one offers the best value.

When it comes to cloud storage, there are a few big players that immediately come to mind, depending on the device(s) you use. If you’ve bought an iPhone or Macbook, iCloud will be the default option for storing your photos or device backups. Got an Android phone or Chromebook? Google One, which combines Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos, will be thrust upon you. And if you have a Windows laptop with a recent version of Office, OneDrive will be available at the click of a button. It wasn’t too long ago when Dropbox was the go-to service for keeping our files safe. All of these offer a range of features, including file syncing, sharing, and collaboration tools. But when it comes to pricing and storage limits, there are some key differences to consider.

  • iCloud+: iCloud offers 5GB of storage for free, with additional storage available for purchase. Plans start at A$1.49 per month for 50GB and go up to A$14.99 per month for 2TB.

  • Google One: Google One (previously Google Drive) offers 15GB of storage for free, with additional storage available for purchase. Plans start at A$2.49 per month for 100GB and go up to A$12.49 per month for 2TB. Even better, you can save up to 17% by paying annually, e.g., A$24.99 per year for the 100GB plan, a savings of 16%.

  • OneDrive: OneDrive offers 5GB of storage for free, with additional storage available for purchase. Plans start at A$3 per month for 100GB and go up to A$10 per month for 1TB, or A$13 per month to share with up to 6 people - 1TB per person for a total of 6TB! Annual plans are available such as Microsoft 365 Family (for up to 6 people) at A$129 per year.

  • Dropbox: Dropbox offers only 2GB of storage for free, and their paid options are aimed at much larger users. Multiple plans are available starting at A$18.69 per month for 2TB and going up to A$43.95 per month for 10TB.

At first glance, it looks like Google One is the best value option, offering the most storage for the least amount of money. However, if anyone in your family is a Microsoft Office user, 1TB of OneDrive storage per person is included in the price of Microsoft 365 Personal or Microsoft 365 Family.

Lesser-Known Cloud Storage Options

While the popular options are certainly worth considering, there are also some lesser-known cloud storage providers that offer competitive pricing and features. Two options worth considering are pCloud and Tresorit.

  • pCloud: pcloud offers 10GB of storage for free, but the real value is found in their lifetime plans, where you can pay one price to use their storage for life, which is defined in their FAQs as “99 years or the lifetime of the account holder, whichever is shorter.” Lifetime plans start at US$199 for 500GB and go up to US$1190 for 10TB.

  • Tresorit: Tresorit offers 3GB of storage for free, with additional storage available for purchase. Plans start at $11.99 per month for 1TB and go up to $27.99 per month for 4TB (billed annually).

Conclusion

In our opinion, if anyone in the family is a Microsoft Office user, then the clear winner is OneDrive when purchased with Microsoft 365 Personal or Microsoft 365 Family. If that’s not the case though, Google Drive is the next best option from the major cloud storage providers. If you’re willing to try one of the lesser-known cloud storage options, the lifetime plans offered by pCloud are unbeatable.

Ultimately, the best option for you will depend on your specific needs and budget. Check out the official websites of the providers mentioned in this post for more information and to sign up for a free trial or plan.

2023

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