Melhor armazenamento em nuvem em 2021

Selecionar o melhor armazenamento em nuvem pode ser difícil, principalmente devido ao grande número de provedores no setor. Nos últimos tempos, a popularidade do armazenamento em nuvem aumentou muito porque as muitas plataformas disponíveis para uso comercial e individual são acessíveis, seguras e versáteis.

Muitos deles oferecem serviços gratuitos ou de nível premium, enquanto um número abrangente tem como alvo específico os usuários que procuram adquirir soluções de negócios. Antes de iniciar o processo de identificação do melhor armazenamento em nuvem para seus requisitos específicos, vale a pena lembrar que cada provedor oferece diferentes recursos, segurança e níveis de preço-e o mais importante, você precisa entender o que é armazenamento em nuvem.

<à parte class="hawk-placeholder"data-render-type="fte"data-skip="dealsy"data-widget-type="season">

Excelentes disposições de segurança, infraestrutura de alto desempenho, e a capacidade de você-o usuário-acessar arquivos de qualquer dispositivo são as marcas registradas das plataformas de armazenamento em nuvem mais confiáveis. Nosso guia analisa esses fatores e visa ajudá-lo a tomar a decisão certa para suas necessidades de armazenamento em nuvem.

O que é armazenamento em nuvem?

O armazenamento em nuvem vê os dados armazenados em uma unidade física, mas disponibilizados aos usuários por meio de uma plataforma de software por meio de uma conexão com a internet. Os arquivos podem ser acessados ​​de qualquer dispositivo conectado à web, sempre que um usuário quiser usá-los-que é a base para o termo”nuvem”.

Existem duas formas principais de armazenamento em nuvem: auto-hospedado , usando infraestrutura local (local); ou armazenamento como serviço (StaaS), usando infraestrutura de terceiros gerenciada externamente. Entre os benefícios específicos dos produtos StaaS estão que os provedores, gerenciando data centers expansivos e avançados, são capazes de obter economia de escala e, por sua vez, podem fornecer grandes quantidades de armazenamento a preços acessíveis.

Em comparação com soluções de armazenamento auto-hospedadas, os produtos StaaS são quase sempre mais acessíveis por TB. A maioria é projetada para colaboração e, portanto, pode ser descrita como plataformas de armazenamento e sincronização. Eles permitem que os usuários carreguem e acessem dados de qualquer dispositivo conectado e facilitam o compartilhamento perfeito de arquivos. Qualquer pessoa que trabalhe em casa está, de uma forma ou de outra, contando com a infraestrutura em nuvem para fazer seu trabalho.

Desses recursos colaborativos, os mais importantes são conhecidos como tecnologia de sincronização em nuvem. Isso abrange compartilhamento de links-compartilhamento de documentos de forma simples e fácil entre empresas-e controle de versão de arquivos, que permite aos usuários rastrear alterações em documentos e incorporar e visualizar facilmente as edições de seus colegas.

Como resultado, o armazenamento em nuvem oferece uma ambiente digital coeso e integrado em oposição a soluções estáticas no local, por meio de plataformas de nuvem auto-hospedadas como Nextcloud ou produtos principais da StaaS, como Microsoft OneDrive.

---

Abaixo, nosso guia analisa os principais , plataformas populares de armazenamento em nuvem global para ajudá-lo a estabelecer qual delas atende às suas necessidades e é mais apropriada.

Fatores como preços, recursos e segurança, entre outros, são examinados de perto, a fim de fornecer a você resumos das melhores opções gratuitas gerais, específicas do negócio e Também respondemos a uma série de perguntas importantes relacionadas ao armazenamento em nuvem, segurança e outros elementos significativos do mercado de armazenamento em nuvem.

Ao revisar e testar plataformas que variam de armazenamento em nuvem de nível pessoal a empresarial, nossas três listas-centrado em provedores de nuvem premium, empresariais e gratuitos-classifique as melhores soluções de armazenamento em nuvem em sua capacidade, preço, limites de tamanho de arquivo, segurança e facilidade de uso.

As 3 melhores soluções de armazenamento em nuvem disponíveis

Qual é o melhor serviço de armazenamento em nuvem?

Em termos de provedores premium, IDrive é nossa primeira escolha, pois oferece grande valor para o dinheiro em uma variedade de impressionantes planos, além de oferecer armazenamento em nuvem altamente seguro. Continua a ser a vanguarda para quem não tem grandes necessidades de armazenamento, e os recursos relativos ao custo são incomparáveis. Em segundo e terceiro estão o Google Drive e o Dropbox, seguidos por Microsoft OneDrive, Zoolz e pCloud.

Para armazenamento em nuvem empresarial, o Dropbox Business é o mais bem avaliado, oferecendo recursos específicos para empresas. Estes incluem uma estrutura de segurança de alta qualidade e uma gama impressionante de aplicativos móveis e de desktop, juntamente com integrações com plataformas de terceiros. OneDrive vem em segundo lugar, seguido por IDrive, Nextcloud, Backblaze, Tresorit e SpiderOak.

Finalmente , IDrive encabeça nossa lista de provedores gratuitos, seguido por Dropbox e OneDrive, enquanto Mega, Apple iCloud e pCloud executam os três primeiros fechamentos.

O melhor soluções de armazenamento em nuvem

IDrive oferece soluções versáteis de armazenamento em nuvem para uma variedade de usuários (Crédito da imagem: IDrive)

IDrive está em primeiro lugar em nossa lista dos melhores provedores premium de armazenamento em nuvem, e por um bom motivo. Ele oferece uma ótima relação custo-benefício, fornece soluções de armazenamento em nuvem altamente seguras e tem uma opção para cada usuário.

O plano básico gratuito para sempre suporta apenas 5 GB de armazenamento, mas isso deve ser o suficiente para você testar a plataforma. Planos pessoais que suportam um usuário e dispositivos ilimitados custam $ 52,12 por ano ($ 69,50 na renovação) para 5 TB ou $ 74,62 por ano ($ 99,50 na renovação) para 10 TB de armazenamento.

Os planos de equipe incluem um número limitado de dispositivos e usuários e começam em US $ 74,62 por ano para cinco computadores, cinco usuários e 5 TB de armazenamento. IDrive também é atualmente oferecendo 5 TB por um preço com grande desconto de $ 3,48 para o primeiro ano -este é o plano de alta capacidade mais acessível que já vimos.

Os planos de negócios do IDrive são significativamente mais caros, mas oferecem suporte a usuários ilimitados e servidores e computadores ilimitados e bancos de dados. Os preços começam em $ 149,62 por ano para 500 GB de armazenamento e variam até $ 8.699,62 por ano para 50 TB.

Todos os planos podem ser usados ​​em vários sistemas operacionais de desktop e móveis, incluindo Windows, Mac, Linux, Android e iOS. Você pode configurar o backup contínuo de dados, se necessário, e é até possível criar uma cópia de discos rígidos externos e dispositivos NAS.

Os arquivos podem ser acessados ​​de qualquer lugar com uma conexão à Internet e o compartilhamento de arquivos é extremamente fácil. Todos os planos vêm com o inovador recurso IDrive Express, que permite fazer backup de arquivos e dados em um dispositivo de armazenamento físico, que é enviado para o endereço de sua escolha. Está disponível uma vez por ano com os planos pessoais e três vezes por ano com os planos de equipe e negócios.

Leia nosso Análise de backup da nuvem pessoal IDrive para saber mais sobre a plataforma e por que a classificamos em primeiro lugar.

O armazenamento em nuvem do Google anda de mãos dadas com o Android e o Google Workspace. Se essas plataformas já fazem parte do seu fluxo de trabalho, Google Drive offers a feature-rich, affordable native backup-and-sync solution.

While not as barebones as some of the other options listed here, Google Drive’s UI is clean and intuitive. It is worth remembering, however, that this is more than a cloud storage platform. It comes with companion apps including Google Photos, Docs, Sheets, and Slides — together known as Google Workspace.

Consequently, Google Drive lets you create, edit, store, view, and synchronize your documents using a unified, web-based interface.

When you open a new account, Google offers you free storage of up to 15GB on Google Drive. This plan is yours to keep forever, and if you wish to upgrade to a spacier storage plan down the road, you can do so. The paid plans, offered under the banner of Google One, start at $1.99 a month for 100GB. From there, you can upgrade your storage space to a maximum of 30TB for $299.99 a month.

The web interface, while very attractive, isn’t the easiest to use. This problem is easily solved by downloading the Google Drive desktop application for Windows and macOS. This features a file explorer-based drag-and-drop system not dissimilar to Microsoft OneDrive, which lets you back up, store, modify, and delete files directly from your desktop.

For more information on the platform, read our full Google Drive review.

Dropbox provides affordable plans and third-party integration (Image credit: Dropbox)

Dropbox is a fantastic choice for personal cloud storage. Plans are affordable, the user interface is impressive, and it integrates well with many third-party platforms.

It is a leader in file sharing, with several features helping to make it easy to share large files with others, whether they use Dropbox or not. However, one limitation is that you can’t back up external or network drives — Dropbox only stores what you transfer to the Dropbox folder on your device. This isn’t a major issue, but differentiates it from competitors like IDrive.

Security is impressive without being exceptional, with all files are encrypted at rest and in transit, though there is no end-to-end encryption. Accounts can also be secured with two-factor authentication (2FA).

Despite those limitations, we think you could do much worse than Dropbox for cloud storage. You can read our Dropbox review for more details.

Zoolz offers high-quality cloud storage backed by the Amazon Web Services (AWS) ecosy tronco. It boasts excellent security, including full 256-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption, and compliance with various legislative frameworks including HIPPA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and GDPR (the General Data Protection Regulation).

A fully functional free trial is available with 50GB of storage, enabling you to try the service before committing. Prices range from $14.99 a month for 1TB of storage to $674.99 a month for 50TB. Significant discounts are available with annual payments.

All business plans support unlimited users, unlimited server backups, and unlimited external drive connections. Users also have access to excellent 24/7 live support and a comprehensive help center.

The Zoolz desktop interface is neat and easy to navigate, and there are also mobile apps available for managing files on the go. Unfortunately, these are clunky and frustrating to use, while upload and download speeds can be slow, which could be an issue if frequently working with larger files.

Read our full Zoolz cloud storage review, and then take a look at our Zoolz BigMIND review for our thoughts on the new personal and business service.

Microsoft OneDrive is the ultimate cloud storage solution for Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 users, and is also available for users of macOS, Android, and iOS. Strangely enough, it is also available to Xbox One console gamers, making it possible to store precious game save files safely in the cloud.

The platform balances high-capacity storage with functional user interfaces, powerful integrations with the entire Microsoft 365 suite, and a robust security framework. Once you’re set up, it will perform as described with no further effort or stress on your part.

The service is very well integrated into Windows. In essence, it enables you take away any file or folder on your desktop and access it on a variety of other devices. It also offers the ability to share files and folders with users who don’t have OneDrive.

You can also edit files directly on the cloud, without the need to download them every time. From Outlook to AutoCAD, OneDrive is compatible with a variety of different other services, both internal and third-party. Security-wise, it offers the Personal Vault feature, which lets you lock away essential files safely via 2FA and Bitlocker encryption.

If you’re a Microsoft 365 subscriber, you have up to 1TB of free storage via OneDrive. Even if you aren’t, you can test it with a forever-free storage capacity of 5GB. You can always expand storage later via its personal plans, with 100GB for just $1.99 a month.

OneDrive is available for businesses at a reasonable price of $5 per user a month, or for free with a Microsoft 365 for Business subscription.

Read our full Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage review to learn more about the service and its features.

pCloud is one of the only cloud storage providers offering a lifetime subscription, providing you with 500GB of storage for a one-time payment of $175, or 2TB for $350. Alternatively, annual plans are available for $47.88 and $95.88 respectively.

Monthly payment options are also available, and there’s a fully functional free plan with 10GB of storage. You can also choose a family plan, which supports up to four users, while business-specific solutions start at $9.99 per user. All plans come with advanced collaboration and file-sharing features, and you can even back up files from a series of third-party platforms.

Additionally, all files are protected by TLS/SSL (Transport Layer Security/Secure Sockets Layer) security, with 256-bit AES encryption. Powerful Android and iOS apps are available for mobile management, and there are tools to help you set up automatic social media uploads should you require this.

Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems are supported, and there are also browser extensions for Opera, Chrome, and Firefox.

To learn more about the service, read our full pCloud review.

---

How to choose the best cloud storage for business

Choosing the best cloud storage for your business is similar to selecting one for personal use, with a few key differences. The system needs to be highly secure and stable, ensuring data is protected at all times — look for those providing end-to-end encryption and zero-knowledge architecture, as the latter prevents providers from accessing your data, even if they are compelled to by law enforcement.

A service will also need to provide advanced collaborative features for seamless digital workflows, to increase and facilitate employee productivity and collaboration. These cloud sync technology elements often form an integral part of StaaS products, with edits made to one document immediately visible across all connected devices.

Powerful administrative features are also a plus, particularly for medium-and large-sized organizations, as they enable access management and system usage auditing. This is achieved via 2FA, roles-based permissions, and auditing capabilities.

Therefore, businesses should look for a provider that offers cloud storage and cloud syncing capabilities, as this will enable you to increase productivity and streamline workflows.

Best business cloud storage solutions

Microsoft OneDrive is the perfect cloud storage platform for businesses that already use the Microsoft 365 application suite. Integration across that range of applications, including Word, Excel, Teams, and SharePoint, enables users to collaborate dynamically, making OneDrive our choice for the best cloud storage platform for business.

One of its greatest strengths is that it is both a cloud storage and cloud syncing platform. Update a document on one device, and the changes will automatically appear on other devices, including those of colleagues and collaborators.

File versioning, tracked changes, and link sharing all operate seamlessly alongside OneDrive’s core functionalities, strengthening its credentials. Security is another strength, as while AES 256-bit encryption is applied to all data at rest, Microsoft goes further with the Personal Vault, with this subfolder providing unlimited end-to-end encryption for all business customers.

Data is also backed up across several servers, so you can be confident data stored in OneDrive won’t be lost. Microsoft’s enterprise plans meanwhile offer best-in-class cybersecurity services and advanced threat detection functionality. Ensuring the integrity of employees’ accounts is easy too, with administrators able to enforce 2FA and periodic password changes.

Read our full OneDrive for Business review to find out why we ranked it first for business cloud storage.

IDrive is undoubtedly one of the best cloud backup and cloud storage platforms. However, the lack of cloud syncing features means it loses some marks from a business standpoint.

Its strengths include file versioning and snapshots, as well as business-specific features such as user management and activity logs. Security is also a strength; business leaders can choose whether to employ end-to-end or standard encryption.

Collaboratively speaking however, this is an area where IDrive doesn’t excel. It simply doesn’t integrate with third-party platforms in the same way as competitors such as Microsoft OneDrive or Nextcloud. IDrive is instead oriented towards businesses that want high-capacity, highly secure storage that can back up several servers and devices simultaneously.

Likewise, if your staff need access to a lot of static data, with less emphasis on collaborative editing, then it’s certainly one of the best cloud storage platforms for you.

Note: IDrive is currently offering 5TB of storage for a hugely discounted price of $3.48 for the first year. This is the most affordable high-capacity plan we’ve ever seen.

Dropbox, while not a jack-of-all-trades like Google Workspace, still comes with plenty of options to create and modify files alongside backup and storage.

Its simple desktop client provides drag-and-drop functionality for files of any known format onto the cloud, and the system prides itself on compatibility. Files can also be easily circulated among users using the in-built share function, even if the person you’re sharing them with does not have a Dropbox account. Dropbox Transfer also makes it extremely easy to transfer files to others, whether or not they’ve got an account.

That way, the receiver gets access to an exact copy of the file with all the appropriate permissions, without getting to the original. With free accounts, Dropbox Transfer has a file size limit of 100MB. Upgrade to a business account, however, and the maximum file size quickly expands to a whopping 100GB.

Dropbox Business Standard is available for $12.50 per user a month when billed annually, for a minimum of three users; while Dropbox Business Advanced is available for $20 per user a month, again for a minimum of three users. While the standard plan limits storage space to 5GB, the advanced plan is a rarity that offers truly unlimited cloud storage for businesses.

The service’s clean, minimalistic design is both easy to understand and operate. The desktop app is available on Windows and macOS, alongside a smartphone app available via Google Play and Apple App Store. There’s also a very smooth web-based interface for those wanting to keep things lightweight.

To find out more about the platform, read our Dropbox Business review.

In the strictest sense of the word, Nextcloud isn’t a cloud storage provider. Instead, it’s a suite of software platforms providing self-hosted cloud storage and file management services. As a result, its likely the best platform for you if your business is looking for an innovative and self-hosted cloud storage solution.

Nextcloud enables business leaders to connect on-prem storage infrastructure to a local area network (LAN), essentially creating a private cloud. There are several benefits of such a system, alongside a few potential negatives. Benefits include enhanced control over security, because you will always know exactly where your data is stored.

Technically speaking, it reduces the attack surface area, and IT administrators also have significant control over how data is stored, including the level of encryption used. This enables businesses to tailor their storage solution to their specific needs.

Another strength is the wide range of open-source software applications that can be integrated into your cloud ecosystem. These include Nextcloud Files, Nextcloud Talk (a video-conferencing platform), and Collabora Online (a suite of office applications). These integrations enable Nextcloud to compete against competitors offering extensive cross-platform integrations, such as Microsoft and Google.

The potential downsides — we’d call them important considerations — include an increased responsibility on the behalf of business leaders to manage data backup and maintain infrastructure. In short, Nextcloud’s flexibility means more responsibility is shifted to the business.

Read our Nextcloud 15 review for more information and a detailed analysis of the service.

Unlike the other options mentioned so far, Backblaze doesn’t come with file-sharing or management capabilities. Instead, it offers a very secure backup service that keeps essential files safe from malware attacks and system corruption. Its emphasis is on security, while functionality takes a back step.

Backblaze is built with novices in mind, as you only need to set it up once, and only need to access it again should your computer somehow be compromised. There’s a very simple installation wizard that guides you through the first-time setup, and once done, Backblaze will automatically back up all files and folders in the background.

You can set up backups to run continuously, daily, or when manually prompted. Usage is restricted to just one device per user per account, and while there’s support for external hard drives, there is none for network drives or mobile devices.

While advanced users may find functionality lacking, those with little cloud storage experience will find Backblaze appealing for the very same reason. For as little as $6 a month or $60 a year, users get access to unlimited storage space on a single device. While it only stores older versions of files for up to 30 days, you can extend that to one year for an additional $2 a month, and there are no file size limits.

You can currently also get Backblaze completely free for a year when you sign up to award-winning VPN provider ExpressVPN, where you can also get 15 months for the price of 12!

Despite limited functionality, Backblaze is really popular with its user base, with over 1EB (exabyte, or one million terabytes) of data stored securely. It has also helped recover over 50 billion files since launch. If you’re looking for a simplified option that lets you back up and store files on the cloud, you need look no further.

You can learn more about the service by reading our Backblaze cloud backup review.

Tresorit banks its cloud storage technology on a claim of “zero-knowledge encryption”. Apart from the select few you choose to share files with, no one will have access to what you upload, with your account secured by 2FA and end-to-end encryption.

Because of the strong focus on security and privacy, Tresorit’s technology doesn’t integrate with third party applications. There are no options to edit or modify files on the cloud, or stream audio and video, without downloading them first. These elements can feel limiting, but if you’re a data-centric company requiring extensive security, Tresorit is well worth the compromise.

It offers both cloud storage and network drives, with data residency options for several data centers worldwide helping you choose where to store data. It has good servers with decent download and upload speeds. The desktop and mobile apps are smart and intuitive, while a guided tour helps you get your bearings when you begin.

Tresorit offers a free 14-day trial on all its subscription plans, which start at $20 per user a month when billed annually. That plan, Business Standard, offers up to 1TB of storage space per user for three to nine users. The Business Plus plan meanwhile is available for $24 a month per user for 10 to 100 users, with 1TB of storage per user. There is also an enterprise plan for upwards of 100 users.

Read our full Tresorit review to find out more about this cloud storage provider.

SpiderOak One Backup is a multi-purpose cloud platform with a near best-in-class security framework. It provides cloud storage, syncing, and backup across all operating systems, although the lack of business-specific features is somewhat disappointing. It is also more expensive than many competitors.

A standout feature is end-to-end encryption being standard for all data managed, and few other platforms provide this kind of zero-knowledge architecture. It also means that no one at SpiderOak can access your company’s data, even if compelled to by law enforcement.

If you’re looking for a highly secure and reliable cloud storage solution, you’d do well to consider SpiderOak’s offerings. You can read our full SpiderOak One Backup review to find out more about the platform.

---

What you need to know about free cloud storage 

Thanks to fierce competition among cloud storage providers, many offer free plans for those with basic needs and a tight budget. While low on features and storage space, these plans are still plenty for most personal users.

Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive, for example, offer 15GB and 5GB free storage each on their free plans. Such plans are ideal for storing documents and images in the cloud, but for anything more demanding, you may have to upgrade and pay.

A little bit of free storage can go a long way, as you can keep a secure copy of your most important files and easily always access them. It’s also good for collaborating with others on small projects if you are a freelancer, for example.

You might think you don’t have much to lose, since the providers listed below are all free options, and in most cases you’d be right. However, there are a few factors worth considering when choosing the right option for personal use. Here are some of the best free services available right now, to help you make the right decision.

The best free cloud storage providers

IDrive is the ideal platform if you need somewhere to back up multiple servers and devices, and prioritize end-to-end encryption. However, it isn’t designed for collaboration, and file-sharing is somewhat limited. The basic free forever plan only supports 5GB of storage, but this should be enough for you to test the platform.

The apps aren’t the most impressive, but work as described, and the web app in particular is surprisingly useful, making it easy to manage your various backups. If you’re a photographer, video editor, or anyone managing lots of data, IDrive should be one of your top considerations.

Dropbox is a fantastic choice for personal cloud storage. Plans are affordable, the user interface is impressive, and it integrates well with many third-party platforms. The free option offers 2GB of storage, and the file sharing leader provides several features that make it easy to share large files with others, whether they use Dropbox or not.

One limitation however is that you can’t back up external or network drives to your account. Dropbox only stores what you transfer to its folder on your device. This isn’t a major issue, but differentiates the platform from competitors like IDrive.

Security is impressive without being exceptional, with all files encrypted at rest and in transit, but there is no end-to-end encryption, though accounts can also be secured with 2FA. We think however that you could do much worse than Dropbox for your cloud storage solution.

For personal use, Microsoft OneDrive is a great cloud storage option, with its free plan offering 5GB of storage. It balances high-capacity storage with functional user interfaces, powerful integrations with the entire Microsoft 365 suite, and a robust security framework.

Once you’ve set OneDrive up, it will perform as described with no further effort or stress on your part. Current users of Microsoft 365 also benefit, because 1TB of OneDrive storage is included in your subscription.

MEGA.nz is a very popular, New Zealand-based cloud storage company, founded in 2013 by Kim Dotcom, a rather controversial figure in the online world. It offers end-to-end encryption and a generous 50GB of storage via its free plan, with absolutely no throttling.

While its zero-knowledge encryption technology makes collaboration a bit difficult, individual files can still be shared using a dedicated encryption key required to unlock them. Files can also be password-protected to add another layer of security.

Mega does not impose any limitations on individual file size, and allows restoration of previous versions of corrupted files using built-in file versioning technology. The downloadable client is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, while its entire source code was released on Github. This is good for tech-savvy users who want to audit the technology for security issues.

However, consumers should be aware of its controversial history. Since leaving in 2015, Dotcom has leveled serious accusations against Mega for possible ties with the New Zealand and Chinese governments. While these accusations have been exaggerated, it is true that its majority shareholder is Beijing-based businesswoman Li Zhi Min.

However, as well as its source code being publicly available, Mega’s zero-knowledge encryption technology also implies it can’t get to your data without permission. Read our full Mega review for more details.

If you use Apple mobile and desktop devices, and don’t plan on making the jump to Windows or Android anytime soon, then Apple iCloud is the logical cloud storage platform for you.

When used on Apple OSs, nothing comes close to iCloud in terms of integration, functionality, and ease of use. It seamlessly takes care of device and app backup, and syncs data across all connected devices. For miscellaneous file storage, there is also iCloud Drive.

iCloud’s free plans offer 5GB of free storage, the lowest offering of this list of free providers. However, you can always buy more storage, starting at $0.99 a month for 50GB and ranging up to $9.99 for 2TB. Moreover, any items purchased from the iTunes Store can be stored for free without counting towards the free 5GB. We also like that you can share the 2TB storage plan with family members.

iCloud doesn’t impose any limits on individual file size. Users can also take advantage of the iWork apps included with it, such as Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. Compatibility issues prevent iCloud from achieving mainstream status, but it still makes for a lucrative offering for MacBook or iPad users.

However, security is not a strength, as most data is stored with AES 128-bit encryption. 2FA is included, and should be activated by all users.

Read our full Apple iCloud review for more details.

pCloud differentiates itself by offering a lifetime access option as well as the standard subscription-based options. If you prefer paying a one-off fee for cloud storage, pCloud is the best choice, and while it does itself a disservice with a confusing pricing model, its free option provides 10GB of storage.

However, its range of optional add-ons can be confusing to understand. For example, advanced encryption is not a standard feature, but must be purchased separately. Nonetheless, pCloud offers a range of easy-to-use apps that make storing your files and backing up important files, servers, and devices easy.

It includes typical features such as file versioning, file recovery, and link sharing. There are also innovative features including automatic upload of content shared via social media. We like pCloud because it balances third-party software integration with admirable backup features: however, it isn’t a leader in either category.

---

How secure is cloud storage?

Although cloud storage might not theoretically be as secure as local storage (because it is, by definition, a networked system), most providers nonetheless employ cutting-edge security frameworks. End-to-end encryption and zero-knowledge architecture make leading cloud storage providers almost hack-proof, so not even their employees can access your data.

In-transit and at-rest encryption mean that even if a cybercriminal could intercept your data (which is highly unlikely), it would be totally indecipherable. StaaS providers also ensure data centers are secure: expect 24/7 security guards, biometric authorization for entry, and frequent security auditing.

Security is crucial for enterprise cloud storage, particularly those in privacy-sensitive industries. Investing in a provider with state-of-the-art security policies is non-negotiable, and the best not only protect data, but the infrastructure housing it.

For most businesses, the global location of a data center will influence your choice. Different countries have different data privacy laws, so you must ensure your data is stored in a country that complies with your organization’s data privacy obligations.

Administrator controls — such as 2FA, roles-based permissions and auditing — enable you or IT staff to manage access and audit system usage. In 2021, there is no reason to let security concerns deter you from using a cloud storage service for personal and professional use.