10 GB
Free tier
Free plan, no card required
Report
Should I Use pCloud?
Store, sync, and share your files securely with up to 10 GB of free cloud storage.
Worth it
Worth itBuy if you're an individual or small team wanting fast, private file storage — the lifetime plans are the strongest value play.
Solid-value lifetime cloud storage for individuals; skip if you need real-time collaboration or enterprise compliance.
Confidence: Medium
€4.99/mo
Cheapest paid plan
500GB lifetime at €199.99 one-time
19M+
Claimed users
Per pCloud's own LinkedIn posts
8.2/10
Expert rating
Phototrend, 5-year user review
Value for money
4
Lifetime plans beat years of subscription costs
Ease of use
4
Reviewers repeatedly call it easy to use
Feature depth
4
Backup, virtual drive, sharing, business plan
Security posture
3
Positive vendor reports, but users question encryption defaults
Pros
Cons
Gotchas
- mediumLifetime pricing tiers jump widely: €199.99 for 500GB, roughly $399–$1,190 for 2TB depending on promotion.⁷
- mediumLifetime deal lock-in: if the deal disappoints later, your money is already spent.⁵
- mediumStrongest encryption is not the default experience for everyday files.⁹
- lowBusiness plan discounts apply only to new customers after a 30-day trial.²
Best for
- Photographers with large photo libraries
- People who hate monthly subscriptions
- Privacy-focused individuals leaving Google
- Simple file backup and sharing
Not for
- Teams needing real-time doc co-editing like Google Drive
- Enterprises requiring compliance certifications and vendor security audits
- Anyone who won't pay hundreds upfront for lifetime plans
- Users handling highly sensitive files without adding their own encryption
Pricing
Free
$0
- 10 GB storage
- Basic sync and sharing
Individual 2TB (annual)
$8.33/mo billed yearly
- 2 TB storage
- Recommended by Cloudwards for most users
Lifetime 2TB
~$1,190 one-time (discounted)
- Pay once, keep forever
- Prices vary by promotion
Security
No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.
What users say
Users consistently praise sync speed, backup, and lifetime value, while a vocal minority question encryption defaults.
“So far, I'm quite happy with pCloud. It's easy to use, and the backup feature works well for new photos.”
“Tldr Pcloud is fine for your use case. Security is questionable. Use cryptomator for sensi”
“Up to 10 GB of free storage; Amazing syncing solutions; Unlimited transfer speeds; Easy to use”
Alternatives
Compare pCloud with each alternative.
Google Drive
Better real-time collaboration; 15 GB free tier.
pCloud vs Google DriveProton Drive
Swiss privacy rival with encryption by default.
Dropbox
Polished sync; the incumbent most switchers leave.
pCloud vs DropboxInternxt
Competing lifetime plans with default end-to-end encryption.
pCloud vs InternxtFull analysis
Based on 14 public sources; no third-party support-quality data found.
Sources
- pCloud official site and pricingpcloud.comofficial
- pCloud Businesspcloud.comofficial
- pCloud Review 2026 - After 10 Years Of Usagecloudstorageinfo.orgreview
- pCloud Review - Cloudwardscloudwards.netreview
- pCloud review for photographers (8.2/10)phototrend.frreview
- pCloud Trustpilot reviewstrustpilot.comreview
review
- Is pCloud Safe? - Nudge Securitynudgesecurity.comsecurity
review
- Gridinsoft trust scan of pcloud.comgridinsoft.comsecurity
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