Free Cloud Storage
Which cloud storage services a startup can store and share its files with for free today, how much free storage each gives, what the free plan leaves out, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, read from each provider's own page.
Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . Cloud storage change their free plans from time to time: confirm the terms on the provider's page before you rely on it.
Cloud storage services a startup can use for free today include Google Drive (15 GB free with a Google Account), Nextcloud (Free and open source, you host it), Dropbox (Basic: 2 GB free), ownCloud (Fully open source server), and Microsoft OneDrive (Free: 5 GB of cloud storage). Each of the 13 free plans below links to the provider's page that states it, with its main limit, how much storage it includes, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs.
Every startup needs one place for its contracts, decks, designs and exports that the whole team can reach. Most cloud drives give free storage to start, and open-source file sync software runs free on your own server.
The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. Free storage ranges from 2 GB to 20 GB, can be shared with email and photos, and comes with limits on devices, file size or sharing. Each service below shows what is free, its main limit, how much storage it includes, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, quoted from the provider's own page with the date we read it.
Which services we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the providers'. Some of these providers pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which services are listed or where.
Cloud drives with free storage
Store, sync and share files in a hosted cloud drive, free up to a set amount.
- 1
Google Drive
Anyone who already uses Gmail or Google Photos
Every Google Account includes up to 15 GB at no charge, shared across Drive, Gmail and Photos. The first Google One plan, Basic, is $1.99 a month for 100 GB.
- Free storage
- Up to 15 GB (source: support.google.com)
Start free at GoogleTerms read on support.google.com on Google Drive: the free allowance and how to start - 2
Dropbox
Small files on up to three devices
Dropbox Basic gives 2 GB to store and share your files, and connects up to 3 devices. The Plus plan is $9.99 a month.
- What's free
- Basic: 2 GB free (source: dropbox.com)
- Main limit
- Up to 3 devices (source: dropbox.com)
- Free storage
- 2 GB (source: dropbox.com)
- First paid plan
- Plus: $9.99 a month (source: dropbox.com)
- 3
Microsoft OneDrive
Windows users and Microsoft 365 teams
A free OneDrive account includes 5 GB of cloud storage. Microsoft 365 Basic is $1.99 a month.
- Free storage
- 5 GB (source: microsoft.com)
- First paid plan
- Microsoft 365 Basic: $1.99 a month (source: microsoft.com)
Start free at MicrosoftTerms read on microsoft.com on Microsoft OneDrive: the free allowance and how to start - 4
MEGA
Encrypted files with a large free allowance
MEGA's free plan gives 20 GB of storage with a limited transfer quota. The first paid plan, Essential, is $3.71 a month billed yearly.
- What's free
- 20 GB free cloud storage (source: mega.io)
- Main limit
- Limited transfer quota (source: mega.io)
- Free storage
- 20 GB (source: mega.io)
- First paid plan
- Essential: $3.71 a month, billed yearly (source: mega.io)
- 5
Proton Drive
Files that must stay end-to-end encrypted
Proton Drive's free plan gives 5 GB of storage for photos and documents. Drive Plus is billed at $47.88 every 12 months.
- What's free
- 5 GB free cloud storage (source: proton.me)
- Free storage
- 5 GB (source: proton.me)
- First paid plan
- Drive Plus: $47.88 a year (source: proton.me)
- 6
Sync.com
Private personal files with small shares
Sync.com's free plan gives 5 GB of cloud storage and 5 GB of shared data a month. The Personal plan is $12 a month, billed monthly for the first year.
- What's free
- 5 GB free cloud storage (source: sync.com)
- Free storage
- 5 GB (source: sync.com)
- First paid plan
- Personal plan: $12 a month in year one (source: sync.com)
- 7
Box
Personal files for one user, small uploads
Box's free Individual plan is for one user, with 10 GB of storage and a 250 MB file upload limit.
- What's free
- Free for one user, 10 GB (source: box.com)
- Main limit
- 250 MB per file upload (source: box.com)
- Free storage
- 10 GB (source: box.com)
- 8
Koofr
A European provider with a free 10 GB
Koofr's Free plan gives 10 GB free forever.
- What's free
- 10 GB free forever (source: koofr.eu)
- Free storage
- 10 GB (source: koofr.eu)
- 9
pCloud
Quick signup with files from any device
pCloud's sign-up gives up to 10 GB of free storage, and its page says no credit card is required.
- Free storage
- Up to 10 GB (source: pcloud.com)
- Payment card
- No credit card required (source: pcloud.com)
- 10
Icedrive
A free 10 GB account to start with
Icedrive's home page offers 10GB of free cloud storage at sign-up.
- What's free
- 10 GB free on sign-up (source: icedrive.net)
- Free storage
- 10 GB (source: icedrive.net)
Open-source file sync you can self-host
Run your own file cloud on your own server, free.
- 1
Nextcloud
Teams that want to host their own files
Nextcloud's community model is entirely open source and free of lockins or paywalls. Keep your data on servers you own, at all times.
Start free at NextcloudTerms read on nextcloud.com on Nextcloud: the free allowance and how to start - 2
ownCloud
Teams that self-host a fully open source server
ownCloud's download page calls Infinite Scale its flagship product and fully open source.
- 3
Seafile
Small teams that self-host, up to 3 users
Seafile's Community Edition is free and open source. The Pro edition runs for 3 users without a license file, and $100 in total covers 9 users.
- First paid plan
- Pro: $100 in total for 9 users (source: seafile.com)
Also useful for founders
Referral links, picked for fit and ordered by fit (70%) and what a signup earns us (30%), at no cost to you. They never change this page's ranking.
Compare the top options
How this comparison is built
The list covers cloud storage services a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each service's terms. Every term comes from the service's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. A cap on storage, a file size limit, shared links or team folders kept for paid plans, storage shared with email or photos can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the provider states them. Some of these services pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a service appears, and no service pays for a placement on this page.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
Which cloud storage gives the most free space?
By the terms each provider states, MEGA gives 20 GB of free cloud storage, Google Drive 15 GB shared with Gmail and Google Photos, Box, Koofr and Icedrive 10 GB, pCloud up to 10 GB, and Microsoft OneDrive, Proton Drive and Sync.com 5 GB. Dropbox Basic is 2 GB.
Is Google Drive free?
Google Drive includes 15 GB free with a Google Account, shared with Gmail and Google Photos. Google One Basic is $1.99 a month for 100 GB.
How much free storage does Dropbox give?
Dropbox Basic gives 2 GB free on up to 3 devices. Plus is $9.99 a month.
Can I host my own cloud storage for free?
Yes. Nextcloud is free and open source on servers you own, ownCloud's server is fully open source, and Seafile's Community Edition is free and open source, with its Pro edition free for up to 3 users.
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