Cloud Storage has become an inherent part of our lives today. Each one of us is using it in some way or the other!
If you are a beginner, a free cloud storage service would be sufficient for your needs. But which one should you go with? What are the options available in the market? Well, stay tuned cause that is exactly what we are discussing today.
I have personally used dozens of popular and not-so-popular cloud storage providers in the last few years. After extensive research and testing, I’m here with the most awaited article – Best Free Cloud Storage for 2023!
In this article, you will discover my 12 best recommendations for free cloud storage along with their major pros and cons. I will also discuss the USP of every cloud storage and who should use it.
So, without taking up any more of your time, let’s dive right into our Best Free Cloud Storage list right away!
- 1) Mega – Best Free Cloud Storage 2023
- 2) pCloud – Good Speeds & Sharing
- 3) Sync – Best Secure Storage
- 4) Icedrive – Best User Interface
- 4) Google Drive – Best For Collaboration
- 6) OneDrive
- 7) Degoo
- 8) Jio Cloud
- 9) Tresorit Send – To Send Files Securely
- 10) MediaFire
- 11) GitHub – For Developers
- 12) TeraBox
- Conclusion
Pros of Mega
20 GB Free Space
With a free plan of Mega Cloud Storage, you get 20 GB of permanent online storage space, which is sufficient for an average user.
Zero Knowledge Encryption
Mega secures all your uploaded data with zero knowledge encryption, making it inaccessible to anyone except you.
Good Speeds
You get to experience fast upload and download speeds with Mega.
Decent Privacy Policy
The Privacy Policy of Mega looks much better than Google Drive!
Dark Mode
Mega has recently introduced the Dark mode for its web client and has also worked on improving its user interface.
Long Lasting Achievements
You can unlock 5 GB of cloud space on every achievement. They have recently increased the validity up to 365 days. For more information, check out Mega’s achievements page.
Cons of Mega
Cannot Select Server Location
Mega has servers in New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, and France. But it doesn’t let you choose the server location.
Strict Terms and Conditions
Mega removes any copyrighted content/media if it is reported to them.
Chinese Investors
A large part of Mega’s shared were sold to Chinese investors few years back.
Mega is a popular cloud storage provider from New Zealand. Earlier it used to offer 15 GB of free space but only recently they upgraded and now they’re providing 20 GB of cloud space along with zero knowledge encryption and good speeds.
They’ve also increased the achievements awards validity up to 365 days and made it more clear.
Mega is great option for FREE and it is perfect for users prefer the security of their online data.
Pros of pCloud
10 GB Free Space
The free plan of pCloud offers a decent 10 GB of cloud space that you can unlock by completing tasks like creating an account, verifying your email, uploading a file, and inviting friends!
Good Privacy Policy
The Privacy Policy of pCloud is neat. They do not collect a lot of their users’ data, nor do they reveal it to any third parties.
Allows Data Center Selection
pCloud lets you choose a data center of your choice at the time of signing up. Most users prefer the European data centers.
Excellent Speeds
Because pCloud uses the European servers, you can find swift upload and download speeds here.
Advanced Syncing
pCloud allows Block Level Sync and Selective Sync features, which makes it one of the best options for syncing files.
Excellent File Sharing
You can set passwords and expiry dates on your links, customize link pages and upload permissions, and even view link statistics!
Cons of pCloud
Inactivity Clause
If you do not access your pCloud account for 6 months, they might delete it!
No Zero Knowledge in Free Plan
pCloud does not provide a zero knowledge encryption with its free plans. If you need this feature, you need to upgrade to a paid plan.
pCloud is a Switzerland-based Cloud Storage that offers you 10 GB of storage space on the free plan along with lightning fast speeds. Users who frequently need to share files with others would find the advanced sharing features of pCloud very impressive!
Overall, it is one of the best options for free as well for paid cloud storage. For more information, check out my pCloud Review.
Pros of Sync
5 GB Free Space
Creating a free account on Sync instantly gets you 5 GB of cloud storage.
Impressive Referral System
If you wish to earn more free space, you can take part in their Referral Program. Referring them to 15 people will earn you 15 GB of additional storage!
Clean Privacy Policy
Their Privacy Policy is clearly defined and they also don’t collect unnecessary information from users.
Zero Knowledge Encryption
All your data uploaded on Sync is secured with zero knowledge encryption. So, nobody except you can ever access it.
Great Sharing Options
Sync lets you set expiry dates and passwords to secure your links. Users don’t need to create an account for uploading files to your shared folder.
Clean Record
Their history and past record has been clean and reliable.
Cons of Sync
Average Interface
The interface of Sync lacks user friendliness and a modern design.
Slow Speeds
Protecting their users’ data with an additional security of zero-Knowledge encryption results in slower speeds.
Belongs to 5 Eyes Alliance
The servers of Sync are in Canada, which is a member of the 5 Eyes Alliance.
These countries might share their users’ data with other intelligence agencies without their consent.
Sync is a privacy-focussed cloud storage company in Canada. With its free plan, you get 5 GB of cloud space encrypted with zero knowledge. You can also take part in their generous referral program to earn an extra 25 GBs of space!
Overall, Sync would be the perfect option for users more concerned about the security of their data stored online.
Pros of Icedrive
10 GB Free Space
With Icedrive, you get 10 GB of free cloud storage, along with other advanced security features!
Great Speeds
You get to experience fast upload and download speeds with Icedrive cloud storage.
Attractive UI
It has one of the best and most friendly interfaces out of all cloud storage providers.
Clean Privacy Policy
Its Privacy Policy looks very transparent. And because Icedrive is GDPR Compliant, you can also request a copy of your data stored with them!
Cons of Icedrive
No Zero Knowledge
The free plan of Icedrive does not offer a zero knowledge encryption feature. You need to upgrade your plan for that.
Limited Sharing Options
You can set passwords and expiry dates to your shared links. Unlike pCloud, you cannot customize upload permissions or check link stats!
Icedrive is a new cloud storage company based in the UK. Its free plan provides you 10 GB of cloud space along with great speeds.
Users who want to enjoy an easy to use and attractive interface along with complete transparency of their online data would find Icedrive an excellent choice! To know more, check out my Icedrive Review.
Pros of Google Drive
15 GB Free Space
As soon as you sign up on Gmail, you get 15 GB of cloud storage for free!
Swift Speeds
With Google Drive, you get to experience faster speeds while uploading and downloading your files.
Best for Collaboration
Google Drive is your best shot if you want to work on office files or collaborate in real-time with your team members.
Remarkable Sync Feature
Changes are reflected across all devices as soon as you make edits to a file!
Cons of Google Drive
Weak Privacy Policy
As we all know, the Privacy Policy of Google is very doubtful. They collect a lot of their users’ data and then use it to display personalized ads to them.
No Zero Knowledge
Because your data does not remain encrypted with zero knowledge, it is always at a risk of being compromised.
Strict Terms and Conditions
Copyrighted content uploaded on Google Drive is automatically deleted.
Google Drive is a cloud storage put forth by Google. It is the most popular cloud solution and most people use it regularly without even realizing! It gives you access to 15 GB of storage space with quick speeds.
If you need to work or collaborate on office documents with your teammates, there’s no better solution than Google Drive!
Pros of OneDrive
5 GB Free Cloud Space
Registering for an account on OneDrive gives you 5 GB of online storage free of cost.
Excellent Editing and Collaboration
If you wish to work on office documents online, OneDrive would be great for creating, editing, sharing, and collaborating on your files online.
Good Sync and Backup
You can enable automatic backups for your local folders so they always remain synced to the cloud.
Version History
OneDrive offers a 30-day versioning, so you can preview and restore the previous versions of your files.
Cons of OneDrive
Terrible Download Speeds
The upload speeds with OneDrive are decent, but the download speeds are surprisingly slow!
OneDrive is a cloud storage offered by Microsoft. You get 5 GB of cloud space on its free plan. If you wish to edit office documents online, then you might try it! I use it for Office Documents and OneNote.
Pros of Degoo
20 GB Free Space
Degoo provides you a 20 GB of cloud storage space that you can extend by referring more friends.
Cons of Degoo
Intrusive Ads
Their mobile app and website are stuffed with intrusive ads that spoil the user experience.
Less Space
Earlier they used to offer 100 GB of free space. Now they have reduced it to 20 GB only.
No Zero Knowledge Encryption
The free plan of Degoo does not come with a secure zero knowledge encryption.
Inactivity Clause
If your Degoo account remains inactive for 90 days, their team might permanently delete it.
No 2FA
It does not offer 2FA support, so your account is always vulnerable to online threats.
File Size Limitation
You cannot upload extensive files on Degoo. It only supports a maximum file size of 512 MB.
Degoo is a Swedish Cloud Storage that offers a 100 GB storage space on its free plan. However, other than the generous storage, there’s no other feature that makes it stand out!
Overall, if you have no problem with ads covering your interface, and you can stay active over it, then you might give Degoo Cloud a try!
Pros of Jio Cloud
Free 5 GB Space
JioCloud provides free cloud storage of 5 GB for Jio users and 2 GB for non-Jio users.
Decent Referral Program
You can extend your cloud storage upto 50 GB by referring JioCloud to others.
Good Backup Options
Its mobile app lets you enable automatic backups for your photos, videos, audios, documents, contacts, and even messages!
Clean UI
The interface of JioCloud is neat, simple and easy to use for beginners.
2 Languages Supported
JioCloud supports two languages – English and Hindi, that are helpful for the Indian audiences.
Cons of Jio Cloud
Intrusive Ads
They collect all your data uploaded on the cloud and might even disclose your personal information to affiliates, consultants, contractors, vendors, etc.
Terrible Speeds
Even Sync Cloud Storage offers far better speeds in India than our own Indian cloud storage – JioCloud!
JioCloud is a cloud storage offered by Reliance Jio, an Indian company. It is the official cloud service of Jio and is quite famous among the Indian audiences. With its free plan, you get 5 GB of cloud storage if you are a Jio user.
I had higher expectations from JioCloud as they made it for the Indian audiences. But even after multiple speed tests, I experienced slow speeds.
I personally won’t use it or recommend it to my friends. But if you want a cloud storage app for storing your files or photos, and can adjust with its slow speeds and a doubtful privacy policy, you can check out JioCloud.
To know more about it, check out my JioCloud Review.
Pros of Tresorit
5 GB Free Space
With Tresorit send you can send you can send files upto 5 GB Securely.
Good for Large File Transfer
If you need to transfer large and important files, then Tresorit should be your go-to cloud storage provider.
Exceptional Security
Tresorit is a secure cloud storage solution, so you get Zero-knowledge encryption, 2FA support, and more!
Neat Privacy Policy
Tresorit is GDPR and HIPAA Compliant, so you will find complete transparency about your collected data. They also do not belong to the 5-Eyes Alliance, which makes them more reliable.
Friendly UI
The user interface of Tresorit is quite easy to use, well-organized, and attractive!
Cons of Tresorit
Only Transfer
Tresorit doesn’t have a free plan to store files. You can only use it to send/transfer your files..
Poor Download Speeds
Because Tresorit is a zero knowledge platform, its download speeds suffer to some extent.
Tresorit is a security-first cloud storage based in Switzerland and Hungary. Its free plan offers 5 GB of transfer secured with zero knowledge encryption.
Along with that, you also get good upload speeds, an easy-to-use interface, and a transparent privacy policy. So, If your primary requirement is transferring extensive files with enhanced security, you can check out Tresorit.
Pros of MediaFire
10 GB Free Space
MediaFire offers a decent 10 GB of free storage space when we create an account.
Good for Storing Files
It can be suitable for file storage, but MediaFire is not ready to be a full-fledged cloud storage right now!
Cons of MediaFire
Weak Security
Forget zero knowledge encryption, MediaFire doesn’t even have a basic encryption! End-to-end encryption is the primary requirement for any cloud storage platform.
Terrible Upload Speeds
With my connection speed of 100 MB/s, it took 17 long minutes to upload an 844 MB video file on MediaFire!
Bad Privacy Policy
Similar to Google, they scan all your uploaded files and auto-delete any copyrighted material.
Ads Everywhere
The free version of MediaFire has lots of ads on every single page. When you interact with these ads, your information is collected and they serve you more ads based on that information.
No Desktop App
MediaFire is one of the oldest players in the cloud storage market. Sadly, it still doesn’t feature a desktop app!
MediaFire, launched back in 2006, is an ancient service. It offers you a decent 10 GB of storage space. It began as a file transfer service and is now operating as a cloud storage. But unfortunately, its performance in both the fields is below average.
I won’t recommend it. If you only wish to transfer files that are not very sensitive, and speed is not a problem for you, then you might try MediaFire!
Pros of GitHub
500 MB Cloud Space
GitHub offers you 500 MB of free online storage, which is decent for uploading your important websites and Android projects.
Good for Developers
GitHub is a suitable cloud option for developers to upload their projects on private repositories.
Easy-to-Use Interface
You get a friendly and simple web interface. So, even beginners can operate it with no troubles.
File Versioning
Along with all the other advanced features of GitHub, you can also view and revert to the previous versions of a file with ease.
File Backups
GitHub can be an interesting option for backing up your important projects on the cloud.
Cons of GitHub
Security Issues
Your important data might be vulnerable when stored on GitHub’s servers. They have faced cyber attacks before and are constantly targeted by hackers.
GitHub is a platform for developers and programmers to work together on coding. It offers you 500 MB of cloud space which is sufficient for storing your most important projects.
If you are a developer who needs advanced functions for your projects like file backups and versioning, GitHub would be a suitable solution for you.
Pros of Terabox
1 TB free cloud storage
Signing up on Terabox gives you an unbelievable 1 TB of cloud storage space!
Basic Sharing
You can share your files with others and set link validity between 1 to 30 days.
Automatic Backups
Terabox supports automatic backups on its mobile device. So, you can choose specific folders and all the fresh changes will always remain synced with the cloud.
Decent Interface
The user interface of Terabox is simple for beginners to understand.
Swift Speeds
I received superb speeds while uploading files on Terabox.
Cons of Terabox
Owned by a Chinese Company
Terabox Cloud Storage comes from PopIn, which is owned by Baidu (a Chinese Search Engine). Any relations with China are harmful to security, in my opinion!
Weak Privacy Policy
They collect all your uploaded data and share it with third party affiliate companies, which is not appreciable.
Data Centers in Hong Kong and China
Their Data Centers are in China, which is again a big NO for privacy and security. (Now they have changed it to japan)
Terabox, previously known as Dubox, is a Cloud Storage owned by a Chinese company. Though it offers an insane 1 TB of storage space, any connections with Chinese apps and services are a big NO from my side! Unlimited storage is just a bait to lure you in their trap!
Well, if you wish to dive deeper into the features and motives of Dubox Cloud Storage, check out my Terabox Review article!
Conclusion
I hope this article helped you figure out which free cloud storage provider is the best for your requirements. I personally use Google Drive for collaboration with my team, and have purchased the lifetime plans of pCloud and Icedrive for cloud storage.
In case you want to upgrade to a paid cloud storage service, you should definitely check out my article on Best Cloud Storage in India 2023.
Anyway, if you have any doubts about these free cloud storage services, leave them in the comments box below. I would be glad to answer them.
If you liked this content, you can subscribe to my Newsletter for all the latest information on digital tools! This is Kripesh signing off. Keep growing and stay safe! 🙂
DEAR KRIPLESH ADWANI,
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I RECENTLY JOINED YOUR YOUTUBE LINK,
VERY INFORMATIVE AND USEFUL DETAILS DISCOVERED OVER YOUR YOUTUBE LINK AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE BEST AT LEAST THREE OPTION, YOUR OPINION FOR THE BEST SERVER.
SUCH AS: “MOUNT CLOUD STORAGE” — https://youtu.be/q4TxjbGY6f8
I AM NOT EXPERT ON WINDOWS RUN/REGISTRY OPTIONS
WANT VIRTUAL STORAGE – THREE CLOUD CONNECTION TO BE CONFIGIGURED ON THE VITUALL BASIS –
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SANJAY GULATI – DELHI – 7703983117 only whatsapp. mrsanjaygulati@gmail.com
I’ve not used it.
I prefer using pcloud and icedrive mount options.
Have not used any third party software to achieve the mount functionality.
is tresorit use zero knowledge encryption..?
Yes
Is Mega provided free plan zero knowledge encryptron?
Yes
What is the inactivity period in overdrive in free plan.
What is the inactivity period in icedrive in free plan.
May be 6 or 1 yarr
Is degoo secure to store photos?
I have 30gb photos and i want to store them securely with cloud storage.
Thanks for sharing nice cloud storage platforms.
Glad you liked it.
Very Informative Blog. Keep it up.
Thanks a lot 🙂
Glad you liked it.
Please update your article.
Deego is only providing 20GB in free and it has only 28 days of Reward validity.
Thanks for the feedback.
I’ve updated it.
Nice blog write -up, I’ve shared it to my friends and colleagues.
Glad you liked it 🙂