pCloud Review (2024) – Why I Bought The Lifetime Plan?

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About pCloud 

pCloud AG is a Switzerland-based cloud storage company founded in 2013 by Tunio Zafer. Since its inception, it has garnered over 20 million users!

Headquartered in Switzerland, which is not a part of any intelligence alliances (not included in 14 eyes), pCloud holds strict laws for privacy and security. This makes it a highly safe and secure platform.

With a free pCloud account, you get 10 GB of free storage space. This can be unlocked by completing tasks like installing the desktop app, verifying your email id, etc.

pCloud Data Centers

When you register with a new account, you get to choose from two different server locations – USA and Europe.

Do you know that the USA is a major participant in various intelligence agencies like the 5 Eyes and 9 Eyes that share access to their users’ data and information? This is why, I don’t think USA servers are safe for storing your sensitive files.

In my opinion, their European servers should be your preferred server location. This is because the privacy, security and speeds of the European servers are much better. Also, if you live in India then Europe is going to be the best server for speed and privacy.

I’m quite happy that they provide an option to choose the server while signing up. Other cloud storage companies don’t provide that option.

pCloud Speed 

The upload and download speeds of pCloud are quite good for a cloud service. I tried uploading and downloading an 824 MB video file with a network speed of 100 Mbps and these are the results!

While performing speed tests on pCloud, I observed the following results:

• Upload Time: 2 min 17 sec
• Download Time: 3 min 15 sec

I got similar results with pCloud Encryption as well. (Wondering what that is? Keep reading to find out!) I have tested these results from India and in my opinion these speeds are quite impressive!

What do you think? Do let me know in the comments section below.

pCloud Zero-Knowledge Encryption 

In today’s scenario, online security is an issue of prime importance. A little negligence can cause all your data to be compromised within seconds! This is where pCloud Encryption comes into play.

It offers a Zero Knowledge Encryption service which makes your data inaccessible to anyone except you. It is the most secure encryption method.

When you protect your sensitive data with their encryption key, nobody (including the hackers, the cloud storage service, or even the owner of the company) can ever access your data! It can only be decrpted with your master password.

However, this is an add-on service that you can avail for $49.99/year or $150 for a lifetime!

pCloud Versioning (File Revisions)

If you work on long-term projects frequently, you will agree that versioning is an indispensable feature for a good cloud storage.

pCloud Versioning lets you track, preview, and recover the older versions of your files. For the free version, versioning is limited to 15 days. But for paid plan, it offers a 30-day versioning.

As someone who excessively works on documents, I found this feature extremely useful. If you wish to extend the file revision limit for up to 365 days, you can purchase the Extended File History add-on. (pCloud is full of add ons!)

pCloud Trash 

The trash folder stores your deleted files for a duration of 30 days, just like File Versioning. For free plans of pCloud, the trash limit is 15 days.

But, in case you wish to extend the trash limit, you can purchase the Extended File History as an add-on for $79/year.

pCloud Rewind Feature 

In case of emergencies like accidental deletion of your important files, or corruption of data because of a virus, the Rewind feature helps recover and restore previous versions of your account to any date and time.

For free users, the rewind limit is 15 days. Whereas, paid users can rewind their account to 30 days back in time.

Again, you can extend this limit to 365 days by opting for the Extended File history add-on.

pCloud User Interface

I found the interface of pCloud to be very decent and easy to use. It comprises a smooth drag-and-drop upload feature, neat file sorting, and file arrangement options like grid view and list view.

The interesting part is that all the options are available in its web interface itself, so you don’t need the desktop app to operate it.

The desktop apps for Windows, MAC, and Linux are also easy to use. Mobile apps are available for Android, iOS and iPad devices, featuring all the important options along with Dark mode and passcode protection.

The superior design of the mobile apps gives it a premium touch. Folder management options are very cool! 

You can create subfolders, edit, rename, copy, or move files bookmark, share, or trash files as you like! A search bar to easily locate your files is an added advantage.

However, I would have liked it more if they included biometric options like fingerprint or face ID for extra security. As of now, the biometric features are only accessible upon purchasing pCloud Encryption add-on.

Overall, I found the mobile apps of pCloud to be quite modern, complete, and handy. 

pCloud Drive 

Struggling with disk space on your desktop? Here comes the pCloud Virtual Drive!

As soon as you install the pCloud desktop application, you get a pCloud virtual drive that does not take up any space on your system. It’s like an external hard drive attached to your device! 

Directly copy, paste, move, or delete items in this drive, and all the changes will be synced on the cloud storage. I really like this feature a lot!

But the only downside is that you need an internet connection in order to access the pCloud drive. It doesn’t load if you are offline, unless you’ve specifically marked some files or folders for offline access.

pCloud Sync 

File syncing is an essential feature in any cloud storage service. pCloud provides very smooth and quick sync options. It offers two different types of file sync options.

With Selective Sync, you can manually select the folders from your device which you want to sync with the cloud.

Any changes made to these folders will automatically be updated in the pCloud drive. If you delete a file from your local device, it’ll be deleted from the cloud as well.

pCloud also supports Block-Level Sync, which speeds up the sync process. This measn that if you’re editing a file, instead of uploading it completely, only the changes made will be uploaded back to the cloud.

In my experience sync feature works flawlessly. I was able to sync my photos folder as well as my Android Studio projects. For mobile devices, there is automatic backup for photos.

Overall, pCloud is one of the best service when it comes to file syncing.

pCloud Devices 

pCloud supports all devices including desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux, mobile apps for Android, iOS and iPad, and browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Opera.  

It also has a powerful web version that includes all its major features. Except sync since that needs an app.

pCloud Save Chrome Extension

pCloud Save is a Chrome extension that lets you save your images and text content on your pCloud account. Once you install this extension and log in to your pCloud account, you can start using it to save content. 

For saving an image, all you need to do is right click on the image and select ‘Save to pCloud’. It will save your image in your vault.

Similarly, if you find an interesting article or wish to save some notes for later, you can select the text and select ‘Save to pCloud’. You can save your text in formats like TXT, DOC, PHP, CSS, HTML, JSON, and many more!

You can find your saved items in the ‘Recently Saved’ tab within the pCloud extension! Additionally, it also lets you share your saved items through a public link or platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Email. 

pCloud Customer Support 

pCloud offers customer support via email, AI assistant, and knowledge base. Its knowledge base comprises FAQs along with answers to 350+ popular topics.

However, it doesn’t offer tutorials, step-by-step guides, or annotated articles for beginners.

Previously, there was no live chat support on pCloud. You could only rely on their email support. But recently, they have also introduced an AI assistant to handle all your general queries.

I hope they also consider live chat support with real human agents in the future. Overall, the pCloud support is decent and knowledgeable.

pCloud Sharing

One of my most favourite features on pCloud is its File Sharing capabilities.

You get a variety of customization options while sharing download links with other users, like:

1. Selecting who can upload files to a shared folder (Nobody, anybody, or selected emails)
2. Securing the shared data using a password.
3. Setting an expiration date on the shared link. 
4. Adding your own brand cover, logo, and text to the shared link using Branding pages.

Checking link statistics like how many people:

• Opened the download link
• Viewed the link
• Downloaded the shared data
• Uploaded data to the folder

Under the Shared tab, you will find two options – Links and Folders to keep track of all your shared items. Having a separate shared tab helps in keeping a track on what we have shared.

With its superior sharing options, pCloud proves to be a powerful remote working tool for sharing!

Fair Share Feature 

This is a unique and helpful feature for collaborating with other pCloud users. Fair Share lets users upload as much data as they want to a shared folder, without it taking up any space on their own cloud. 

All the storage space is consumed on the account that shared the folder. For example if I’ve shared a folder with my coworker, then if they upload any file, it will be counted against my storage quota.

pCloud Features

Backups 

pCloud lets you easily create a backup of your social media accounts and drives. You can connect services like Google Drive, Dropbox, Facebook, Instagram, and OneDrive to it and automatically backup all the uploaded data.

Now, it also supports Google Photos and Dropbox Business accounts. Overall, this is helpful in case your account gets deleted or is inaccessible. All your data will be safely stored in the pCloud Backup folder.

P.S. If you are a blogger or website owner, you can also check out the pCloud WP Backup Plugin designed for backing up your WordPress websites.

Resize Files

When downloading files from the cloud storage, you can also resize them according to your preference using the ‘Download Converted’ button. 

There is no limit to the file size that you can convert. Apart from resizing this feature helps in downloading images quickly with less file size.

File Request 

If you wish to request files from non-pCloud users, the File Request feature can be of great help.

All you need to do is create a folder and invite users to upload files to it through a link. People only need to provide their name and directly start uploading their files.

I use this feature a lot with photo albums. After a trip with friends I usually create a folder, upload photos from my phone and then use request files feature to allow my friends to upload.

My friends also love this since they don’t need to register and they can directly upload to my folders.

Branding Page

The Branding Page feature is perfect for companies and professionals.

While requesting files from your clients, you can use a custom branding page and add details like your company logo, cover image, and description.

This may help you in creating a more professional image of your brand for your clients!

Public Folder 

If you wish to create your own HTML website on their URL, this is a pretty cool feature to try out! Basically, pCloud lets you use its storage as a hosting service where you can host your static HTML website.

The public folder can also be used to embed image files and create direct links to your files. However, this feature is only available in the Premium plans. It can be availed for $4.99/month.

pCloud Documents 

pCloud is very versatile with handling documents. It can open and view word files, docx files, PDFs, Excel sheets, PowerPoint Presentations, and more. You can also preview images with ease.

The only drawback is a lack of in-built functionality for editing documents. You can only preview them!

If you are using pCloud Drive, then you can edit files on your system with your native softwares. However, on the web app, you can only preview your files.

pCloud Playback Features 

Uploading and streaming audio and video files has never been easier! pCloud features integrated media players for both, and it’s especially impressive for playing audio files. 

They have their own integrated music player where you can sort your files by songs, artists, albums, and also create playlists! You can keep songs, albums or playlists on loop, or shuffle them.

Recently, they have revamped the design of their music player! It now features a Podcast Mode where you can set a speed, sleep timer, and buttons to seek 15 seconds forward or backward.

Overall, it’s a pretty exceptional music player. If you are looking for a cloud storage for music, I must say pCloud is the only good option out there. Plus, it’s one of the best privacy-friendly options after Google Drive for photos storage.

pCloud Security 

You get AES 256-bit encryption here, which is one of the most secure encryption methods used today. It is industry-standard encryption that is used by most companies.

For extra privacy, Two Factor Authentication features are also available.

You can use the Google Authenticator 2FA app as well as your mobile number to receive OTPs while logging into your account.

It also provide codes via notification. If pCloud is already installed in your system and you’re trying to install it on your phone, it will send a security code on your system.

Without that security code, you won’t be able to install it in your phone. This is a great feature for ensuring security.

pCloud Privacy Policy 

Their Privacy Policy clearly states that they collect the users’ IP addresses. This is common for all Cloud Storage companies. But for an enhanced security, they also provide you an optional Zero Knowledge encryption at an extra charge.

Following are the major points to note:

• They collect your email address, billing information, plus other data like page views, device information, operating system used, pages visited, etc.
• They don’t share or sell your personal information to third parties.
• They can disclose your personal information to the government in certain scenarios.
• They take preventive measures to secure your unencrypted data and also inform you in case it’s hacked.

Additionally, pCloud is also GDPR compliant. This means you can check the personal information they are collecting and request them to erase it. You will also be informed in case a data breach occurs. All of this makes pCloud a privacy-friendly platform.

pCloud Backup

pCloud recently introduced backup options in 2024. It is basically the sync feature on steroids! pCloud now allows you to backup your whole system with its Backup feature.

Any changes you make to your local device will be synced with the pCloud accouned. No limits on file size or speed make it a great option. I tried this feature, and as of March 2024, I am quite impressed with it.

It also supports block-level sync, which is one reason for its swift speeds. However, there are no direct restoration options available. You can download the files and then arrange them as you want.

pCloud Pass

pCloud Pass is an encrypted password management service offered by pCloud. Just like other popular password managers, it is easy to use and lets you set a master password to secure your vault.

It offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera, and Brave browsers and lets you import passwords from multiple password managers.

It also offers a password generator and auto-fill service. Overall, if need a tool to manage your passwords, you should surely check it out!

pCloud Transfer

pCloud Transfer is a service by pCloud which helps to transfer files upto 5 GB without registration. I use this service when I want to send huge email attachments.

If you want to know the exact steps to transfer then you can read my guide here. Do remember that the transfer files will expire in 7 days. You have 7 days of validity.

pCloud Pricing

pCloud features four types of plans. Let us check them out. 

	500 GB	2 TB	10 TB
Monthly Pricing	$4.99	$9.99	N.A.
Annual Pricing	$49.99	$99.99	N.A.
Lifetime Pricing	$199	$399	$1190
Lifetime Pricing (5 users)	N.A.	$595	$1499

You can check the latest pCloud Pricing here. I have purchased the 2 TB lifetime plan, which I think is the best value-for-money option. 

Fun fact: You will recover the entire cost of purchasing the lifetime plan in around 4 years and then you can keep using the 2 TB cloud storage completely free for life!

For an extra layer of security, you can purchase pCloud Encryption add-on for $49.99/ year or go with the lifetime plan for $150!

But, if you are unsure about making such a huge investment right now, I’ve got an interesting offer for you. Let’s check it out below.

pCloud Discount Coupon Code

I have a special pCloud discount for you, and I can assure you that it’s way better than any other pCloud coupon code out there. So, if you need to get a test run of pCloud, here’s an excellent opportunity to do so.

All you need to do is use my link to avail the discount. With my discount coupon, you can get a 90-days of premium access to 500 GB of cloud storage for just $4.99.

This would be great to test out pCloud and decide if it is worth your money.

pCloud Pros 

1) Strong Syncing Features

pCloud offers one of the best file syncing compared to all other cloud storage service. It offers both Selective sync and Block-Level Sync functionality.

2) Swift Speeds Globally

With European data centers, pCloud is now able to provide swift speeds all over the globe. It also lets you select a data center location of your choice, which most cloud storage providers do not allow.

3) Powerful File Sharing Options

Sharing your files with others becomes very simple and secure with pCloud. You can edit upload permission, set passwords and expiry dates on shared links, check link statistics, and much more!

4) Affordable Pricing

pCloud comes at a great price point. You get a whopping 2 TB of cloud space for $99.99/year or $399 for lifetime. In my opinion, pCloud’s lifetime plans are complete value for money!

6) Zero Knowledge Encryption

Zero-Knowledge Encryption is an add-on service. pCloud is one of the few cloud storage that lets the user decide which files should be zero-knowledge encrypted. It supports both encrypted and unencrypted files.

7) Excellent Security Features

To ensure all-round security, pCloud offers security features like pCloud rewind, 2FA, pCloud Pass, pCloud encryption, link password protection, etc.

8) Effortless Backups

If enabled, pCloud can automatically backup your social media accounts, drives, mobile photos, and even system storage. Thus, you don’t need to worry about losing your data anymore with pCloud!

8) Built-in Media Players

pCloud comes with in-build media players for video and audio files. In my experience, pCloud’s media players are one of the best for streaming music and podcasts.

9) Available for all Devices

pCloud is available for all devices, including your laptop, PC, mobile, and tablet. It also features a powerful web version, so, you can easily access it anywhere and anytime!

Cons 

1) Extra Charges for Add-ons

To use its additional features like pCloud Encryption or Extended File History, you need to pay an additional amount. 

2) No Support for Editing

pCloud does not have any in-built features for file editing. Users can only preview their documents here.

3) Slow Customer Support

The customer support of pCloud is pretty good and helpful. However, it doesn’t offer the fastest service out there. It also lacks a live chat support handled by a human agent.

pCloud Alternatives

1) Icedrive

Icedrive is a privacy-focused cloud storage provider. It is equipped with swift speeds, a clean UI, powerful file sharing, good privacy and security, all at an affordable pricing, just like pCloud.

However, unlike pCloud, you won’t find functional media players, virtual drive on Mac OS, good support, and manual server selection on Icedrive. But one key differentiator is that Icedrive offers zero-knowledge encryption on all its paid plans. Whereas, pCloud offers it as an add-on.

The pricing plans of Icedrive start from $4.99 for 100 GB of cloud storage. You can also check out their lifetime plans starting from $299 for 512 GB of storage.

2) Sync

Sync is a popular security focused cloud storage provider. Similar to pCloud, it features advanced file sharing options, clean history, advanced security, and functional apps, all at an affordable pricing.

However, unlike pCloud, it also supports Microsoft Office 365 integration for editing documents, transfer speed controls, and zero knowledge encryption even on its free plan. The only downside is its lack of media players, Linux app, and jurisdiction in a 5-eyes country.

Overall, if you want a secure cloud storage service for editing your documents only, Sync is a great option to consider. It’s pricing plans start from $8/month for 2 TB of cloud storage space.

Why Should You Trust Me?

I’ve been working full-time in the digital industry since 2015. In these years, I’ve tested dozens of paid and free cloud storage services. Icedrive, Sync, and Proton Drive are popular names. Reviews of these tools are available on my blog and YouTube channel

For this pCloud Review, I purchased pCloud’s 2TB lifetime plan. I used it to thoroughly check out all its features and conduct performance tests. I still have an active subscription and use it as my primary storage service.

Testing out so many cloud storage providers has given me the knowledge and experience to suggest the right one for your needs.

Conclusion

In this pCloud Review, we looked at the exceptional features of pCloud.

pCloud’s European servers ensure better speeds, performance & privacy. Its lifetime plans are decently priced with solid security features. You also get excellent media players, good file sync, sharing, and backup options!

In my opinion, pCloud is a totally value-for-money option and I would highly recommend it to the Indian users. For Indians, pCloud provides the perfect balance between speed and privacy.

However, the extra add-on charges, slow support, and lack of file editing options may be a concern for some users.

If you are looking for an all-rounder Cloud Storage service, then pCloud is the one to serve your needs! And if you are unsure, you can use my link to get a 90-days trial of pCloud for just $5!

I hope you found this pCloud review article helpful in deciding if pCloud is worth your time and money. Have you used pCloud before? Let me know your experiences with it in the comments section below.

Also, if you wish to stay updated with stuff in the AI world, do not forget to subscribe to my Newsletter. This is Kripesh signing off. I’ll be back with another article soon. Take care and keep learning! 🙂

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