How to Get the Most Cloud Storage Possible for Free

Cloud storage is likely an essential part of your data management strategy, whether you're just using Google Drive for documents or you back up everything to a remote service. You can get a significant amount of space for a reasonable monthly fee, but if you prefer not to pay, it's possible to combine free options and cobble together quite a bit of free storage—around 80GB (or more)—at no cost.

A reminder: You shouldn't rely solely on cloud storage for your backups. Follow the 3-2-1 rule, which protects against a single point of failure, such as getting locked out of your account or issues with the service itself.

Google: 15GB of free cloud storage

The most obvious option for free storage is Google Drive. Google offers up to 15GB of storage per account, though this is split across all Google apps, including Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos as well as Android backups. You could create multiple Google accounts, which would allow you to stack 15GB allotments. Note that Google recently introduced a 5GB free storage cap on some new accounts, though you can get around this by linking a phone number.

Apple iCloud: 5GB of free cloud storage

iCloud users automatically get 5GB of free storage, split across backups, photos, and files, as well as data from Messages, Mail, Contacts, FaceTime, voice memos, and Apple Invites. You can delete content to reduce the size of your iCloud backup to manage available storage space. The cheapest paid iCloud+ tier comes with 50GB storage for around $1 per month.

Microsoft OneDrive: 5GB of free cloud storage

Similar to iCloud, OneDrive comes with 5GB of free cloud storage, and all you need is a Microsoft 365 account. This limit is shared across documents, files, and photos—Outlook gets a separate 15GB allotment.

Box: 10GB of free cloud storage

Box offers 10GB of secure storage on its free plan. There's a 250GB file upload limit, so this isn't the best option for media or larger files, plus you only get access to one file version. Free users do get 5 e-signature requests per month, so Box is a good choice for documents.

Dropbox: 2GB of free cloud storage

Dropbox's free plan is limited to just 2GB of storage, which can be filled with photos, documents, and files from up to three devices. You can also use Dropbox to share files and collaborate with other users, and the service integrates with many third-party apps.

Proton Drive: 5GB of free cloud storage

Proton is known for its privacy-focused products, so Proton Drive is a good choice for storing sensitive records like tax returns and legal documents. The free plan comes with 5GB of space, and your vault is end-to-end encrypted.

MEGA: 20GB of free cloud storage

MEGA allows a whopping 20GB of storage to free users with automatic backups and 100 file versions, making it a solid option for large archives and media.

Other cloud storage services: Free storage amounts vary

There are a handful of other cloud storage providers that offer free plans without aggressive ads, major file size limitations, or serious privacy compromises. Other options include Sync.com (5GB), Icedrive (10GB), and pCloud (up to 10GB), though some users on Reddit have noted reliability and customer support concerns with these services.

Password managers often include free storage

Your password manager subscription may not technically be free, but if you're already paying for it, you may have some small amount of secure file storage at no additional cost. Bitwarden's Premium plan comes with 5 GB of encrypted storage, while many others (1Password, Proton Pass, and Dashlane, to name a few) include 1 GB.

How to organize and maximize your free storage space

If you are using multiple cloud storage services, you can distribute different content types across each to maximize features and ease of access. Proton Drive and Sync.com are good choices for sensitive files you want to be sure are secure, though you can use a tool like Cryptomator (which is free and open source) to encrypt your vault before syncing to a service like Google Drive or Box.

Google Drive, OneDrive, and iCloud are best for files and documents you need regularly, including items that require collaboration and sharing, as well as device backups. MEGA could be a solid option for cold storage—media that doesn't change or need to be accessed often. And Box is useful for smaller documents, like PDF records and receipts, given its individual file size limit.