Expert Guide

The Best Free Cloud Storage in 2026

Ten free plans compared on free gigabytes, file caps and device limits, plus the first paid upgrade you will meet in US dollars.

Louis CorneloupFounder, Dupple · 920,000+ readers · Updated Oct 2026

Product links may be affiliate links. How we rate 10 tools compared

TL;DR

MEGA gives the most free space at 20 GB. Google Drive is next at 15 GB, but that space is shared with Gmail and Photos, and that is the catch with most free plans. Box, Icedrive and Koofr each give 10 GB, while Proton Drive, Sync.com, OneDrive and iCloud give 5 GB. Dropbox gives 2 GB. Verified in October 2026.

Pick Proton Drive or Sync.com when privacy matters, iCloud for iPhone photos, and OneDrive if you live in Microsoft Office. Stacking the top five accounts adds up to 65 GB for $0.

Key facts10 tools compared: MEGA, Google Drive, Box, Icedrive, Koofr, Proton Drive, Sync.com, OneDrive…

Updated: October 9, 2026
Top pick: MEGA (best for: People who want the most free gigabytes and end-to-end encryption)
Top pick price as of October 9, 2026: MEGA: 20 GB free. Paid plan prices vary by region, so check the USD total at checkout.

10 tools compared: MEGA, Google Drive, Box, Icedrive, Koofr, Proton Drive, Sync.com, OneDrive, iCloud, Dropbox
Google Drive (best for: Anyone who already uses Gmail, Docs and an Android phone): 15 GB free, shared with Gmail and Photos; Basic 100 GB is $1.99/mo.
Box (best for: Light document sharing with a work-style folder structure): 10 GB free with a 250 MB file cap; Personal Pro 100 GB is $10/mo.
Icedrive (best for: People who want a drive that mounts like a local disk): 10 GB free; paid plan prices are not shown in its public page text.

The best free cloud storage in 2026 is MEGA if you want the most gigabytes, and Google Drive if you want the most useful ones.

The headline number is rarely the number you can use, because free space is often shared with email and photo backups, capped per file, or limited to a few devices.

Toolradar data: as of October 2026 the directory evaluates 33 cloud storage tools, and 6 of its 10 top-ranked picks have a free plan.

Across the ten plans below, the free space adds up to 87 GB, and half of them give 5 GB or less.

How we ranked: ten providers, compared on vendor pages and Toolradar plan data on 9 October 2026, ordered by usable free space, then by file and device limits, then by the cost of the first paid step.

For teams, see best cloud storage for business instead, since this page covers personal free plans only.

Top Picks

Based on features, real-world fit, and value for money.

Best Free Cloud Storage in 2026: 10 Free Plans Compared: 10 tools compared, updated Oct 2026
Tool	Pricing	Best for
MEGA	20 GB free. Paid plan prices vary by region, so check the USD total at checkout.	People who want the most free gigabytes and end-to-end encryption.
Google Drive	15 GB free, shared with Gmail and Photos; Basic 100 GB is $1.99/mo.	Anyone who already uses Gmail, Docs and an Android phone.
Box	10 GB free with a 250 MB file cap; Personal Pro 100 GB is $10/mo.	Light document sharing with a work-style folder structure.
Icedrive	10 GB free; paid plan prices are not shown in its public page text.	People who want a drive that mounts like a local disk.
Koofr	10 GB free forever; paid plans are priced in euros, billed yearly.	Privacy-minded users who want one place for several drives.
Proton Drive	5 GB free; Drive Plus 200 GB is $4.99/mo, or $3.99/mo billed yearly.	Privacy-first users storing sensitive documents.
Sync.com	5 GB free; Solo 1 TB is $16/mo after a 30-day trial.	Encrypted storage for small amounts of sensitive files.
OneDrive	5 GB free; Basic 100 GB is $1.99/mo.	Windows and Microsoft 365 users who want backup of desktop folders.
iCloud	5 GB free; iCloud+ 50 GB is $0.99/mo.	iPhone and Mac owners who want automatic photo backup.
Dropbox	2 GB free on up to 3 devices; Plus 2 TB is $9.99/mo on the US plans page.	People who share files with others who already use Dropbox.

Pricing read from each vendor's own published pricing page, checked Oct 2026. Every vendor here publishes a price.

Lowest monthly figure each vendor publishes, checked Oct 2026. A tilde marks a figure the vendor states approximately. Per-seat and usage charges can sit on top of it. 1 of 10 does not publish a comparable monthly price and is left out rather than estimated.

MEGA

Top Pick

Best for: People who want the most free gigabytes and end-to-end encryption.

Pricing20 GB free. Paid plan prices vary by region, so check the USD total at checkout.

+The biggest free allowance in this list, well ahead of Google Drive and Dropbox

+End-to-end encryption is listed as a standard feature of the free tier comparison on its homepage

+The same account can add a VPN and a password manager later

−Paid plan prices vary by region, so a US buyer should check the dollar total at checkout

−It is a separate app and web drive, so it will not open natively inside Gmail or Office

Visit MEGA →

Google Drive

Best for: Anyone who already uses Gmail, Docs and an Android phone.

Pricing15 GB free, shared with Gmail and Photos; Basic 100 GB is $1.99/mo.

+The second largest free allowance in this list

+Files open directly in Docs, Sheets and Slides without a download

+The first paid step is one of the cheapest in the list

−The 15 GB is shared across Gmail, Drive and Photos, so a full inbox leaves less room for files

−Does not advertise end-to-end encryption, so it is a weaker pick for sensitive documents

Visit Google Drive →

Box

Best for: Light document sharing with a work-style folder structure.

Pricing10 GB free with a 250 MB file cap; Personal Pro 100 GB is $10/mo.

+Matches Icedrive and Koofr on free space

+Personal Pro adds advanced sharing over the basic sharing on the free plan

+Personal Pro raises the file cap to 5 GB

−The 250 MB file cap on the free plan blocks most video files

−Personal Pro at $10 a month is the priciest 100 GB step in this list

Visit Box →

Icedrive

Best for: People who want a drive that mounts like a local disk.

Pricing10 GB free; paid plan prices are not shown in its public page text.

+Free at sign-up with no card

+The desktop app mounts storage like a physical drive

+Zero-knowledge encryption is described on its product pages

−Far smaller review base than the big suites, 884 reviews tracked against 28,619 for Google Drive

−The paid tiers that Toolradar lists start at 2 TB, with no small step up

Visit Icedrive →

Koofr

Best for: Privacy-minded users who want one place for several drives.

Pricing10 GB free forever; paid plans are priced in euros, billed yearly.

+No card required for the free plan

+Lets you connect other cloud accounts into one app and one search

+The smallest paid plan is 25 GB, a gentle first step

−Paid plans are billed yearly only and priced in euros including VAT, so no USD list price

−Less known than the suites, so fewer integrations in third-party apps

Visit Koofr →

Proton Drive

Best for: Privacy-first users storing sensitive documents.

Pricing5 GB free; Drive Plus 200 GB is $4.99/mo, or $3.99/mo billed yearly.

+End-to-end encrypted, and Proton says it cannot read the files

+No credit card required for the free tier

+Free users get a document and spreadsheet editor

−Much less room than MEGA or Google Drive give

−The next step is 200 GB at $4.99 a month, double the price of Google's 100 GB tier

Visit Proton Drive →

Sync.com

Best for: Encrypted storage for small amounts of sensitive files.

Pricing5 GB free; Solo 1 TB is $16/mo after a 30-day trial.

+End-to-end encryption on the free plan

+Syncs up to five of your own devices

+Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and web are all covered

−Free sharing transfer is limited to 5 GB a month

−The first paid step on the plan page is $16 a month for 1 TB, the steepest in this list

Visit Sync.com →

OneDrive

Best for: Windows and Microsoft 365 users who want backup of desktop folders.

Pricing5 GB free; Basic 100 GB is $1.99/mo.

+Built into Windows and signs in with your Microsoft account

+Basic adds Personal Vault and ad-free Outlook

+Integrates with Microsoft 365 for shared document work

−The free allowance is far below Google Drive's

−You will outgrow it quickly if you sync photos or documents

Visit OneDrive →

iCloud

Best for: iPhone and Mac owners who want automatic photo backup.

Pricing5 GB free; iCloud+ 50 GB is $0.99/mo.

+The first paid step, 50 GB, is the lowest price in this list

+Syncs files, photos and data across Apple devices

+Paid plans can be shared with up to five family members

−A fraction of the room MEGA or Google Drive give

−The experience is far smoother on Apple hardware than on Windows or Android

Visit iCloud →

Dropbox

Best for: People who share files with others who already use Dropbox.

Pricing2 GB free on up to 3 devices; Plus 2 TB is $9.99/mo on the US plans page.

+Basic includes automatic backup of computer files

+File sync across devices is the product's core

+Sharing links and sync are mature, with a free tier that needs no commitment

−The smallest free allowance in this list

−Free is limited to 3 devices, and Plus jumps to 2 TB with no small step

Visit Dropbox →

What it is

Free cloud storage is an online drive that keeps files off your device and syncs them across phone and laptop at no charge, usually with a small allowance. You trade capacity for convenience: the provider hopes you outgrow the free tier and upgrade.

Two things separate the plans.

The first is whose files fill the space: Google counts Gmail and Photos against the same pool, and Apple counts device backups. The second is who can read the files.

MEGA, Proton Drive and Sync.com advertise end-to-end encryption, which suits sensitive documents, while the large suites trade that for tight links to their own apps. If you work on documents together, Google Workspace versus Microsoft 365 explains why the suite you already use tends to win.

Why it matters

A free plan is a trial of a habit. If you park photos and scans in a 5 GB drive, you will hit the wall in a year and pay whichever vendor already holds your files. Pick the one whose paid step you can live with, because the entry price ranges from under a dollar to $16 a month.

The second reason is risk.

Free accounts get no support promise, so keep a second copy of anything you cannot recreate. A tidy workflow pairs a main drive with a second free account from a different company, which is also how you reach 65 GB.

If you are collecting notes or recordings, see AI note taking apps and screen recording tools, since both produce large files quickly.

Key features to look for

Usable free space

Free gigabytes minus what email, photos and device backups already take from the same pool.

File and device limits

Caps on single-file size, the number of devices and monthly sharing transfer decide whether a video or a project folder fits.

Encryption model

End-to-end encryption keeps the provider from reading files, but the provider also cannot recover a lost password.

Ecosystem fit

A drive that opens natively in your phone, browser or Office apps saves more time than a few extra gigabytes.

First paid step

The cheapest upgrade shows how fast the free plan can turn into a recurring bill.

Pricing

Free gigabytes, file caps and device limits were checked on vendor pages on 9 October 2026, from Proton Drive pricing, Sync.com plans, Box individual pricing, Apple iCloud storage plans, Dropbox Basic, Icedrive, Koofr pricing and MEGA.

Google One, OneDrive and Dropbox Plus dollar prices were read on the US versions of Google One plans and OneDrive plans and Dropbox plans.

Icedrive shows no paid price in its public page text, so none is listed. No USD price is listed for MEGA or Koofr, because their pricing pages gave no confirmed US-dollar figure on the check date. Among the dollar prices, iCloud is the cheapest entry and Sync.com Solo the most expensive.

Plan	Price	Best for
MEGA Free	Free	20 GB of end-to-end encrypted storage
Google Drive Free	Free	15 GB shared with Gmail and Photos
Google One Basic	$1.99/mo	100 GB, shared with family members
Box Individual	Free	10 GB with a 250 MB per-file cap
Box Personal Pro	$10/mo	100 GB with a 5 GB file cap
Icedrive Free	Free	10 GB, sign-up only
Koofr Free	Free	10 GB, no card required
Koofr S	Priced in euros	25 GB, billed yearly only
Proton Free	Free	5 GB with document and spreadsheet editors
Proton Drive Plus	$4.99/mo	200 GB; $3.99 a month when billed yearly
Sync.com Free	Free	5 GB storage and 5 GB sharing transfer a month
Sync.com Solo	$16/mo	1 TB after a 30-day trial
OneDrive Free	Free	5 GB with a Microsoft account
OneDrive Basic	$1.99/mo	100 GB, ad-free Outlook
iCloud Free	Free	5 GB across Apple devices
iCloud+ 50 GB	$0.99/mo	Private Relay and Hide My Email
Dropbox Basic	Free	2 GB on up to 3 devices
Dropbox Plus	$9.99/mo on the US plans page	2 TB for 1 person

Mistakes to avoid

×Counting Google's 15 GB as file space when Gmail and Photos draw from the same pool, so the real room for documents may be far smaller.

×Picking the biggest free number without checking the file cap: Box stops large files on the free plan, which rules out most video.

×Storing sensitive files in a drive that is not end-to-end encrypted when Proton Drive, Sync.com and MEGA exist.

×Using one free account as your only backup, since free plans come with no support promise.

Expert tips

→Open two accounts from different companies, such as MEGA and Google Drive, and use the first for archives and the second for daily work.

→Check the dollar price at checkout before upgrading MEGA or Koofr, because this page lists no USD price for them.

→Move photos to the drive tied to your phone, and keep documents in the drive tied to your office suite.

The bottom line

Take MEGA for pure capacity and Google Drive for everyday work, and add Proton Drive or Sync.com if the files are sensitive. iCloud and OneDrive make sense only when your phone or PC already lives in that ecosystem.

Skip Dropbox as a storage-first pick, unless the people you share with already use it.

For privacy-first picks beyond free plans, see Cyberpresso's encrypted cloud storage list.

Teams should read best cloud storage for business, and anyone producing contracts can pair a drive with e-signature software and free PDF editors or paid PDF editors.

Notes live well in Notion, and team chat apps cover quick file handoff.

Tool pages: Google Drive, Dropbox, MEGA, Proton Drive.

Cite this: Techpresso, "Best Free Cloud Storage in 2026", October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Which cloud storage gives the most free space in 2026?

MEGA gives the most, at 20 GB, as of October 2026. Google Drive follows with 15 GB shared across Gmail and Photos, and Box, Icedrive and Koofr each give 10 GB. Proton Drive, Sync.com, OneDrive and iCloud give 5 GB, and Dropbox gives 2 GB.

What is the best free cloud storage overall?

Google Drive is the best everyday pick, because 15 GB opens directly in Docs and Gmail. MEGA is the pick when you want the most gigabytes, and Proton Drive when you want end-to-end encryption on the free tier.

Is free cloud storage safe and private?

It depends on the provider. MEGA, Proton Drive and Sync.com describe end-to-end encryption, so the provider cannot read your files. Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud, Box and Dropbox are tied to larger accounts, so use them for ordinary files and keep sensitive documents elsewhere.

What is the catch with free cloud storage?

The catch is shared space and caps. Google counts Gmail and Photos against its 15 GB, Box limits free files to 250 MB, Dropbox limits free accounts to 3 devices, and Sync.com caps free sharing transfer at 5 GB a month. Read the plan page for caps before moving a library.

What is the cheapest upgrade when the free plan runs out?

iCloud+ at $0.99 a month for 50 GB is the cheapest dollar price we verified. Google One Basic and OneDrive Basic are $1.99 a month for 100 GB, and Proton Drive Plus is $4.99 a month for 200 GB. This page lists no USD price for MEGA or Koofr, so confirm the total at checkout.

Can I combine several free cloud storage accounts?

Yes. Using the top five here (MEGA, Google Drive, Box, Icedrive and Koofr) gives 65 GB, and all ten give 87 GB. The trade-off is managing several logins, and Koofr can connect other drives into one app.

Sources

Prices and plan details come from each vendor's own pricing page, re-checked by the Toolradar pricing tracker.