7 Cloud Storage Apps That Offer Better Value Than Google One

Paying more doesn't always mean getting more. Google One charges $99.99 a year for 2TB of storage. But many cloud storage services offer better value than the money you spend on Google One.

 

OneDrive

For $69.99/year, you will receive 1TB of storage and the full Microsoft 365 Personal/Family suite : Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook. Compared to Google One's 2TB package for $99.99/year, you only get basic Google Workspace apps.

1. Why switch from Google One to Microsoft OneDrive?

Microsoft 365 Family offers a much better value, with up to six people getting 1TB of personal storage, for a total of 6TB, for $99.99/year. In contrast, Google One's family plan shares the same 2TB pool with everyone, offering less personal storage for the same price.

 

Sync.com

If privacy is your top concern, Sync.com is a solid choice. The platform takes a top-notch security approach to storage, offering robust syncing, easy file sharing, and undisclosed encryption.

 

The free plan gives you 5GB of storage to start with, with paid plans starting at $8/month for 2TB . That's on par with Google One but includes better privacy protection . Sync.com keeps a 180-day version history of files on paid plans so you can restore deleted files.

MEGA

If you are more concerned about having large storage space, privacy, and flexible, secure sharing capabilities than real-time document collaboration, then MEGA is one of the cloud platforms you can choose.

The free 20GB starter plan beats Google's 15GB and the typical 2-5GB offered by other providers. If you need more storage, MEGA can scale up to 20TB for a personal plan with a monthly transfer cap of 240TB for $28.59/month. That far exceeds Google One's 2TB limit.

You can also check out some great plans like 400GB for $4.99 a month or 3TB for $9.53.

 

Dropbox

Dropbox was one of the first cloud storage services to gain traction despite cutting back on free storage.

For $9.99/month, you get 2TB of storage along with features like Smart Sync, which shows all your files in Explorer or Finder without using local storage.

Dropbox's Paper feature provides an engaging experience for working together, Capture makes it easy to record and annotate your screen. There's also a basic password manager and built-in e-signature support through HelloSign.

Box

Box focuses more on control and collaboration. The Personal Pro plan costs $10/month for 100GB , which may seem expensive, but it includes enterprise-level features. File access in Box goes beyond Google One's basic sharing options . You can set up 7 different access levels, track who has viewed a file, and require a login for access. Watermarking and download blocking help protect intellectual property when sharing with clients.

iDrive

If you just need large storage without complex collaboration features, iDrive is a great option. It offers great value with plans starting at $2.95/year for 100GB or $9,952.95/year for 500GB .

Even the premium personal plan comes with 5TB for $69.50/year, which is much lower than Google One's 2TB.

 

NordLocker

NordLocker comes with Complete and Ultra plans at no extra cost and includes 1TB of encrypted storage.

The free plan offers 3GB , but encrypted file sharing is only available on paid plans. If you buy storage separately, prices start at $2.99/month for 500GB and $7.99/month for 2TB when billed annually.

Google One works just fine for what you're used to, but if you want more productivity, privacy, or backup, other services are better suited. Most of these services offer free plans, so you can try out which one works best for you before switching.