If you're not using Google One, you're missing out on a lot.

Most people think Google One is just extra storage, until they start using it. Now, Google One is one of the few subscriptions that is worth every penny.

4. Reasonable price

No one wants to add another subscription to their budget. Luckily, Google One won't break the bank, especially if you sign up for the Basic plan , which costs $1.99/month (or $19.99/year) for 100GB of storage for Photos, Drive, and Gmail .

The next plan up is $9.99/month for 2TB of storage, which is too high for most people. In most cases, the cheaper plan will give you everything you need to get rid of those pesky storage issues.

If you're using an Android phone and are part of the Google ecosystem , signing up for Google One is a great idea. It's also the only way you can continue using your Gmail address after you've used up the 15GB of free cloud storage that comes with your original Google account.

3. Fix Google Drive storage worries

Your Google account storage is shared across Google Drive , Gmail, and Google Photos . Once you reach your free 15GB, your email and cloud storage will stop working.

While you can use local storage, a NAS, or another cloud subscription to back up your data, you'll essentially have to give up Google Drive and Gmail. The only way to get them working again is to spend some time deleting your email and Google Drive data to reclaim your storage space.

2. Download the exclusive Pixel editing tool

In addition to more storage, the Google One subscription comes with a few other features that make it worth the price. Some of the more useful things you'll find are Pixel-exclusive features in Google Photos, which are included in the subscription.

These features make a Google One subscription one of the easiest ways to transfer Pixel-exclusive features to any device, Android or iOS. Magic Eraser alone can be an incredibly useful tool and give you more value from your subscription.

1. Ability to share with family members

One of the best things about Google One plans is that you can share them with up to five family members. However, if your family doesn't agree, you can always sign up and split the cost with your friends. The storage space will be automatically divided between the connected accounts, and you'll still get the benefits mentioned above.

This plan works best when combined with the $9.99 Premium plan . When split among five people, the cost is just $2/person/month. With this plan, you get 2TB of storage (about 400GB/person), unlimited Magic Editor storage in Google Photos, 10% off Google Store purchases, and the premium Google Workspace plan. You may also get other benefits depending on your region.

There are also Google's AI Pro and AI Ultra plans if you want access to Gemini Pro and its integrations in Google Workspace, along with a bunch of other AI apps like Flow Pro, Whisk Pro, and NotebookLM Pro. However, the AI Pro and AI Ultra plans cost $20 and $250/month respectively, and aren't worth it unless you really care about the AI features.

Marvin Fry

Update 31 July 2025