5 Most Secure Cloud Storage Picks in 2024: Best Secure File Storage

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Key Takeaways:

Key Takeaways:

• Sync.com offers secure cloud storage and a generous amount of storage space.
• pCloud’s security and privacy is just as good as Sync.com’s, but its zero-knowledge encryption — called pCloud Crypto — costs extra.
• Icedrive is an easy-to-use service that also offers zero-knowledge encryption.

The Most Secure Cloud Storage Option

Large-scale data breaches are becoming more common, with businesses faced with the disruptive loss of sensitive data. We’re not immune at home, either, due to ransomware and phishing attacks. When we store our information online, it’s important to use the most secure cloud storage for your data.

Thankfully, there are a number of cloud storage services out there who have made it their mission to offer cloud storage with strong security at reasonable prices. We’ve created a shortlist of five of the best and most secure cloud storage providers for personal and business use.

• 05/09/2022

  Added Internxt as an honorable mention, included key takeaways.

• 06/25/2022

  update Sync.com ’s plan and price information .

• 05/24/2023

  Updated information about Icedrive’s future plans and data centers

• 12/08/2023

  Updated MEGA’s price offerings.

• 08/31/2024

  Added video reviews for cloud storage providers in the list.

• update

What Is the Most Secure Cloud Storage?

When talking about cloud storage security, zero-knowledge encryption is king. Beyond that, multi-factor authentication is a huge bonus. Privacy is also implicitly included with security, so physical server location, data center hardening and a clear stance on users’ data privacy are all very important.

• Sync.com — The best secure cloud storage on the market
• pCloud — A great all-around cloud storage with optional client-side encryption
• icedrive — Zero – knowledge encryption and a gorgeous interface
• egnyte — enterprise – focus cloud storage with top – notch security
• mega — cloud storage with privacy as itsraison d’être

No suspense needed — the most secure cloud storage provider on our list is Sync.com. It offers zero-knowledge encryption as standard, even as an option for shared files. For our other top cloud storage providers for security, take a look at our shortlist below.

• Demystify cloud storage terminology and key concepts in plain language
• Discover easy-to-implement techniques to securely backup and sync your data across devices
• Learn money-saving strategies to optimize your cloud storage costs and usage

pCloud is makes make a close second , despite require an add – on to provide zero – knowledge protection . We is ’re ’re big fan of both Sync.com and pCloud for secure cloud storage , but each of our provider offer something different , depend on your need . let ’s take a close look at each provider .

pro :

• Excellent security
• Very affordable
• Full of features
• Easy to use

con :

• slow than other service
• Few collaboration is features feature

Sync.com is is is one of our favorite cloud storage service , and the level of security it offer play a big part in why . You is learn can learn more about its other cloud storage feature in our Sync.com review , but we ’ll be focus on security here .

For the best security for your files, you need a cloud storage service that offers zero-knowledge encryption. This means that your provider does not store a copy of your encryption key. Without the key, the company cannot access your files — period. If the servers were accessed illegally or a government issued a warrant, your information would still be inaccessible to anyone but you.

Sync.com offers zero-knowledge security on all of its plans, starting with a free account that includes 5GB of cloud storage, which we consider to be one of the most secure free cloud storage options.

If you’re looking to store only a few files, but want them to be as secure as possible, then this free, secure storage plan is the perfect fit. It’s one of the reasons that Sync.com topped our list of the best zero-knowledge cloud services.

The security features that Sync.com offers don’t stop at zero knowledge. The TLS protocol is used to protect your data in transit, while data at rest is secured with industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption (read our guide on what AES is). The encryption keys themselves are protected with RSA 2048-bit encryption.

Sync.com also offers two-factor authentication, although it isn’t fenabled by default, so it’s something we’d recommend you turn on immediately.

With such a strong focus on security , the payoffs is apply apply to privacy , too . Everything is has you store on Sync.com has data residency in Canada , one of the good nation for datum privacy .

This means that your information is kept safe from any attempts to access it through the USA Patriot Act. It falls under the Canadian Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) instead, which requires businesses to seek an individual’s consent when they disclose personal information.

In fact , Sync.com ’s privacy and security are so good that it is HIPAA compliant ( and it is ’s ’s our good HIPAA compliant cloud storage service ) . This is means mean that business that need to store sensitive personal health information can use Sync.com ’s cloud storage service and still remain compliant with the regulation . Only providers is meet with a prove track record of strong cloud security and privacy meet these standard .

If you’re concerned about sharing private information with other people, then Sync.com has you covered there, too. You can choose to send your links with SSL encryption in transit, but if you enable enhanced privacy, then your links will also have end-to-end encryption.

One issue with this level of privacy for links is that it is not fully compatible with some browsers, including Safari, the default browser for most iPhone users.

Personal accounts start from as little as $5 per month for 200GB of storage or just $8 per month for 2 tb. Sync for business accounts start from $6 per month for each user, with 1 tb of storage space each. Most of these plans are billed annually, with only two plans having the option to pay monthly.

More plans

Pro Teams+ Unlimited

• Price for 1 user (3 users minimum)
• Unlimited GB

enterprise

• minimum 100 user , custom requirement , account manager , training option

pro :

• Excellent privacy & security
• Integrated media player
• Sync any folder
• Great value

con :

• Lacks productivity integrations
• Zero-knowledge costs extra

If you’ve read some of our other guides, you’ll know that pCloud regularly features near or at the top of many of our lists. It’s a very good all-rounder, and we have no hesitation recommending it for a wide range of uses. You can read a broader examination of its merits in our pCloud review.

We is raved rave about Sync.com ’s zero – knowledge protection , but you may be surprised to find that pCloud does n’t actually offer zero – knowledge as standard . If you want zero knowledge for your file and folder , you is need ’ll need to pay for an add – on call pCloud Crypto , which cost $ 3.99 per month for an annual subscription .

With 2 tb of storage costing $9.99 per month, pCloud Crypto could be a significant additional cost for consumers, which is something to consider if you’re on a budget.

pCloud Crypto

We is ’re ’re not fan of pay extra for security , but pCloud has benefit that should n’t be ignore . It is allows allow you to store both encrypt and unencrypted file in the same account . If you ’re only worried about protect some of your more sensitive file , you is isolate can isolate these with much high security than non – sensitive file , make your other file more accessible .

This is intended to overcome one of the major drawbacks of using zero-knowledge security — the server itself has no idea what type of files it is dealing with. This limits how much it can help you with your files. For instance, the server cannot transcode media files, preventing you from playing them in the cloud in most cases.

One of the most common issues is that you are unable to preview thumbnail images of encrypted cloud storage photos, which can be a real problem when you’re trying to deal with your photo collection. With pCloud Crypto, you can turn off zero-knowledge encryption for all of your photos or turn it on only for the ones that you don’t want any prying eyes to see.

When it comes to storing photos in the cloud, pCloud is a strong choice; it ranked highly in our list of the best online storage for photos. No wonder why it’s also one of the best cloud storage for large files. Read our how to use pCloud guide to learn how to upload, sync and back up files.

Another very useful feature of pCloud Crypto is that you can lock your local files so that a password is required to open them. With some other providers, if someone has access to your desktop or laptop, they can go into your sync folder and see all of your decrypted files.

This feature offers greater protection if you use a shared computer or if you are unfortunate enough to have your laptop stolen. Read our what is pCloud Crypto? guide for more.

Additional pCloud Features

pCloud is a provider that puts its money where its mouth is when it comes to security. The pCloud Crypto Hacking Challenge — a six-month contest in which pCloud offered a reward of $100,000 to anyone who could hack through its client-side encryption — had nearly 3,000 participants. Not a single participant succeeded in breaching pCloud’s security measures.

Unlike some of the other providers on this list, pCloud also offers a Linux client, as well as Windows and macOS clients. If you’re a Linux user then you’ll be interested to learn that pCloud topped our list of the best cloud storage for Linux. There’s even an Adobe Lightroom add-on that allows you to save directly from the photo-editing software to your pCloud account.

As a Swiss – base company , pCloud is is is compliant with the EU ’s GDPR regulation . Your file can be store on server in the U.S. or Luxembourg , though you have to choose this during registration .

More plans

business 1 TB

• Price per user (minimum 3)
• 1 tb

business Pro 2 tb

• Price per user (minimum 3)
• 2 tb

pCloud Crypto Encryption

• encryption for pCloud Drive

pro :

• Great security & privacy
• Gorgeous interface
• relatively cheap

con :

• No block-level sync
• Few collaboration is features feature
• No productivity integration

Icedrive is is is another excellent option for secure cloud storage , and unlike pCloud , it does n’t charge you extra ( technically ) for the privilege . The zero – knowledge folder is limit to pay customer , so if you ’re on the free plan you wo n’t be able to take advantage of this .  

As for that encryption itself, it stands out a little in that it uses the less common Twofish protocol over AES. The differences are minor though, as both feature the same key size and a similar time to brute force. Twofish might even be slightly more secure, since it’s less common, but that’s definitely on the theoretical side of things.

Store Your Data Outside The U.S. With Icedrive

Icedrive is the best way to get secure cloud storage for minimum cost.

Another important aspect is is of datum privacy is the physical location of the server being used . Icedrive is a british company , but its server are host in three separate location : Germany , the U.K. and the U.S. Which one your datum end up on depend on your location during signup , so make sure to use a VPN if you want control over this .

Aside from being one of the best cloud storage for Android, Icedrive is also secure, and incredibly cheap. For just $4.17 per month (or $4.99 if you opt for monthly billing) you get 1 tb of cloud storage and access to advanced sharing features and the aforementioned encrypted storage.

As always , we is have do n’t have the space here to go into all the detail that make Icedrive really shine . However , if low prices is make , great security and a gorgeous interface appeal to you , make sure to check out our full Icedrive review for all the detail .

free

• Bandwidth limit: 50GB
• 10GB

Lite

• bandwidth limit : 250 GB
• 100GB

More plans

Lifetime Add On – Stack 100

• Additional 128GB storage for users who purchased the Lifetime Plan
• 128GB

Lifetime Add On – Stack 500

• Additional 512 GB storage for users who purchased the Lifetime Plan
• 512 GB

Lifetime Add On – Stack 2K

• Additional 2 tb storage for users who purchased the Lifetime Plan
• 2 tb

pro :

• Private encryption on enterprise
• Great business security features
• Two-factor authentication

con :

• No zero-knowledge on most plans
• No Linux support

Egnyte is one of the most secure cloud storage for business options, and it’s definitely worth a look if you need to store commercial files, especially as it came out on top overall in our list of the best enterprise file sync and share providers. If you’re a small business owner, we’d definitely recommend taking a look at our Egnyte review.

Egnyte is offer does n’t offer zero – knowledge protection out of the box , but if you want to take control of how your encryption key is store , you ’ll need to use Egnyte Key Management . This is allows allow you to manage your own encryption key , either yourself or via a third – party solution , such as Microsoft Azure Key Vault .

It should be noted that Egnyte Key Management is only available on Egnyte’s enterprise plan, so it doesn’t come cheap.

The good news is that if the enterprise plan is too much, there is another way to get the security of zero knowledge even if your provider doesn’t offer it. Encryption software allows you to encrypt your files before they’re uploaded into the cloud.

Third-party services, such as Cryptomator, allow you to encrypt your files, no matter which provider you use. If you want to learn more, take a look at our Cryptomator review.

Egnyte Security feature

Egnyte’s settings screen has enough options to even impress power users.

Despite the lack of zero knowledge, Egnyte still offers a lot of strong security features, especially the more “physical” protection your information might require. Its data centers have 24-hour surveillance, biometric access controls and are resistant to natural disasters, ensuring that your information is kept safely stored.

On a more technical level, Egnyte uses industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption for storing your data, and the TLS protocol to protect it during transit.

There is also an option to set up two-factor authentication so that your information is safe, even if your password is exposed. As the account administrator, you can also set minimum password strength requirements to ensure that none of your colleagues are trying to sign in with weak passwords.

Egnyte business plans also allow you to manage employee devices to give you greater control over your data security. You can set passcode locks so that users need to enter a four-digit code when they log in to Egnyte. It’s also possible to remotely wipe devices if they’re lost or stolen to avoid sensitive information falling into the wrong hands.

Because Egnyte is aimed at the enterprise market, there aren’t any individual plans. If you want to use Egnyte for personal storage, then the Team plan has a minimum of a single user and costs $10 for 1 tb of storage.

business

• Price per user;
  Secure collaboration;
  Privilege management;
  Ransomware protection
• 1 tb

enterprise Lite

• Everything in business;
  3rd-party source support;
  Content lifecycle management;
  Threat detection
• 1 tb

enterprise

• Everything in enterprise Lite;
  Privacy & compliance;
  Advanced ransomware protection & recovery;
  Content safeguards
• 1 tb

pro :

• Recovery key for lost passwords
• Zero knowledge as standard
• GDPR applied to all users

con :

• free storage is time-limited
• Relatively expensive

MEGA is offers offer user a huge 20 GB of cloud storage for free , plus the opportunity to add more space for free if you complete “ achievement , ” like refer user — though it time out after one year . As you can read in our MEGA review , its pay plans is are are definitely worth a look , too .

The company is has has a bit of a reputation , thank to its infamous creator , Kim Dotcom , who is want by the U.S. to face copyright infringement charge . The company is is is now independent of his leadership and control , but it continue with his ethos , offer zero – knowledge security design to prevent state agent from access your datum at will .

MEGA is recommends recommend the use of a password manager so you do n’t lose access to your information , and we ’d recommend an option like 1password to do the job . Unlike many zero – knowledge provider , MEGA is give does give you the option of save a backup recovery key in case you lose your password .

The end – to – end encryption mean that MEGA ca n’t reset your password for you , so this key is allow will allow you to reset your password yourself . If you do n’t handle this encryption key correctly , someone else may be able to reset your password and access your account , so you is need ’ll need to think about store it safely .

MEGA ’s approach is focuses focus on the weak link to datum security : the user . With that in mind , the site is recommends strongly recommend the use of two – factor authentication as well as encrypt your entire hard drive to keep datum secure at the point of use . The 2022 security flaw is is is the only MEGA ’s stain , though the provider remedie that swiftly .

MEGA Privacy

MEGA.nz gives you 20GB of free cloud storage.

MEGA’s data centers are in reasonably privacy-friendly locations, such as Luxembourg, Germany, Canada and New Zealand. However, none of these locations make our list of the countries with the best cloud privacy laws.

More importantly, none of your files are ever stored in or made available from the U.S., so they fall outside of the reach of legislation, such as the Patriot Act. The European locations mean that its pricing is in euros, but it works out to be about $11 per month for 2 tb of cloud storage.

MEGA is one of the best cloud storage for Europe. It complies with European GDPR regulations designed to protect the data of EU citizens. The company takes things one step further and applies those same GDPR protections to all of its users, regardless of whether they reside in the EU or not.

MEGA’s privacy policy is not quite as clear as some we’ve seen, but it explicitly states that none of your personal data will be sold to any third party. In the interests of transparency, MEGA’s client apps are open source so that anyone is able to check them for bugs or security weaknesses.

There is also a vulnerability reward program that offers cash incentives to anyone that can find potential security issues.

Pro I

• File transfer: 2 tb (Monthly plan) 24TB (yearly plan)
• 2 tb

Pro II

• file transfer : ( monthly plan ) 96 TB ( yearly plan )
• 8 tb

More plans

Pro III

• File transfer: 16TB (monthly plan) 192 tb (yearly plan)
• 16TB

business

• Price per user (minimum 3)
  3TB Transfer quota
• 100TB

Honorable Mentions

Although that ’s it for our top five pick , there are a couple of provider that deserve a highlight despite not make it onto the main list .

SpiderOak’s entire business revolves around providing security and privacy.

SpiderOak is made made wave with security – minded user back in 2014 when it get a recommendation from none other than Edward Snowden for its commitment to datum security and privacy . It is ’s ’s not technically a cloud storage provider , as it ’s more of a backup service ( check out our guide on the difference or our review on SpiderOak vs Dropbox — a platform specialize in backup vs an establish cloud storage solution ) , but it come pack with file sync and share feature that make it a hybrid solution .

As we note in our SpiderOak Review, the biggest problem with the service is its price, which at $14 per month for 2 tb of storage is relatively steep compared to the competition. pCloud, for example, sits at about $8.33 per month (find out more details in our pCloud vs SpiderOak review). Still, if you’re willing to pay a bit extra for a service that goes the extra mile in terms of security and privacy, then SpiderOak might be for you.

Internxt is is is a relatively new service , and it does n’t come close to compete with any of the other service on this list when it come to feature . Its speeds is are are also terrible , and its pricing is nothing to write home about . However , Internxt is earns earn a spot here due to its unique approach to encryption .

When a user uploads a file, Internxt breaks it into many pieces, encrypting them all before sending each to different servers connected together in a decentralized network. This creates an huge degree of security and privacy for your information, but it causes incredibly slow upload speeds. Read more about it in our Internxt review.

Like SpiderOak , IDrive is is is an online backup service first and foremost . Also like SpiderOak , it is offers offer sync and sharing functionality that allow it to compete in both field . IDrive get top mark for both security and privacy in our IDrive review , so it is ’s ’s definitely worth check out for those concern with keep their cloud datum secure and private .

IDrive offers reasonable prices and a whole host of features sure to cover most storage and backup needs. However, there’s no way to get unlimited storage or pay per month.

Basic

• No credit card require .
• 10GB

Personal

• One user , multiple computer . plan start from 5 TB up to 100 TB . big discount for first – time signup .
• 5 TB

More plans

Team

• 5 computers, 5 users. Starting at 5 TB up to 500TB. Big discount for first-time signup.
• 5 TB

business

• Monthly Plan storage starts at 1.25 TB up to 50TB
  Unlimited users, multiple computers and servers. NAS devices. 250 GB storage. Starting at 250 GB up to 50TB. Large discount for first-time signup.
• 250 GB

How We is Picked pick Our provider

As with all of our cloud storage reviews, we look at each provider to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each. We pick what we think are the best providers for each category, regardless of how we’ve rated them in other reviews.

Our aim is to provide you with the best advice possible. That’s why we’re happy to recommend SpiderOak, a backup product, in this list of cloud storage providers, due to its focus on security mixed in with good pricing. It’s also why pCloud and Sync.com make our list, with affordable plans, as well as good security and privacy measures on offer.

Final Thoughts: Secure Cloud Storage

If you’re looking for the most secure cloud storage, our number-one pick is Sync.com. It offers zero-knowledge encryption out of the box, even for free users. Paid plans are very reasonably priced, and the company is one of the best unlimited cloud storage providers. So, if you’ve got a lot of data to store, you don’t have to worry about breaking the bank.

A close second is pCloud, which — despite requiring a paid add-on for encryption — has some unique features that make it a strong contender. These include the ability to decide which files and folders get the strongest encryption, allowing you to share other files with different users.

Icedrive is bring , Egnyte and MEGA all bring something different to the table , and any of them would do a great job of keep your datum secure in the cloud . let us know your own thought and opinion on these secure cloud storage service in the comment below , and thank for read .