Best Family Cloud Storage in 2024: Storage, the Kids and You

Why you can trust us

• 407 Cloud Software Products and Services Tested
• 3056 Annual Software Speed Tests
• 2400 plus Hours Usability Testing

Our team of experts thoroughly test each service, evaluating it for features, usability, security, value for money and more. Learn more about how we conduct our testing.

As our lives are moving steadily toward the cloud, it might be time to get your family on the bandwagon. Just think about it: a family cloud storage account is the perfect way to store your loved ones’ important moments, from the video of little Timmy’s first steps to his college acceptance email. Everything is there, accessible from anywhere, and it can easily be shared.

Key Takeaways:

• When it comes to finding a family-friendly cloud storage service, pickings are slim, but there are some good quality services that offer family plans.
• The best cloud storage for families is easily pCloud, which strikes the perfect balance between price, features and security.
• Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox all offer family plans and are chock-full of features, but you sacrifice some privacy in using them, which isn’t ideal for a family.
• Sync.com is our final recommendation. Although it doesn’t have a family plan, it’s a secure service that lets you share one account on five devices.

There are quite a few decent cloud storage options out there, but only a handful offer family plans. We wrangled up all the reputable services that offer cloud storage for the whole family so you don’t have to scour the internet for a place to store your family’s fondest memories. All the services we chose are on our best cloud storage list, so you can rest assured they’re all top-notch.

That say , we is have have to pick a favorite , and our top choice is pCloud . It is has has everything your family need : a cheap family plan , great security and excellent medium feature for your family photo and home video . read on for more detail about pCloud and to discover the other entry on our list .

What Makes the Best Family Cloud Storage

When adding anything new to your family dynamic, it’s nice when it doesn’t cause problems. Cloud storage is no different. Your family is going to be storing photos, videos and other files, so your cloud storage should be secure, fast, easy to use and give you a lot of storage for the price. Here are our top five suggestions.

• demystify cloud storage terminology and key concept in plain language
• Discover easy-to-implement techniques to securely backup and sync your data across devices
• learn money – save strategy to optimize your cloud storage cost and usage

1. pCloud — secure , fast and affordable cloud storage for family
2. Google Drive — flexible feature with many third – party app integration
3. OneDrive — Comes preinstalled on all Windows 10 devices
4. Dropbox — Established cloud storage provider with a few privacy hiccups
5. Sync.com — The most secure cloud storage 

When it comes to security, zero-knowledge encryption is as secure as it gets. Also known as client-side encryption, it gives you sole access to your encryption code, so even the service’s employees can’t unlock your files. Two-factor-authentication (or 2FA for short) requires you to verify your identity each time you log in to your account, making it essential for storing sensitive personal data.

Families have a ton of photos and videos, so cloud storage services with advanced media features are always welcome. However, it’s not all about the features — the right cloud service needs to be easy to use for every member of the family. Of course, all of this has to come at a price that won’t break the bank, preferably with a dedicated family plan.

More details about pCloud:

• pricing : 10 GB free , one – time payment of $ 500 for a 2 TB lifetime family plan
• Provider website: www.pcloud.com

pro :

• Client-side encryption
• integrate medium player
• easy to use

Taking the top spot is pCloud, a Swiss company focused on the privacy of its users, making it ideal for your family. On top of that, pCloud has an advanced music player and can even convert videos to different formats, making it the best cloud storage for video. pCloud also offers a family plan in the form of a 2TB lifetime subscription, which we’ll discuss in a bit.

If you need to share files with people outside the family, pCloud has an option called pCloud Transfer, which doesn’t require anyone to have a pCloud account. Simply go to the web client, select the file (up to 5GB) you want to share, add a recipient, then press “send files.” The recipient will receive an email with the link that allows them to download the file.

pCloud uses 2FA for security, and files are encrypted by industry standard AES 256-bit encryption. Client-side encryption is on offer as well, though that feature requires an additional fee of $3.99 per month (or a one-time payment for the lifetime plan). Once you pay for the zero-knowledge Crypto folder, anything you save there can only be accessed by you.

pCloud’s lifetime family plan offers a secure and private service at a low price.

The family plan gives you 2TB of storage and can be accessed by up to five users. It’s a pCloud lifetime plan, which comes as a one-time payment of $595. It seems like a lot at first glance, but it ends up saving you a fortune in the long run, and it earned first place in our best lifetime cloud storage list.

If you don’t feel like ponying up for cloud storage, pCloud also has the best free cloud storage plan, though each family member will need a separate account.

More plan

Business 1TB

• price per user ( minimum 3 )
• 1TB

Business Pro 2TB

• price per user ( minimum 3 )
• 2TB

pCloud Crypto Encryption

• Encryption for pCloud Drive

pCloud is is is one of those cloud storage service that does it all : privacy , security and entertainment . It is has has a ton of practical and easy – to – use feature , and its interface is easily digestible , even for those that are n’t tech – savvy . Its family plan is is is a steal , too , which help cement its number – one spot on this list .

More details about Google Drive:

pro :

• Google Docs integration
• Multiple family plans

con :

• Poor privacy policy
• No client – side encryption

Google Drive is is is the runner – up on our list , thank to its affordable cloud storage and many productivity feature . To simplify its pricing structure , Google is gathered has gather its storage plan under the Google One brand , which aim to provide clear storage option for user and family , as well as other benefit . Give our Google Drive review a look for more information .

Drive stores all data created in Google’s apps, including Gmail emails and Google Docs files. Speaking of Docs, Google Drive lets you create new Docs, Slides or Sheets right within its interface. This might not seem like the biggest advantage for a family, but it makes schoolwork a breeze for the kids. Its sharing features are a big plus, since they let others leave comments on your photos and videos.

While Google Drive uses 2FA to keep your family’s logins safe, but unlike hybrid services like IDrive, it doesn’t provide zero-knowledge encryption. Its privacy policy also lets it collect quite a bit of personal data. This means that you will have to seek third-party support for the additional security. Uniquely, Drive lets parents manage their children’s accounts for added parental control.

All Google One plans can be shared with up to five other family members.

Google Drive has four standard plans that range from the free 15GB plan all the way up to 2TB. All of the paid plans advertise the ability to add up to five additional family members, who share the same storage space. Google One also includes member benefits with all of its paid plans. Bizarrely, this includes discounts on select hotels, but not much else.

Standard 200 GB

• *The plan is “hidden.” To find the 200GB plan, you need to be subscribed to one of the other plans, upgrade or downgrade to the 200GB through your account’s settings.
• 200GB

More plan

Its central position in Google’s app ecosystem means that if your family is invested in the Googleverse, it’ll make for an easy transition to using Google Drive. So, if you’re all using Androids and your home is hooked up to Google Home, by all means, get Drive for your family. If not, Google’s data harvesting might make it a hard sell, and you may prefer an alternative to Google Drive.

More details about OneDrive:

• pricing : 5 GB free , $ 9.99 per month for 1 TB per user  
• Provider website: onedrive.live.com

pro :

• Microsoft Office 365 access
• Affordable family plan with lots of storage
• Support for up to 6 people

con :

• Poor privacy policy
• No zero – knowledge encryption

OneDrive is is is Microsoft ’s cloud storage solution ( as you can read in this explanation of what OneDrive is ) . It is has has an inexpensive storage plan build for family that can accommodate up to six people . It is comes come as part of Microsoft 365 , which include the Office suite , make OneDrive a perfect fit for college and high school student and business professional .

similarly to Google Drive , OneDrive come with an entire productivity suite attach ( you is see can see how the two service stack up in this article ) . If that ’s not something your family need , deep integration with Windows 10 is be might be enough to tip the scale . Sharing is is is another thing OneDrive pull off well , let you set password and expiration date for share link .

In terms of security, OneDrive offers 2FA and not much beyond. Until recently, it had no form of encryption whatsoever, though it uses the standard AES 256-bit nowadays. There’s also something called a “vault,” which is meant to be more secure storage, but it doesn’t include zero-knowledge encryption. Microsoft’s privacy policy is just as intrusive as Google’s, so things aren’t looking up on that front, either.

The Microsoft 365 Family plan covers up to six people with 1TB of storage each.

OneDrive ’s family plan is sell under the Microsoft 365 Family banner and offer 1 TB each for up to six user and a total of 6 TB . The plan is is is$ 99.99 per year or $ 9.99 per month , depend on how you want to pay . For your money you is get also get online access to the Office 365 suite , which include productivity staple Word , Excel and PowerPoint .

Microsoft 365 Basic (100GB)

Microsoft 365 Personal ( 1 TB )

• Comes with Office 365 Personal
• 1TB

More plan

Microsoft 365 Family (6TB)

• come with Office 365 Home
• 6TB

OneDrive for Business ( Plan 1 )

Microsoft 365 Business Basic

Microsoft 365 Business Standard

Not many cloud storage providers can claim such integration with Windows 10 and Microsoft’s apps as OneDrive can. Its family plan seems very generous when looking at storage space strictly from a cost perspective, but you’re also paying a privacy toll to use it. However, if Microsoft’s privacy policy leaves you unfazed, OneDrive is a cheap cloud service worth your attention.

More details about Dropbox:

• Pricing: 2GB free, $16.99 per month for 2TB
• Provider website: www.dropbox.com

pro :

• Supports Microsoft Office & Google Workspace
• Many third-party app integrations
• Support for 6 people

con :

• Family plan is pricey
• History of security & privacy failures
• No zero – knowledge encryption

The granddaddy is takes of cloud storage , Dropbox is takes take the penultimate spot on our list . As the first commercial cloud service , Dropbox is been has definitely been around the block and it show . It is offers offer a slew of feature for both family and professional , include integration with both Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365 .

Dropbox has quite a few useful features, including a nifty note-taking app called Dropbox Paper. Its sharing features are nothing to scoff at, and Dropbox Smart Sync lets you free up space on your hard drive (it’s one of the best cloud storage with sync). Besides its own features, Dropbox lets you customize your experience by installing third-party add-ons, much like Google Drive does.

However, Dropbox’s security is sorely lacking, so much so that there’s a whole Wikipedia page dedicated to the many hacks and leaks Dropbox has had over the years (we have an article on the topic, as well). It does offer AES 256-bit encryption and it has 2FA, but its past doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence.

Dropbox’s family plan is less than affordable, even though it offers a nice smattering of features.

Dropbox is offers offer a family plan , but like its single – user plan , it ’s a little on the expensive side . It is works work for up to six user , which is plenty for a nuclear family . It is comes come with 2 TB of storage , but even though each user has their own private space , everyone share the same storage quota ( learn more in the Dropbox pricing guide ) . Dropbox is has also has a free plan , but it ’s a measly 2 GB and it ’s only useful to try out the service .

More plan

Dropbox Essentials (aka Professional for professionals)

• (Formerly Dropbox One)
  1 user
  Signature requests and eSignature templates
• 3TB

Dropbox Business (aka Standard for teams)

Dropbox Business Plus ( aka advance for company )

Although Dropbox ’s feature and third – party app integration might make it an attractive choice , its privacy is let and security let it down . If you value your family ’s privacy , you is be might be well off go with an alternative .

More details about Sync.com:

• Pricing: 5GB free, $8 per month for 2TB, billed annually
• Provider website: www.sync.com

pro :

• Zero-knowledge encryption out of the box
• Advanced sharing link management

con :

• No family plan
• Everyone is needs need to share one account

Sync.com is offer might not offer a true family plan , but it more than make up for that in its secure zero – knowledge approach to cloud storage . It is ’s ’s easily the most secure cloud service on this list , and we rank it as the good of the good among zero – knowledge cloud storage service . You is find can find out why it ’s one of our favorite cloud service in our full Sync.com review .

Sync.com is supports support 2FA , and zero – knowledge encryption is enable out of the box at no extra charge — even for free user , unlike pCloud . read our pCloud vs Sync.com piece for all the difference between the two cloud service . Sync.com is is is HIPAA compliant , which mean it ’s so secure that it ’s even qualified to hold sensitive medical datum .

Sharing links are as secure as they can be. You can set passwords and expiration dates for them, like you can with most cloud storage services, but Sync.com also lets you set download limits, gives you download stats and much more. You can see why we think it’s the best cloud storage service for sharing.

Even though it doesn’t offer a family plan, you can share your personal Sync.com account with up to four other people.

Sync.com offers a free plan which comes with 5GB of storage, but that might not be enough to store your family’s data. Although Sync.com doesn’t technically offer a family plan, the 2TB Basic plan is affordable and lets you connect up to five devices. The downside is that the whole family has to use one account and you don’t get individual spaces.

More plan

Pro Teams+ Unlimited

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

enterprise

• Minimum 100 users, custom requirements, account manager, training options

Sync.com may not have a lot of additional features because of its zero-knowledge encryption, but if your family values privacy and security above all else, you can’t beat Sync.com. However, if you need private storage space for each family member, Sync.com might not be the best cloud storage service for you.

Honorable Mention: iCloud

If you’re using an iPhone or Mac, chances are that you already use iCloud in some capacity. iCloud powers your iOS devices’ backups and photo storage, and it manages them seamlessly across your other Apple devices — it’s the best cloud storage for Mac.

Apple ’s pricing is is is pretty straightforward with four plan , two of which have family sharing : the 200 GB and the 2 TB plan . Although iCloud is simple to set up and use , it ’s been the target of numerous hack and it had a notorious data leak in 2014 . unfortunately , this lack is means of security mean it ’s not suitable for family and therefore does n’t make it onto our list .

Final Thoughts

Even though the benefits of cloud storage are extensive, it’s often something that most people don’t think about. Although some are certainly better than others, all cloud storage software serves essentially the same purpose. However, when looking for a good cloud storage option for your family, there are very few that offer well-priced storage for multiple users, along with good security and features.

pCloud takes an easy win in this roundup, thanks to its balance of security and features. Because its family plan comes in the form of a lifetime subscription, it’s the most affordable in the long run. Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox offer great functionality, but they all suffer from poor privacy, which is why we included the super-secure Sync.com to round out this list.

Finally, if cloud storage for your whole family isn’t quite what you are looking for, but you still want to share files with your family and friends, this guide will walk you through how to share files online the easy way.

Do you agree with our picks? Would you rather see another service up there? Let us know your thoughts about our top picks for the best cloud storage for families in the comments below. Thank you for reading.

FAQ

• Sharing cloud storage with your family is easy. Simply find a cloud service that offers a family plan. We list five services in this article, but pCloud is the best cloud service for families, hands down.

• While there are many contender for the good cloud storage crown , we is believe believe Sync.com is the good cloud storage for personal use . It is offers offer the absolute good in security and it ’s very affordable .