Disclosure: some links to paid products on Filemere are, or may become, affiliate links. If you buy through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That never decides what we list: free options are shown first, and every price is copied from the official page on the date shown. How we choose and how we earn.
Cloud storage cost calculator
One-time “lifetime” plans cost more up front; subscriptions cost more over time. Enter both prices to see when the lifetime plan pays off.
Quick fill (official prices checked 2026-11-05, USD):
Break-even after:
Official 2 TB prices we checked (2026-11-05, US prices)
| Service | 2 TB price | Free tier |
|---|---|---|
| Google One (Google AI Plus) | 9.99 USD / month | 15 GB |
| iCloud+ | 9.99 USD / month (US; varies by country) | 5 GB |
| Dropbox Plus | 9.99 USD / month | – |
| pCloud Premium Plus | 9.99 USD / month, 99.99 USD / year, or 499 USD one-time (lifetime) | – |
Monthly prices are what the official pages listed on the check date; yearly billing is often cheaper. Local prices and taxes differ by country.
Before you choose a lifetime plan
- “Lifetime” means the lifetime of the account/service, not yours. Read the provider's terms.
- Break-even ignores what the money could earn elsewhere and the chance of price changes. The optional yearly price rise lets you test that.
- Cloud sync is not a backup on its own: if you delete a file locally, sync deletes it in the cloud too. Check how long deleted files can be restored (pCloud's pricing page states 30 days; Dropbox Plus also lists 30 days).
- Keep at least one more copy elsewhere – see the 3-2-1 backup plan.
Desktop and paid alternatives
Free options first. Facts come from each official page on the date shown.
pCloud
- Lifetime (one-time) plans: 500 GB 219 USD, 2 TB 499 USD, 10 TB 1,499 USD (regular 279 / 709 / 2,799 USD)
- Subscriptions: 2 TB 9.99 USD/month or 99.99 USD/year
- Restore files from up to 30 days ago (per pricing page)
Source: official page, checked 2026-11-05. Prices and limits change – confirm before buying.
Visit pCloud →Google One
- 15 GB free, shared by Drive, Gmail and Photos
- 100 GB 1.99 USD/month; 2 TB (Google AI Plus) 9.99 USD/month; 5 TB 19.99 USD/month (US page)
Source: official page, checked 2026-11-05. Prices and limits change – confirm before buying.
Visit Google One →iCloud+
- 5 GB free
- US: 50 GB 0.99, 200 GB 2.99, 2 TB 9.99, 6 TB 29.99, 12 TB 59.99 USD/month
- Prices differ by country
Source: official page, checked 2026-11-05. Prices and limits change – confirm before buying.
Visit iCloud+ →Dropbox Plus
- 2 TB for 1 person, 9.99 USD/month on the plans page
- Send transfers up to 50 GB
- 30 days to restore deleted files
Source: official page, checked 2026-11-05. Prices and limits change – confirm before buying.
Visit Dropbox Plus →Questions
Is pCloud lifetime worth it?
With the prices we checked, the 2 TB lifetime plan (499 USD) equals about 50 months of a 9.99 USD/month plan, or about 5 years of pCloud's own yearly plan (99.99 USD). It only pays off if you keep using it for longer than that.
Do prices change?
Yes, often, and by country. Always confirm on the official page; we show the check date.