"Free cloud storage" is a great deal — until you hit the limit. Here's how much space the major services actually give you for free, plus the catch with each, so you pick the right one (or combine a few).
| Service | Free space | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| MEGA | ~20 GB | Most free space; end-to-end encrypted. Some bonus space is temporary. |
| Google Drive | 15 GB | Shared with Gmail + Photos. Best all-rounder; easy on every device. |
| pCloud | ~10 GB | Earn up to the full amount via setup steps; lifetime paid plans available. |
| Icedrive | ~10 GB | Clean, modern; encryption options. |
| OneDrive | 5 GB | Built into Windows; handy if you're on a PC. |
| iCloud | 5 GB | Built into iPhone/Mac; fills up fast. |
| Dropbox | 2 GB | Very reliable and simple, but the smallest free tier. |
Free tiers change often — always double-check the current amount when you sign up.
Two things to remember: (1) free tiers are small — most photo libraries outgrow them, and (2) cloud storage is mostly sync, not true backup, so a deletion can propagate. That's why the safe approach isn't "pick one cloud" — it's to combine a cloud copy with a local copy on an external drive, following the 3-2-1 rule. You can also stack multiple free services to get more room without paying.
The 3-2-1 rule explained · External drive vs cloud · Back up your phone photos