What is iCloud?
iCloud is Apple’s free data storage service that helps users prevent data loss and free up storage on their iPhones and other Apple devices. It may appear sophisticated, but it is one of the easiest services to use, as well as one of the most secure! We’ll go through how to use iCloud and the several advantages that come with it.
iCloud also allows you to do the following things:
- Easily transfer tasks between all of your Apple devices. Getting directions on your Mac and then accessing them via your iPhone or Apple Watch is an easy and frequently painless process.
- Use iCloud’s Find My feature to track down missing or stolen devices. This technology will assist you in locating your device, even if it is dead or unresponsive.
- Avoid having to go through the entire manual setup procedure every time you buy a new iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch, or another device by making switching to new devices exceedingly quick and straightforward.
- Store and share photos with ease.
- Use the Reminders app to collaborate on to-do lists with other Apple device users.
- Safely share and track your location, as well as the locations of your family members.
Alternatives to iCloud Drive for iPhone and Mac are discussed in this article. iCloud still only offers 5GB of free cloud storage over a decade after its inception. It’s laughably inadequate, so consider upgrading to a paid subscription as soon as possible. That’s not all, though: When accessed from non-Apple devices, iCloud Drive, which allows you to back up files and folders on your iPhone and Mac, provides a poor experience.
Alternatives to iCloud Drive for iPhone and Mac in 2022
Alternatives to iCloud Drive for iPhone and Mac are discussed in this article. Here are the specifics:
If you find that iCloud Drive is lacking in terms of free storage space or cross-platform compatibility, there are a few more cloud storage choices available for your iPhone or Mac. Let’s take a closer look at five of them, after which you can either ditch iCloud Drive entirely or use the extra space with Apple’s own cloud storage service. It’s absolutely your decision.
1. Google Drive
Google Drive is a wonderful option for iCloud Drive if you don’t mind Google’s questionable track record when it comes to user privacy. On the iPhone and Mac, you receive 14.99GB of free cloud storage to play with right now. The story, however, does not end there.
You may expect 15GB to last a long time because some file types (such as G Suite documents) aren’t counted toward your storage space. Additionally, Google Photos (which you must download separately on the iPhone) allows you to upload an unlimited number of photos to Google Drive without taking up a single byte of space, albeit in compressed resolution. If you ever need to upgrade, 100GB is available for $1.99 per month. This is comparable to iCloud Drive in terms of cost per GB.
Other benefits of Google Drive include the ability to share files and folders with others, collaborate on G-Suite documents with ease, Face ID/Touch ID verification on the iPhone app, and the ability to sync nearly any folder on your Mac besides the master Google Drive folder.
Google Drive is a downloadable iPhone app that works in conjunction with the Files app. On a Mac, you must first download and install the Backup & Sync program before you can view your Google Drive contents or upload locally stored documents and images online.
2. OneDrive by Microsoft
Both Microsoft OneDrive and Apple’s iCloud Drive provide the same amount of free storage. You’ll have the best chance of having seamless access to your files across all platforms if you utilize a Windows 10 device with your iPhone and Mac. It’s also linked to Microsoft Office, and if you have an Office 365 subscription, you’ll get a free 1TB of OneDrive storage.
The OneDrive app for iPhone is lightning fast, has the ability to make files and folders available offline, and features an inbuilt scanner for scanning and uploading documents to the cloud quickly. You can also set up automatic backups of your photos and movies using the Camera Upload feature.
Another exciting addition is Personal Vault, a safe storage folder that allows you to back up sensitive documents and encrypt them with a passcode and biometrics.
On the Mac, OneDrive lets you seamlessly access and upload documents to the OneDrive master folder. Files On-Demand, a feature of Microsoft’s cloud storage service, allows customers to download files just when they’re needed, reducing storage space.
On a per-GB basis, OneDrive charges $1.99 per month for a 100GB upgrade, which is equivalent to both iCloud Drive and Google Drive. If you need/want extra storage, you’ll need to sign up for an Office 365 subscription, which will provide you with an additional 1TB.
3. Sync
ICloud Drive prioritizes client privacy because it’s an Apple product. Check out Sync if you’re searching for a similar cloud storage service that’s also available (and has better functionality) on a variety of platforms, including Windows and Android.
Sync comes with 5GB of cloud storage and complete end-to-end AES-256 encryption with TLS, guaranteeing that only you have access to your data (as long as you do a good job of protecting your Sync account credentials). Even Sync does not have access to your information because it is so secure.
Sync for iPhone lets you create folders, backup data, and sync photos, and it offers a photo synchronization module that’s comparable to OneDrive’s. Any item you add to the Sync master folder on the Mac will be quickly backed up by Sync. If you need extra storage, you can get 2TB for $8 per month, which is less expensive than the $9.99 per month offered by iCloud Drive (albeit you must pay annually).
To complement its privacy-focused policy, Sync features a private ‘Vault.’ It allows you to securely upload important files that are only available from the device that uploaded them or through the Sync.com web app.
4. Dropbox
Dropbox has been around for a long time and offers dependable cloud storage that is cross-platform compatible. Using the iPhone, you may quickly upload files, swap papers with others, and upload your camera roll to Dropbox’s servers. On the Mac, it offers Files On-Demand and 30-day version history for your files, as well as the ability to sync chosen folders to the cloud.
And Dropbox, on the other hand, only provides 2GB of free cloud storage, which will rapidly run out. You can use it as a storage locker for a few more files that won’t fit in iCloud Drive, or you can upgrade to a subscription tier.
For $9.99, Dropbox Plus offers up to 2TB of storage and a bevy of features like Smart Syncing, expanded collaboration capabilities, and improved file searching. However, you might not need as much storage, to begin with, making Dropbox a tough sell. Furthermore, iCloud Drive includes a storage tier that is comparable in pricing.
Dropbox, on the other hand, is a terrific option if you’re looking for a robust third-party cloud syncing service that isn’t linked to Apple, Google, or Microsoft’s ecosystems.
5. pCloud
pCloud on the iPhone and Mac has it all: multi-platform access to synced data, sharing and collaboration on files with others, and superb privacy features (such as Sign in with Apple). It also provides 10 GB of free cloud storage, albeit you must complete a few tasks to have access to the majority of those gigabytes, such as verifying your email address and recommending the service to others.
Crypto is a feature in pCloud that allows you to safeguard your data (not related to cryptocurrencies). It’s also affordable, with a 500GB boost costing only $4.99 per month. You might want to look into pCloud’s Lifetime options.
For listening to music tracks that have been uploaded, ven contains an inbuilt media player. You can expect to sync your pCloud content locally on your Mac as well as upload selected folders to the cloud.
Make your choice
The cloud storage options listed above give a considerably better experience on the iPhone and Mac than the basic iCloud Drive. Google Drive is without a doubt the best all-around solution, although OneDrive, Sync, Dropbox, and pCloud each have their own set of benefits. Remember to give them all a try before committing to a paid storage tier on any of them.
After that, you can use a variety of third-party services to back up your iPhone images. Visit the following link to see the best iCloud Photo Backup alternatives.
