Icedrive vs MEGA

Icedrive

• People who want cloud storage mounted as a drive rather than synced to disk
• Buyers who prefer a one-time lifetime payment to a subscription
• Individuals who need 2 TB to 6 TB with client-side encryption included
• Linux users: the desktop app ships as an AppImage and a command-line client

MEGA

• People who want encrypted storage with a 20 GB free tier
• Linux users: official packages cover Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch and others
• Large personal archives, with individual plans of up to 20 TB

Icedrive

• Client-side, zero-knowledge encryption is limited to paid plans, and files stored in the encrypted area cannot be shared.
• The Free plan has 10 GB and no desktop sync, file versions, link passwords or user-to-user sharing. Free accounts inactive for 12 months may be removed.
• WebDAV was disabled for new users on 15 April 2026 and is being phased out for existing users.
• Lifetime plans allow 2 sync devices and 14 days of file versions, fewer than any subscription plan.

MEGA

• Prices are set and charged in euros; amounts shown in other currencies on the site are estimates.
• Downloads count against a transfer quota, which is limited on the free plan and 1 TB a month on Pro Lite.
• Business and Pro Flexi are usage-based, starting from €15.00 per month for a 3 TB base. Business needs at least 3 users.
• The Essential plan is shown only with yearly charging on the pricing page.

Icedrive

Virtual drive

The desktop app mounts cloud storage as a drive on Windows, macOS and Linux, so files open in native applications without being synced to disk first. It is included on every plan, Free among them.

Client-side Twofish encryption

On paid plans, files and their names are encrypted on the device with the Twofish algorithm before upload. The key is generated from a passphrase and is never sent to Icedrive's servers.

Desktop sync and file versions

Paid plans sync folder pairs on 3, 5 or 10 devices and keep earlier versions of files for 30, 60 or 90 days, depending on the plan.

Public links and sharing controls

Every plan can create public links. Paid plans add expiry dates, download caps, preview-only mode, password protection, file requests and sharing between Icedrive users.

Mobile apps with camera upload

The iOS and Android apps upload camera photos and videos automatically, keep chosen files available offline and stream audio and video from the cloud.

Lifetime plans

100 GB, 500 GB and 2 TB plans are sold for a single payment and include client-side encryption. Further lifetime plans can be stacked on an account to add storage.

MEGA

Zero-knowledge encryption

Data is encrypted before it leaves the device, and MEGA says only the owner and the people they authorize hold the keys needed to read it.

Sync and backup

The desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux syncs folders and backs up a computer to MEGA, replicating changes as they happen.

Sharing with link controls

Files and folders can be shared with people who have no MEGA account, with read-only or full access. Links can carry a password or an expiry date.

File versioning and Rewind

Every plan keeps up to 100 versions of a file. Rewind goes back up to 60 days on paid plans and is view-only for up to 30 days on the free plan.

Chat and meetings

Private messaging and video calls are built in. Free accounts are limited to 1-hour calls with up to 100 participants; paid plans remove both limits.

Bundled VPN, passwords and S4

Paid plans include MEGA VPN and the MEGA Pass password manager, and plans from Pro Lite up add S3-compatible object storage.

Icedrive

• Free$0

  10 GB with the virtual drive, web and mobile apps and public links. No desktop sync, file versions or client-side encryption.

• Pro$9.99

  per month, or $99 billed yearly

  2 TB with client-side encryption, desktop sync on 3 devices, 30 days of file versions and priority support.

• Pro Plus$15.99

  per month, or $159 billed yearly

  4 TB with client-side encryption, desktop sync on 5 devices and 60 days of file versions.

• Pro Max$26.99

  per month, or $269 billed yearly

  6 TB with client-side encryption, desktop sync on 10 devices and 90 days of file versions.

MEGA

• Free€0

  20 GB of storage, a limited transfer quota, 100 file versions and view-only Rewind for up to 30 days.

• Essential€3.33

  per month, charged yearly

  200 GB of storage and 2.4 TB of transfer over the year, with MEGA VPN, MEGA Pass and unrestricted chat and meetings.

• Pro Lite€4.99

  per month, or €5.00 per month charged yearly

  750 GB of storage and 1 TB of transfer a month, plus object storage, MEGA VPN and MEGA Pass.

• Pro I€9.99

  per month, or €8.33 per month charged yearly

  3 TB of storage and 3 TB of transfer a month, plus object storage, MEGA VPN and MEGA Pass.

• Pro II€19.99

  per month, or €16.67 per month charged yearly

  10 TB of storage and 10 TB of transfer a month, with the same extras as Pro I.

• Pro III€29.99

  per month, or €25.00 per month charged yearly

  20 TB of storage and 20 TB of transfer a month, with the same extras as Pro I.

Icedrive

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime plans for a one-time payment

  Basic (100 GB), Personal (500 GB) and Personal + (2 TB) were shown at $199, $399 and $699 as one-time payments, against crossed-out prices of $299, $599 and $1,049.

• Annual discount

  About 17% lower with yearly billing

  Regular yearly prices of $99, $159 and $269 compare with $119.88, $191.88 and $323.88 for twelve monthly payments on Pro, Pro Plus and Pro Max.

• Other savings

  Up to 40% off the first year of annual plans

  When checked, the pricing page showed first-year prices of $59, $89 and $149 for Pro, Pro Plus and Pro Max on annual billing, described as a limited-time offer with no end date given.

MEGA

• Annual discount

  Save up to 17% with yearly billing

  MEGA's pricing page advertises up to 17% off for yearly billing: Pro I drops from €9.99 to €8.33 a month, Pro II from €19.99 to €16.67 and Pro III from €29.99 to €25.00.