Icedrive vs pCloud
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Icedrive
Cloud storage with a mountable drive and client-side encryption
pCloud
Swiss cloud storage sold by subscription or one-time payment
Where they differ
- Icedrive starts at $9.99 per month, or $99 billed yearly. pCloud starts at $4.99 per month, or $49.99 billed yearly.
- Only pCloud lists a browser extension.
- Icedrive is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Icedrive | pCloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9.99 per month, or $99 billed yearly | $4.99 per month, or $49.99 billed yearly |
| Free plan | 10 GB of storage with the virtual drive, web and mobile apps and public links. No desktop sync, file versioning or client-side encryption. | Free account with up to 10 GB of storage. |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial of pCloud Business; other paid plans carry a 14-day money-back guarantee |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Ice Privacy LTD | pCloud International AG |
| Price read from | icedrive.net | pcloud.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
pCloud
- People who prefer a one-time lifetime payment to a subscription
- Users who want to choose between EU and US data storage
- Linux users: pCloud Drive runs on Windows, macOS and Linux
Worth knowing
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.
pCloud
- Client-side, zero-knowledge encryption is a paid add-on and is not part of the standard storage plans.
- The free account is limited to up to 10 GB.
- Family plans, for up to 5 users, are offered only as lifetime purchases, and Business pricing is shown from 3 users.
- Lifetime prices are shown as promotions against a higher list price, so the amount charged can change.
Key features
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.
pCloud
- pCloud Drive
- A desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux that makes cloud files available as if they were stored locally, without using hard drive space.
- Backup and file history
- The desktop app backs up folders from a computer, and backups can also be pulled from Dropbox, Google Drive, Google Photos, OneDrive and Facebook.
- Sharing and shared folders
- Files and folders are shared by link or through shared folders with access levels. Business adds branded links carrying a logo, cover and message.
- pCloud Encryption add-on
- Optional client-side, zero-knowledge encryption adds a Crypto folder to the account. It is priced separately at $49.99 billed yearly.
- Choice of data region
- Account holders choose whether their files are stored in a European or a US data center.
- Media player, Photos and Docs
- Includes an audio and video player, a photo timeline with a built-in editor, and pCloud Docs for creating and editing documents.
Plans
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.
pCloud
Free$0
Up to 10 GB of storage on a free account.
Premium 500 GB$4.99
per month, or $49.99 billed yearly
500 GB of storage for one person, with pCloud Photos and pCloud Docs.
Premium Plus 2 TB$9.99
per month, or $99.99 billed yearly
2 TB of storage for one person, with pCloud Photos and pCloud Docs.
Ultra 10 TB$29.99
per month, or $299.99 billed yearly
10 TB of storage for one person, with pCloud Photos and pCloud Docs.
Business$9.99
per user / month, billed monthly
Shown as 3 users with 3 TB for $29.97 a month, with teams, access levels, activity logs and a 30-day free trial.
Business Pro$19.98
per user / month, billed monthly
Shown as 3 users with 6 TB for $59.94 a month. New Business Pro accounts get 25% off, which makes it $14.98 per user.
Ways to pay less
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.
pCloud
- Lifetime license
Lifetime plans for a one-time payment
The 500 GB, 2 TB and 10 TB lifetime plans are listed at $279, $709 and $2,799. Promotional prices of $219, $499 and $1,499 were shown when checked.
- Lifetime license
Family lifetime plans for up to 5 users
Family 2 TB is listed at $999 and Family 10 TB at $3,499 as one-time payments. Promotional prices of $749 and $1,849 were shown when checked.
- Annual discount
About 17% lower with yearly billing
Yearly billing costs $49.99, $99.99 or $299.99, against $59.88, $119.88 or $359.88 for twelve monthly payments on the same plans.
