iCloud vs Microsoft OneDrive
We give iCloud a 3.2 GPA and Microsoft OneDrive a 3.6, out of 4.0. Microsoft OneDrive grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
iCloud
Apple's storage and sync service for photos, files and backups
Microsoft OneDrive
Microsoft's cloud storage, bundled with Microsoft 365 plans
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAiCloudVery good | 3.6GPAMicrosoft OneDriveExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$0.99 a month for 50 GB, $2.99 for 200 GB and $9.99 for 2 TB, the same as Google charges for 200 GB and 2 TB. Every paid plan adds Private Relay and Hide My Email, and can be shared with up to five other people. It's monthly only, with no annual price. | BBasic is $1.99 a month for 100 GB, or $19.99 a year, which is the going rate. Personal is $9.99 for 1 TB, and that price also buys desktop Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. There's nothing between the two. |
| Free plan and trial | B5 GB with every Apple Account. That has to cover device backups, photos and files together, so it doesn't go far. No trial of the paid plans is listed. | B5 GB with a free Microsoft account, for good. That's tight once your phone starts backing up photos. The one-month trial of Personal, Family or Premium needs a credit card. |
| Features | AiCloud Drive for files, iCloud Photos with space-saving copies on each device, and automatic iPhone and iPad backups. Share by link and edits appear as they're made. End-to-end encryption for Drive, Photos and Backup needs Advanced Data Protection switched on. | ASync with offline files, Windows and camera roll backup, links with passwords and expiry dates, version history and ransomware recovery. And several of you can edit a Word, Excel or PowerPoint file at the same time. |
| Ease of use | BSign in on an iPhone, iPad or Mac and your files show up in the Files app or the Finder, and backups run by themselves on power and Wi-Fi. But there's no App Store rating on record to go by, so it stops at a B. | A4.7 from about 488,000 App Store ratings. Sign in with a Microsoft account and the phone app can back up your photos and videos on its own. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiPhone, iPad, Mac, a Windows app and iCloud.com. Apple lists no Android app, and what it connects to is mostly Apple's own, like HomeKit and Apple One. No API is listed. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, tied into Teams, SharePoint, Outlook and the Office apps, with a public API. Microsoft's system requirements list no Linux client, though. |
| Best for | backups and photos across Apple devices | storage that comes with Word and Excel |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: iCloud and Microsoft OneDrive. How we grade
Where they differ
- iCloud starts at $0.99 per month for 50 GB. Microsoft OneDrive starts at $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year.
- Only Microsoft OneDrive lists an Android app.
At a glance
| iCloud | Microsoft OneDrive | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $0.99 per month for 50 GB | $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year |
| Free plan | 5 GB of iCloud storage, given the first time you sign in to an iPhone, iPad or Mac with an Apple Account. | 5 GB of free cloud storage with a Microsoft account. |
| Free trial | None listed | One-month free trial of Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium; a credit card is required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Apple | Microsoft |
| Price read from | apple.com | microsoft.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
iCloud
- People whose devices are mostly iPhone, iPad and Mac
- Automatic iPhone and iPad backups and photo libraries
- Families: any iCloud+ plan can be shared with up to five other people
Microsoft OneDrive
- People who already pay for Microsoft 365 and its Office apps
- Families: Microsoft 365 Family gives up to 6 people a shared 2 TB
- Organizations that work in Teams and SharePoint
Worth knowing
iCloud
- The free tier is 5 GB, which has to cover device backups, photos and files together.
- Apple lists access through iPhone, iPad, Mac, the iCloud for Windows app and iCloud.com; no Android app is listed.
- End-to-end encryption for iCloud Drive, Photos and Backup applies only after turning on Advanced Data Protection, which is optional.
- Plans are priced per month only; the page lists no annual billing option.
Microsoft OneDrive
- The free allowance is 5 GB. Family and Premium subscriptions started from October 7, 2026 share 2 TB between all members, where each person used to get 1 TB.
- Home plans jump from 100 GB on Basic ($1.99 a month) to 1 TB on Personal ($9.99 a month), with no tier in between.
- Microsoft's system requirements list Windows, macOS, iOS and Android apps but no Linux client.
- Copilot features in the Family and Premium plans apply to the subscription owner only and cannot be shared.
Key features
iCloud
- iCloud Drive
- Files and folders are reachable from the Files app on iOS and iPadOS, the Finder on a Mac, File Explorer on Windows PCs, or iCloud.com.
- iCloud Photos
- Keeps high-resolution photos and videos in iCloud with space-saving versions on each device. Shared Albums accept contributions from people on Android or Windows devices.
- iCloud Backup
- Data on an iPhone or iPad, including apps, is backed up automatically whenever the device is connected to power and Wi-Fi.
- Sharing and collaboration
- Share files, folders and documents by sending a link, control who can view, edit or share the work, and see edits appear as they are made.
- iCloud+ privacy features
- Paid plans add Private Relay for browsing in Safari, Hide My Email for random forwarding addresses, and a custom domain for iCloud Mail.
- Advanced Data Protection
- An optional setting that raises the number of end-to-end encrypted data categories to 25, including iCloud Backup, Photos, Notes and iCloud Drive.
Microsoft OneDrive
- Sync and offline files
- The plan comparison lists advanced sync between PC, Mac and the cloud, along with files and folders that can be kept available offline.
- Windows and camera roll backup
- Windows backup and camera roll backup are listed as key features, and the mobile app can automatically back up a phone's photos and videos.
- Co-editing in Microsoft 365 apps
- Files stored in OneDrive can be edited from anywhere with real-time collaboration in Word, Excel and PowerPoint on the web, desktop and mobile.
- Sharing links
- Files and folders are shared by link, and the plan comparison lists password-protected and expiring link settings among the OneDrive features.
- Version history and ransomware recovery
- Version history plus ransomware detection and file restore appear in the plan comparison, and Microsoft 365 Basic names OneDrive ransomware protection as an inclusion.
- Copilot in OneDrive
- On the business page, Copilot can summarize or compare files and turn them into audio overviews from inside OneDrive. Work accounts can also upload files of up to 100 GB.
Plans
iCloud
iCloud 5GB$0
5 GB to back up data and keep it in sync across devices and iCloud.com.
iCloud+ 50GB$0.99
per month
50 GB plus Private Relay, Hide My Email, Custom Email Domain and HomeKit Secure Video recordings for one camera.
iCloud+ 200GB$2.99
per month
Everything in the 50GB plan, with 200 GB and HomeKit Secure Video recordings for five cameras.
iCloud+ 2TB$9.99
per month
Everything in the 200GB plan, with 2 TB and HomeKit Secure Video recordings for unlimited cameras.
iCloud+ 6TB$29.99
per month
Everything in the 2TB plan, with 6 TB of storage.
iCloud+ 12TB$59.99
per month
Everything in the 6TB plan, with 12 TB of storage.
Microsoft OneDrive
Free$0
5 GB of cloud storage with a free Microsoft account.
Microsoft 365 Basic$1.99
per month, or $19.99 per year
For 1 person: 100 GB of cloud storage, ad-free Outlook email and OneDrive ransomware protection.
Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99
per month, or $99.99 per year
For 1 person: 1 TB of cloud storage and the desktop Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook apps with Copilot, on up to 5 devices at once.
Microsoft 365 Family$12.99
per month, or $129.99 per year
For 1 to 6 people: 2 TB of cloud storage shared between them, plus everything in Personal.
Microsoft 365 Premium$19.99
per month, or $199.99 per year
For up to 6 people sharing 2 TB of storage: everything in Family plus extensive Copilot usage and agentic AI features for the subscription owner.
Ways to pay less
iCloud
- Other savings
Included in every Apple One bundle
iCloud+ is part of all Apple One plans, which bundle it with up to five other Apple services. Apple lists Apple One at $21.95, $27.95 or $39.95 per month depending on the plan.
Microsoft OneDrive
- Annual discount
About 16% lower with yearly billing
Paying yearly costs $19.99 for Basic, $99.99 for Personal, $129.99 for Family and $199.99 for Premium, against $1.99, $9.99, $12.99 and $19.99 a month.
