IDrive vs Jottacloud (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, IDrive grades higher than Jottacloud: 3.2 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
IDrive grades higher on value for money, features and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
IDrive
Cloud backup for many devices in one account, with a sync folder
Jottacloud
Norwegian cloud storage and backup for all your devices
Which one is for you
Pick IDrive if
- Fits if your household has several computers and phones to back up in one account
- Works for small businesses backing up servers, NAS boxes and laptops together
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you mainly want Dropbox-style sync, as Cloud Drive is a separate service you have to switch on
- Pricey if you budget on the advertised price, since the 30% off covers the first year only and not app sign-ups
- Tight if you're staying free, as 10 GB won't hold a whole computer
- Watch out: going over your storage costs $0.25 per GB a month on Personal and $0.50 on Team and Business
- Watch out: Mini is yearly only, for new sign-ups and marked limited time, and server backup is $5 a server a month below Business
Pick Jottacloud if
- Fits if you want one plan to back up a family of 5
- Works for people who prefer a Norwegian provider
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free: 5 GB doesn't go far
- Skip it if you run Linux, as the download page lists no Linux app
- Watch out: prices show in Norwegian kroner, with USD 11.99 for Unlimited given in the description
- Watch out: unlimited upload speed is gradually reduced after 5 TB, and Business prices exclude VAT
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAIDriveVery good | 2.4GPAJottacloudFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AGraded as backup. Mini is $0.25 a month for 100 GB billed yearly, far under the cheapest quarter of this category, and 500 GB is $0.83. Personal is $9.99 a month for 5 TB once the first-year discount ends. Go over your storage, though, and it's $0.25 per GB a month. | CHome 1 TB is NOK 79 a month, which the page's own description gives as USD 6.99 for 5 users, right at the category's $6.95 middle. |
| Free plan and trial | CIDrive Basic is free with 10 GB and no credit card. That holds your documents, but a computer's worth of photos will go straight past it, so it's a cap most people will hit. | C5 GB free for 1 user with device backup, and you'll pass that soon. |
| Features | BGraded as backup, it does the whole job: many devices in one account, continuous backup, 30 versions of each file, snapshots, a private encryption key and drives sent by post for big restores. Cloud Drive adds sync, sharing and editing in the browser. | CSync and backup with plans up to unlimited, but the download page lists no Linux app and unlimited upload slows after 5 TB. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. Install the app, pick what to back up, and it carries on by itself as files change. The one catch is that Cloud Drive sync is a separate service you have to switch on. | BNo store rating on record, but you install it and it starts backing up. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, plus Synology and QNAP NAS apps, and add-ons that back up Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Dropbox and Box. That covers every device type. | BWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android apps, but no integrations are listed. |
| Best for | backing up lots of devices in one account | Norwegian-hosted cloud backup for the family |
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: IDrive and Jottacloud. How we grade
Where they differ
At a glance
| IDrive | Jottacloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $0.25 per month for 100 GB, billed annually (Mini) | NOK 79 per month for Home 1 TB (NOK 790 billed yearly) |
| Free plan | IDrive Basic: 10 GB of backup storage, no credit card required. Add-ons such as cloud app backup can be bought on top of it. | 5 GB of storage for 1 user, with device backup and email and chat support. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | IDrive Inc. | Jotta Group AS |
| Price read from | idrive.com | jottacloud.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
IDrive
- Advertised prices are 30% off the first year only, and the discount is not available when signing up from the mobile apps.
- Cloud Drive sync is a separate service that has to be activated; it is distinct from cloud backup.
- Going over the storage limit costs $0.25 per GB a month on Personal and $0.50 per GB on Team and Business.
- Server backup is a $5 per server a month add-on on Mini, Personal and Team, and is part of Business.
Jottacloud
- Prices are displayed in Norwegian kroner; the page's own description gives USD 11.99 per month for Unlimited and USD 6.99 for Home 1 TB.
- Unlimited upload speed is gradually reduced after 5 TB; Pro plans are the ones with maximum speed.
- Business prices are shown excluding VAT.
- The download page lists no Linux app.
Key features
IDrive
- Many devices in one account
- Back up PCs, Macs, Linux machines, iPhones, iPads, Android devices and external or NAS drives into one account, with continuous backup of changed files.
- Cloud Drive sync and sharing
- Sync folders across linked devices in real time, share files with view or edit permissions, and edit Office files and PDFs in the browser.
- Snapshots and versioning
- Keeps up to 30 previous versions of every backed-up file, with snapshots for point-in-time recovery and a 30-day trash for deleted files.
- Private-key encryption
- Files are encrypted with 256-bit AES, optionally with a key you define that IDrive says is not stored on its servers.
- IDrive Express shipping
- Back up or restore bulk data by mail on a physical drive: free once a year on Personal, three times a year on Team and Business, then $59.95 a request.
- Cloud app backup add-ons
- Back up Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Dropbox and Box accounts for $20 per seat a year, with a 7-day free trial.
Jottacloud
- Backup of all devices
- Every plan, including the free one, lists backup of all devices and an archive for files you want to keep but do not use daily.
- File and photo sharing
- Files and photos you have uploaded can be shared with a few clicks.
- Storage in Norway
- Data is stored in Norway under European privacy laws, and the company says it runs on 100% renewable energy.
- Apps and command line
- Download links cover Windows, macOS, iOS and Android apps, plus a command-line tool.
- AI photo search
- The site lists AI photo search as a product feature alongside storage and backup.
Plans
IDrive
Basic$0
10 GB of storage with no credit card required.
IDrive Mini$0.25
per month for 100 GB, billed annually
One user. 500 GB is $0.83 a month. Sold on yearly billing only, to new sign-ups, and the pricing page marks it "Limited time only".
IDrive Personal$9.99
per month for 5 TB, billed annually ($11.99 billed monthly)
One user, multiple computers. Advertised at $6.99 a month for the first year. 10 TB is $14.99 a month and 100 TB $99.99, billed annually.
IDrive Team$9.99
per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($11.99 monthly)
5 computers, 5 users and 5 TB, managed from a web console. Advertised at $6.99 a month for the first year; 10 users and 10 TB is $19.99 a month.
IDrive Business$19.99
per month for 500 GB, billed annually
Unlimited users, computers, servers and NAS devices. Advertised at $13.99 a month the first year; 1.25 TB is $49.99 a month, or $59.99 billed monthly.
Jottacloud
Free$0
5 GB of storage for 1 user, backup of all devices, and email and chat support.
Home 1 TBNOK 79
per month for 5 users (NOK 790 billed yearly)
1 TB shared by 5 users, with no bandwidth limitation and phone, email and chat support.
UnlimitedNOK 129
per month for 1 user (NOK 1290 billed yearly)
Unlimited storage for 1 user; upload speed is gradually reduced after 5 TB. Phone, email and chat support.
Home 5 TBNOK 159
per month for 5 users (NOK 1590 billed yearly)
5 TB shared by 5 users, with no bandwidth limitation.
Pro 10 TBNOK 299
per month for 1 user (NOK 2990 billed yearly)
10 TB, maximum speed, priority support and a commercial license. Pro goes up to 50 TB at NOK 1499 per month.
Business SmallNOK 129
per month for 2 users, excl. VAT (NOK 1548 billed yearly)
1 TB, commercial license and priority support. Medium (10 users) is NOK 179; Large (unlimited users) is NOK 459.
Ways to pay less
IDrive
- Other savings
30% off the first year
New sign-ups on yearly Personal, Team and Business plans pay 30% less for the first year, such as $6.99 instead of $9.99 a month for Personal 5 TB. Standard pricing applies from the second year.
- Other savings
50% off the first year of a 2-year plan
Two-year plans take 50% off the first year: Personal 5 TB is $179.82 for 2 years instead of $239.76.
- Annual discount
Lower price with yearly billing
Personal and Team 5 TB cost $9.99 a month billed yearly against $11.99 billed monthly, a saving of about 17%.
- Education
50% off for students and schools
Students, educational institutions and anyone with a valid education email address can get Personal or Business at half price, as a limited-period offer.
Jottacloud
- Annual discount
Pay yearly instead of monthly
Yearly billing is offered on every paid plan; for example Unlimited is NOK 1290 per year against NOK 129 per month.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, IDrive or Jottacloud?
As of Nov 12, 2026, IDrive starts at $0.25 per month for 100 GB, billed annually (Mini), and Jottacloud starts at NOK 79 per month for Home 1 TB (NOK 790 billed yearly).
Which has a free plan, IDrive or Jottacloud?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both IDrive and Jottacloud have a free plan.
Which platforms do IDrive and Jottacloud run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only IDrive lists a Linux app. Both list a web app and macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.