Livedrive vs pCloud (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, pCloud grades higher than Livedrive: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
pCloud grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Livedrive
Unlimited PC and Mac backup with an online Briefcase folder
pCloud
Swiss cloud storage sold by subscription or one-time payment
Which one is for you
Pick Livedrive if
- Fits if you have a single PC or Mac and want it backed up with no limits
- Works for someone who wants Briefcase for access from other devices
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you have several computers: Backup covers one PC or Mac user
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there is none and the trial's length isn't stated
- Watch out: Briefcase is a separate product, 2 TB alone and 5 TB in the Pro Suite
- Watch out: prices are in pounds by default and VAT is added on top
Pick pCloud if
- Fits if you'd rather pay once than every month, and plan to stay for years
- Works for Linux users, who get the same desktop drive as Windows and Mac
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want files only you can unlock as standard, since that's a $49.99-a-year add-on for one folder
- Tight if you're staying free, because you start with 2 GB and earn your way to 10
- Skip it if you'd park photos on a free account and forget it, as idle ones are deleted after 12 months
- Skip it if you share folders across the Atlantic, as both accounts must be in the same region, and moving costs $19.99
- Watch out: lifetime prices are shown as promotions, refunds end after 14 days, and Family plans are lifetime only
How we grade them
| 2.2GPALivedriveFair | 2.6GPApCloudGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CBackup is GBP 7.69 a month, near $9.70, in the dearer quarter of the category ($9.99 and up) but not its dearest tenth. | C500 GB is $4.99 a month, which is exactly this category's middle price, and 2 TB is $9.99, where its dearest tenth starts. The lifetime plans are a long bet: $499 for 2 TB is five years of the subscription up front. And the Crypto folder is another $49.99 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | DA free trial is offered on each plan with no length stated, and no free plan. | CUp to 10 GB with no card, but read that "up to": you start on 2 GB and earn the rest with a tutorial and invites. pCloud's terms also say a free account left idle for 12 months is deleted, files and all. |
| Features | CBackup for one computer and a Briefcase folder, but a second computer or NAS is extra and Briefcase has its own 2 TB limit. | CThe basics: a drive that uses no laptop space, phone photo backup, imports from other clouds, 30 days of old versions, a media player and pCloud Docs. Encryption only you can unlock is a separate $49.99 add-on, and it covers one folder. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but you install it and it starts backing up. | B4.67 from about 8,200 App Store ratings, a shade under the 4.7 the top of this category manages. On a computer it turns up as an extra drive, so you drag files in like any folder, and on a phone one switch backs up your photos. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android apps, with no integrations listed. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, plus a browser add-on. It pulls files in from Dropbox, Google Drive, Google Photos, OneDrive and Facebook, and there's a documented API for developers. |
| Best for | backing up one PC or Mac with unlimited space | paying once for cloud storage, not every month |
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: Livedrive and pCloud. How we grade
Price against what you get
Livedrive starts at about $8.59 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. pCloud starts at $4.17 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
pCloud scores higher and starts $4.42 a month lower. Of the other file storage and sync services on the chart, 11 score higher than Livedrive for less, and 5 score higher than pCloud for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- pCloud can be bought with a one-time purchase.
At a glance
| Livedrive | pCloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | £7.69 per month (Backup), £76.90 billed annually | $4.99 per month, or $49.99 billed yearly |
| Free plan | None | Free account with up to 10 GB of storage. |
| Free trial | Free trial offered on each plan; length not stated on the page | 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 | Livedrive Internet Ltd. | pCloud International AG |
| Price read from | livedrive.com | pcloud.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Livedrive
- Prices are shown in pounds by default; the page offers a currency switch whose US dollar figures could not be read here.
- Backup covers one PC or Mac user account; a second computer or a NAS drive is an extra purchase.
- Briefcase is a separate product with its own storage limit: 2 TB alone, 5 TB in the Pro Suite.
- Pricing notes say the VAT rate of your jurisdiction applies on top of the displayed amounts.
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
Livedrive
- Automatic computer backup
- Installed on a Windows or Mac computer, the software copies files such as photos, documents and videos to UK data centres.
- Version history
- The backup page says up to 30 previous versions of files are kept so an unwanted edit can be restored.
- Briefcase folder
- Files placed in the online Briefcase can be viewed or edited from computers, phones and tablets.
- Private and public sharing
- Briefcase files can be shared by a link with a username and password, or by a public link.
- Two-factor sign-in
- Accounts support two-factor authentication, and the data centres are described as ISO 27001 certified.
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
Livedrive
Backup£7.69
per month, 1 PC or Mac user (£76.90 billed annually)
Unlimited cloud backup storage for one computer user account. Amounts exclude VAT where it applies.
Briefcase£11.99
per month (£119.90 billed annually)
2 TB of online folder storage to access, edit and share from any device, with tablet and mobile backup.
Pro Suite£17.59
per month (£175.90 billed annually)
Backup plus Briefcase: backup for 5 PC or Mac users and 5 TB of Briefcase storage.
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
Livedrive
- Annual discount
Save 16% with annual billing
Choosing annual instead of monthly billing is advertised on the pricing page as saving 16%.
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Livedrive or pCloud?
As of Nov 12, 2026, pCloud is cheaper to start with: $4.17 a month when paid by the year, against about $8.59 a month for Livedrive. Livedrive starts at £7.69 per month (Backup), £76.90 billed annually, and pCloud starts at $4.99 per month, or $49.99 billed yearly.
Which has a free plan, Livedrive or pCloud?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only pCloud has a free plan. Livedrive does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Livedrive and pCloud run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only pCloud lists a Linux app and a browser extension. 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.