Microsoft OneDrive vs pCloud

Microsoft OneDrive

• People who already pay for Microsoft 365 and its Office apps
• Families: Microsoft 365 Family gives up to 6 people 1 TB each
• Organizations that work in Teams and SharePoint

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

Microsoft OneDrive

• The free allowance is 5 GB.
• 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.

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.

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.

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.

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: up to 6 TB of cloud storage (1 TB per person) plus everything in Personal.

• Microsoft 365 Premium$19.99

  per month, or $199.99 per year

  For up to 6 people: everything in Family plus extensive Copilot usage and agentic AI features for the subscription owner.

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.

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.

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.