# pCloud

> Swiss cloud storage sold by subscription or one-time payment

pCloud is a cloud storage service from a Swiss company, with apps that mount storage as a virtual drive, back up folders and share files. Individual plans come in 500 GB, 2 TB and 10 TB sizes and can be paid monthly, yearly or once as a lifetime purchase. Users choose whether their files are kept in a European or a US data center, and client-side encryption is sold as an add-on.

- **Category:** File Storage & Sync
- **Made by:** pCloud International AG (since 2013)
- **Website:** https://www.pcloud.com
- **Runs on:** Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 5, 2026

## Pricing

pCloud has a free plan. Paid plans start at $4.99 per month, or $49.99 billed yearly.

- **Pricing model:** Free plan
- **Free plan:** Free account with up to 10 GB of storage.
- **Free trial:** 30-day free trial of pCloud Business; other paid plans carry a 14-day money-back guarantee.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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. |

Read from https://www.pcloud.com/cloud-storage-pricing-plans.html on Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with pCloud before buying.

## Ways to pay less

- **Lifetime plans for a one-time payment** (Lifetime license): 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. Source: https://landing.pcloud.com/lifetime-cloud-storage
- **Family lifetime plans for up to 5 users** (Lifetime license): 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. Source: https://www.pcloud.com/family
- **About 17% lower with yearly billing** (Annual discount): 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. Source: https://www.pcloud.com/cloud-storage-pricing-plans.html

## Key features

- **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.

## Good for

- 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

- 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.

## What people say

- **App Store rating of the iPhone and iPad app:** 4.7 out of 5 from 8,183 ratings in the United States, read Oct 6, 2026. This is the store's rating of the app, not a score from ToolGPA. Source: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id692002098

## Works with

Dropbox, Google Drive, Google Photos, OneDrive, Facebook

**Tags:** File sync, File sharing, One-time purchase, Real-time collaboration

## Alternatives

- [Icedrive](https://toolgpa.com/tools/icedrive): Cloud storage with a mountable drive and client-side encryption. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/icedrive-vs-pcloud)
- [Internxt](https://toolgpa.com/tools/internxt): Open source, zero-knowledge cloud storage with lifetime plans. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/internxt-vs-pcloud)
- [Koofr](https://toolgpa.com/tools/koofr): EU cloud storage that also connects Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/koofr-vs-pcloud)
- [Sync.com](https://toolgpa.com/tools/sync-com): End-to-end encrypted cloud storage and file sharing for teams. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/pcloud-vs-sync-com)
- [MEGA](https://toolgpa.com/tools/mega): Zero-knowledge encrypted cloud storage with a 20 GB free plan. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/mega-vs-pcloud)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026:

- https://www.pcloud.com/cloud-storage-pricing-plans.html
- https://landing.pcloud.com/lifetime-cloud-storage
- https://www.pcloud.com/family
- https://www.pcloud.com/business
- https://www.pcloud.com/encrypted-cloud-storage.html
- https://www.pcloud.com/download-free-online-cloud-file-storage
- https://www.pcloud.com/
- https://www.pcloud.com/company/about.html

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/pcloud
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).