iCloud+ vs Google One: which should you choose?
iCloud+ and Google One side by side
Apple iCloud+
Starting from €0.99/month
Google One
Starting from €1.67/month
These are the two default choices for most people, because one of them came built into the phone in your pocket. At 2 TB they cost the same, €9.99 a month, and both include family sharing. So the real question is which ecosystem you already live in.
iCloud+ is the natural pick for an Apple household. It handles full iPhone backups, syncs photos across Mac and iOS with no setup, and bundles privacy extras like Private Relay and Hide My Email. Outside Apple it's weak. Windows support is clumsy and Android support barely exists.
Google One is the more flexible option. Its storage is shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos, it works the same on Android, iOS, Windows, and the web, and the free tier is 15 GB against Apple's 5 GB. The trade-off is privacy, since Google indexes your content and holds the keys. Neither service is built for privacy. If that's your priority, look at Proton Drive or Sync.com instead.
Frequently asked
- Is iCloud or Google One cheaper?
- At the 2 TB tier they're the same, €9.99 a month each. Google's entry tiers start lower, at €1.99 a month for 100 GB, and its free tier is bigger, 15 GB against Apple's 5 GB.
- Can I use iCloud on Android or Google One on iPhone?
- Google One works fully on iPhone through a proper iOS app. iCloud on Android is very limited and really only usable in a web browser.
- Which one is more private?
- Neither is built for privacy. iCloud pulls ahead only if you turn on Advanced Data Protection yourself. For genuine zero-knowledge encryption, neither is the right pick.
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