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Apple has increased the price of iCloud+ in the UK, here are some cheaper alternatives to try
It used to be one of the cheapest cloud storage solutions, now it may be one of the most expensive options
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Your support makes all the difference.Apple’s iCloud+ is one of the most popular cloud storage platforms in the world amongst iPhone users, but from today, subscribers will find themselves paying more for the service. Apple has just quietly raised the price of all of its paid-for tiers in the UK, including the 50GB, 200GB and 2TB plans.
iCloud+ subscribers will now pay £0.99 per month for the 50GB plan, £2.99 per month for the 200GB plan and £8.99 per month for the 2TB plan – increasing roughly by 25 per cent.
Apple had previously set its iCloud+ prices at £0.79 per month, £2.49 per month and £6.99 for the respective tiers. Those on the free tier will still be able to use their 5GB without charge.
While iCloud+ prices have remained the same in the US, 9to5Mac reports that it has seen price increases in Poland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Tanzania, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
In addition to the increased storage, Apple iCloud+ subscribers also get access to Private Relay, Apple’s VPN-like service, as well as Hide My Email and Apple’s encrypted home security camera storage HomeKit feature. But there are cheaper options out there if the price hike has prompted you to make the switch.
Cheaper Apple iCloud+ alternatives 2023
Google One and Google Drive: £1.49 per month for 100GB, Google.com
Google offers one of the cheapest cloud storage plans around. Unlike iCloud+, which gives you a poultry 5GB free, Google gives you 15GB of storage for free. The plans are now also cheaper than iCloud+. You can get 100GB of storage for £1.59 per month, 200GB for £2.49 per month and 2TB for £7.99 per month.
It also comes with Google One VPN, Google Photos editing features and storage can be shared with up to five members.
Microsoft 365 Personal and OneDrive: £59.99 annually for 1TB, Microsoft.com
Microsoft’s OneDrive, now called Microsoft 365, offers some of the best value when it comes to cloud storage. The individual annual plan costs £59.99 annually, which works out to £4.99 per month for 1TB of storage. You also get access to Microsoft’s Office suite of products on the desktop, web and mobile, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and more; ad-free Outlook on the desktop, web and mobile; and data and device protection with Microsoft Defender. The monthly fee costs £5.99.
You can also get the basic 100GB tier for £19.99 (which works out to £1.66 per month) or pay the monthly £1.99 fee. It comes with web and mobile versions of your favourite Office products (no desktop version) and ad-free Outlook.
Dropbox Plus: £95.88 annually for 2TB, Dropbox.com
Dropbox is typically one of the more expensive cloud storage and file sharing services, it’s cheaper than Apple’s new iCloud+ tier if you opt for the annual plan. Dropbox Plus’s individual plan comes with 2TB of storage and costs £95.88 annually, which works out as £7.99 per month. Dropbox Plus comes with unlimited device linking, large file delivery transfers (up to 2GB in size) and three free eSignatures per month.
Mega Pro I: £86.34 annually for 2TB, Mega.io
Mega’s Pro I tier comes with 2TB of storage and 2TB of file transfers. It costs £86.34 annually, which works out to about £7.19 per month, or you can pay £8.63 monthly – both options are still cheaper than iCloud+’s new rates. All of its pro tiers come with the ability to password protect your links, expiring links, file versioning, automatic backups and the revival of old or deleted files and folders. You can also use the company’s Zoom-like video calls and private messaging feature. The company also offers 20GB of cloud storage for free.
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Looking for more file storage solutions? Read our guide to the best cloud storage platforms