The essentials
pCloud and iCloud are often compared on price and storage, but the difference that matters for privacy is who holds the keys. By default, neither is end-to-end encrypted: both encrypt your files in transit and at rest with keys the provider manages. Each has a way to go further, and they work in opposite ways:
- iCloud offers Advanced Data Protection, a free, opt-in setting that extends end-to-end encryption to most of your iCloud data. It is off by default.
- pCloud offers Crypto, a paid add-on that encrypts one dedicated folder on your device before upload. Everything outside that folder stays under standard encryption.
So the honest short answer: if you only use Apple devices, turning on Advanced Data Protection is the cheapest way to strong encryption. If you need one storage space across Android, Windows and Linux, or you prefer to pay once, pCloud is the better fit. Below, the details, with prices read on the official pages on 16 October 2026.
Encryption: the defaults, then the options
| iCloud | pCloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Default | Standard data protection: Apple manages the keys | Standard encryption: pCloud manages the keys |
| End-to-end option | Advanced Data Protection (free, opt-in) | Crypto add-on (paid), one encrypted folder |
| Coverage of the option | 25 data categories, including iCloud Backup, Photos, Notes and iCloud Drive | Only files placed in the Crypto folder |
| What stays outside | Mail, Contacts, Calendars, some metadata, iWork collaboration, Shared Albums | Everything not in the Crypto folder |
Apple's own support page states that standard data protection is the default setting for every account and that Advanced Data Protection is optional. With it enabled, the number of end-to-end encrypted categories rises to 25. Apple also lists what stays outside: iCloud Mail does not use end-to-end encryption, Contacts and Calendars do not support it, some metadata remains under standard protection, and iWork collaboration and Shared Albums in Photos do not support it. We go through each category in is iCloud secure?.
pCloud's standard encryption is not zero-knowledge either. Its zero-knowledge layer is Crypto: files you put in the Crypto folder are encrypted on your device before they leave it, and pCloud cannot read them. It is sold separately from storage, and it covers that folder, not your whole account. Our pCloud review and is pCloud safe? cover how it behaves in practice.
Prices, checked on 16 October 2026
iCloud+ (Apple's US prices, billed monthly, 5 GB free):
| Storage | Price per month |
|---|---|
| 50 GB | $0.99 |
| 200 GB | $2.99 |
| 2 TB | $9.99 |
| 6 TB | $29.99 |
| 12 TB | $59.99 |
pCloud lifetime (one-time payment, as displayed on pCloud's pricing page):
| Plan | Lifetime price shown | Struck-through price |
|---|---|---|
| Premium, 500 GB | 219 EUR | 279 EUR |
| Premium Plus, 2 TB | 499 EUR | 709 EUR |
| Ultra, 10 TB | 1,499 EUR | 2,799 EUR |
The comparison most people make is 2 TB. At $9.99 a month, iCloud+ 2 TB costs about $120 a year. pCloud's 2 TB lifetime plan was shown at 499 EUR. Ignoring the currency difference, the lifetime plan takes roughly four years to cost less than the subscription, provided pCloud is still running and your needs have not changed by then. Remember that pCloud's Crypto add-on is an extra cost on top, while Advanced Data Protection on iCloud costs nothing more.
Platforms: the decisive point for mixed households
- iCloud is built into iPhone, iPad and Mac, and has iCloud for Windows and a web interface. There is no iCloud app for Android.
- pCloud has apps for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS and Linux, and a desktop client that mounts your storage as a drive.
If anyone in the house uses Android, or you work on Linux, pCloud is the one storage space everyone can reach. If everyone is on Apple devices, iCloud's integration (photo library, device backups, Messages) is hard to beat.
Jurisdiction
Apple is a US company, and for data under standard protection it can be compelled to hand it over under US legal process. With Advanced Data Protection, Apple says it no longer holds the keys to the covered categories. pCloud AG is registered in Switzerland, in Lausanne, but by default its storage servers are in the United States and Luxembourg: Swiss incorporation does not mean your files sit in Switzerland. Crypto remains the only way to make pCloud unable to read your files, wherever they are stored.
Which one to choose
- All-Apple user: stay on iCloud and turn on Advanced Data Protection. You get end-to-end encryption for most of your data with no new account and no extra cost. Just note what it does not cover (Mail, Contacts, Calendars).
- Mixed Android, Windows or Linux devices: pCloud, for one storage space on every platform, and add Crypto for the files that must stay private.
- You dislike subscriptions: pCloud's lifetime plans are the rare one-time option, with the caveat that their value depends on the company lasting.
- You want end-to-end encryption for everything by default, with no add-on: neither, and look at Proton Drive vs iCloud instead.
Frequently asked questions
- Is pCloud more private than iCloud?
- Not by default. Both encrypt data in transit and at rest with keys the provider manages, so either company can technically access standard files. Each offers a stronger option: iCloud's Advanced Data Protection, a free opt-in setting that extends end-to-end encryption to 25 data categories, and pCloud's Crypto, a paid add-on that encrypts a dedicated folder on your device before upload. The difference is less about which is private and more about how you get there and what stays outside it.
- What does iCloud Advanced Data Protection not cover?
- Apple states that iCloud Mail, Contacts and Calendars stay under standard data protection even with Advanced Data Protection on, that some metadata remains under standard protection, and that iWork collaboration and Shared Albums in Photos do not support it. It is also off by default: standard data protection is the default setting for every account.
- How much do pCloud and iCloud cost in 2026?
- On 16 October 2026, Apple's US prices for iCloud+ were $0.99 a month for 50 GB, $2.99 for 200 GB, $9.99 for 2 TB, $29.99 for 6 TB and $59.99 for 12 TB, with 5 GB free. pCloud's pricing page showed one-time lifetime plans at 219 EUR for 500 GB, 499 EUR for 2 TB and 1,499 EUR for 10 TB, each displayed against a higher struck-through price. pCloud's Crypto encryption add-on is sold separately.
- Can I use pCloud on an iPhone and iCloud on Windows or Android?
- pCloud has apps for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS and Linux, so it works the same across mixed devices. iCloud is built into Apple devices and has an iCloud for Windows app and a web interface, but there is no iCloud app for Android. If your household mixes Android and Apple, pCloud is the simpler common ground.
- Should I switch from iCloud to pCloud?
- If you live entirely in Apple's ecosystem, turning on Advanced Data Protection gives you end-to-end encryption for most of your data at no extra cost and is usually the better first move. pCloud makes more sense if you need one storage space across Android, Windows and Linux, or if you prefer a one-time lifetime payment to a monthly subscription.
Add zero-knowledge encryption → pCloud Crypto
Client-side encryption · only you hold the key · Swiss jurisdiction
