Free cloud storage comparison: which free plan holds your files, and for how long
Enter how much you store and how fast it grows. The tool keeps only the free plans that match your rules (end-to-end encryption, jurisdiction), tells you which single account is enough, when it fills up, and what the cheapest paid plan costs once free is no longer enough.
Your files
Free quotas read on each provider's official page on 18 Oct 2026. Providers change them: check before you move your files.
Result
You need 24 GB in 3 years.
MEGA (20 GB free) holds today's files but fills up in 2 yr. Transfer quota is limited on the free plan.
When free is not enough
Cheapest paid plan that covers your need over the period (list prices read on 18 Oct 2026, no promotion active):
- Drive Plus (200 GB): €131.64 over 3 years
- pCloud Premium 500 GB (500 GB): €149.97 over 3 years
See pCloud lifetime plans
Pay once, keep the storage. Pays for itself after about 4 to 5 years.
View offerAll free plans that match your filters
| Service | Free | E2E | Company based in | Full |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEGATransfer quota is limited on the free plan. | 20 GB | yes | New Zealand (5 Eyes) | in 2 yr |
| Google DriveShared with Gmail and Google Photos. | 15 GB | no | USA (5 Eyes) | in 0.8 yr |
| FilenData deleted after 3 months without login. | 10 GiB | yes | Germany | already |
| pCloud"Up to" 10 GB: the full amount is unlocked step by step. | 10 GB | no | Switzerland | already |
| Koofr | 10 GB | no | Slovenia | already |
| Proton DriveShared with Proton Mail on the same account. | 5 GB | yes | Switzerland | already |
| Sync.com | 5 GB | yes | Canada (5 Eyes) | already |
| Dropbox BasicUp to 3 devices. | 2 GB | no | USA (5 Eyes) | already |
| Internxt | 1 GB | yes | Spain | already |
Free plans compared (read on 18 October 2026)
| Service | Free storage | End-to-end encrypted | Company based in |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEGA | 20 GB | Yes | New Zealand (5 Eyes) |
| Google Drive | 15 GB | No | USA (5 Eyes) |
| Filen | 10 GiB | Yes | Germany |
| pCloud | 10 GB | No | Switzerland |
| Koofr | 10 GB | No | Slovenia |
| Proton Drive | 5 GB | Yes | Switzerland |
| Sync.com | 5 GB | Yes | Canada (5 Eyes) |
| Dropbox Basic | 2 GB | No | USA (5 Eyes) |
| Internxt | 1 GB | Yes | Spain |
Filen gives 10 GiB (10.74 GB). pCloud says "up to 10 GB": part of it is unlocked by completing steps. Google's 15 GB is shared with Gmail and Google Photos; Proton's 5 GB with Proton Mail. Not listed: OneDrive and Icedrive, whose free terms we could not confirm on the provider's page that day.
How the tool decides
- Need = data today + yearly growth multiplied by the number of years you plan for.
- Best single account = the smallest free plan that still holds the need at the end of the period, so the biggest quotas stay available for something else. If none does, it shows the one that lasts longest and when it fills up.
- Several accounts = only if you tick the box and no single plan is enough; largest quotas first. It is a workaround, not a backup strategy.
- Paid fallback = cheapest Proton Drive plan (24-month billing, prices read from Proton's payment API on 18 Oct 2026) and cheapest pCloud plan (yearly or lifetime, whichever costs less over the period, pcloud.com the same day).
Questions
Which cloud storage gives the most free space in 2026?
Among the plans we could verify on 18 October 2026, MEGA gives the most (20 GB), then Google (15 GB, shared with Gmail and Google Photos), then Filen (10 GiB), pCloud (up to 10 GB) and Koofr (10 GB).
Which free cloud storage is end-to-end encrypted?
MEGA (20 GB), Filen (10 GiB), Proton Drive (5 GB), Sync.com (5 GB) and Internxt (1 GB). Google Drive, Dropbox, Koofr and the free pCloud plan are not end-to-end encrypted by default; on pCloud it is the paid Crypto add-on.
Can I combine several free accounts?
Yes, nothing forbids it, and the tool computes how many you would need. But each account has its own app, password and limits, and Filen deletes free data after 3 months without login. Use it for archives, not for files you open every day.
When is it worth paying?
When your need passes the largest free plan that fits your rules within the period you plan for. For 200 GB, Proton Drive Plus costs 47.88 a year; for 500 GB, pCloud's lifetime plan (219) costs less than 5 years of yearly billing (249.95).
2026-10-18