pCloud is our first choice for storing photos in the cloud. Its phone app uploads the camera roll automatically, pictures stay at full resolution, and a 2 TB lifetime plan is about $500, paid once instead of yearly. In our November tests, pCloud, Internxt, Google Drive, and MEGA recovered our deleted test file from the trash, but NordLocker erased it at once. On our iPhone, pCloud and Internxt broke Live Photos into a still and a clip. iCloud Photos kept them as one.
Our Photo Storage Rankings
- pCloud: Best cloud storage for photos and videos, with camera upload and lifetime plans
- Internxt: Best for private photo backup, encrypted before upload on every plan
- NordLocker: Best for code-protected photo links that expire
- Google Photos: Best for Android phones, with search by people, places, and things
- iCloud Photos: Best for iPhone and Mac users, with Live Photos kept intact
Features Compared: Upload, Recovery, and Privacy
| Service | Automatic phone upload | Deleted photos kept | Search and editing | End-to-end encryption | 2 TB or closest plan |
| pCloud | Yes, photos, videos, or both | 15 days free, 30 days paid | Timeline and basic editor | Paid add-on | $499 once or $99.99 a year |
| Internxt | Yes, on paid plans | 2 to 30 days, by plan | Previews only | Every plan | 3 TB, about €435 once |
| NordLocker | Uploads selected photos | Not kept | None | Every plan | About $84 for year one |
| Google Photos | Yes | 60 days | Search by people and places, full editor | No | $99.99 a year |
| iCloud Photos | Yes, on Apple devices | 30 days | Apple Photos search and editor | Optional, with Advanced Data Protection | $9.99 a month |
Upload Speed and File Recovery Results
Free accounts were used throughout our November tests. A 500 MB archive of music and video went up through the desktop apps on a Windows 11 computer located in Europe. After downloading it, we removed it from every account and looked for it in the trash.
| Service | Upload | Download | Deleted file restored |
| pCloud | 3:32 | 0:24 | Yes |
| Dropbox | 3:31 | 0:26 | Yes |
| Google Drive (Google Photos storage) | 3:33 | 0:24 | Yes |
| Internxt | 3:34 | 0:24 | Yes |
| NordLocker | 3:48 | 0:27 | No, there’s no trash |
| MEGA | 4:00 | 0:25 | Yes |
Upload times stayed within 29 seconds of one another, so the connection’s upload speed set most of the wait. Dropbox was one second quicker than pCloud on the upload, though pCloud downloaded two seconds faster. iCloud wasn’t part of the timed tests, and the fastest cloud storage results add a 2 GB file.
Photo Storage Reviews
1. pCloud: Best Cloud Storage for Photos and Videos
Pros
- Whole camera roll or new shots only
- RAW files stored untouched
- Timeline with social media crop presets
- Choice of EU or US storage
- Family lifetime plans
Cons
- Live Photos saved as two files
- Link security tied to paid plans
During setup on our phones, pCloud asked whether to copy the camera roll automatically. Uploads can cover the whole camera roll or only new shots, use Wi-Fi alone, and skip phone folders you don’t want copied. Camera RAW files go up untouched, with no size limit. The Photos tab arranges everything by date, and its editor crops pictures to sizes for social media feeds and stories.
pCloud’s 3-minute-32-second upload and 24-second download added up to the shortest total in our test. pCloud can also import an existing library from Google Photos or Dropbox, and we measure it against Dropbox in Dropbox vs pCloud. Yearly billing puts 2 TB at about $100, and a family lifetime plan divides 2 TB or 10 TB among as many as five accounts. Sharing and security are examined in our pCloud review.
2. Internxt: Best for Private Photo Backup
Pros
- Camera roll backup with paid plans
- Encryption keys never leave your devices
- One charge for up to 5 TB
- Independently audited
Cons
- Previews only, no editing
- Live Photo motion saved separately
- Deleted photos kept briefly on free accounts
With Internxt, pictures are encrypted with AES-256 and a post-quantum algorithm before they leave the phone or computer. Thumbnails and full-size previews still load in the apps, though there’s no editor. Automatic camera roll backup comes with paid plans and sends pictures to Internxt Photos. On a free account, the option is locked. Our archive downloaded in 24 seconds, matching pCloud.
Free accounts have 1 GB, keep deleted files for only 2 days, and accept files of up to 100 MB, enough for phone photos. Paid plans keep them longer, up to 30 days. For a direct comparison with pCloud, see pCloud vs Internxt. One payment of about €285 buys 1 TB for life, with 3 TB at €435 and 5 TB at €585, and US buyers pay in euros too. It also appears in our most secure cloud storage ranking.
3. NordLocker: Best for Code-Protected Photo Links
Pros
- Security code attached to every link
- Shared albums expire on schedule
- No signup for the people you share with
- Zero-knowledge without paying
Cons
- Trash and version history missing
- No Mac app
- Pricier after the first year
Free and paid NordLocker accounts have the same end-to-end encryption, with keys derived from a cloud password the company never sees. Shared albums go out as links locked with a generated code, which you can disable. The 14-day default expiry can be lengthened to roughly a year. Relatives can download them without creating an account. Deletion on NordLocker is final: our test file disappeared the moment we removed it, so originals stored there require a second copy.
Single files can be up to 8 GB in the phone and web apps, plenty for photos. On a Mac, uploads go through the browser, since NordLocker’s desktop app runs only on Windows. NordLocker charges about $36 for 500 GB in year one and about $84 for 2 TB, among the cheapest cloud storage services for the first year. The 2 TB plan renews at about $180, and the NordLocker review details its apps and prices.
4. Google Photos: Best for Android Phones
Pros
- Face and scene search
- AI editing tools
- Built into most Android phones
- Plans shared with up to five people
Cons
- Photos readable by Google
- Storage saver lowers resolution
- Gmail and Drive draw from the same quota
Typing “beach” or a friend’s name into Google Photos shows matching pictures, and the built-in editor fixes lighting and color or erases unwanted objects. Most Android phones come with it, and backup can start as soon as you sign in. On iPhone, it works through the Google Photos app. Storage saver trims photos to 16 MP and video to 1080p to save space, so choose Original quality to keep the camera’s full resolution.
Uploads in either mode draw on a 15 GB pool that Gmail and Drive also use. Deleting a backed-up photo removes it from every device with backup enabled, and it stays in the trash for 60 days. Google Drive shares this storage and uploaded our archive in 3 minutes 33 seconds. Paid storage starts at $20 a year for 100 GB. The 2 TB tier costs $100 and can be split with five other people. Google Drive vs pCloud compares the paid plans of the two.
5. iCloud Photos: Best for iPhone and Mac Users
Pros
- Automatic on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- Live Photos stay intact
- Shared Photo Library for families
- Family Sharing on every paid plan
Cons
- No Android app
- Advanced Data Protection is opt-in
- Small free tier shared with device backups
Once enabled, iCloud Photos keeps the same library on every iPhone, iPad, and Mac signed in to the account, with no extra app to install. Live Photos keep their motion. Optimize iPhone Storage keeps smaller copies on the phone and the full originals in iCloud. Deleted pictures stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days. Apple encrypts photos end to end only with Advanced Data Protection, an opt-in setting that hasn’t been available to UK users since 2025.
Android phones have no iCloud app, so access there goes through iCloud.com. Monthly plans start with 50 GB at $0.99 and go up to 12 TB for $59.99, with 2 TB at $9.99 a month. Family Sharing extends any paid plan to five relatives. If you’re leaving Apple’s ecosystem, our iCloud alternatives guide covers switching away.
Free Photo Backup Plans
Free plans range from 1 GB to 20 GB, enough for a few hundred to a few thousand phone pictures:
| Service | Free storage | Photo quality | Automatic phone backup |
| MEGA | 20 GB | Original | Yes, Camera Uploads |
| Google Photos | 15 GB, shared with Gmail and Drive | Original, or 16 MP with Storage saver | Yes |
| pCloud | 2 GB, up to 10 GB through tasks and invites | Original | Yes |
| Amazon Photos | 5 GB, or unlimited photos with Prime | Original | Yes |
| iCloud Photos | 5 GB, shared with device backups | Original | Yes, Apple devices only |
| NordLocker | 3 GB | Original | Selected photos |
| Internxt | 1 GB | Original | Paid plans only |
MEGA: 20 GB Free, Encrypted
Free MEGA accounts have end-to-end encryption, and Camera Uploads copies new pictures from the phone. Its 4-minute upload was the slowest in our table, and our deleted file came back from its rubbish bin. MEGA may delete files from free accounts left unused for 10 months or more, so sign in now and then.
Amazon Photos: Unlimited Photos for Prime Members
Prime members can upload as many full-resolution photos as they like to Amazon Photos, plus 5 GB of video. A Prime member can add up to five people to a Family Vault, and they receive the same photo allowance. Without Prime, the free tier is 5 GB. Free plans for documents and other files appear in a separate free cloud storage roundup.
Photo Backup vs Photo Sync
Google Photos and iCloud Photos sync a library. A picture deleted on one device disappears from the others, and the trash is the only safety net: 60 days at Google and 30 at Apple. A backup keeps a separate copy that a deletion on the phone doesn’t touch.
A practical setup syncs the camera roll to one service and copies the library to a second place, such as an external drive or another cloud account. For whole computers, IDrive backs up several PCs, Macs, and phones into one account. Its free plan has 10 GB, and 5 TB costs under $85 in the first year. Our IDrive review explains its device backups.
Sharing Storage With Family
| Service | Who can share it | Storage | Cost |
| pCloud Family | Up to five people | 2 TB or 10 TB | One lifetime payment |
| Google One | You and up to five others | 2 TB plan | About $100 a year |
| iCloud+ | You and up to five others | 2 TB plan | $9.99 a month |
| Amazon Photos | A Prime member and up to five people | Unlimited photos, 5 GB of video | Included with Prime |
| Microsoft 365 Family | Six people | 1 TB each | About $130 a year |
Google One and iCloud+ keep each person’s photos private unless they choose to share them. Apple’s Shared Photo Library adds one common library for as many as six people, and Amazon’s Family Vault works as a shared album.
How to Back Up Photos From an iPhone or Android Phone
On an iPhone, allow the storage app full access to the photo library when iOS asks, then enable its camera upload. With Optimize iPhone Storage enabled, the full-size files are kept in iCloud. Choose Download and Keep Originals first if the phone has room.
On Android, Google Photos offers backup as soon as you sign in. To use pCloud or MEGA instead, enable camera upload in the app and choose the folders to include, such as Camera and Screenshots. Then decide whether mobile data is allowed. Before clearing space on the phone, check the newest pictures on another device.
Verdict
Choose by phone and by how private the library has to be. On Android or iPhone, pCloud backs up the camera roll at full quality and sells lifetime storage. Internxt encrypts every picture before upload, and NordLocker sends albums through code-locked links. Google Photos has the strongest search on Android, and iCloud Photos keeps Live Photos whole on Apple devices. For a small library, MEGA’s free 20 GB is a sensible start.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cloud storage for photos and videos?
pCloud ranks first for photos and videos. Its phone app uploads pictures and clips automatically, files of any size go up unaltered, and videos stream without a download.
How can I back up my photos to the cloud?
Download pCloud, Google Photos, or MEGA to the phone, log in, and activate its camera backup option. Fresh pictures then upload automatically each time the phone joins Wi-Fi.
What is the best free photo backup?
MEGA is the best free photo backup, since every account starts with 20 GB, end-to-end encryption, and automatic Camera Uploads. Google Photos is second, and Gmail messages count toward its 15 GB.
Is it safe to store photos in the cloud?
Yes, with a reputable service and two-factor login enabled. End-to-end encrypted services such as Internxt keep photos unreadable to the company, and a second copy protects against deletions.
What is the cheapest cloud storage for photos?
Amazon Photos costs least for Prime members, because the membership already includes unlimited full-resolution photo storage. Without Prime, Google One's smallest plan, 100 GB, costs about $20 a year.
Which cloud storage is best for photographers?
pCloud comes first for photographers. RAW files upload untouched with no size cap, branded links deliver galleries to clients, and file requests let clients send their own files.
