The best unlimited cloud storage options are services that allow you to store as many of your files, photos, and videos - backed up on a secure and user friendly cloud platform. Gold standard platforms offer unlimited cloud storage - eliminating the need to faff around with multiple licenses across different services.
Unsurprisingly, these plans are aimed for those people with lots and lots of files that need to be backed up - so they don't come cheap. Unlimited cloud storage is generally aimed at professionals and businesses, so if you only have a personal amount of photos or videos - check out our guide to the best cloud storage where you can find some fantastic deals on cloud storage at a few different price points for, or anyone looking to save can take a look at the best free cloud storage.
At TechRadar Pro we've spent countless hours testing the the best cloud storage platforms and scouring the internet for all the best deals. From here on out, I'll be using the terms cloud backup and cloud storage interchangeably - but if you want to know the difference, check out this article.
Some of the best deals for unlimited cloud storage deals come from some lesser-known providers, not just the big hitters - so I've done my best to highlight the ones you might not have thought to check.
- If we’ve missed any unlimited cloud storage service or if one of the ones listed below are out of date, ping me an email on desire.athow@futurenet.com.
Provider | Key features |
Carbonite Basic | Unlimited backup, automatic file and photo backup. |
GoPro Premium | Unlimited cloud storage of all GoPro footage, 25GB of Cloud Storage of non-GoPro footage. (Price doubles after the first year). "Premium+" plan offers 500GB for non-GoPro footage at $100/year. |
Backblaze Personal Backup | Unlimited cloud storage space. No price increase after the first year. $27 discount available for two-year plan. |
LiveDrive Backup | Unlimited cloud storage. UK-based. File edit access. Has seen a recent price hike. |
Box Business | Unlimited cloud storage, team collaboration by default, 1500+ integrations, Box Sign and Box Canvas, DLP. Minimum of 3 users. |
CrashPlan Professional | File backup and recovery only. Unlimited cloud storage, limited to 2 devices per user. No user limits. |
Jottacloud Personal | Unlimited cloud storage, includes backup, archive, and sync across all devices. New AI photo search feature. Upload speeds reduced if using over 5TB. Additional accounts cost extra. |
OpenDrive Personal | Unlimited storage allowances for single personal users. Caters to individuals, businesses, and enterprises. |
Sync.com Pro Teams Unlimited | Unlimited cloud storage, solid central functions, excellent security features. Minimum of 3 users per plan. |
Asurion Home+ | Unlimited cloud storage included with a Asurion's Home+ subscription. US-only. Unlimited photo and video storage. |
What is unlimited cloud storage?
Unlimited cloud storage, unsurprisingly, refers to cloud storage with no capacity limits, or restrictions on file size or format.
That being said - there is a catch. There are always restrictions on what you can and can't do. Cloud service providers have finite resources like the rest of us (see the phrase; the cloud is just someone else's computer). Limits of the bandwith to and from the data centre, fixed numbers of bytes per hard drive, and a fixed number of hard disks are fairly commonly seen.
For more on this, check out our perspective on no-limit cloud storage.
Why do companies offer unlimited cloud storage?
Companies offer unlimited cloud storage because it is a powerful marketing argument, a valid selling point not only in cloud storage but also in web hosting (unlimited bandwidth) and in mobile phone contracts (unlimited minutes, unlimited data downloads, unlimited text).
What they bet on is that customers won’t be uploading tens of terabytes of data. Unlimited cloud storage depends very much on how much data you can upload at any time and this has a physical limit based on your connection.
Is unlimited cloud storage really unlimited?
Like anything that’s unlimited, service providers do not expect customers to max out the service.
Heavy users are the ones that are the costliest for the service providers, and for those, they can deploy an array of limitations ranging from bandwidth throttling (how much data you can move per unit time) to file size limits.
What are the limitations beyond storage capacity?
Even if the overall storage capacity being offered to users is unlimited, there may be other caveats worth bearing in mind. For instance, other limitations may be applied in terms of file size, file type, bandwidth throttling, and the number of devices and/or users.
For instance, be sure to read the fair use policy carefully as these can often be vague and leave users at the mercy of the provider's discretion. Also, an unlimited storage plan might only apply to a single device or a specific number of users, even if the storage itself is vast. For businesses, in particular, this may not be a viable options, as they often require multi-user plans.
Will my deal price be maintained?
It's important for usersto check the small print before they commit themselves to an unlimited cloud storage deal - just to make sure it's not too goofd to be true. Be careful of price increases being applied after the promotional period expires. Also, check for hidden fees. Are there any additional costs for features like file editing, versioning, or specific types of access?
And should you decide to leave a particular vendor, what's the cancellation policy like? How easy is it to cancel the service, and are there any penalties?
How does the provider handle unlimited deals in the event they go out of business or merge?
This is part if the due diligence individuals and businesses must carry out before committing themselves financially. How sustainable does the company appear? What is their track record and financial stability like?
As with any cloud storage plan, if you're really want to ensure there aren't any nasty surprises further down the line should your cloud provider go out of business or are acquired by another firm, make sure you employ backup software or take a look at our guide on the best ways to backup photos. It includes several physical media options, like USB flash drives, SD cards, the best SSDs, and more.
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