- 16/08: Prismdrive added. Prices checked.
- 07/06: Koofr added
- 02/05: Degoo added
- 13/04: Internxt promotion has started
- 04/04: Internxt prices updated
- 06/03: All prices checked. No change.
- 16/02: All prices checked, cloud provider Ganso added
It's true - you can buy a lifetime's cloud storage, and after all, who wouldn't want to have a permanent cloud storage location where you can store your data forever without having to worry about outgoings?
So yes, you can buy cloud storage for lifetime (although lifetime would - in this case - means as long as the company operates or, as pCloud puts it, for the duration of the lifetime of the account owner or 99 years, whichever is shorter).
However, we have mixed feelings about such offerings and lifetime cloud storage in general for a good reason; we’re unsure about the economic viability of such schemes.
Best cloud storage: Expand your storage easily
Best cloud backup: Protect your data on the go
Best cloud storage for photos: Space for your photos
Best business cloud storage: Data resilience for business
Best free cloud storage: Bits and bytes online for free
This explains why Google, Microsoft, Amazon and so many others do not offer lifetime cloud storage or indeed unlimited cloud storage.
That being said, a growing number of cloud storage companies are offering lifetime cloud storage either as demand from cash-strapped customers looking for better value for money goes up (and up).
So to help, we’ve lined up all the lifetime cloud storage deals - all nine of them - we could find online this September, starting with one that’s exclusive to us.
Oh and if you're looking for something else, why not have a look at our best unlimited cloud storage deals.
- If we’ve missed any lifetime cloud storage service or if one of the ones listed below no longer offers lifetime cloud storage, ping me an email on desire.athow@futurenet.com.
What is a lifetime cloud storage?
As the name implies, it is a pay-once-use-forever, fire-and-forget offer with no recurring charges. Although the initial cost can be high, it is amortized the longer you stick around - a $500 lifetime cloud storage, for example, ends up costing about $4 per month if you stay with it for 10 years (or 120 months).
Just bear in mind though that lifetime, in this case, is often as long as the company operates or chooses to fulfill this particular offer. This is why it is often imperative for users to have a backup plan (usually by having a local copy of the files available). We know of at least one company that pulled out its Lifetime offer and two household names - Amazon and Samsung - that pulled out completely of cloud storage.
Why do companies offer lifetime cloud storage?
We approached a few companies, asking that particular question. Anonymously, they told us that they often do it to get more exposure and that the numbers do work out. “Lifetime deals are not really sustainable for us as a company, but they are great for the users.” one noted. “We generate a lot of publicity from lifetime deals, which is great for us as we are the newcomers in the cloud storage space.”
Lifetime cloud storage is also a great way to bring in revenue almost immediately, which helps prop up your balance sheet, removing the risk of customers stopping payment and moving their custom elsewhere. pCloud for example, will not refund you if you cancel the subscription.
Lifetime Cloud Storage: What are the pros & cons
Pros: Lifetime cloud storage is designed to help you save money in the long run as well as remove any headache that might be associated with, well, life's little mistakes like cancelling a credit card or bank account tied with a cloud storage subscription. With no recurring payments, you don't have to worry about account suspensions or bumped prices further down the line.
Cons: Putting all your eggs in the same basket can have unintended consequences. Companies can go bankrupt or change their business model like Zoolz did in 2020 when it phased out its lifetime offer because it was unsustainable. Cloud storage has some fixed costs like the price of the hardware and some operational costs (e.g. incoming and outgoing bandwidth, the price of electricity etc) so while a lump sum can help reduce the cost of the former, it does only cover a little bit of the latter.
- We've built a list of the best cloud storage for photos out there
- Here's our list of the best cloud backup available
- Also check out our list of the best file syncing solutions around
