Exclusive: Microsoft quietly ends unlimited cloud storage option on OneDrive

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Microsoft has killed unlimited storage from its OneDrive business plans, with organisations now limited to just 1TB per user on default configurations.

OneDrive for Business (Plan 2) was popular with large organizations that needed a limitless storage capacity to, for example, manage a countless and growing number of media files, like videos or artistic assets. One of the best unlimited storage deals out there, it was available for approximately $10 per user, per month, excluding tax.

But Microsoft appaears to have eliminated this option entirely for new customers at some point between 28 July and 14 July, according to Archive.org, with new users instead only limited to OneDrive for Business (Plan 1). This caps each user to 1TB by default, but this can rise to 5TB depending on the number of users on the plan. Nevertheless, it’s a far cry from the unlimited storage option that potential customers could once opt for.

OneDrive limits

“In response to customer demand, Microsoft has streamlined the purchasing process for customers who use OneDrive for Business standalone plans,” a spokesperson told TechRadar Pro. “Customers currently on these plans will still be able to add seats and renew their license.”

Customers can now only purchase OneDrive plan for Business (Plan 1) for $5 per user, per month, if they want to use OneDrive without the rest of the Microsoft 365 suite. Otherwise, the Microsoft 365 Business Basic package costs $6 per user per month, with Microsoft 365 Business Standard costing $12.50 per user per month. All packages, however, limit OneDrive storage to a default of 1TB max.

OneDrive for business (plan 2) offered customers unlimited storage, but only if they qualified. Organizations, first of all, needed five or more users with a OneDrive for business (plan 2) subscription, with Microsoft providing an initial limit of 1TB per user. Admins, though, could raise this to 5TB per user.

Customers could then contact Microsoft support directly to request additional storage, up to 25TB per user, should they need it. Beyond that, storage would be provisioned as 25TB SharePoint team sites to individual users.

While OneDrive no longer offers unlimited storage, there are plenty of other options out there, including offers from Box, Carbonite, OpenDrive, and others Check out the best unlimited cloud storage dealS for more details.

Keumars Afifi-Sabet is the Technology Editor for Live Science. He has written for a variety of publications including ITPro, The Week Digital and ComputerActive. He has worked as a technology journalist for more than five years, having previously held the role of features editor with ITPro. In his previous role, he oversaw the commissioning and publishing of long form in areas including AI, cyber security, cloud computing and digital transformation.