Free cloud storage for photos comes down to one number: how many gigabytes you get before the service asks for money. Google Photos gives every account 15 GB, iCloud gives 5 GB, MEGA gives 20 GB, and Amazon Prime members get unlimited full-resolution photo storage. This guide compares eight services on what the free plan really holds, what happens when it fills, and which one fits your phone and your photo habits. Reading it takes about ten minutes, and you only need to know which phone or computer you shoot on.
Free Storage Compared at a Glance
Free allowances are not equal. Some are shared with email and documents, some cover photos only, and one needs a paid subscription you may already have. The table below reflects each provider’s own pages and app listings checked while writing this guide.
| Service | Free storage | Shared with other data? | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Photos | 15 GB | Yes: Photos, Drive and Gmail | Android users, searchable libraries |
| iCloud | 5 GB | Yes: backups, Photos, Drive, Mail | iPhone and Mac users |
| Amazon Photos | Unlimited photos with Prime; 5 GB without | Video has its own limit | Existing Prime members |
| Microsoft OneDrive | 5 GB | Yes: Microsoft account services | Windows and Office users |
| MEGA | 20 GB | Files and photos together | Largest free allowance, privacy focus |
| Proton Drive | 5 GB | Files and photos together | End-to-end encrypted storage |
| Dropbox | 2 GB | Files and photos together | Sharing with non-users |
| pCloud | Up to 10 GB | Files and photos together | Lifetime-plan buyers |
What to Check Before You Pick a Free Plan
A headline number tells you very little. Four checks decide whether a free plan survives past the first year.
Is the space shared with anything else?
Google states that its 15 GB is shared across Google Photos, Google Drive and Gmail, so a busy inbox eats into your photo allowance. Apple’s 5 GB also covers device backups, iCloud Drive and Mail. A service that keeps photos in their own bucket, like Amazon Photos for Prime members, avoids that squeeze.
Does it keep the original quality?
Services that store full-resolution originals use space faster than ones that compress. Amazon Photos keeps photos in the same size and format as the originals. Apple describes iCloud Photos as keeping high-resolution originals in iCloud with space-saving versions on your devices. Know which mode you are in before judging how long 15 GB will last.
What happens when the free space runs out?
Usually uploads stop, and the phone keeps showing a warning. Google’s policy announced in 2020 also said content could be deleted across its products if an account stays over its storage limit for two years. A full free plan is therefore a deadline, not just an inconvenience.
Is it a backup or a sync?
Sync services mirror a deletion everywhere, including the cloud copy. A deleted photo on your phone can vanish from the cloud as well. For irreplaceable family photos, keep a second copy in a different service.
The Best Free Cloud Storage for Photos
The list below is ordered by how well each free plan serves a typical person backing up a phone camera roll. Prices come from each provider’s own pages; check them before you buy, since cloud plans change often.
Google Photos
Every Google account includes up to 15 GB of free storage, and Google Photos draws from that shared pool. It suits Android owners most, because backup is built into the phone and the app’s search finds people, places and objects without manual tagging. It ranks first because the free allowance is large enough for roughly a few years of casual shooting, and the app works well on iPhones too.
- Automatic backup from phone and tablet
- Search by content, people and places
- Free tier included with every Google account
- Paid plans start at 100 GB if you outgrow the free tier
The weakness is the shared pool: Gmail attachments and Drive files count against the same 15 GB, so a heavy email user fills it faster than the photo count suggests.
Amazon Photos
Prime members in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Japan receive unlimited photo storage plus 5 GB of video storage. Everyone else gets 5 GB for photos and videos combined. For a household already paying for Prime, this is the strongest free option, because photos are stored in full resolution with no gigabyte meter running.
- Unlimited full-resolution photos with Prime in the listed countries
- 5 GB of video storage for Prime members
- Private Groups for sharing albums with family
- Automatic mobile backup
The weakness is that “free” depends on Prime. Cancel the membership and the unlimited allowance goes away, so download a local copy of the library before you do.
iCloud
Apple gives 5 GB of free iCloud storage the first time you sign in on an iPhone, iPad or Mac. It ranks here because nothing integrates with iOS the way iCloud Photos does, but 5 GB is small once a device backup shares the space. Paid iCloud+ plans cost $0.99 a month for 50 GB, $2.99 for 200 GB and $9.99 for 2 TB, and all of them can be shared with up to five family members through Family Sharing.
- Original-quality photos with lighter versions on each device
- Check usage under Settings, your name, then iCloud
- Family Sharing on every paid plan
- Built in to iPhone, iPad and Mac
The weakness is size. Automatic backups need enough free iCloud storage to run, so a library plus a backup will not fit in 5 GB for most people.
MEGA
MEGA offers 20 GB of free storage to registered users, the biggest standing free allowance on this list, with optional achievements that add storage in 5 GB increments. Its apps include automatic camera backup, and files are end-to-end encrypted. It ranks high on capacity and privacy, and it is the pick for someone with a large backlog of photos who does not use Google or Apple services.
- 20 GB free for registered users
- Automatic camera backup on mobile
- End-to-end encryption
- Password-protected, expiring share links
The weakness is the transfer quota. MEGA limits how much data a free account can move in a period, and the exact quota varies, so restoring a large library in one sitting can stall.
Proton Drive
Proton Drive’s free plan gives 5 GB with no credit card, and Proton says the free plan uses the same end-to-end encryption as its paid plans. Proton states that it cannot view or edit stored files. That makes it the choice for photos you consider private. Drive Plus adds 200 GB for $4.99 a month.
- 5 GB free with end-to-end encryption
- Same encryption level on every plan
- Online document and spreadsheet editor included
- Paid tiers from 200 GB
The weakness is that 5 GB is modest, and the service is built around files rather than around a photo timeline with smart search.
Microsoft OneDrive
A Microsoft account includes 5 GB of free OneDrive storage. It suits people who live in Windows and Office, since photos sync alongside documents. The next step up is Microsoft 365 Basic, which includes 100 GB of cloud storage for $1.99 a month or $19.99 a year. Microsoft 365 Personal raises that to 1 TB for $99.99 a year.
- 5 GB free with any Microsoft account
- Deep integration with Windows
- 100 GB for $19.99 a year via Microsoft 365 Basic
- Apps for Android and iOS
The weakness is the small free tier, and the 100 GB upgrade comes bundled in a Microsoft 365 plan rather than as a plain storage purchase.
pCloud
pCloud offers up to 10 GB of free storage, according to Cloudwards’ comparison of free photo storage services. What sets it apart is the lifetime plan: instead of a monthly fee, you pay once for storage. It suits people who dislike subscriptions and expect to keep the same photo library for many years.
- Up to 10 GB free
- One-time lifetime plans instead of subscriptions
- Recovery of deleted data from up to 30 days back on premium plans
- Apps for desktop and mobile
The weakness is that lifetime plans are a large upfront cost, and pCloud’s pricing page lists two unlabeled prices per plan, so confirm the real figure at checkout.
Dropbox
Dropbox Basic is free and gives 2 GB to store and share files. It ranks last for storage because 2 GB holds a few hundred phone photos, but it earns a place for sharing, since recipients do not need an account to open a link. Dropbox Plus costs $9.99 a month for 2 TB.
- 2 GB free
- Simple sharing links for people without an account
- 2 TB on Plus at $9.99 a month
- Reliable desktop sync
The weakness is obvious: 2 GB is the smallest free allowance here, so use it as a delivery tool, not as your main backup.
Which Free Plan Fits You
Match the service to the device in your pocket, then to the problem you are trying to solve.
If you use an iPhone
Start with iCloud, because it is already built in, and add a second service for overflow. A 5 GB plan covers contacts and settings, but photos need either the 50 GB tier at $0.99 a month or an outside backup such as Google Photos or MEGA.
If you use an Android phone
Google Photos is the default choice. Backup is a setting rather than a project, and the 15 GB pool takes longer to fill than most alternatives. Move large video files to MEGA if the pool runs low.
If you are a Prime member
Turn on Amazon Photos as a second copy even if you also use Google or Apple. Unlimited full-resolution storage costs nothing extra, and a separate provider protects you if an account is ever locked.
If privacy matters most
Choose Proton Drive or MEGA, both of which advertise end-to-end encryption. The guide to secure email providers covers the same privacy-first approach for your inbox, and the overview of personal data vaults explains what encryption does and does not protect.
Common Mistakes With Free Photo Storage
Most lost photos come from a handful of avoidable habits rather than from service failures.
Relying on one service. A single account can be locked, over quota or hacked. Keep a second copy somewhere else, even if it is an external drive.
Ignoring the quota warning. Backups quietly stop when storage is full. Check your usage once a month, in the Google Photos app, in iPhone Settings under your name and iCloud, or in each service’s account page.
Treating sync as backup. Deleting a photo on one device can delete it everywhere. Review the trash settings of your service before a big clean-up.
Forgetting file formats. RAW files and high-bitrate video fill free plans quickly. If you are not sure which image format to export, the comparison of JPEG and PNG explains the size trade-off.
Deleting an account without exporting. Closing a Google account removes the photos with it. Read the steps for deleting a Google account safely and download your library first.
How to Move Photos Between Services Without Losing Them
Switching providers is a normal part of using free storage, since allowances shrink and offers change. A safe migration follows a fixed order.
- Download or export your full library from the old service to a local drive.
- Confirm the photo count and spot-check a few originals open correctly.
- Upload the library to the new service and wait for the upload to finish on a stable connection.
- Check the new service’s photo count against your local copy.
- Turn off automatic backup in the old app before you delete anything there.
Keep the local copy until the new service has run for a few weeks. A free plan is only as safe as its next policy change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Google Photos still free?
Yes, up to a limit. Every Google account includes up to 15 GB of free storage shared across Google Photos, Drive and Gmail. Photos and videos backed up before June 1, 2021 do not count toward that cap. Beyond 15 GB you need a paid plan, starting at 100 GB.
Is 5 GB of iCloud storage enough for photos?
For most iPhone owners, no. The 5 GB is shared by device backups, iCloud Drive, Mail and Photos, so a backup plus a photo library usually exceeds it. The 50 GB iCloud+ plan costs $0.99 a month and is the smallest paid step.
Which free cloud storage gives the most space?
MEGA offers the largest standing free allowance in this comparison at 20 GB, followed by Google at 15 GB and pCloud at up to 10 GB. Amazon Photos is unlimited for photos, but only for Prime members in the supported countries.
Can I store photos in the cloud for free forever?
Yes, as long as you stay within the free allowance and keep the account active. Terms change, so check the provider’s current limits each year, and keep a local copy of anything irreplaceable.
What happens to my photos if I cancel Amazon Prime?
The unlimited photo allowance depends on Prime, and non-members get 5 GB. Download your library before cancelling, because anything above the free limit may become inaccessible or be removed.
Is free cloud storage safe for private photos?
It depends on the encryption. Proton Drive says that even Proton cannot view your files, and MEGA advertises end-to-end encryption. Google, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft offer strong account security, but plan for the possibility of an account lock by keeping a second copy.
Choosing Your Free Photo Backup
For most people the answer is the service that matches their phone: Google Photos on Android, iCloud on iPhone, and Amazon Photos as a free second copy for Prime members. Add MEGA or Proton Drive when you need more room or want end-to-end encryption.
Your next step is simple. Check how much storage your current camera roll uses, compare it against the free tiers above, and set up a second backup in a different service this week. Review the quotas once a year, because free plans change.
