iCloud provides a host of features, including mail, calendar, contacts, reminders, notes, syncing, and much, much, more. Many of these are free, but if you find a lot of iCloud Drive documents, iCloud Photo Library content, or multiple device backups, you may need more than the free 5 GB plan that comes with it..
If you're near limits or have already sold out, you have several other levels to consider, from $ 1 / m for 50 GB to $ 20 / m for 2TB. Here are your options!
ICloud storage options
iCloud currently offers five different subscription options. The storage you get will be divided among all the devices you use. This includes iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Access on supported Windows computers. Your iCloud storage will account for all the files you store in all apps and your iCloud backups for all your devices.
- 5 GB of storage - Free
- 50 GB of storage - $ 0.99 per month
- 200 GB of storage - $ 2.99 per month
- 1 TB of storage - $ 9.99 per month
- 2 TB of storage - $ 19.99 per month
What to consider before choosing an iCloud storage plan
Before making a decision, it is always important to consider a few things. These are the questions you should consider before deciding on an iCloud storage plan:
- Are backups already making you run out of iCloud storage space?
- Are you using iCloud Drive to store your documents or are they mostly in Dropbox, Google Drive, or somewhere else?
- Are you using iCloud Photo Library to store your photos and videos or are they mostly in Dropbox, Google Photos or somewhere else?
- Are you using iCloud Drive Desktop and Documents to sync multiple Macs in macOS Sierra?
If your answers indicate that you are going to be using iCloud a lot, you will probably need the storage space..
Who should stick with the free iCloud option?
If you own a single iPhone or iPad and don't store a ton of stuff on it, or if you're already heavily invested in Dropbox, Google, or some other storage provider, you can probably get far with the free iCloud tier, at least. for a certain time.
Who should get the 50 GB iCloud subscription?
If you want to make sure that your iPhone and / or iPad is backed up without worries, if you use a reasonable amount of documents and take photos of videos that you want to sync and otherwise keep available, or if you are using Dropbox or Google or another storage provider, but also the security of multiple backups with Apple, the 50 GB plan is a good start..
Who Should Get 200 GB iCloud Storage Plans?
If you have multiple Apple devices and want to back them all up, if you use iCloud Drive regularly or create a large iCloud Photo Library, you just want to use iCloud as a starting point for storage, you will need the 200 GB plan.
Who should get the 1TB iCloud storage plan?
If you need 1TB of iCloud storage, I don't need to tell you that. All is well with you. You want to back up all your devices, all your documents on Apple's servers, and all your photos and videos in iCloud. If money is less important to you as knowing all your stuff is taken care of, the 1 TB plan is here for you.
Who should get the 2TB iCloud storage plan?
Basically, this plan is designed for groups of people, like families, who have multiple iPhones, iPads, and Macs and use multiple services like iCloud Photo Library, iCloud Music Library, and iCloud Drive. The 2TB plan is great, but there are some of you out there who already think you wish you could get 3TB.
How to buy more or reduce your iCloud storage
If you need more iCloud storage, you can add it anytime from your device. Likewise, if you find that you've added too much, you can also downgrade at any time, and the change will be reflected in your next billing cycle.
Step 1. Tap the iCloud button in Settings.
Step 2. Press the Storage button .
Step 3. Tap the Buy more storage or downgrade options button, depending on the storage plan you have.
Step 4. Choose the storage plan that best suits your needs by tapping on it.
Step 5. Tap Buy in the top right corner.
Step 6. You will be prompted to sign in with your iCloud account in order to complete the purchase.
Which iCloud storage plan did you choose?
After you've made your decision let me know in the comments what you chose and why! Are you ditching existing cloud storage subscriptions to make the switchover? Be sure to let me know too!
