Every free plan here comes with a condition the headline number hides. MEGA’s 20GB has a separate transfer allowance, Google’s 15GB is shared with Gmail and Photos, and Box’s 10GB refuses any file over 250MB. A large archive, a shared document workspace, and an encrypted folder each need a different service.
Decide whether you need sync, collaboration, or privacy
For capacity, MEGA lists 20GB. Google Drive combines a shared account allowance of up to 15GB with Docs, Sheets, Slides, and live collaboration. Proton Drive starts new accounts at 2GB and lists up to 5GB, with end-to-end encryption. The official plan sources appear below each profile.
Dropbox Basic lists only 2GB. It remains useful when an existing shared folder or client workflow matters more than capacity.
| Service | Free storage | Best for | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEGA | 20GB | A larger personal allowance | Transfer limits restrict heavy use |
| Google Drive | Up to 15GB shared | Everyday work and collaboration | Shared across Drive, Gmail, and Photos |
| Box | 10GB | Controlled file sharing with link permissions | 250MB upload limit per file |
| OneDrive | 5GB, shared with Outlook attachments | Windows users and Office web apps | Small allowance; convenience over capacity |
| Proton Drive | 2GB, up to 5GB | Privacy-first personal storage | Fewer collaboration integrations than Google Drive |
| iCloud | 5GB | Apple device backup and sync | Fills quickly; best on Apple devices |
| Dropbox | 2GB | Existing Dropbox sharing workflows | 2GB free allowance |
Limits checked September 5, 2026: MEGA, Google storage, Box, OneDrive, Proton Drive, iCloud, and Dropbox Basic.
Shared quotas change usable space
Two services can both list 5GB while assigning that space to different jobs.
One service may fit Windows backups and Office files, while another gives private documents stronger protections. A third can run out of space quickly if it also carries photos, email, and phone backups.
Compare the headline capacity with:
- how restrictive the free plan is
- whether the storage is shared with other products
- how strong the sharing and collaboration workflow is
- whether privacy is a real advantage or just marketing language
Seven storage plans and their practical limits
1. MEGA: 20GB with a separate transfer allowance
MEGA’s free plan lists 20GB, with desktop and mobile apps, browser access, file sharing, and client-side encryption. Its transfer allowance is separate from storage and varies, so repeated large downloads can stop before the storage itself is full.
That makes it a good larger personal file store or secondary encrypted archive. Google Drive is a better fit when several people need to edit the same documents in a browser.
2. Google Drive: up to 15GB shared with mail and photos
A Google Account includes up to 15GB shared across Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. Accounts created since March 9, 2026 start with 5GB and unlock the other 10GB after phone-number verification. Browser, desktop, and mobile access come alongside Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, sharing, and live editing. The available Drive capacity may be much smaller on an established account because mail and photos use the same pool.
It is built for shared documents and browser collaboration, not end-to-end encrypted personal storage.
3. Box: 10GB with a 250MB upload cap
Box comes from a business-document background. Its free individual plan lists 10GB of storage and a 250MB upload limit, alongside shared links and basic e-signing.
The upload cap rules out many videos and large design files. Box instead fits proposals, PDFs, presentations, and smaller client documents that benefit from controlled sharing.
4. OneDrive: 5GB beside Office web apps
OneDrive’s free plan lists 5GB, plus web access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote through Microsoft 365 for the web. Microsoft’s storage FAQ says the same 5GB also holds Outlook.com attachments.
Its File Explorer integration makes it convenient for active Windows documents, but 5GB is too small for a substantial photo or media library.
5. Proton Drive: up to 5GB with end-to-end encryption
Proton Drive’s free plan lists up to 5GB, end-to-end encrypted storage, sharing, and online document editing. New accounts start at 2GB, and Proton’s storage guide adds the other 3GB once the owner uploads a file, creates a share link, and sets up a recovery method within 30 days. It protects filenames and folder names as well as file contents.
Its collaboration ecosystem is narrower than Google’s, so it fits personal records and sensitive documents better than a busy team workspace.
6. iCloud: 5GB shared by Apple services
Apple includes 5GB of iCloud storage for iCloud Drive, device backups, photos, and other synchronized data on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Because those jobs share one pool, a device backup or photo library can leave little room for a general archive. It earns its place through continuity across Apple devices; check the storage breakdown before relying on it for files.
7. Dropbox: mature sync, weak free storage
Dropbox’s sync client is mature, but its Basic plan includes only 2GB, alongside desktop and mobile sync and file sharing. Its version and deletion recovery window depends on the current plan terms.
That allowance makes Dropbox a secondary sync account rather than a primary free drive. Keep it when an existing shared folder or client workflow makes switching more disruptive than the storage limit.
Dropbox’s workflow without its 2GB ceiling is the subject of the Dropbox alternatives guide.
Review Dropbox Basic (opens in a new tab)
When paid cloud storage becomes practical
Paid storage becomes sensible when one of these is true:
- your free space is always full
- you are splitting files across multiple accounts to avoid paying
- you need team features, better sharing controls, or stronger version history
- you want one storage home for backups rather than a patchwork of free tiers
At that point, compare the current subscription price with the administrative cost and risk of splitting files across several accounts. The first paid tier is cheap on most of these services, and two of them start below $2 a month. The list prices each provider showed in September 2026:
| Service | First paid tier | Price | Storage and extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEGA | Essential | €3.33 a month billed yearly | 200GB with 2.4TB of transfer, plus MEGA VPN and MEGA Pass |
| Google Drive | Google AI Plus | $4.99 a month | 400GB across Gmail, Drive, and Photos, plus Gemini features |
| Box | Personal Pro | From $11.50 a month | 100GB, 5GB uploads, 10 file versions |
| OneDrive | Microsoft 365 Basic | $1.99 a month or $19.99 a year | 100GB and ad-free Outlook; Personal, at $9.99 a month, adds 1TB and the desktop apps |
| Proton Drive | Drive Plus | $3.99 a month billed yearly, $4.99 monthly | 200GB and 10 years of file version recovery |
| iCloud | iCloud+ | $0.99 a month for 50GB, $2.99 for 200GB, $9.99 for 2TB | Storage for backups, photos, and iCloud Drive |
| Dropbox | Plus | $9.99 a month billed yearly | 2TB for one person, 30 days to restore deleted files |
Google also sells storage-only Google One plans below AI Plus, and its plans page lists them in local currency. MEGA charges in euros wherever you live, and Box lists US dollar prices with tax added for the billing country.
Choose capacity, collaboration, or encryption
Check what already fills an account before counting its free space. Google’s 15GB and Apple’s 5GB are shared with mail, photos, or device backups, so an established account can have far less room than a new one. MEGA and Box are dedicated storage accounts, which makes their allowances easier to plan around as an archive, and Proton Drive is the smaller but encrypted option for sensitive files.
If your main goal is backup rather than general file access, pair this guide with our roundup of the best free backup software. The best backup destination is not always the same as the best everyday cloud drive.
