Best Lifetime Cloud Storage in 2024: Is it Worth it?
If you know you will stay with a cloud storage solution for many years, consider purchasing a lifetime plan. However, very few providers offer these plans, opting instead for recurring subscription fees. We’ve rounded up the best lifetime cloud storage services to help you make an informed decision.
Written by Jason Stagnitto (Writer)
Reviewed by Valentina Bravo (Editor)
Facts checked by Igor Kurtz (Fact-checking editor)
Last Updated: 2024-04-11T10:14:11+00:00
All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.
Key Takeaways: These Are the Best Lifetime Cloud Storage Plans
- pCloud — The best lifetime cloud storage solution, with great features and plans for individuals or families.
- Icedrive — Excellent security and privacy, with a virtual desktop drive for Windows.
- Internxt — Zero-knowledge encryption for the whole account, with great security features.
- Degoo — Limited features and functionality, but does well with images.
- Koofr — Temporary lifetime storage offer; supports connections to other cloud storage services.
Facts & Expert Analysis: What to know about lifetime cloud storage
- Rare offering: Most cloud storage companies do not offer lifetime storage plans due to several factors. Financial growth and sustainment are two examples. Cloud storage makes money on subscriptions. A one-time fee has limited returns.
- Risk analysis: Choosing a lifetime plan comes with some inherent risks. One is long-term viability. If a cloud storage company goes out of business, you lose out on your investment and potentially your data.
- Price and storage: Lifetime plans come with varying costs and storage amounts. Some are low-cost but with little storage. Some are expensive and require a long time to recoup the cost. Our best advice is to do your research first before making a lifetime commitment.
Cloud storage providers that offer lifetime plans are rare in the industry, and few of them are among the best cloud storage services. These types of plans are less popular than monthly or yearly subscriptions. However, if you want to avoid recurring payments, read on to see which lifetime cloud storage options are the best.
Purchasing a lifetime plan has a certain appeal, especially for those who want to avoid recurring payments. The upfront cost may seem high, but the longevity of the cloud storage account results in overall savings. Stay with it long enough and a lifetime plan essentially pays for itself. However, as you will see in the sections below, it’s not for everyone.
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10/01/2021
Updated Icedrive’s lifetime pricing increase. The Lite, Pro and Pro+ plans increased from $59, $149 and $499 to $99, $229 and $599, respectively.
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06/25/2022
Updated Sync.com’s plans and pricing information.
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07/05/2022
Update pCloud’s information to include the new 10TB lifetime plan option.
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08/24/2022
Updated to reflect IDrive’s larger 10GB free plan.
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05/24/2023
Updated with new Icedrive Lifetime plans.
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05/23/2023
We updated this to remove IDrive’s discontinued free plan and add its new free 30-day trial.
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10/13/2023
Updated to include IDrive’s free plan again.
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03/19/2024
Updated to reflect changes in Icedrive’s pricing plans and storage offers
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04/11/2024 Facts checked
This article was rewritten to include the current cloud storage solutions that offer lifetime plans.
Cloudwards Editor’s Choice: pCloud
pCloud is the clear choice, as it offers the best combination of features, ease of use, security and privacy in a lifetime plan. The lifetime plans are affordable, with options of 500GB, 2TB or 10TB for individuals and 2TB or 10TB for families. However, access to the encrypted folder comes with an additional cost. You can try pCloud for free with a 10GB plan.
How to Choose the Best Lifetime Cloud Storage
Each provider considered must have at least one lifetime plan option. Cloud features are another consideration. Knowing what comes with your account is important since you will have it for a long time. Security and privacy are equally important for protecting your data.
- Lifetime storage: A cloud storage solution must offer lifetime storage plans in order to be considered on this list.
- Cloud features: Features like robust file sharing, fast and flexible file sync, and file versioning are important elements of a cloud storage service.
- Security: A cloud storage solution needs to have top security protocols to protect data at rest and in transit.
- Privacy: Private encryption means that only you have access to your account. A privacy policy that protects the account holder is another consideration.
- Apps: Being able to access your account on your computer or mobile device provides flexibility and convenience.
Cloud Storage Providers With Lifetime Plans: A Comparison
The table below provides a quick snapshot of the prominent features of our list of lifetime cloud storage services.
| Features: |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lifetime Plan | $199 500GB, $399 2TB, $1190 10TB | $299 512GB | $249 2TB, $349 5TB, $549 10TB | $5TB $99.99 | $159.99 1TB |
| Zero-Knowledge | (paid) | (with a subscription) | (including free accounts) | (except on Android) | |
| Block-Level Sync | |||||
| Selective Sync | |||||
| Protected Sharing | |||||
| Desktop Apps | Windows MacOS Linux | Windows MacOS Linux | Windows MacOS Linux | None | Windows MacOS Linux |
| Mobile Apps |
The Five Best Lifetime Cloud Storage Plans
pCloud tops our list, as it offers lifetime options on all of its individual plans and includes plans for families. It has great cloud features and excellent security and privacy. Read on to learn more about pCloud and other lifetime cloud storage solutions.
1. pCloud — Best Cloud Storage With Lifetime Plans
involves an additional fee on top of the cost of your subscription.
Individuals and families can choose from several lifetime plans, all with the same standard features. These features include creating and sending password-protected shared links, file versioning for up to 30 days, a multimedia player and optional backup capabilities. Purchasing a higher-priced plan generally only increases the storage capacity.
Security and privacy are strong elements of the service. pCloud protects your data at rest on its servers with AES 256-bit encryption. When you transfer data, it’s protected with TLS/SSL encryption protocols. However, if you want to access the zero-knowledge folder in your account, you’ll need to pay extra for pCloud encryption.
pCloud Pricing & Value
pCloud offers lifetime cloud storage deals for its three individual plans with a one-time payment. The Premium 500GB plan costs $199, Premium Plus 2TB costs $399 and Ultra 10TB costs $1190. The family plan, which can be shared with up to five others, offers 2TB for $595 or 10TB for $1499. A 14-day money-back guarantee covers all plans. For more, read our pCloud review.
- 10GB
- 500GB
- 2TB
More plans
- 2TB
- 10TB
- Price per user (minimum 3)
- 1TB
- Price per user (minimum 3)
- 2TB
- Encryption for pCloud Drive
2. Icedrive — Best Lifetime Cloud Storage for Security
and is activated when you purchase a plan.
Icedrive has a lifetime plan with the option to increase storage capacity if your digital life requires it. Strong security features and excellent privacy are part of a subscription, as is the zero-knowledge encryption folder. Only you can access the items in the private encryption folder, making it a great location for sensitive information.
Downloading the desktop app for Windows gives you access to a virtual drive, which acts like an extension of your computer’s hard drive. Items in the virtual drive stay in the cloud, but you can open and edit them without downloading the files first. There is a desktop app for Mac, but it is not a virtual drive.
Icedrive Pricing & Value
Icedrive’s lifetime plan comes with 512GB of storage space for a one-time fee of $299. It also includes a 14-day money-back guarantee. If you find there is not enough storage, you can opt to add another 128GB of cloud storage space for $79or 512GB for $199.
To learn more about the service, check out our Icedrive review or try the service for yourself with a free 10GB plan.
- Bandwidth limit: 50GB
- 10GB
- Bandwidth limit: 250GB
- 100GB
- Bandwidth limit: 2TB
- 1TB
More plans
- Bandwidth limit: 8TB
- 3TB
- 512GB
- Additional 128GB storage for users who purchased the Lifetime Plan
- 128GB
- Additional 512GB storage for users who purchased the Lifetime Plan
- 512GB
3. Internxt — Best Lifetime Cloud Storage for Zero-Knowledge Encryption
account and is included even with the free plan.
Internxt has three lifetime plan options, giving you plenty of choices to get the storage capacity you need. Each plan has the same features, including password protection for shared files, a 20GB file size upload limit and two-factor authentication. However, if you need cloud services that are good for collaboration, there are better options than Internxt.
From a security and privacy standpoint, Internxt is excellent. Your account is encrypted end-to-end with zero knowledge, meaning only you can access it. Additionally, it has downloadable apps for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android. You can also use Internxt as a backup for multiple devices, provided you have the storage space.
Internxt Pricing & Value
Internxt offers a free 10GB plan that lets you try the service. It also has several lifetime cloud storage deals to choose from: 2TB for a one-time cost of $249, 5TB for $349 or 10TB for $549. Purchases come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can learn more about the pricing and features in our Internxt review.
- Up to 10GB with referrals.
- 10GB
- 200GB
- 2TB
More plans
- 5TB
- 10TB
4. Degoo — Best Lifetime Plans for Basic Cloud Storage
primarily meant to store files and share images.
Degoo is a cloud solution with basic features and one lifetime plan option. It focuses on storing your images and sharing them with others. Degoo does not limit the file size for uploads, which is good for larger files like videos. A Degoo account is not required to access shared files.
If you are looking for feature-rich cloud services, Degoo is not the best option. It does support mobile apps, with a zero-knowledge folder on Android, but it does not have a desktop client. Additionally, file sync is limited, as Degoo does not support block-level sync. Degoo does not support file versioning, making it a poor option for editing or productivity.
Degoo Pricing & Value
Degoo has a 5TB lifetime plan that costs $99.99, though it does not offer a money-back guarantee. However, there is a free 20GB plan you can use to test out the service. If you want to learn more, read our Degoo review.
- *Prices are in GBP
- 20GB
- *Prices are in GBP
- 500GB
- *Prices are in GBP
- 5TB
5. Koofr — Best Lifetime Cloud Storage with Microsoft 365 Integration
including connections to Microsoft 365.
Koofr has all of the basic cloud features you’d expect from a cloud storage solution, such as good file sharing and synchronization capabilities. Koofr does support connections to Microsoft 365 productivity apps. Additionally, it has strong security and good privacy, and includes zero-knowledge encryption.
One unique aspect of Koofr is the ability to manage other cloud services, like Google Drive or Dropbox. This capability does not make Koofr a multi-cloud manager. However, you can connect your Koofr account to your other cloud accounts and move files between them.
Koofr Pricing & Value
The most important aspect of Koofr’s lifetime plan is that it is promotional. When we reached out to Koofr, its team confirmed that it is a temporary offer only available through a link on Stack Social. The deal is for 1TB of lifetime online storage for $159.99. We could not verify how long this deal will last. We have more details about the service in our Koofr review.
- 10GB
- *Prices in Euro
- 10GB
- *Prices in Euro
- 25GB
More plans
- *Prices in Euro
- 100GB
- *Prices in Euro
- 250GB
- *Prices in Euro
- 1TB
- *Prices in Euro
- 3TB
- *Prices in Euro
- 5TB
- *Prices in Euro
- 10TB
- *Prices in Euro
- 20TB
Can You Use Free Lifetime Cloud Storage?
We are unaware of any cloud solution that offers free lifetime cloud storage. If you need a free account, MEGA offers 20GB of free cloud storage space.
Does Google Offer Lifetime Cloud Storage Subscriptions Plans?
Google does not offer lifetime subscription plans. A Google One subscription offers 100GB for $29.99 per year or 2TB for $124.99 annually. If you have already paid for a Google One subscription, you have the option to upgrade to 5TB, 10TB, 20TB or 30TB of cloud storage space.
Pros and Cons of Lifetime Cloud Storage
Buying a lifetime subscription is not the best fit for everyone, and there are some pros and cons to consider.
Pros:
- The most appealing aspect of a lifetime plan is only paying one fee for cloud storage rather than having recurring subscription fees, which could save money in the long run. Other pros include not having to worry about transferring data to a new provider or learning a new application.
Cons:
- When you sign up for a lifetime plan, you’ll need to stick with it for the long term to get the best value. If the service changes or, worse, shuts down its servers, you may not get the best return on your investment. If you use more than one cloud service or don’t plan to stay with one for several years, a lifetime plan isn’t the best option.
Final Thoughts
There are a few cloud storage solutions that offer lifetime plans, with pCloud being the clear choice. Icedrive is another excellent option, with a lifetime plan that you can expand. If you only want to pay for cloud storage once, choosing one of the lifetime cloud storage providers on this list will meet your needs.
Do you have a lifetime cloud storage plan? Are you considering purchasing one? How important are reputable cloud storage providers to your decision? Let us know in the comments section below. Thanks for reading our article.
FAQ: Lifetime Cloud Storage Offers
Yes, you can purchase a lifetime plan for a one-time cost. The plan will be available for as long as you keep your account. pCloud, Icedrive and Internxt are three providers with lifetime plans.
Yes. you can get lifetime access with a one-time payment. It may be a significant up-front cost, but it pays for itself the longer you have your account.
The price for 10TB varies between cloud storage companies, but it tends to be one of the more expensive plans available. pCloud has a 10TB lifetime plan that costs $1190. Internxt has a 10TB plan for $349.99 per year or a one-time cost of $549 for the lifetime plan.