Which App Gives You Free Storage? Top Choices Compared
Run out of space on your phone or laptop? You’re probably eyeing those apps that promise free storage, but the options are all over the place. Seriously, who hasn’t been stung by a ‘Your storage is full’ pop-up at the worst possible moment?
Here’s the deal: most big-name apps like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive hand out free storage when you sign up, but the catch is, the amount and what you can actually do varies a lot. Google Drive still gives out 15GB for free, but that includes your Gmail and Google Photos, so it fills up fast. Dropbox only throws you 2GB, which feels like a tease if you’re a heavy user.
Don’t just look at the number. Some apps have sneaky catches—like compressing your images, randomly deleting stuff if you don’t log in for a while, or making file sharing annoying. You want to know what you’re signing up for, and how to squeeze every megabyte you can from these free plans.
- What Free Storage Apps Actually Offer
- How Much Free Space You Really Get
- Hidden Limits and Annoyances
- Best Free Storage for Photos and Files
- Tips to Max Out Free Storage
- When Free Isn’t Enough: What Next?
What Free Storage Apps Actually Offer
If you’re on the hunt for free cloud storage, you’ll see all the usual suspects plastered everywhere—Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Mega, and others. Each has its own quirks about what you get for free, and it honestly pays to compare.
Here’s a snapshot of the actual free storage space these popular apps hand out right now:
| App | Free Storage Amount | Other Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Google Drive | 15 GB | Shared with Gmail and Google Photos |
| Dropbox | 2 GB | Upgradable by inviting friends |
| Microsoft OneDrive | 5 GB | Good for documents, works with Office apps |
| MEGA | 20 GB | Start with 20GB, more with bonuses for referrals |
| Apple iCloud | 5 GB | Shared with device backups and Photos |
| Box | 10 GB | Single file upload limit: 250 MB |
Some apps like free storage companies Mega are extra generous right out of the gate, but often dangle bonus space if you complete tasks like inviting friends. Dropbox is more stingy, but if you get lucky with a referral train, you can push it higher. Box sits in the middle—10GB for free, but you’ll hit a cap if your files are large. Apple’s iCloud and Microsoft OneDrive are both solid options if you’re already in their ecosystem, but 5GB fills up fast if you’re backing up your phone.
There are smaller names, but they often have short lifespans or weird limits. You also have to watch out for free apps that shrink your photos or block certain file types unless you pay.
- Check what "free" really means—some providers count all your synced services against one quota.
- If you’re looking for no strings attached, Mega’s 20GB is unbeaten at signup right now, and Google Drive gives you the most room out of the big names, just watch out for shared space.
- Always skim the terms, because free storage offers can change suddenly or disappear once a promo ends.
The sweet spot? Take advantage of multiple services and spread out your files so you get a lot more space without paying a cent.
How Much Free Space You Really Get
This is where things get real. The amount of free space these apps hand out isn't always what you expect, and it's pretty easy to mix up numbers when you’re bouncing between different services. Here’s a quick look at the most popular apps and the free storage they currently offer:
- Google Drive – 15GB, but that’s not just your files. This total covers Docs, Sheets, Google Photos, Gmail—basically, everything under your Google account counts against your total.
- Dropbox – Just 2GB when you sign up. Want more? You’ll need to invite friends or do little tasks, which honestly feels slow. For heavy photo snappers, it’s a tight squeeze.
- Microsoft OneDrive – 5GB out of the box. If you’re a Windows user, it’s easy to back up stuff straight from your PC, but this space vanishes quickly with photos or videos.
- Apple iCloud – 5GB free for anyone with an Apple ID. But like Google, this space is shared between backups, photos, files, and Apple Mail.
- MEGA – Here’s the wild card: a whopping 20GB free, but there are sometimes temporary bonus gimmicks (like installing their app or inviting other users), and if you don’t stay active, some of it can disappear.
That’s the headline. But don’t just chase that biggest number. Check how the space is split up, what counts toward your limit, and what annoyances pop up—like having shared folders eat up your own quota, or certain file types taking up more space than you expect. Free storage isn’t always as “free” as it looks, so check the fine print if you don’t want surprises.
Hidden Limits and Annoyances
You know how these apps boast about “free storage”? There’s always a catch. Each platform has a fine print that can get you in trouble if you’re not paying attention, especially if you count on free storage for important stuff.
Take free storage on Google Drive, for example. Sure, they hand out 15GB, but that pile also has to cover your Gmail and Google Photos. So if your inbox is loaded with big attachments, don’t be shocked when you run out of space to back up your phone pics.
Dropbox looks simpler: 2GB free, no surprises. But here’s the rub—if you want to share files, you run into daily bandwidth caps. If too many people click your shared link, Dropbox might just block downloads for a while. Annoying if you’re sharing photos from a big weekend or sending docs to your study group.
OneDrive tosses in 5GB for free, but uploads sometimes slow to a crawl unless you’re on a premium plan. On top of that, Microsoft has started deleting files from unused free OneDrive accounts after two years of inactivity. Forget about it, and your files could disappear.
Another thing that trips people up is file size limits. For example, iCloud lets you upload huge files, but with free space set at 5GB, just one video can eat it all up. Plus, if you use Apple’s “Optimize Storage” setting, your full-res photos may only exist in the cloud, not your phone, unless you pay for more space.
Some apps also quietly compress your files to save space. Google Photos now compresses photos on the free plan, which means they might not be full-quality when you go to download them later—not what you want if you’re printing photos or archiving memories.
- Storage gets eaten by other services. Watch out for things like email attachments or app backups taking up unexpected space.
- Inactivity purges. Forget about your account for too long and you could lose everything.
- Sharing caps. Sending files to too many people can hit limits you never knew were there.
- File type restrictions. Some apps won’t let you upload certain files unless you’re a paying customer.
- Compression. Full-res files sometimes get downsized without clear warnings.
It pays to dig into the details before you store anything important. You don’t want a big surprise when you really need that file or photo later.
Best Free Storage for Photos and Files
You’d think all free storage apps are basically the same—just a spot to dump your photos or random docs. That’s not even close to true. Some platforms seriously hook you up, while others give you barely enough for a handful of selfies or project files. Below, you’ll get the real numbers for top free options and some real-world pros and cons for each.
| App | Free Storage Offered | What’s Best For | Biggest Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Drive | 15 GB | All file types, especially if you use Gmail/Photos | Storage is shared with Gmail and Photos |
| Apple iCloud | 5 GB | iPhone users, photos, and device backups | Fills up instantly if you’re backing up your whole phone |
| Microsoft OneDrive | 5 GB | Microsoft users, document backups | Loaded with Microsoft prompts, not much space |
| Dropbox | 2 GB | Quick file sharing, occasional uploads | Smallest free plan and strict upload limits |
| MEGA | 20 GB | Large media files, big uploads | Extra GBs can disappear if you don’t stay active |
| Amazon Photos | 5 GB (unlimited photos for Prime members) | Photo backups, camera roll | Free plan is basic unless you pay for Prime |
If free storage for photos is what you’re after and you don’t mind handing over your data, MEGA stands out for sheer size. They give you 20 GB up front, which is a decent chunk, but watch out: you’ll lose bonus space if you don’t log in or do certain tasks. Google Drive is the most useful pick for anyone who’s mixed in the Google ecosystem—it just works with everything, but that 15 GB is gone fast after a year or so of regular backups.
If you’re on iPhone, iCloud’s 5 GB is really only good for a sprinkle of pictures or a basic backup. It’s tight, but moving everything to Google or MEGA is a quick way to get breathing room. Amazon Photos looks good for Prime members—unlimited photo storage is hard to beat—but the free version doesn’t compare.
- Planning to juggle a ton of pictures? Split them between different services.
- Stick to Google if you want a balance of easy sharing and familiar apps.
- If privacy makes you nervous, MEGA shouts about its encryption and doesn’t scan your uploads.
Small tip: most apps compress your photos to save space unless you pick ‘original quality’—that chews up space faster. Always check the fine print before uploading family keepsakes or must-have files, just to make sure they’ll still be there next year.
Tips to Max Out Free Storage
If you’re always bumping into storage limits, there are simple tricks to make every free GB count. You don’t have to delete everything—just get a little strategic about how and what you store.
- Leverage multiple free storage apps. Don’t put all your files on just one service. Sign up for Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and iCloud. Each gives a chunk of free space, and together, it adds up. For instance, using Google Drive’s 15GB + Dropbox’s 2GB + OneDrive’s 5GB nets you 22GB totally free.
- Compress large files before uploading. A photo shrunk with a free tool takes up way less space, and the same goes for zip archives. It’s a quick win to stuff more into the same limit.
- Move old backups and rarely accessed files to the least generous app. Save your best free space on Google Drive for important stuff, while less critical files can go to the app that only offers a couple of gigabytes.
- Clean up freebies. Lots of people forget to empty the ‘Trash’ or ‘Bin’ in these apps. Deleted files still eat up storage until you clear them out for good.
- Watch out for automatic photo and video uploads. Turn off auto-sync for stuff you actually don’t care about, or you’ll lose your precious free space to junk screenshots and memes.
- Refer friends if you use Dropbox—each referral nets you 500MB and you can stack up to 16GB total. That’s a big jump if you have a few friends who are also low on space.
| App | Free Storage | Bonus/Referral Options |
|---|---|---|
| Google Drive | 15GB | None |
| Dropbox | 2GB | Up to 16GB with referrals |
| OneDrive | 5GB | 500MB per referral, up to 10GB |
| iCloud | 5GB | None |
| MEGA | 20GB | Achievements/referrals, time-limited |
If you’re sharing storage with family, most apps have a ‘family’ or ‘shared’ drive, so split up what you store and avoid double uploads. Every bit of free storage counts, so don’t waste it on digital clutter. Empty your trash, organize your files, and keep an eye on what’s taking up space. These small habits stretch your space way further than you might expect.
When Free Isn’t Enough: What Next?
So, you’ve maxed out the free plan and the warnings won’t let up. Happens to everyone. The big question—what’s the move when you need more space, but you’re not sure if it's worth paying?
First, check out what each app charges for an upgrade. Here’s a quick look at actual prices as of June 2025:
| App | Extra Storage | Monthly Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Google Drive | 100GB | $1.99 |
| Dropbox | 2TB | $9.99 |
| OneDrive | 100GB | $1.99 |
| Apple iCloud | 50GB | $0.99 |
| MEGA | 400GB | $2.22 |
If you actually use the storage every day—backups, photos, work files—then those couple of bucks a month can save you a ton of hassle. And if you split costs with family, Google Drive, OneDrive, and iCloud all offer “family plans” where everyone shares the space. Not bad for a small monthly bill.
Here are some things to ask yourself before pulling out your wallet:
- Do you just need a temp dump to move stuff? Sometimes a free trial works.
- Do you need to share big files, or are you mainly storing photos?
- Can you delete or compress old files before paying for more?
- Do you want one place for everything, or are you okay juggling a few free accounts?
Remember, security and privacy should matter too. Paid versions might come with better encryption and real support if something goes sideways. One 2024 survey showed 63% of people said paid storage gave them way better peace of mind—less worry about lost files and no annoying ads.
Another angle: Is your stuff backed up somewhere else? Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, even when you’re paying. Redundancy is your friend, especially with sensitive files.
Bottom line: Upgrading from free storage doesn’t have to be a chore or break the bank. Sometimes paying for that little blue check mark next to your free storage app gives you real freedom, better features, and one less thing to stress about.