20 Best Free Cloud Storage Services for Backup in 2023

MEGA

You can get up to 20 GB of free cloud storage with MEGA. It offers secure end-to-end encryption to help combat a breach of privacy. If you complete tasks, you can get the full 20 GB without paying.

One interesting feature is the ability to share links in a way where the recipient needs a second part of the URL, basically like a password, before they can decrypt the information.

View and update your files through a browser, the desktop sync client, or the mobile app, so it can run on a variety of platforms like Android, iOS, Windows, and others.

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pCloud

pCloud offers 10 GB. There's a desktop client for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. There's also a mobile app that's very intuitive and easy to use.

It supports adding files from a remote URL in addition to single file and whole folder uploads through a browser. The mobile apps can upload photos and videos directly to your account.

Both files and folders can be shared with non-users. Shared folders can even be downloaded as a ZIP archive.

This service also lets you generate upload links for folders so anyone can send files to your account. A unique email address also allows you (or anyone) to email files directly to a folder on your pCloud account.

In addition to the above, you can back up the photos from your social media accounts like Facebook and Instagram.

This app runs on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows, and more.

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Filen

If you want the benefits of a zero-knowledge cloud storage service without losing features or compromising on space, Filen is right up your alley. You'll get 10 GB of space at no cost, but you can upgrade to a paid plan or invite friends for more storage.

We love the features here! The web app supports folder uploads, you can pause uploads even in the web app, it keeps old file versions, you can share files with others even if they aren't Filn users (and media files can be streamed from a share), keeping track of your public links is easy, and files/folders can be favorited for easy access again. Of course, we can't forget to also mention 2FA and end-to-end encryption.

Besides web access, there's a mobile and desktop app for all platforms so you can upload and access your files from anywhere.

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Google Drive

Google Drive is the cloud storage service offered by Google. Each new user gets 15 GB of free space.

The total storage is actually shared with other Google services, like Gmail and Google Photos. If you don't use these services, you can utilize almost all the space for Google Drive alone. Keep in mind that your file from Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Photos, Gmail, etc. all compete for that free allotment.

Desktop users can install a sync client, which supports folder and file uploads. There's also a mobile app that can send photos and videos to your account.

Folders and files can be shared with specific Google users via their email address or anyone with a public link. You can also make a file view-only, which prevents someone from downloading it.

Google Drive makes it really simple to collaborate with others. You can allow comments on a document or let files be opened and accessed by more than one person at a time. Since Google Workspace is available for everyone, you can also give collaborators admin control over file sharing via trust rules.

Get it for iPhone, iPad, Android, or your Mac or Windows computer.

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MediaFire

You can instantly get 10 GB of free online file hosting with MediaFire, and increase it to 50 GB or more with things like friend referrals and application downloads.

There are sharing options for files and folders, and easy uploads of either single files or whole entire folders through the MediaFire website. A file upload can be as large as 4 GB. We also like the filtering options that make it simple to find only your videos, docs, public files, etc.

Guest accounts are supported if you'd rather not make a user account to upload files. However, it's limited to 1 GB of storage, and the files will be considered abandoned after 14 days of inactivity.

Mobile users can download an app to view and share files on the go or upload photos and videos.

You can use MediaFire on Android, iPhone, iPad, or a computer.

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Dropbox

Dropbox will start you off with 2 GB of free space with several simple ways of earning more, up to around 18 GB.

You can view and upload all your Dropbox files from a desktop or mobile app and share whole folders with anyone, even if they don't have a Dropbox account.

If you have Microsoft 365 (formerly Microsoft Office) files stored in your Dropbox account, you can edit them from inside your browser for free using the web versions of the apps. Another unique feature is conversions—right-click a PowerPoint presentation, for example, and you're able to save all the slides to separate image files.

Get Dropbox for Android, iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire, or your computer.

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Box

10 GB of free online storage space is provided by Box (formerly Box.net). Sometimes, there are promotions where you can early more free space by doing something simple like signing up from the mobile app.

There's a mobile application for nearly all devices that lets you upload/download/share your content. The desktop sync client also makes it super simple to upload files to Box. Free users have a 250 MB file upload limit.

Box users can share whole folders of data or pick single files to share with a public link.

Get it for Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows, or macOS.

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OneDrive

OneDrive is Microsoft's version of online storage. Everyone gets 5 GB of free space when they sign up.

Extra hosting is awarded if you follow certain instructions, like friend referrals and mobile photo syncing.

A desktop program lets you easily transfer folders and files of any type, making them accessible from a mobile device. The mobile app can also upload files—both images and videos.

It supports sharing both folders and files with non-registered users, and you can grant full editing privileges or viewing only via permissions.

You can get the OneDrive app for Windows, Android, iPhone, and iPad.

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Yandex Disk

Yandex is a Russian company known mainly for its popular Yandex Search and Yandex Email services, but they also have others like Yandex Disk. It offers 5 GB of free cloud storage for anyone who creates an account.

There are plenty of useful features, such as public and private folder and file sharing, the ability to import photos via social networks, bulk downloads, automatic mobile uploads, and support for drag and drop. 

You can upgrade/pay to get more space, or monitor bonus space promotions for free upgrades.

Windows, Mac, and Linux users can install a desktop program to upload files to Yandex Disk, and a mobile app is available for Android, iPhone, and iPad.

Internxt

You can get another 2 GB of free storage when you sign up for Internxt. It's advertised as more secure than most other cloud storage services because it offers zero-knowledge encryption, which means that only you ever see your files. Even the site owner and workers can't access your data.

There isn't much to the website but a few buttons along the top for you to upload files, make new folders, search, and share things. When you share, you get a link that, when clicked, starts the download immediately. Recipients aren't looking around for a download button, which is really nice. You can also specify how many times each file can be downloaded.

You can unlock up to 10 GB of total space by completing things like installing the app, sharing a file, inviting friends, and subscribing to their newsletter.

Your data can be accessed from their website or the app for your computer, phone, or tablet. You can also back up files from the desktop app.

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Degoo

This one gives out a 20 GB of free storage to anyone who makes an account. If you have lots of friends who want to use Degoo to store their files, you can get 5 GB more by referring them to make an account.

You can use your free cloud storage account with the mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and Android.

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Blomp

Blomp provides a whopping 20 GB of storage to anyone who signs up.

The website and program are super slim with few features; you can create folders, upload files, and download your backed-up data. However, this makes them really easy to use and free from clutter, so it could be considered a good thing.

There isn't a limit to how large a file can be when you upload it as long as it doesn't exceed 20 GB (since that's the total storage amount). Bulk uploads are supported as well, from the website and app.

The website, desktop app, and mobile app won't preview the image files you've uploaded. You have to first download them to your phone or computer to see what they are. Most cloud backup tools let you preview videos, music, and images, so it's unfortunate this service doesn't work quite the same way.

However, 20 GB isn't bad at all when it's free. Plus, you can get up to 200 GB of free space if you refer friends to sign up.

Blomp runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux, as well as iOS and Android mobile devices.

BestFile

BestFile is a unique cloud storage service because it's completely free for unlimited space. You can even upload files without a user account, though we do recommend making one so you can take advantage of all the options.

The website is super simple. There's a section that houses all your files, so you can easily delete them or get share links. The dashboard keeps a record of your upload stats, so you can see how many files you have in your account and how many have been downloaded. The only noteworthy setting is to set up 2FA. 

By default, the files you upload are 'public,' which means they can be shared through a unique link. A password can be added to any shared file, or you can make a file private so that only you have access to it when you log in. 

Creating a user account gives you those benefits, but you can also use BestFile without ever logging in. If you do that, though, your files aren't stored online forever. Instead, you get a few options for when to autodelete them, and the longest option is 6 months. With an account, however, just choose 'Don't autodelete'.

Unfortunately, there are a few things we don't like. You can't change the auto delete time after a file has been uploaded, so if you make the mistake of setting that up, there's nothing you can do except re-upload and choose a different delete option (or none at all). You also can't organize your files in any way because folders aren't allowed and there aren't sorting options beyond the default alphabetical sort.

Finally, we're unsure how the company makes money, so you might think twice about storing sensitive files here, like bank statements, passwords, etc.

Sync

You get 5 GB of free cloud storage when you sign up for Sync.

Like some of the other services on this list, it can upload multiple files at once through both the website interface and the mobile and desktop apps.

You can build shared folders that other users can interact with as well as share any folder or file with anyone, regardless if they're a Sync user.

Vault is a folder that you can put files into so they aren't synced across your other devices. This is useful if you just want to archive some files online but don't need them elsewhere.

See Sync's features page for a list of its features and some comparisons between the free and pro versions.

This service is available from the web; Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP; and macOS 10.11 and newer; plus iPhone, iPad, and Android.

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Icedrive

Icedrive provides 10 GB of free cloud storage. Your files are accessible through a really nice desktop program, mobile app, and website.

You can stream your music and videos straight from your account without having to re-download the files. This is also true for people you share your files with. They don't even need to be Icedrive users to download and stream the files you share.

There are also options to favorite specific files to quickly access them from the Favorites tab, control bandwidth in the desktop program, share via email addresses or public links, and download old versions of files you've made changes to.

Other features are supported, like encryption, password-protected share links, and WebDAV, but they aren't free to use.

This app works on Android, iPhone, and iPad devices. There's also a fully installable desktop program that makes your account look like a locally attached hard drive for easy use. A portable version for Windows, Mac, and Linux is available as well.

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UploadNow

This option is vastly different from the others in this list. While UploadNow does have a heaping 100 GB for you to use at no cost and includes neat features like media file previewing and password-protected file sharing, you don't actually get a personalized user account, just a guest account.

No account makes managing your files later and keeping track of them difficult. On the other hand, it's a lot of space that you get without needing to supply your email address or remember a password. This makes it ideal for one-time file sharing or as a sort of archive.

Since you don't have a user account (unless you pay), you can't delete the files you uploaded unless you do so from the same computer you uploaded them from. While they do provide a link to manage your files, it doesn't seem to work from another browser or computer.

If your uploaded files aren't regularly downloaded, they will expire and be deleted after just seven days.

Jumpshare

Hundreds of file types can be uploaded to Jumpshare, with a total of 2 GB of free storage for every user. If you refer friends to join, you can get up to 18 GB for free!

The upload limit per file is 250 MB. The desktop program also lets you take screenshots and record your screen for one minute.

A downloadable program is available for Windows and Mac users that allows really simple drag-and-drop and hotkey file-sharing capabilities. There's also an app for iPhones and iPads.

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LetsUpload

LetsUpload is vastly different from all the other cloud storage sites in this list because you get unlimited backup space...for free. Whether you need 10 GB, 1 TB, or 100 TB, it's far more than most sites offer.

Even though there's nearly no limit to how much you can save in your account, you're not going to miss out on neat features either. It lets you set a password for files and folders, send a file to someone over the built-in email function, upload files by their URL, share files with anyone, stream media files straight from your account, and copy share links in bulk.

The website also has a Search Files feature where you can locate thousands of files, like images, videos, and documents, that are shared by other users.

Some of the differences between a free and premium account are the max upload size, when the account becomes inactive, ads, FTP and torrent upload support, and the time you have to wait between downloads.

You can access your account via WebDAV. There are directions on their site for doing this on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and BlackBerry devices. However, we were unable to get this working correctly and could only access our account from their website.

Amazon Photos

Amazon.com has an online storage service called Amazon Photos, which offers Prime members unlimited, full-res photo storage plus 5 GB of space for videos.

Users can share files to create a public link accessible by anyone who uses it, even if they don't have an Amazon account. You can share albums, too, but bulk downloading by the recipient isn't allowed.

Files can be uploaded using the desktop client software or the web version, though only the former allows folder uploads. A mobile app is also available for uploading videos and photos from Android and iOS devices.

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