The Best Cloud Storage Solutions Compared and Assessed

Today, we use cloud storage for just about everything – from sharing personal photos, to our favourite movies, to professional documents and school projects… So, deciding which service to sign up with is a decision you shouldn’t take lightly.

This guide will walk you through some of the best online storage options in Canada to see how they all measure up. Dive deeper into key details like plans, pricing, sync speeds, and features on offer.

TL;DR on the Top 10 Best Online Storage Solutions Compared

I’ll unpack each of these in more detail below, but for now, here’s a quick overview of how the best online storage services in Canada compare head-to-head:

Cloud storage is like renting a little corner of the internet to keep your files and photos safe. Therefore, instead of stuffing all those documents and pictures into a computer or phone—which can get lost or broken—you put them online. That way, you can reach them from any device, anytime.

It’s our primary means to store data online, so security and privacy is always of the utmost importance. Thankfully, most hosting companies have made security their priority.

🇨🇦 A Thorough Review of the Best Cloud Storage Solutions in Canada 🇨🇦

Finding the right online storage solution can be tricky. This is why it is important to double-check your needs and requirements, before you dive into different providers’ offers.  Some of the most striking details for Canada’s leading cloud storage solutions, include:

Since its launch in 2022, Sync has become one of the most noteworthy providers for file storage, collaboration, and sharing. They have over 2 million customers in 180 countries. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee, unlimited data transfer, end-to-end encryption, PIPEDA compliance, and more.

Reviewer’s note: “It is easy to see why Sync.com is such a popular choice. Besides the general ease-of-use, it also provides excellent security features.”

Pricing for Individuals:

• Free Plan: $0, 5 GB
• Solo Basic Plan: $8/month, 2 TB
• Solo Professional Plan: $20/month, 6 TB

Pricing for Teams:

• Teams Standard Plan: $6/user/month, 1 TB
• Teams+ Unlimited Plan: $15/user/month, unlimited storage
• Enterprise Plan: contact Sync for a quote, 100+ users

Google Drive is one of the most widely recognized services on this list, and for good reason. You can save, distribute, and collaborate on documents and directories across various devices. Plus, the cloud-native technology means enhanced security.

Reviewer’s note: “I’ve been using Google Drive myself for as long as I can remember, and I have nothing but positive things to say about it.”

Note: If you need more storage for your personal account, consider Google One for expanded space across Drive, Gmail, and Photos.

Pricing:

• Personal Plan: $0, 15 GB per user
• Business Starter Plan: $7.20/user/month or $6/user/month (billed annually), 30 GB/user
• Business Standard Plan: $14.40/user/month or $12/user/month (billed annually), 2 TB/user
• Business Plus Plan: $21.60/user/month or $18/user/month (billed annually), 5 TB/user
• Enterprise Plan: Contact sales for pricing, 5+ TB/user

The premium plans offer 500 GB or 2 TB for personal use, while the family plans give up to 10 TB to be shared among 5 members. Furthermore, the business plans are perfect for teams seeking secure storage, sharing, and collaboration tools while having teams and access control and 180 days of file versioning. It is also important to note that pCloud offers lifetime plans. This is a one-time-only payment, which means you won’t have to stress about recurring fees.

Reviewer’s note: “What I love most about pCloud is that it has plans for everyone.”

Pricing for Individuals:

Annual Plans:

• Premium 500 GB Plan: $49.99/year
• Premium Plus 2 TB Plan: $99.99/year

Lifetime Plans:

• Premium 500 GB Plan: $199
• Premium Plus 2 TB Plan: $399
• Ultra 10 TB Plan: $1190

Pricing for Family:

• Lifetime Family 2 TB Plan: $595
• Lifetime Family 10 TB Plan: $1499

Pricing for Businesses:

• Business Plan: $9.99/user/month or $7.99/user/month (billed annually), 1 TB/user
• Business Pro Plan: $19.98/user/month or $15.98/user/month (billed annually), 2 TB/user

Dropbox is easy to use and has come a long way since its launch in 2008. Whether you choose a free or paid plan, they all include best-in-class sync tech, unlimited devices, and 256-bit AES and SSL/TLS encryption.

Pricing for Individuals:

• Basic Plan: Free, 2 GB
• Plus Plan: $11.99/month or $9.99/month (billed annually), 2 TB
• Essentials Plan: $19.99/month or $16.58/month (billed annually), 3 TB

Pricing for Businesses: (3+ users)

• Business Plan: $18/user/month or $15/user/month (billed annually), starts at 9 TB for the team
• Business Plus Plan: $30/user/month or $24/user/month (billed annually), starts at 15 TB for the team
• Enterprise Plan: Contact sales for pricing, 5+TB/user

Reviewers note: “Dropbox exceeded my expectations with reliable speed, security, and storage space.”

OneDrive is essentially Microsoft’s take on cloud storage, and it’s deeply woven into the Microsoft Office suite. That means if you’re using Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, you’re just a click away from saving to OneDrive. With OneDrive in Canada, you can start a document on your office PC, tweak it from your phone, and even add some finishing touches on your laptop at home without a second thought.

Pricing for Personal Use:

• Free Plan: $0, 5 GB
• Microsoft 365 Basic: $1.99/month or $19.99/year, 100 GB
• Microsoft 365 Personal: $6.99/month or $69.99/year, 1 TB
• Microsoft 365 Family: $9.99/month or $99.99/year, up to 6 TB (1 TB per person)

Pricing for Businesses:

• OneDrive for Business (Plan 1): $5.00/user/month (billed annually), 1 TB
• Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $6.00/user/month (billed annually), 1 TB/user
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50/user/month (billed annually), 1 TB/user + additional features

Reviewer’s note: “I find OneDrive’s integration especially handy because it not only autosaves work but also syncs it across all devices—and with colleagues if desired.”

Tresorit uses an end-to-end encrypted file storage and a zero-knowledge system. This means not even Tresorit can see your data. You also benefit from two-factor authentication (2FA), granular permissions, and multi-platform support for offline and online access across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and via the web. Plus, the provider offers a 14-day free trial on all.

Pricing for Personal Use:

• Personal Lite Plan: $5.99/month or $4.75/month (billed annually), 50 GB
• Personal Essential Plan: $13.99/month or $11.99/month (billed annually), 1 TB
• Personal Pro Plan: $33.99/month or $27.49/month (billed annually), 4 TB

Pricing for Businesses:

• Business Plan: $24/user/month or $19/user/month (billed annually), 6 TB (2 TB/user)
• Professional Plan: $33.99/user/month or $27.49/user/month (billed annually), 4 TB
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing (contact for details), starts from 50 users, custom storage

Reviewer’s note: “No matter the plan you choose at Tresorit, you’ll get an unmatched combo of protection and usability.”

MEGA started in 2013 with a promise to let users control their own data. Now, over 313 million people use it across more than 200 countries.

The platform supports a range of devices, including iOS, Android, and desktop computers, and offers browser extensions for enhanced performance. It’s designed to be very accessible, whether you are using the web interface or the dedicated apps.

Reviewer’s note: “I really like how the platform also includes useful features for collaboration, such as the ability to share files and folders, even allowing users without MEGA accounts to access shared data.”

Pricing for Personal Use:

• Free Plan: $0, 20 GB
• Pro I: $11.15/month or $111.60/year, 2 TB
• Pro II: $22.31/month or $223.21/year, 8 TB
• Pro III: $33.47/month or $334.82/year, 16 TB

Pricing for Businesses:

• Starting Price: $16.74/month (3 Users, 3 TB Storage, 3 TB Transfer)
• Maximum Price: $29,565.63/month (300 Users, 10,000 TB Storage)

#8 Koofr – Best Cloud Storage for Multi-Device Syncing

With Koofr, you get the first 10 GB of space for free. You also benefit from unlimited file size, automatic mobile media backup, two-way synchronization, file versioning, and enhanced security features. Furthermore, you can easily access your cloud storage accounts across all devices from one single database.

Reviewer’s note: “Furthermore, you can easily access your cloud storage accounts across all devices from one single database.”

Pricing for Personal Use:

• Starter Plan: Free, up to 10 GB
• Briefcase Plans:
  • S Plan: €0.5/month, 10 GB
  • M Plan: €1/month, 25 GB

• Suitcase Plans:
  • L Plan: €2/month, 100 GB
  • XL Plan: €4/month, 250 GB
  • XXL Plan: €10/month, 1 TB

Pricing for Businesses:

• Crate Plans
  • XXXL Plan: €20/month, 2.5 TB
  • 5XXL Plan: €35/month, 5 TB
  • 10XXL Plan: €60/month, 10 TB
  • 20XXL Plan: €120/month, 20 TB

OpenDrive dates back to 2007, when we were still limited to USB dongles and external storage. Nowadays, its user base of 2 million can store data, sync, share, and collaborate through a single platform.

Pricing for Personal Use:

• Free: 5 GB
• Personal: $9.95/month or $99/year, unlimited storage

Pricing for Businesses:

• Business Plan: $29.95/month or $299/year, unlimited storage
• Reseller Plan: $59.95/month or $599/year, unlimited storage*
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing (contact for details)

Amazon Drive is a reputable cloud storage solution that focuses on storing, viewing, and managing digital content like photos and videos. As an added benefit, it offers easy integration with Amazon devices and services.

With the free version, you get 5 GB for any file type, but if you’re a prime member, then you’ll get free unlimited photo storage and 5 GB video storage. You’ll also be able to share files with up to 5 family members through the ‘Family Vault.’

Pricing (for all Amazon customers):

• Free Tier: 5 GB for photos and videos

Pricing (for Prime Members):

• $14.99/month or $139 per year

Regardless of whether you’re a prime or non-prime member, you can extend your storage as follows:

• 100 GB: $1.99/month
• 1 TB: $9.99/month

1. Check out the storage space. Some services offer a few GBs for free, while others might give you unlimited space. So, think carefully about how much space you actually need.
2. Assess the security. Always look for encryption, both for files in transit and at rest. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a big plus, too, along with regular security audits, compliance certifications, and ransomware protection.
3. Ease of use. If it’s a hassle to sync, upload, or find your files across your devices, you’ll probably hate using it. Find an interface that is clean and simple.
4. File sharing capabilities. You need to see how the service handles sharing big files with friends or colleagues. The very best ones out there are super simple and allow you to send links and collaborate in real-time.
5. Price. Price matters. Don’t just go for the cheapest option. Rather, consider what you’re getting in terms of functionality and flexibility.

Q: Which cloud service is best for storing photos?

A: Google Drive and MEGA give you 15 GB and 20 G, for free, respectively. They’re both super easy to use on your phone and computer. If you’re thinking about privacy and more storage, Sync.com is awesome because it’s really secure. You also get 5 GB free, or you could pick from one of the many paid plans. pCloud has a lifetime plan, so there would be no monthly bills.

Q: How much does cloud hosting cost?

A: It depends. If you just need a spot to stash some files, you can start off with free options like Google Drive or Dropbox. This would give you a bit of space, without costing a dime. However, if you’re after more room or extra perks, you might be looking at shelling out anything from a few bucks to about $20 a month. Advanced plans often come at a premium price tag.

Q: Is cloud hosting safe for storing important data?

A: Yes. Most providers use advanced encryption methods to protect your files when they’re being sent to the cloud, and also while being stored. Always look for additional security features like two-factor authentication.

Q: What is the difference between free and paid cloud hosting plans?

A: It boils down to storage capacity, security features, and functionalities. With a free plan, you get a limited amount of storage. Paid plans offer more storage space and often include better security features, such as advanced encryption and the ability to recover deleted files. Plus, they might have extra perks like access to collaboration or file management tools.