If you find solace and peace in cloudy autumn skies, you’re grateful for the existence of clouds. Luckily, clouds translate over to the digital space and are frequently associated with storage. Given your presence here, you’re likely seeking a proper cloud storage definition.
What is cloud storage, after all? In simple words, cloud storage is the type of online storage that lets you store files on a remote server. Think of it as an extension of your physical drive but a cheaper, safer, and faster one, with an internet connection requirement.
This is the basic premise—keeping your files on the cloud safely and having them readily available on all devices. However, we know you are looking for a more in-depth definition of cloud storage and details on how it works, hence this detailed article. Don’t worry—we’ll explain everything as we go and fully introduce you to these popular services.
What Is Cloud Storage?
As stated in the introduction, cloud storage, or online storage, lets you store files on a secure remote server.
This remote server is actually a hard drive the provider allows you to use. Now, some of you might ask a logical question – why would I keep my files on someone else’s hard drive?
That’s a good one. If you have large storage needs, buying one hard drive after the other will be costly and space-consuming. Think about having two, three, or even five hard drives on your computer. You’ll need a large PC case, which is pricey if you go for a top brand.
Then, we have the price of HDD and SSD solutions going up. If you opt for Samsung and its lightning-quick storage, you’ll pay a top dollar for each HDD you rack up. On the other side, you have fast cloud storage that can store your files for a fee and NOT take up any space!
How Does Cloud Storage Work?
Let’s explain how everything works. You’ll be storing your files (photos, videos, documents, …) on a remote hard drive owned by a specific company. pCloud is the most popular option that also offers Lifetime plans where you pay once and use the online storage indefinitely.
Try pCloud’s Cheap Lifetime Plans
If not, you can pay a tiny monthly fee that usually doesn’t cost more than $10/mo – sometimes way less! From that moment, you’ve “reserved” your piece of storage, whose sizes vary drastically, depending on your choice. More about that in just a minute.
After buying the storage, you can transfer your files to it or download them to your device. The key benefit is that it works on all devices, so you can use your phone, computer, tablet, laptop, or any other device. To access your files on the cloud, you must have internet access.
Once you connect to the internet, you can safely access your files, transfer them, or even reproduce them if we’re talking about photos and videos stored on the cloud. There’s nothing complicated about how cloud storage works. It’s simpler than you imagine.
The whole “summary” can fit in one sentence; cloud storage lets you store and access your files on a remote hard drive (server) through ANY device as long as you have internet access.
Cloud Storage Size: How Much Can You Get?
Buying an HDD or SSD means you’ll be able to choose from a litany of sizes – size DOES matter in some cases.
Well, what is cloud storage if not a proper hard drive replacement? In other words, you can choose from flexible storage no matter which provider you opt for.
Take pCloud as an example. In a recent review of pCloud on our site, we’ve highlighted its plans that vary in size tremendously.
Do you need less storage? In that case, pick the 500 GB plan. If you need a bit more, pick the 2 TB plan. Do you need even MORE to be happy?
In that case, go for the gargantuan 10 TB plan – that should be enough. pCloud is a prime example of an amazing provider, as it lets you pay monthly, annually, and once for a lifetime. Coupled with flexible plans, you can get exactly what you want and satisfy your needs.
Even outside of pCloud, you’ll find ample flexible online storage providers. The storage size ranges from a few gigabytes for free options and up to unlimited in paid options (Sync.com is a good example of this). The most popular choices are 2 TB plans for their value.
Explore pCloud’s Diverse Storage Sizes
In most cases, 2 TB is enough to satisfy users who store videos, photos, business files, and documents. If you don’t store large files, 2 TB might be overkill, and 500 GB or 1 TB should suffice, which is great because these are very cost-effective.
To summarize, here’s a list of the most popular online storage providers and their storage sizes:
| Cloud Storage Provider | Free Plan | Paid Plan |
| pCloud | 10 GB | 500 GB, 2 TB, 10 TB |
| Internxt | 1 GB | 200 GB, 2 TB, 5 TB, 10 TB |
| NordLocker | 3 GB | 500 GB, 2 TB |
| Sync.com | 5 GB | 2 TB, 6 TB, Unlimited |
| Dropbox | 2 GB | 2 TB, 3 TB, 9 TB, 15 TB |
| OneDrive | 5 GB | 100 GB, 1 TB, 6 TB |
| Google Drive | 15 GB | 100 GB, 2 TB |
Types of Cloud Storage Explained
Now that you know what is online storage and its simple definition, let’s deepen things up. Did you know that there are four types of cloud storage? If not, we’ll quickly go over them, see what they are, and divulge their primary purposes.
Public
Think about the cloud storage options you get online. pCloud, Internxt, NordLocker, and others. All of them are public because they’re publicly available and ready for you to get them. This is your run-of-the-mill storage that you’ll use in 99% of the cases.
In fact, our cloud storage definition is tied to public online storage that you can buy, use to store files, and enjoy all the privacy and security. The best providers in this category are undoubtedly pCloud, Internxt, and NordLocker, which is an encrypted cloud service.
Business
Public cloud storage providers like pCloud and Internxt also offer business plans. Their main characteristics are:
- Multi-user accounts (up to 100 or more users)
- More storage space to accommodate more users
- Collaboration options
- Usually round-the-clock customer support
Essentially, the business variant functions like the “normal” one, apart from offering more features and functions to satisfy your business needs. For example, a business plan offers way more storage but each team member gets his/her own space for file storage.
We think business cloud storage is excellent for cost efficiency. Instead of buying 100 TB of physical storage, which costs enormously, you can get a business cloud service for cheaper and split these 100 TB across multiple users.
Get pCloud’s Business Cloud Storage
Personal
Personal cloud storage sounds a bit like a hard drive on your PC. But wait – this is a HARD drive, not a cloud-based one, so what’s the catch? The catch is extending your physical storage capabilities, which are offered by many hard drive manufacturers globally.
Some of them let you set up a local server where you can store your files privately. This server is accessible only to you – not even the manufacturer can see your files. We think this is a great way of giving your hard drive room to breathe if you’ve taken up a lot of space.
Your games can be on a hard drive for faster loading times, while songs, videos, and photos can be on cloud storage for convenience. Beware that setting up this local server still requires internet access but that’s no issue, as you have your local home network.
Issues with the network will make these files inaccessible. But hey, that’s your ISP’s fault, so don’t blame the personal online storage provider.
Hybrid
This is the rarest form of cloud storage. Microsoft Azure is likely the only “known” provider that lets you enjoy the hybrid ecosystem in which you can store files locally and on the cloud. Think of it as a combination of private and public cloud storage.
Such a complex system can fully utilize computing resources stored locally and on the cloud seamlessly. This usually benefits businesses that can take advantage of the flexibility of the hybrid system and adapt certain apps and processes accordingly.
Some apps and processes will work with the on-cloud files, while others will require local file access. This allows for space-saving capabilities and further workflow adaptation to suit the company’s needs.
Cloud Storage Benefits: Why Should You Use It?
No thing or being is perfect in this universe but we can agree that cloud storage offers lots of benefits apart from being an “extension” of your hard drive.
Safety & Security
One thing that differentiates a typical hard drive and online storage is security. If your hard drive malfunctions, good luck extracting your files. You can only bang your head against the wall, thinking about how you could’ve avoided the issue by option for affordable cloud storage.
We’ll take pCloud and its security as a great example. The provider offers file redundancy, which means it stores your files on at least THREE servers.
It offers data centers in Luxembourg and Texas, by the way. If one server fails, the other two have your files!
This means virtually no possibility of losing them. pCloud also uses encryption, which hard drives lack. This allows no one to trespass and modify or use your files. Another thing to mention is the physical protection of the servers, which prevents environmental hazards.
Lastly, we touched on zero-knowledge encryption and providers like pCloud, Internxt, and NordLocker offer it as well. This encryption prevents unauthorized access even from the provider itself, giving only YOU the right to access your files.
Easy File Sharing
File sharing doesn’t have to be a chore, as it is with hard drives. You can carry around your portable drive but hey – if you have a friend abroad, you likely wouldn’t want to travel just to share a few files. Instead, you can use cloud storage to deliver these files in an instant.
Select the files you want, add password protection to your link for added security, and send them flying. The recipient will enter the password and download the files, and both of you will be happier than a dog at dinner time.
Share Files Effortlessly With Internxt
File Syncing
Syncing is vital for having your files available across all devices. All you need to do is upload the files from one device, and in a moment, you can access them on your phone, tablet, or any other device. Automatic syncing is available in most cloud storage services.
This means snapping a new photo will send it to the cloud and make it available device-wide. Think about forgetting your workplace laptop at home and you’re away. Don’t fret. Your phone will do the trick, as your business files will be there for you to fetch them.
Backups
The best cloud storage options can also back up your drives. If you’re selling your device or it malfunctions, it’s good to have your files backed up on the cloud.
You can prevent file loss this way but also download your files to the new device and keep working where you left off.
Inconveniences of Online Storage
As said, perfection is unachievable, so these handy services can produce a few inconveniences explained below.
Internet Connection Dependency
You NEED an internet connection to access your on-cloud files. This is a problem if you’re in the forest or a mountain and the 5G reception is weak or you don’t have a WiFi hotspot. But then, why would you use your cloud on the mountain – perhaps for listening to music?!
Either way, you get the point. No internet, no cloud storage access. Thankfully, this is the 21st century, so internet coverage is pretty decent, even if you’re in the countryside. Plus, if you’re on a bus or train, you’ll find a public WiFi hotspot that you can connect to.
Be aware that these aren’t the safest, so it’s good to take advantage of a proper VPN service. This way, you can safely access your online storage and have your files at your fingertips.
Not All Providers Are Fast
Some providers are notoriously slow, making file transfers painful. While transfer speeds depend on your internet speed, some providers are inherently slow, such as Sync.com or OneDrive. We’ve discovered that pCloud, Internxt, and Dropbox are pretty fast.
However, some of their subscription plans cost a bit more. Fast online storage is a blessing because it feels like you’re using a hard drive and not relying on the internet. While blazing-fast options are rare, at least you have three of them, so don’t make a mistake.
Get the Fastest Online Storage: pCloud
You’re Not in Total Control
Some people deem this a downside and rightfully so. After all, you’re using someone else’s space to store your files and don’t have full control over it. This might be inconvenient for companies who want a bespoke cloud environment with complex requirements.
On the other hand, some users can’t fully trust corporate entities housing cloud storage. Indeed, companies like Dropbox and iCloud have had security issues in the past. However, pCloud, Internxt, and NordLocker can be trusted thanks to their great reputation.
We’ve been using these three for years for storing vital information. So far, we haven’t been unpleasantly surprised by the lack of security, privacy, or any other inconvenience.
Conclusion
Whether you’re using free online storage or opting for a paid version, the cloud storage definition remains the same. It’s a great way of storing your files remotely, safely, and cost-effectively without upgrading your hardware, while simultaneously having access to your files on all devices.
Its benefits outweigh the drawbacks by a long shot. As long as you have internet access and an internet-capable device – which we all do – you won’t have a thing to worry about. Of course, you should also pick the right provider if you don’t want a bag of problems.
pCloud, Internxt, and NordLocker are the leading choices. You now know what cloud storage is, how it works, and have the knowledge to get started. These three should suffice, and you can even try them for free before spending any money. Dive into all the intricacies of online storage now.