When you’re on a budget, but need file access from anywhere, you need cheap cloud storage. For students looking to save money while still having easy access to homework, reports, and other files, cheap and even free options give you all the storage you need.
Content
- 1. Google Drive
- 2. iDrive
- 3. Microsoft 365 With OneDrive
- 4. MEGA
- 5. Degoo
- 6. Koofr
- 7. Filen
- Combine Providers for Cheap Cloud Storage
1. Google Drive
Price: 15 GB free with premium upgrades
Google Drive is one of the best options for cheap cloud storage. Every user gets 15 GB to use between various Google services, including Gmail. However, many school districts use Google Workspace for Education, which gives groups 100 TB of pooled storage.
Of course, if you need more storage or your school doesn’t participate in Google’s Education program, cheaper cloud storage is still an option. It’s just $1.99/month for 100 GB. And, if you’re a parent with multiple kids, up to five users can share the 100 GB. Larger plans are available if you need them, but 100 GB is usually more than enough for most students.
2. iDrive
Price: 10 GB free and half off premium plans for students
If you’re looking for cheap and secure cloud storage, it’s hard to beat iDrive. While the platform only offers 10 GB free versus Google Drive’s 15 GB, they offer half off personal and business plans for anyone with a valid educational email address. A basic personal plan gives you 5 TB of space for just $50/year.
iDrive features 256-bit AES private encryption to keep your files secure. You’re also able to back up multiple devices to a single account. For any students needing a large amount of storage space, such as a photography and video production, iDrive could be the best option.
3. Microsoft 365 With OneDrive
Price: 5 GB free storage with premium upgrades
Microsoft 365 includes Microsoft Office apps and OneDrive storage. The free version only gives you 5 GB of storage, which isn’t that impressive, but you do get 15 GB extra just for email. However, for just $19.99/year, you get web access to the major Office apps and 100 GB of OneDrive storage, making it a great cheap cloud storage option.
Microsoft does offer education plans to give students free access to Office apps, but you must contact your school to see if they participate. The only student discounts Microsoft offers is for college students. For just $2.99/month, you get offline Office apps and 1 TB of storage.
4. MEGA
Price: 20 GB free storage with premium upgrades
MEGA is well-known for their large cloud storage plans, but what stands out even more is the generous 20 GB for free. For many students, this may be more than enough storage. Plus, MEGA is a cheap and secure cloud storage provider, offering zero-knowledge encryption. This means even they can’t read your files.
Surprisingly, you also get up to 30 days to view previous file versions (up to 100 versions). Secure video calls and private messaging are also included for free. Premium plans start at $110/year for 2 TB, a VPN, and quite a few extras.
5. Degoo
Price: 20 GB free storage with premium upgrades
Degoo is mainly known as a photo storage service, but you can also upload documents. Plus, it’s one of the best cheap cloud storage services that gives you a chance to earn extra storage. Yes, you get 20 GB free, but by inviting others and watching ads, it’s possible to earn extra storage for free.
Naturally, there are premium plans starting at $2.99/month. This boosts your storage to 500 GB. And, a 5,000 GB plan is also available. The only thing I don’t like is you can’t access the web version in the free plan. You have to use the mobile apps.
6. Koofr
Price: 10 GB free storage with premium upgrades
Koofr isn’t as well-known, but the European company is one of the cheaper cloud storage options. While 10 GB might not be enough for many students, you can boost this to 35 GB for around $1/month. Much like Google Drive, there are also built-in collaboration features for you to share files with teachers and fellow students.
Security is also a major benefit. Set up share links that expire, set permissions, and even store private files in a secure, encrypted vault. Thanks to being GDPR compliant, when you delete files, they’re gone forever, though you can change settings to retain deleted files for up to 30 days to prevent accidental deletion.
7. Filen
Price: 10 GB free storage with premium upgrades
Filen offers both cheap and secure cloud storage. The one thing that immediately stands out is there is zero difference between the free and premium plans outside of the storage amount. That’s important since Filen provides zero-knowledge encryption, client side encryption, and even encrypted notes and chats.
You get 10 GB for free. If you need more space, annual plans start at less than $2/month for 200 GB. Unlike most services that just let you upgrade, plans stack on top of each other. For instance, you can purchase two 200 GB plans for less than $4/month to get 400 GB of storage. Please note that you can only have one free account or you will be blocked.
Combine Providers for Cheap Cloud Storage
If you’re a student that needs extra storage, you can combine providers to get cheaper cloud storage. In fact, some people have free accounts with several providers and use a cloud storage manager to combine everything in one place. You could have different services for different subjects or file types.
Get an idea of how much storage you might need overall with this hard drive storage guide.
Of course, if you’re switching to cloud storage, you might not have any use for all those USB drives anymore. Consider repurposing them for everything from playing games to unlocking your PC.
Image credit: Unsplash, All screenshots by Crystal Crowder
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Crystal Crowder –
Staff Writer
Crystal Crowder has spent over 15 years working in the tech industry, first as an IT technician and then as a writer. She works to help teach others how to get the most from their devices, systems, and apps. She stays on top of the latest trends and is always finding solutions to common tech problems.
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