The verdict
pCloud takes it, 7–1 on rounds.
On the published figures and the independent review sites, pCloud takes 7 of 8 rounds. Treat that as a starting point and check the current figures on both pages, because prices and plans move.
Choose OneDrive if…
- • You want OneDrive's edge on what the cheapest paid plan costs
Choose pCloud if…
- • You want pCloud's edge on how much you get free and who can read your files
Round by round
- Round 1How much you get freepCloud wins
pCloud wins this round on independent review-site data, not on its own claims.
- Round 2What the cheapest paid plan costsOneDrive winspCloud5/10
$4.17
Premium 500 GB, $49.99 a year, shown per month
- $4.17, against $1.99
Source: pcloud.com ↗
OneDrive wins this round on independent review-site data, not on its own claims.
- Round 3Who can read your filespCloud winsOneDrive5/10
Not zero-knowledge
Microsoft can read files on its servers
- Not zero-knowledge, against Optional
Source: cloudslinker.com ↗
pCloud8/10Optional
zero-knowledge encryption is the paid pCloud Crypto add-on
Source: allcloudhub.com ↗
pCloud wins this round on independent review-site data, not on its own claims.
- Round 4Paying once instead of monthlypCloud winsOneDrive5/10
No lifetime plan
monthly or yearly plans only
- No lifetime plan, against Lifetime plans
Source: allcloudhub.com ↗
pCloud wins this round on independent review-site data, not on its own claims.
- Round 5How easy it is to usepCloud winsOneDrive5/10
4.4 out of 5
ease-of-use rating from Capterra reviewers
- 4.4 out of 5, against 4.6 out of 5
Source: capterra.com ↗
pCloud wins this round on independent review-site data, not on its own claims.
- Round 6Storage on the cheapest paid planpCloud winsOneDrive5/10
100 GB
Microsoft 365 Basic (100 GB), monthly ('Or buy at ... per month'); Microsoft 365 Family for 2 TB
- 100 GB, against 500 GB
Source: microsoft.com ↗
pCloud8/10500 GB
Premium 500 GB (Premium Plus 2 TB for the 2 TB price), billed monthly (click MONTHLY); lifetime on the LIFETIME tab
Source: pcloud.com ↗
pCloud wins this round on what the published sources say.
- Round 7What 2 TB costspCloud winsOneDrive5/10
$12.99/mo (Family, 2 TB shared)
Microsoft 365 Basic (100 GB), monthly ('Or buy at ... per month'); Microsoft 365 Family for 2 TB
- $12.99/mo (Family, 2 TB shared), against $9.99/mo (Premium Plus 2 TB)
Source: microsoft.com ↗
pCloud8/10$9.99/mo (Premium Plus 2 TB)
Premium 500 GB (Premium Plus 2 TB for the 2 TB price), billed monthly (click MONTHLY); lifetime on the LIFETIME tab
Source: pcloud.com ↗
pCloud wins this round on what the published sources say.
- Round 8Biggest single file you can uploadpCloud winsOneDrive5/10
250 GB per file
Microsoft 365 Basic (100 GB), monthly ('Or buy at ... per month'); Microsoft 365 Family for 2 TB
- 250 GB per file, against Unlimited - any file size
Source: support.microsoft.com ↗
pCloud8/10Unlimited - any file size
Premium 500 GB (Premium Plus 2 TB for the 2 TB price), billed monthly (click MONTHLY); lifetime on the LIFETIME tab
Source: pcloud.com ↗
pCloud wins this round on what the published sources say.
Side by side
- 5 GB, against 15 GB
- 4.4 out of 5, against 4.7 out of 5
- $12.99/mo (Family, 2 TB shared), against $9.99/mo (AI Plus 2 TB)
- 250 GB per file, against Up to 5 TB per file
- 10 GB, against 15 GB
- $4.17, against $1.99
- $4.17, against $0.99
- Optional, against Zero-knowledge