pCloud Review

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Pricing

Start at $4.99/month

Type of Pricing Plan

Annual , Lifetime Membership

Devices Supported
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
iPhone
Web-based
Integrations
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While a relatively new product, pCloud has nevertheless managed to establish itself as a reliable software partner. With over 10 million users worldwide, it’s one of the fastest-growing cloud-based digital asset management platforms and cloud storage currently available on the market. Is there something that makes this tech company stand apart from the crowd? Read our in-depth pCloud review and learn everything you need to know about the software.

Key Features
Unlimited file sizes
File syncing
30-day version tracking
Integrated media player
Secure crypto folder
User-friendly mobile app
Strengths
  • Up to 10 GB free online storage
  • Supports all major platforms
  • Unlimited file sizes and transfer speeds
  • Affordable lifetime subscription
  • Zero-knowledge encryption
Weaknesses
  • Not available for users under 18
  • No add-on services
  • No live chat/phone support

A Comprehensive Cloud Storage Solution for Businesses of All Sizes

pCloud was founded in 2013, making it a relatively new product on the market. While the platform started out in Switzerland, their data center is in the United States, meaning it’s subject to their less privacy-friendly legal system.

The platform is best known for its cost-conscious paid tiers and lifetime subscription, with the latter particularly valued in the pCloud customer reviews we found. The product also has a reputation as one of the most comprehensive cloud storage solutions that enable all individuals, teams, and businesses to manage their files and folders, in a cloud or web-based environment.

pCloud also enhances productivity by making it easy for you to locate files and folders, share them with your team members or external contacts, create multiple versions of a single file, as well as track and retrieve all changes. It’s also packed with a bundle of collaborative tools that help all teams communicate better and finish all assigned projects within the deadlines.

 

Feature-Rich Software for All Major Platforms

In our pCloud review, we will talk a lot about the software’s most famous (and some lesser-known) features to help you understand its upsides and downsides.  

The best part? pCloud supports all major platforms such as Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android, and iOS. This feature is usually lacking in some of the biggest pCloud competitors. You can access all your data from both a browser and a mobile device at any given time and work either in your office, in your home, or on-the-go.

 

Ease of Use

The software has a user-friendly UI that requires little to no training for new users and experts alike. Starting from the installation all the way to its more complex features, everything is pretty much self-explanatory. This is further confirmed by many pCloud storage reviews where you can see a score of up to 10/10 in this area. The product is so easy to navigate that it’s almost always recommended for beginners. Compared to some of its more complex competitors such as CloudBerry Backup, pCloud will, without a doubt, feel like a piece of cake.

 

File Syncing and File Sharing

It doesn’t matter how many pCloud reviews you read, they all have one thing in common – the pCloud sync feature is superior to its alternatives thanks to pCloud Drive. This desktop application makes the entire syncing process seamless. It also gives you the ability to expand your computer with a virtual drive. The most interesting part about pCloud Drive is that it doesn’t use your local storage capacity (unless you want specific files or folders to be available for offline use).

Another great feature worth mentioning in our pCloud review is the ability to share files directly from your virtual drive with a link or invitation. You also have the ability to stop sharing at any moment. All it takes is to click on "stop," and the link or the invitation will be deleted and no longer accessible. File sharing also comes with roles, so you can assign people to either only view or modify them.

Lastly, the person that receives the link doesn't need to have an account on pCloud to be able to see or download the file or folder.  

 

pCloud Transfer Review — Unlimited Speeds & File Sizes

The software doesn’t have a limit to either the file sizes being uploaded or the file transfer speed. Our pCloud vs Google Drive comparison shows that this is something that the most well-known storage service providers are lacking. This particular pCloud file transfer option gives you the ability to upload massive file sizes in a blink of an eye. It can be a game-changer for many businesses, especially enterprises. 

Users can also upload files of all types – another ability that most competitors are not able to offer. With pCloud, you can easily upload images, audio, and even HD videos.

 

File Versioning and File Backup

Depending on your tier, you can either have 15 days' worth of revisions (for free accounts) or 30 days' worth of revisions (for paid accounts). This is where our pCloud review finds the platform somewhat lacking — with the free version, pCloud’s limit of only 15 days seems slightly shorter than that of other services like Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox, which all offer their free users 30 days with download privileges. There is an option for an extended file history (for an additional price) to keep track of all versions for up to 360 days. Having the ability to access older versions of files easily and recover them can be of great help in case of accidental updates or other mistakes.

Many pCloud drive reviews focus solely on the platform’s ability to see and restore past file versions but neglect to mention the file backup feature, which can be even more useful in some instances. You can back up all your digital content from Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Facebook, and Instagram through direct integration. You can also back up files and contents from any content management system or a third-party tool. This can be used either for storage or for security reasons. The pCloud backup is one of the best ways to protect your company from losing important files. This feature brings ease of mind because you will not only have all these files twice, but they will also be safely "tucked in" in the cloud.

 

Integrated Media Player for Audio and Video Files

The integrated media player is the most popular feature mentioned in almost all pCloud user reviews. This is a unique feature that only a few other pCloud alternatives can offer, and has given the company the reputation as the best cloud storage for music.

The web interface includes audio and video players that allow you to play all shared media files from your virtual drive. You can even use the audio player to create and manage playlists. On the other hand, the video player is great for watching all types of videos either on full screen or in picture-in-picture mode. This lets you continue using either your browser or other software on your computer while watching the video at the same time. The video player can also be used to create slideshows from any shared images.

 

pCloud Crypto Review — Security at Its Finest

The Crypto Folder comes with no-knowledge client-side encryption. In other words, no one but you has access to the encrypted files (with a previously created encryption key or better known as Crypto Pass), and no one can retrieve them if you ever lose your key. Not even pCloud’s staff.

A crypto folder is an excellent option for sensitive data that needs an additional layer of protection. That said, you can't use this particular pCloud encryption option to encrypt all your files because they have to be added to a special folder, unreadable by anyone, including pCloud. In other words, you won't be able to do anything with them until you transfer them back to the normal virtual drive.

 

User-Friendly Mobile App

Another brilliant feature praised in pCloud reviews is the platform’s mobile app. A lot of alternatives offer limited mobile apps or ones that come with a learning curve.

A fairly new feature that seems to recently attract a lot of new iOS users is the support of TouchID and FaceID. Unfortunately, the Android and Windows Phone versions don’t have a similar feature. 

One of the biggest reasons why the pCloud app is so loved is its clean and simple interface that allows you to arrange, upload, and share files with several swipes. You can access all types of files (document, audio, video, or visual) stored on the virtual device, arrange them as you like, and share them with a single click and see your share stats.

You can also organize the structure of all your files and folders, and choose whether you want to edit them one-by-one or in bulk. 

 

pCloud Support 

pCloud’s customer service is known for fixing issues as quickly as possible. That said, there is only one contact option available – through email. Compared to some of their biggest competitors that offer both phone and live chat support, the pCloud email support option feels a bit lacking. Regardless of their fast response, it will still take longer to fix the issue this way.

Note that the email support is currently available in English, German, French, and Turkish.

 

Is pCloud Safe?

Not only is it safe, but it's also one of the most secure cloud storage software currently available. pCloud uses the most sophisticated and advanced data encryption techniques to date. All your data, regardless of its value, will be protected against all types of security threats. Everything that's on the virtual drive is encrypted through the pCloud crypto system and is not decrypted until it is downloaded. Our pCloud vs Dropbox comparison for example shows that this type of encryption makes pCloud superior.

All files stored on the virtual drive are encrypted with AES 256-bit, as recommended by NIST. In other words, not even a supercomputer can push through its defenses.

 

How Much Does pCloud Cost?

The pricing is transparent with no setup fees or other hidden charges. The vendor also offers a 10-day money-back guarantee, an option that not all software of this kind have.

The Basic plan is free and unlocks up to 10 GB storage. It also has a basic set of features that cater well to individuals, startups, and smaller companies.

When it comes to the paid tiers, they all come with a full set of collaboration tools, high security, access, as well as sync tools, media and usability perks, file management options, and backups from Dropbox, Facebook, Instagram, OneDrive, and Google Drive. This is why pCloud is almost always rated higher than some more popular brands such as Microsoft OneDrive or Box.

The difference in the pCloud pricing is based on the amount of storage available, and it’s the only way you can expand your pCloud storage. For example, Premium 500GB, as the name suggests, unlocks 500GB file storage space and 500GB download link traffic. Both Premium Plus 2 TB and pCloud for Family offer 2TB file storage space and 2TB download link traffic. The difference between these two is that pCloud for Family can support up to 5 users.

The prices are very affordable, especially if you are looking for annual deals. For example, Premium 500GB is priced at $59.88 per year and Premium Plus 2TB costs $119.88 per year. The pCloud Business pricing, on the other hand, is custom, based on the needs of the company.

The vendor also offers its famous lifetime subscription. Premium 500 GB is priced at $480, Premium Plus 2 TB is priced at $980, and pCloud for Family is priced at $1,400. All offers come as a one-time payment. The pCloud lifetime subscription is the biggest reason why pCloud stands apart from its competition and why it’s already rated higher than some more known cloud storage software alternatives, as evident in our Sync.com review, for example.

What’s more, you can often come across a pCloud discount that will get you even more value for money. At the time of writing this review, annual plans were 20% off while lifetime deals were discounted for a whopping 65%! So, for instance, you can get a Lifetime subscription of their Premium Plus 2 TB for just $350.

Finally, if you are not sure if the software will be a good fit for you or your company, pCloud offers a free 30-days trial as well as monthly pricing for the first two tiers. Premium 500 GB is priced at $4.99 per month and Premium Plus TB costs $9.99 per month. Still, if you are satisfied with the product for long-term use, we are advising you to opt for the annual subscriptions since they make a much better deal, unless pCloud has some promotion going on.

 

Is pCloud Any Good?

Affordable prices (with a one-time payment for a lifetime deal), a bundle of features, and enterprise-level security are among the features that make pCloud a great cloud storage option. It seems that the software is managing to outdo even some of the most popular brands such as Google and Microsoft, and this shouldn’t come as a surprise considering what it can offer.

That said, there is still room for improvement. As mentioned in our comprehensive pCloud review, more user support options can be an excellent addition to the software. Still, because pCloud is continually improving, we are sure that they will address this issue and others pointed out by their users and upgrade as they go. 

All in all, If you are willing to look past its very few cons, you will get a reliable and stable service that will significantly boost your team’s productivity and efficiency.