Sources checked Sep 22, 2026
iCloud+ vs Google One: which storage plan fits your family?
Google gives every account 15 GB free, three times Apple’s 5 GB, and its storage also holds Gmail. iCloud+ is built into iPhone, iPad, and Mac and holds their device backups. Both let you share one pool of space with up to five other people. If everyone uses Apple devices, compare the sizes and prices; if anyone uses Android, check platform support first.
PUBLISHED PLAN DETAILS
Free storage, plan sizes, and US prices
US-dollar prices before tax, from each provider’s own US page. Prices differ by country, so confirm yours before you pay.
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| What to compare | iCloud+ | Google One |
|---|---|---|
| Free storage | 5 GB with every Apple Account. | Up to 15 GB per Google Account, shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. |
| Plan sizes and monthly prices | 50 GB $0.99 a month · 200 GB $2.99 a month · 2 TB $9.99 a month · 6 TB $29.99 a month · 12 TB $59.99 a month | Basic 100 GB $1.99 a month · Standard 200 GB $2.99 a month · Google AI Plus 400 GB $4.99 a month · Google AI Pro 5 TB $19.99 a month · Google AI Ultra from 20 TB $99.99 a month |
| Yearly billing | Not offered. Apple says you are billed monthly after you upgrade. | Google AI Pro: $199.99 a year. The US pages we read showed no yearly price for the other plans. |
| What else the plan includes | iCloud+ features such as Hide My Email and Private Relay, which you lose if you go back to the free 5 GB. | Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra bundle Gemini features with the storage. Basic and Standard are storage plans. |
SHARING AND STORAGE RULES
Family sharing, what uses the space, and what happens at the limit
From Apple’s and Google’s help pages. “Up to five others” means six people in total, including the person who pays.
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| What to compare | iCloud+ | Google One |
|---|---|---|
| Who can share | You and up to five other members of your Family Sharing group. Members on the free 5 GB are added automatically; a member with their own paid plan can switch and get a refund for the rest of it. | You and up to five family members, from the Basic plan up. You must be 18 or older to create a family group, and members must live in the same country as you. |
| How the space is split | One shared pool. Every member gets a notification when the group is running low. | One shared pool. Each member first uses up to 15 GB of personal storage; after that their files count toward the shared space. The plan manager can see how the space is split. |
| Whose files others can see | Apple says photos, documents, and other information stay private; each person uses their own Apple Account. | Google says your files are not shared with the rest of your family, and they cannot access them without your permission. |
| What counts against storage | iCloud Backup of iPhone and iPad, iCloud Photos, iCloud Drive, and Messages in iCloud, including attachments. | Gmail messages and attachments, including Spam and Trash; Google Drive files; and Google Photos backups, including Storage saver and Express quality since June 1, 2021. |
| Platform fit | Built into Apple devices. On a PC, iCloud for Windows from the Microsoft Store gives access to photos, files, mail, and calendars; check Apple’s Windows requirements. Apple says only that some Android devices can use iCloud.com in a browser; its supported-browser list covers Apple devices and Windows. | One storage allowance across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. On iPhone and iPad, the Google Photos app can back up photos and videos to your Google Account, using the same storage. |
| If you go over | Devices stop backing up to iCloud, new photos and videos stop uploading to iCloud Photos, iCloud Drive stops updating across devices, and you cannot send or receive email at your iCloud address. | You cannot upload to Google Drive, back up to Google Photos, or send and receive Gmail. If you stay over for 2 years, Google may delete your content; it says it will contact you at least 3 months before. |
| If you stop paying | The change takes effect when the billing period ends. If you are then over the free 5 GB, iCloud stops syncing and backups do not complete until you free space or buy more. Apple says to download or remove what is over the new amount first. The Apple pages we read give no deletion timeline. | Storage and benefits last until the end of the billing cycle. Then each person keeps their default storage of up to 15 GB, and the over-the-limit rules apply to anyone using more. |
A family of four storing about 2.5 TB
2.5 TB is 2,500 GB. iCloud+ 2 TB is too small, so the smallest iCloud+ plan that holds it is 6 TB. Apple bills it monthly only: 12 × $29.99 = $359.88 a year.
Google’s Basic, Standard, and AI Plus plans are too small. Google AI Pro (5 TB) holds it: $199.99 a year billed yearly (about $16.67 a month), or 12 × $19.99 = $239.88 billed monthly.
Both plans include all four people. At these listed prices, Google AI Pro (5 TB) costs $159.89 less over a year on yearly billing, or $120.00 less on monthly billing. Both leave room to grow: 3,500 GB spare on iCloud+ and 2,500 GB on Google.
This is a price calculation, not a verdict. Google’s storage also has to hold everyone’s Gmail, and Apple’s has to hold iPhone and iPad backups, so the same family may use a different amount on each.
To try your own total and number of people, use the cloud storage cost calculator. It runs the same plan match across iCloud+, Google One, Microsoft 365, and Dropbox.
CONSIDER ICLOUD+ IF
Everyone uses an iPhone, iPad, or Mac
iCloud+ is built into Apple devices, and iCloud Backup saves iPhone and iPad backups there. Members on the free 5 GB join the family plan automatically, and everyone keeps a private Apple Account.
CONSIDER GOOGLE ONE IF
You live in Gmail and Google Photos, or want 100 GB
One allowance covers Gmail, Drive, and Photos, and the Google Photos app can back up iPhones and iPads too. Each person starts with up to 15 GB free, and paid plans start at 100 GB.
Moving your photos
Moving photos between the two is a copy, not a move. Apple documents both directions: Google Takeout can send a copy of Google Photos to iCloud Photos, and Apple’s Data and Privacy page can send a copy of iCloud Photos to Google Photos. Each needs enough space on the receiving side first.
The Google Photos and iCloud Photos transfer guide walks through each route and what does not come across.
Check this before you switch
- Check how much each person already stores, including Gmail for Google or device backups for Apple.
- Confirm everyone lives in the same country if you plan on a Google family group.
- Decide who manages the plan, and check what happens to anyone who already pays for their own storage.
- Before cancelling either service, download or move anything over the free allowance.
Try a small sample of files before moving a full library.
Leaving rather than comparing? The Google One exit guide covers the Takeout export, the free 15 GB you fall back to, and what going over it does to Gmail sending and receiving. Read the leaving Google One guide.
Going the other way? The iCloud+ exit guide covers full-resolution photo originals, device backups, and what stops when you drop to the free 5 GB. Read the leaving iCloud+ guide.
CHECK THE PROVIDERS
Confirm the price in your country.
These links go directly to the providers. Neither is an affiliate link.