Sources checked Sep 21, 2026 – Sep 23, 2026
How much cloud storage do you actually need?
Add two numbers: what you already keep in the cloud, and what is on your phone and computer that you want copied there but is not yet. Then leave room for another year. Your cloud account’s storage page gives the first number; your devices give the second. The steps below use each provider’s own instructions.
1. Check what you already store in the cloud
Each provider counts storage across several of its services, so use its own storage page rather than adding up folders yourself.
Scroll sideways to see all columns →
| Account | Where to look | What counts |
|---|---|---|
| iCloud on iPhone or iPad | Settings → [your name] → iCloud. The bar graph shows overall use; tap Storage or Manage Account Storage for details. | Apple lists the apps and features using iCloud storage below the graph. |
| iCloud on a Mac | Apple menu → System Settings → your name at the top of the sidebar → iCloud, then Manage. | The same per-app list as on iPhone. |
| iCloud on Windows | Open iCloud for Windows and scroll to the bar graph; click Manage for details. | Hold the pointer over a segment to see its size. |
| Google (Gmail, Drive, Photos) | Open drive.google.com/settings/storage, or tap Manage storage in the Drive, Photos, or Gmail app. | Every Google Account includes up to 15 GB shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos. Gmail’s Spam and Trash folders count, as do original-quality photos, Drive files, and Android backups. |
| Microsoft (OneDrive and Outlook.com) | Open the Microsoft storage area of your Microsoft account dashboard. | A free account has 5 GB of cloud storage and 15 GB of mailbox storage. Email attachments count toward cloud storage. |
2. Check what is on your devices
You only need this number for things you want copied to the cloud that are not there yet, most often a phone’s photo library or a computer’s documents folder.
Scroll sideways to see all columns →
| Device | Where to look | What to note |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone or iPad | Settings → General → iPhone Storage (or iPad Storage). | The Photos category is the photos and videos in the Photos app. A separate iCloud Drive category is content already in iCloud that you downloaded, so do not count it twice. |
| Mac | Apple menu → System Settings → General → Storage, then All Volumes. | Move the pointer over a colour to see how much space each category uses. |
| Windows | Start → Settings → System → Storage. | OneDrive Files On-Demand can keep a small placeholder on the drive while the full file stays in the cloud, so the drive total and the cloud total can differ. |
| Android | Open the Settings app, tap Storage, then select a category. | Google notes that settings can vary by phone; check your manufacturer’s help if the menu looks different. |
TURN IT INTO A PLAN SIZE
3. Add it up in five steps
- 1
Write down the total from your cloud account’s storage page.
- 2
Add anything on your devices that you want in the cloud and that is not already there. Skip content that is already synced, such as downloaded iCloud Drive files.
- 3
Make the units match. Microsoft lists 1 TB as 1,000 GB and Dropbox lists 2 TB as 2,000 GB, so we use decimal units throughout. If a device reports GiB, convert it to GB before adding.
- 4
Allow for growth. Our suggestion, not a provider figure: note today’s total, check again in a month, and multiply the change by 12 for a year.
- 5
Enter the total and the number of people sharing it in the cloud storage cost calculator to see which plans hold it.
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
One person, one phone, one laptop
Hypothetical figures, not a typical user. They show the arithmetic, not how much you should expect to store.
- Already in the cloud
- The Google storage page shows 12 GB across Gmail, Drive, and Photos.
- Not in the cloud yet
- 90 GB of photos and videos on the phone, plus 40 GB of laptop documents: 130 GB.
- Today’s total
- 12 + 90 + 40 = 142 GB.
- A year of growth
- The total rose by 3 GB in a month, so 3 × 12 = 36 GB. Target: 142 + 36 = 178 GB.
- What that means
- A 100 GB plan is too small, and a 200 GB plan has room. Enter 178 GB in the calculator to see each provider’s smallest plan at that size.
What happens if you run out
Google: over your storage limit, you cannot upload new files or back up photos and videos. Google says that if you stay over the limit for 2 years, all of your content in Gmail, Google Photos, and Google Drive may be removed.
Microsoft: over your quota, OneDrive stops uploading and syncing new files and your existing files become read-only, and Outlook.com cannot send or receive email. Microsoft says an account over its OneDrive limit for three months is frozen, and after six months OneDrive and its files might be deleted.
Free up space or move to a larger plan before you reach those points. This guide explains how to measure; it is not advice about which files to delete.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Price the total you just worked out.
Enter your total and the people sharing it to see the smallest plan from iCloud+, Google One, Microsoft 365, and Dropbox that holds it. If you plan to share with family, read the family sharing comparison first.