This file explorer-based drag-and-drop system is not dissimilar to Microsoft OneDrive, which lets you back up, store, modify, and delete files directly from your desktop. This problem is easily solved however by downloading the Google Drive desktop application for Windows and macOS. The web interface, while very attractive, isn’t the easiest to use. From there, you can upgrade storage to a maximum of 30TB for $299.99 a month. The paid plans, offered under the banner of Google One (opens in new tab), start at $1.99 a month for 100GB. This plan is yours to keep forever, and if you wish to upgrade to a higher storage plan down the road, you can do so. When you open a new account, Google offers you free storage of up to 15GB on Google Drive. It comes with companion apps including Google Photos (opens in new tab), Docs, Sheets, and Slides-together known as Google Workspace-meaning you can create, edit, store, view, and synchronize files via this unified, web-based interface. It is worth remembering, however, that it's more than cloud storage. While not as barebones as some of the other options listed, we found Google Drive’s UI to be clean and intuitive. If these platforms are already a part of your workflow, Google Drive offers a feature-rich, affordable native backup-and-sync solution.

Google’s cloud storage walks hand in hand with Android and Google Workspace.

Google drive cost per year