pCloud Honest Review for the competitive cloud storage scene in 2023.
Reliable like a Swiss watch…
The professional Swiss cloud storage company pCloud celebrated its 17 million users count in 2023.
They landed on an already competitive cloud storage market in 2023. This has worked to their advantage in some respects. While others were trying to take a bite of the market shares, pCloud visionaries took their chance to properly assess competitive offerings and develop a more innovative solution, filling more needs of both personal and business users.
Based in Switzerland, they pride themselves on the fact that they provide an easy-to-use cloud storage solution that meets the needs of everyone. pCloud operates within the toughest cyber security and data privacy laws in Europe, being a Swiss company.
When you dig a bit deeper into the pricing plans and ease of use of the site you may be pleasantly surprised to see what they have to offer. Their solutions are certainly competitive. We have assessed the various features of pCloud and bring you the highlights of this young and growing company. pCloud is often labeled as the best Dropbox alternative and cloud storage enthusiasts often mention its superiority in some regard.
Features
Like many cloud storage providers, pCloud has many features some of which are more prominent than others. Here are just a few of the highlights:
- The convenient file management system allows you to enter the name of the file you are looking for in a search bar at the top of the mobile or desktop website. Rather than searching through lists of files, you can simply find what you are looking for quickly.
- Unlimited capabilities for your data – upload any type of file regardless of size or type.
- Generate upload and download links to share with others who need to collaborate on projects or view and amend files.
- Instantly synchronize files between the cloud and your desktop or mobile device and access these files from any device.
- TSL/SSL encryption is used to securely store files with files stored on at least 3 different servers to ensure your data is never lost.
- Free pricing plan – probably one of the best available from any cloud storage provider, this 10 GB forever plan is everything a user could possibly need for their personal data.
- Public Folder functionality (same was abandoned by Dropbox!)
- pCloud Rewind – easy restore your account from crypto viruses, malware, or simply to the previous state of your account.
- Customize and Set password and expiration date for download links with access control. Full stats are available as well.
- Shared link Branding- the only cloud that offers this option.
- Third-Party Backup: Easily transfer all your data from any other cloud storage provider to pCloud with just a single click!
Ease of Use
From pricing plans to contacting support, the pCloud site is easy to use from whatever device you are using. On the desktop or on the mobile the site is intuitive, easy to find your way around, and easy on the eye. If you prefer to use an app you can download pCloud’s app from both the App Store and Google Play.
From signing up as a new user to actively using the site on a day-to-day basis for regular tasks you don’t need to be an expert to use the site. As it syncs all your files you can get on with other tasks knowing that everything is stored safely and securely.
Pricing
There are 3 varied pricing plans with pCloud and they all have something to offer different levels of users. Starting with the 10GB FREE pricing plan the non-time limited plan offers other benefits which aren’t as great as with the paid-for plans but features include having access to deleted files for 15 days.
Stepping up to a paid plan you will find that there are two solutions available. First up is the 500GB Premium plan with 30 days to access deleted files and 30 days of file change history. Other features of this plan include password-protected share links and a dedicated account manager.
The top package available from pCloud is the 2TB Premium Plus package with 30 days of access to deleted files, download/upload link statistics, a dedicated account manager, and Live Chat Support.
Pricing is in USD and monthly costs are $4.99 for the Premium (500 GB) and $9.99 per user for the Premium Plus (2 TB). If you want to try pCloud for business for free before committing to a subscription there is the option to sign up for a 30-day free trial.
Tired of renewing your Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, or Box monthly payment? It’s time to buy a lifetime cloud storage space from a reputed company pCloud. They started to offer industry-first lifetime plans.
Currently, pCloud offers 3 plans for pCloud Lifetime storage buyers. 500 GB lifetime space for just $199 and 2 TB space for just $399. The unmatched deal of pCloud gives 10 TB of Lifetime storage for just $1190 while saving more than $5000! The pCloud Lifetime lots can be stacked up to 16 TB!
pCloud’s PRICING LIST AT YOUR DISPOSAL:
500 GB:
Monthly: $4.99
Annual: $49.99
Lifetime: $199
2 TB:
Monthly: $9.99
Annual: $99.99
Lifetime: $399
10 TB Lifetime: $1190
Annual plans can be custom up to 10 TB:
Custom 4 TB annual = $198.99
Custom 6 TB annual = $297.99
Custom 8 TB annual = $396.99
Custom 10 TB annual = $495.99
Security
Security is a priority to the pCloud team and they are committed to providing a secure and encrypted solution for their 17 million users and their data. With so much nervousness around the storage of data online it is a priority for most online cloud storage providers to reassure their users that their security and encryption services won’t lead to their data being compromised. They use the TSL/SSL data encryption used by their peers and financial institutions and the military. All data is secured on at least 3 servers so in the unlikely event that something should go wrong with one of their servers there is plenty of back-ups.
Getting the pCloud Encryption plan also lets you protect your most important and sensitive files, by ensuring their confidential use and security. Even pCloud employees are unable to view or access the files, encrypted with the Zero-Knowledge pCloud Encryption! This innovative protection is also available for a lifetime purchase.
pCloud expanded its offering in 2022 by releasing a new product, called pCloud Pass. It is a truly encrypted password manager, demonstrating the true security qualities of pCloud and the future vision of the company. Their community is highly professional and very open to discussions with users and partners. Official public roadmaps are available for users to stay tuned with upcoming updates and features.
Customer Support
Whilst you won’t see the word ‘support’ when you search, you will see a ‘request help’ link at the bottom of the site. Once you click on this you are greeted by a page that allows you to contact support by sending them an e-mail. This option is available to all whether a paid account holder or a member using a free plan. Once you do take advantage of a Premium Plan you get access to a dedicated account manager and with the Premium Plus, Live Support.
As well as being able to e-mail a member of the pCloud support team you will also be able to search for answers to common problems in the help center.
24/7 Technical and Customer Support is available in English, Turkish, Bulgarian, German, Russian, Dutch, French, Spanish, Japanese, and even Chinese!
FINAL VERDICT
As our final verdict, we honestly think pCloud is a good all-rounder with many strings to its bow. Their late entry into the marketplace has definitely contributed to their market research and led to the perfect product market fit.
pCloud is widely renowned for being a great service, taking pride in offering the highest protection and value for its price. It has no size, nor upload and download speed limits. Through the years, pCloud has shown huge progress by implementing newer features and innovative pricing models, becoming the Lifetime deal pioneer.
It’s also important to mention that you can backup your WordPress website and your social media accounts (Facebook &Instagram). Backing up other cloud storage is also available (Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive). The sea of features included with your free or Premium plan is endless, outshining even some of the most established competitors like Dropbox.
One of the best things about pCloud is that they don’t use the storage of your computer. With their Virtual Drive- pCloud Drive, you have access to the files that are actually in the cloud. This lets you use pCloud without a Web-Browser, as if the files are locally stored, blending seamlessly with any OS.
An important fact, pointing to reliability and how sustainable pCloud is would be the fact that they have 17.000.000+ users and that base continues to grow daily, according to their 2023 statistics.
To help you make up your mind we have rounded up some of the pros and cons to help you make an informed decision. It’s a product that I would recommend to anyone searching for excellent cloud storage. The security is top-notch, there’s no limit to download speeds or the size of your files.
Pros
- Plans to suit all include a very generous 10 GB free plan by completing some bonus steps. As well as this free plan their Premium business plans have plenty to offer smaller businesses.
- Data is secured and backed up on OWNED servers, ensuring that no third- parties have access or any power over the stored data.
- Nothing could go wrong- your data is stored several times plus uses the best encryption possible.
- Unlike many providers, pCloud doesn’t try and hide its support function. Not only does any member have the facility to email support, but those who hold a premium account have a dedicated account manager and plus account access to Live Support.
- Customer Support languages: German, French, Russian, Bulgarian, Turkish, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Chinese, and English.
- The site is easy to use, easy to navigate, and compatible with all mainstream devices and programs.
- Deleted files are accessible for a period of time so if you decide you actually need something you can restore it.
- Lifetime plans– pCloud is the pioneer of this payment model.
- Tons of features for collaboration and file sharing.
- Unmatched Prices and annual discounts.
Cons
- No phone support
- No document integration (yet)
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