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File Storage · head to head

Cloudian vs pCloud

Cloudian logo

Cloudian

File Storage

S3-compatible on-premises object storage with object lock immutability

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
pCloud logo

pCloud

File Storage

Prices are final. No setup fees or other hidden charges

From
$199/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cloudian you operate the hardware, so capacity planning, firmware, node failures and a refresh cycle every five years return as costs that a public cloud bill hides.; pCloud ultra plan has 10TB storage but only 2TB transfer traffic, creating asymmetry
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cloudian and pCloud actually diverge.

Attributes where Cloudian and pCloud differ
AttributeCloudianpCloud
Starting priceOn request$199/one-time
Pricing modelquoteone-time
PlatformsLinuxWeb

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (File Storage).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Cloudian

  • S3 API compatibility
  • Object Lock
  • Erasure coding
  • Multi-tenancy
  • Hybrid tiering
  • HyperStore appliances

Only in pCloud

Nothing recorded that Cloudian does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cloudian

  • A backup team needing an immutable target so a compromised administrator account cannot delete the backupsnot pCloud
  • An organisation restoring hundreds of terabytes regularly where public cloud egress charges make cloud storage untenablenot pCloud
  • A university or government body with data residency rules preventing use of public cloud object storagenot pCloud
  • A media archive holding petabytes of finished content where per-terabyte capital cost beats per-gigabyte monthly cloud feesnot pCloud

pCloud

  • Long-term cloud storage with no monthly feesnot Cloudian
  • File archival and backupnot Cloudian
  • Secure file sharing with encryptionnot Cloudian

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cloudian

  • You operate the hardware, so capacity planning, firmware, node failures and a refresh cycle every five years return as costs that a public cloud bill hides.
  • Per-terabyte licensing plus servers means high upfront cost, and the crossover point against public cloud only arrives at meaningful scale, typically hundreds of terabytes and up.
  • S3 compatibility is high but not identical to Amazon, so occasional applications depending on newer or less common S3 features need testing rather than assumption.
  • Small deployments need a minimum node count for erasure coding to be meaningful, which sets a practical floor on entry cost regardless of how little data you have.
  • Performance is object storage performance, so it is not a substitute for block or high-throughput file storage and buyers occasionally deploy it for the wrong workload.

pCloud

  • Ultra plan has 10TB storage but only 2TB transfer traffic, creating asymmetry
  • Download traffic limited to plan tier; no unlimited transfer option

Pricing, plan by plan

Cloudian

On request
  • Cloudian HyperStore$undefined/year
    • Licensed per usable terabyte, subscription or perpetual
    • Software-only on your hardware or as Cloudian appliances
    • No egress or API request charges

pCloud

$199/one-time
  • Premium 500GB$199/one-time
    • 500GB storage
    • 500GB transfer traffic
    • unlimited file uploads
  • Premium Plus 2TB$399/one-time
    • 2TB storage
    • 2TB transfer traffic
    • unlimited file uploads
  • Ultra 10TB$1190/one-time
    • 10TB storage
    • 2TB transfer traffic
    • unlimited file uploads

Which should you pick?

Choose Cloudian if

  • You need s3 api compatibility.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want object lock.
Cloudian review

Choose pCloud if

Nothing in the data separates pCloud from Cloudian on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

pCloud review

Questions people ask

Is Cloudian or pCloud better?
Neither clearly leads. Cloudian starts at On request and pCloud at $199/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cloudian or pCloud?
Cloudian starts at On request and pCloud at $199/one-time.
Does Cloudian or pCloud run on more platforms?
Cloudian runs on Linux. pCloud runs on Web.
What is Cloudian best used for?
Cloudian is most often used for a backup team needing an immutable target so a compromised administrator account cannot delete the backups, an organisation restoring hundreds of terabytes regularly where public cloud egress charges make cloud storage untenable, a university or government body with data residency rules preventing use of public cloud object storage, a media archive holding petabytes of finished content where per-terabyte capital cost beats per-gigabyte monthly cloud fees. Of those, a backup team needing an immutable target so a compromised administrator account cannot delete the backups and an organisation restoring hundreds of terabytes regularly where public cloud egress charges make cloud storage untenable are not what pCloud is typically brought in for.
What can Cloudian do that pCloud cannot?
Cloudian covers S3 API compatibility, Object Lock, Erasure coding, Multi-tenancy.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cloudian: Does object lock really stop ransomware deleting backups?

Within the retention period, yes, provided the lock is set in compliance mode. That is precisely why it is the common answer to backup-targeting ransomware.

pCloud: Can I recover deleted files?

Yes, you can restore previous versions and recover data from up to 30 days ago.

Source
Cloudian: Are there egress charges?

No. That is the central cost argument against public cloud object storage, and it only becomes visible when you have to restore at volume.

pCloud: What is the difference between lifetime and monthly pricing?

Lifetime plans are one-time purchases ($199-$1,190). Monthly options are also available but exact monthly prices are not specified on the pricing page.

Source
Cloudian: Can we use our own servers?

Yes, HyperStore is software-defined and runs on qualified commodity hardware, or you can buy Cloudian appliances if you would rather not certify your own.

pCloud: Is there a money-back guarantee?

Yes, pCloud offers a 14-day money-back guarantee with 256-bit SSL encryption protecting payments.

Source
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