File Storage · head to head
IDrive e2 vs pCloud
IDrive e2
File Storage
Low cost S3-compatible object storage with egress included up to a multiple of what you store
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
pCloud
File Storage
Prices are final. No setup fees or other hidden charges
- From
- $199/one-time
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only IDrive e2 has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: IDrive e2 the included egress is capped as a multiple of stored data, so a small bucket that serves a lot of traffic exhausts the allowance quickly and the economics stop looking cheap exactly where a CDN backed store would still be free.; pCloud ultra plan has 10TB storage but only 2TB transfer traffic, creating asymmetry
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which IDrive e2 and pCloud actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 IDrive e2
- S3-compatible endpoints
- Included egress allowance
- Object lock
- Versioning
- Regional endpoints
- Cross region replication
Only in pCloud
Nothing recorded that IDrive e2 does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
IDrive e2
- The offsite copy in a three two one backup chain driven by Veeam, restic or a NAS backup clientnot pCloud
- Replacing an S3 bucket whose cost is dominated by storage rather than by requestsnot pCloud
- Small teams who want predictable monthly object storage billing with no request line itemsnot pCloud
- Archiving media or logs that must stay accessible without a retrieval delaynot pCloud
pCloud
- Long-term cloud storage with no monthly feesnot IDrive e2
- File archival and backupnot IDrive e2
- Secure file sharing with encryptionnot IDrive e2
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
IDrive e2
- The included egress is capped as a multiple of stored data, so a small bucket that serves a lot of traffic exhausts the allowance quickly and the economics stop looking cheap exactly where a CDN backed store would still be free.
- The region list is short compared with the hyperscalers, so data residency requirements outside the main markets are hard to satisfy and multi region designs have fewer options.
- S3 compatibility covers the common calls but not the long tail, so software that relies on less common features can fail in ways that are hard to diagnose against a provider with thin public documentation.
- Support is organised around a consumer and small business backup product rather than a platform engineering organisation, so escalating a storage layer problem takes longer than it would with a specialist provider.
- IDrive publishes far less about the underlying architecture, durability engineering and incident history than its competitors, so due diligence on the storage layer is largely taking the vendor at its word.
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
IDrive e2
Free- FreeFree
- 10 GB stored
- S3 API access
- Egress within the included allowance
- Pay as you go$4/month
- Roughly 4 USD per terabyte stored per month
- Egress included up to a multiple of stored data
- No per operation charge on standard usage
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 IDrive e2 if
- You need s3-compatible endpoints.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, API.
- You also want included egress allowance.
Choose pCloud if
Nothing in the data separates pCloud from IDrive e2 on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is IDrive e2 or pCloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. IDrive e2 starts at Free and pCloud at $199/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, IDrive e2 or pCloud?
- IDrive e2 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for IDrive e2 and $199/one-time for pCloud.
- Does IDrive e2 or pCloud run on more platforms?
- IDrive e2 runs on Web, API. pCloud runs on Web.
- Can I use IDrive e2 for free?
- Yes. IDrive e2 has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. pCloud starts at $199/one-time.
- What is IDrive e2 best used for?
- IDrive e2 is most often used for the offsite copy in a three two one backup chain driven by veeam, restic or a nas backup client, replacing an s3 bucket whose cost is dominated by storage rather than by requests, small teams who want predictable monthly object storage billing with no request line items, archiving media or logs that must stay accessible without a retrieval delay. Of those, the offsite copy in a three two one backup chain driven by veeam, restic or a nas backup client and replacing an s3 bucket whose cost is dominated by storage rather than by requests are not what pCloud is typically brought in for.
- What can IDrive e2 do that pCloud cannot?
- IDrive e2 covers S3-compatible endpoints, Included egress allowance, Object lock, Versioning.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
IDrive e2: Is the egress genuinely free?
It is included up to an allowance tied to how much you store, not unlimited. Read heavy workloads on a small bucket will exceed it.
pCloud: Can I recover deleted files?
Yes, you can restore previous versions and recover data from up to 30 days ago.
SourceIDrive e2: Does it work with Veeam and restic?
Yes, both treat it as a standard S3 endpoint, and object lock is supported for immutable backup chains.
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.
SourceIDrive e2: Is there a minimum retention period?
No fixed minimum retention charge on standard storage, which is a real difference from providers that bill ninety days on early deletion.
pCloud: Is there a money-back guarantee?
Yes, pCloud offers a 14-day money-back guarantee with 256-bit SSL encryption protecting payments.
SourceIDrive e2: How does it compare with Backblaze B2?
The rates are close. B2 is the better documented and more widely integrated service; e2 is cheaper at list and has a different egress allowance model.
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