Software · head to head
IDrive vs pCloud
pCloud
Software
Prices are final. No setup fees or other hidden charges
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only IDrive has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: IDrive the advertised annual rates are first year introductory prices, with standard pricing applying from the second year onward; pCloud headline lifetime prices are discounted promotional prices; the Premium 500GB lifetime plan is listed at $299 struck through down to $199, and Ultra 10TB at $1,890 down to $1,190, so the full non-promotional price is materially higher
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which IDrive and pCloud actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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
- Multiple device backup
- True archiving
- Continuous protection
- IDrive Express
- Snapshots
- File sharing
- iOS
- Android
Only in pCloud
Nothing recorded that IDrive does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
IDrive
- Online backup for computers, servers and mobile devicesnot pCloud
- Backing up multiple machines under one accountnot pCloud
pCloud
No use cases recorded yet. See the pCloud review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
IDrive
- The advertised annual rates are first year introductory prices, with standard pricing applying from the second year onward
- The two year offer discounts only the first year, so the second year reverts to the full rate
- Team plans tie user and computer counts to the storage tier, so 10 TB means exactly 10 computers
- Business storage costs far more per terabyte than Personal, at $719.88 a year for 1.25 TB against $143.88 for 5 TB
pCloud
- Headline lifetime prices are discounted promotional prices; the Premium 500GB lifetime plan is listed at $299 struck through down to $199, and Ultra 10TB at $1,890 down to $1,190, so the full non-promotional price is materially higher
- Ultra 10TB plan's download link traffic is capped at 2TB, the same limit as the much smaller Premium Plus 2TB plan, despite the 5x storage difference
Pricing, plan by plan
IDrive
Free- Personal$4/month
- 5TB storage
- Unlimited devices
- IDrive Express
pCloud
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the pCloud review.
Which should you pick?
Choose IDrive if
- You need multiple device backup.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Mac, Linux, Web.
- You also want true archiving.
Choose pCloud if
Nothing in the data separates pCloud from IDrive on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is IDrive or pCloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. IDrive starts at Free and pCloud at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, IDrive or pCloud?
- IDrive has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for IDrive and On request for pCloud.
- Does IDrive or pCloud run on more platforms?
- IDrive runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Web. pCloud runs on Web.
- Can I use IDrive for free?
- Yes. IDrive has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. pCloud starts at On request.
- What is IDrive best used for?
- IDrive is most often used for online backup for computers, servers and mobile devices, backing up multiple machines under one account. Of those, online backup for computers, servers and mobile devices and backing up multiple machines under one account are not what pCloud is typically brought in for.
- What can IDrive do that pCloud cannot?
- IDrive covers Multiple device backup, True archiving, Continuous protection, IDrive Express.
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