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File Storage · head to head

pCloud vs VAST Data

pCloud logo

pCloud

File Storage

Prices are final. No setup fees or other hidden charges

From
$199/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
VAST Data logo

VAST Data

File Storage

All-flash storage designed to make hard disk tiers unnecessary

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: pCloud ultra plan has 10TB storage but only 2TB transfer traffic, creating asymmetry; VAST Data data reduction ratios drive the economics, and datasets that are already compressed, such as media or encrypted files, reduce poorly and destroy the cost per terabyte case.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which pCloud and VAST Data actually diverge.

Attributes where pCloud and VAST Data differ
AttributepCloudVAST Data
Starting price$199/one-timeOn request
Pricing modelone-timequote
PlatformsWebLinux

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 pCloud

Nothing recorded that VAST Data does not also cover.

Only in VAST Data

  • Disaggregated architecture
  • Similarity-based reduction
  • All-flash single tier
  • Multi-protocol access
  • Wide erasure coding
  • GPU-oriented throughput
  • Snapshots and replication

What people use each for

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

pCloud

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

VAST Data

  • A GPU training cluster where storage throughput, not compute, is the bottleneck on job completionnot pCloud
  • A genomics group holding petabytes of sequencing output that must stay immediately readable rather than archived to tapenot pCloud
  • A quantitative finance team running backtests over historical market data that a disk tier cannot serve fast enoughnot pCloud
  • An organisation consolidating a fast tier and an archive tier into one system to reduce rack space and power drawnot pCloud

Where each one falls short

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

pCloud

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

VAST Data

  • Data reduction ratios drive the economics, and datasets that are already compressed, such as media or encrypted files, reduce poorly and destroy the cost per terabyte case.
  • There is a minimum viable cluster size, so the entry cost is high and the platform is not sensible for a small footprint however attractive the architecture is.
  • Pricing is quoted against effective capacity after reduction, which means the price you signed depends on an assumption about your own data that only becomes measurable after deployment.
  • The platform has expanded into database and data catalogue functions, which broadens the roadmap but means buyers evaluating it as a file system must be careful not to be sold an adjacent product they will not use.
  • As a relatively young vendor in a market of long-lived incumbents, buyers with ten year retention requirements should press on long term support commitments and hardware availability rather than assume them.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

VAST Data

On request
  • VAST Data Platform$undefined/year
    • Priced per usable capacity after data reduction
    • Hardware and software sold together or via certified partners
    • Subscription and capital purchase options

Which should you pick?

Choose pCloud if

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

pCloud review

Choose VAST Data if

  • You need disaggregated architecture.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want similarity-based reduction.
VAST Data review

Questions people ask

Is pCloud or VAST Data better?
Neither clearly leads. pCloud starts at $199/one-time and VAST Data at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, pCloud or VAST Data?
pCloud starts at $199/one-time and VAST Data at On request.
Does pCloud or VAST Data run on more platforms?
pCloud runs on Web. VAST Data runs on Linux.
What is pCloud best used for?
pCloud is most often used for long-term cloud storage with no monthly fees, file archival and backup, secure file sharing with encryption. Of those, long-term cloud storage with no monthly fees and file archival and backup are not what VAST Data is typically brought in for.
What can pCloud do that VAST Data cannot?
VAST Data covers Disaggregated architecture, Similarity-based reduction, All-flash single tier, Multi-protocol access.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

pCloud: Can I recover deleted files?

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

Source
VAST Data: Do we still need an archive tier?

That is the central claim, and it holds when your data reduces well. Run a reduction assessment on your actual dataset before accepting the economics.

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
VAST Data: How is capacity priced?

On usable capacity after data reduction, quoted rather than published. That makes the reduction ratio assumption the most important number in the contract.

pCloud: Is there a money-back guarantee?

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

Source
VAST Data: Is it suitable for a small deployment?

No. There is a minimum cluster size and the entry cost reflects it. Small footprints are better served elsewhere.

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