Expanding your physical storage is best done through online storage. It’s cheap, easy to set up, and above everything – secure. But what is THE most secure cloud storage you can use? Well, that’s a good question, especially if you have sensitive files you want to protect.
Pretty much all online storage options are secure to a degree. Some less, some more. However, if you want additional encryption, file recovery options, secure data centers, and more, you’ll have to tread carefully. Another option is to follow this comprehensive guide.
In doing so, you won’t have to think. We’ve done all the powerlifting for you and dug out the safest, most secure cloud storage providers you can go for. All are affordable and offer free plans that you can use for $0.00/mo. Let’s get started and see what’s on the table.
The Most Secure Cloud Storage Options: Our 5 Top Picks for 2024
Later in this guide, we’ll explain what makes the most secure online storage. For now, we’ll shift our attention to the 5 picks that made it to the list, handcrafted by our knowledgeable team of experts:
- pCloud – the absolute safest and most secure cloud storage
- Internxt – superb security with zero-knowledge encryption
- NordLocker – end-to-end encrypted storage
- Sync.com – one of the safest unlimited cloud storage services
- MEGA – unbreakable encryption, with a generous free 20 GB plan
Read on to find out more about each.
1. pCloud
pCloud made it swiftly to this list according to our experience with it. We use pCloud daily and never had a single problem. This provider is characterized by encryption, multiple data centers, and a no-log policy, which guarantees your privacy is untouchable.
Why Is pCloud Secure?
Why it isn’t? Uploading files to pCloud means you’ll immediately enjoy encryption for both on-storage and in-transit sites. The provider uses TLS encryption but also offers optional zero-knowledge encryption, which allows only you to access your files and folders.
While this is a paid extra, pCloud Encryption prevents even the provider from accessing your stuff. Another point is file redundancy. pCloud stores your files on three data centers in the USA and Luxembourg, so if one server fails, another one is there to fetch your files.
We also appreciate pCloud’s physically protected servers. All of this means your files are safe and sound, even against environmental hazards. Other security features include secure file sharing, which can be done via password-protected links – a key measure in our book.
30-day file versioning is also here, ensuring you can access older versions of your stuff. On top of that, there’s the Rewind tool to go back in time up to 30 days and restore your account to one of its previous versions. As the most secure cloud storage, it has syncing.
This allows you to sync files across multiple devices for easier access. pCloud is GDPR-compliant, on top of which, it offers secure cloud storage for businesses. It’s an all-around solution and the #1 most secure cloud storage if you won’t settle for anything but ideal.
Get the Most Secure Cloud Storage – pCloud
pCloud Storage Options
Apart from being the most secure online storage of 2024, pCloud offers flexible storage plans:
- Premium 500 GB – $222 for a Lifetime or $56 annually
- Premium Plus 2 TB – 445 for a Lifetime or $112 annually
- Ultra 10 TB – $1,330 for a Lifetime
- Free – 10 GB
2. Internxt
Internxt is a bit bare-bones compared to pCloud. While it lacks multimedia features and isn’t great for collaboration, we can’t say it’s incapable or God forbid, insecure. Why is Internxt the most secure cloud storage in 2024 next to pCloud which we reviewed recently?
Why Is Internxt Secure?
Let’s start with its zero-knowledge encryption. Internxt is so generous, it won’t charge you for it additionally. Instead, every plan comes with it. Once you log in to your account, Internxt will take a few seconds to decrypt your files and allow you to access them.
Another thing to mention is the open-source nature. Internxt has open-source apps whose source codes can be accessed and audited by all security experts. Indeed, Internxt went through an audit that proves its security, privacy, and all other qualities it claims to have.
This secure cloud storage service also has secure file sharing. You can password-protect links before sharing your files. Like pCloud, Internxt will safely sync your files across multiple devices, to have them readily available. Internxt lacks one feature – file versioning.
However, its data centers are incredibly secure and located in Spain. They operate per the EU law regarding privacy, which consequently means no logged data. When it comes to ease of use, Internxt beats every other pick here. It’s even simpler than pCloud.
On top of everything, Internxt is pretty fast. Its transfer speeds almost rival pCloud and Dropbox, which is impressive for a less-known cloud storage provider. WebDAV support can also be found in Internxt, and we must admit that’s a surprise at this quite low price point.
Try Internxt: One of the Safest Cloud Services
Internxt Storage Options
Internxt is characterized by low prices and flexible storage that goes up to 10 TB. Its plans are:
- 200 GB – $13/mo billed annually
- 2 TB – $30/mo billed annually or $278 for a lifetime
- 5 TB – $55/mo billed annually or $500 for a lifetime
- 10 TB – $84/mo billed annually or $835 for a lifetime
- Free – 1 GB
3. NordLocker
NordLocker is an absolute banger you don’t want to miss. If you want one of the most secure cloud storage services with jail-like encryption, take a good look. It’s the only provider with end-to-end zero-knowledge encryption, bringing about some serious security perks.
Why Is NordLocker Secure?
End-to-end means your files are encrypted from the very moment of transfer to the point they make it to the cloud. Encryption is applied momentarily and when you register for NordLocker, you receive the Master Key. Without it, decryption is impossible!
NordLocker takes security seriously, offering secure Vaults where you can store your files. However, users also enjoy its local file encryption, which means your files on the PC or phone can also be encrypted. If the device gets stolen, these files will still be inaccessible.
NordLocker is often praised for its attention to detail. For example, you can share the entire file vaults to make things easier. This means you can share a group of files and folders. For example, Internxt’s mobile app can’t share or upload folders, which is a bummer.
As a result, NordLocker is a reliable cloud service for videos or photos when you need to transfer bulk material. Granted, NordLocker’s transfer speeds are unimpressive, so don’t expect too much haste. On the brighter side, expect its no-log policy to shine.
NordLocker is Nord Security’s product, which means utmost privacy. Thanks to its end-to-end encryption, even Nord Security won’t see your files and folders. Unlike Internxt, it doesn’t support Linux but at least, you get intuitive apps for all other devices.
Enjoy Zero-Knowledge Encryption With NordLocker
NordLocker Storage Options
This provider isn’t very storage-rich but it offers two great plans at affordable prices:
- 500 GB – $36 annually or $7.99 monthly
- 2 TB – $84 annually or $19.99 monthly
- Free – 3 GB
4. Sync.com
Sync.com is flexible, fairly cheap, and above all – one of the most secure cloud picks. This provider prides itself on a heap of business and individual plans accompanied by unlimited storage if you pay more.
But what does it offer in the way of privacy and security?
Why Is Sync.com Secure?
Glad you asked. Sync.com uses zero-knowledge encryption to prevent unauthorized access. Again, you’re the only one seeing your files and folders. This Canadian provider has multiple data centers in its mother country. Canadian privacy laws are great for cloud users.
This means Sync.com won’t keep unnecessary logs and sift through your files like Google Drive. Sync.com is easy to set up and offers a smooth user experience. File sharing is secured with a password but can also be accompanied by link expiry dates for limited file access.
Other functions like file syncing and device backups make their return. They’re paramount to keeping your files intact. Another huge benefit is a 180-day file history, which is six times more than pCloud. One thing we frequently do with Sync.com is collaborate.
Thanks to built-in apps for work and collaboration, such as the Office 365 Suite, you can edit and work with others on documents in real time. This brings with it benefits like document previews, file requests, and selective sync, which lets you sync only important documents and files.
A huge drawback of this most secure cloud is speed. When pinned against other competitors, Sync.com is the slowest “uploader.” You can see this in our cloud storage speed comparison, where pCloud emerged victorious once again.
Sync.com Storage Options
You’ll get quite a few plans to pick from here, with decent storage and rock-solid security:
- Solo Basic 2 TB – $96 annually
- Solo Professional 6 TB – $240 annually or $24 monthly
- Teams Standard 1 TB/user – $72/user annually
- Teams+ Unlimited – $180/user annually or $18/user monthly
- Free – 5 GB
5. MEGA
MEGA is an underdog here but not because of its qualities. It has ample! The fact that MEGA is often neglected is its lack of popularity and past security issues. In 2024, it’s hard not to deem it one of the safest cloud storage options, with many unique features to enjoy.
Why Is MEGA Secure?
Did you know that MEGA offers zero-knowledge encryption? You can see this when accessing your files and each time, it takes a few seconds or more for decryption to end. Next, MEGA comes with multiple data centers worldwide and offers file redundancy.
Some of its servers are in Japan, Canada, France, New Zealand, Sweden, Luxembourg, Germany, and a few more locations. As said, file redundancy is always active, so encrypted files will be copied across multiple servers as an added security measure.
Speaking of security measures, MEGA does wonders for your privacy by including 2FA and private file sharing. Other features include full multimedia previews, real-time backups, and file syncing. MEGA is also great for collaboration and business meet-ups.
There’s a chat function that you can use to contact your friends either by texting or video chatting. MEGA comes with one of the most intuitive web-based apps, which allows for swift file manipulation and transfers. By the way, its transfer speeds are average.
This isn’t an issue for us given its overall reliability and generous secure cloud storage limits that will serve even the most demanding customers. Bear in mind that MEGA can be quite expensive the more you widen your storage demands, so it’s not for everyone.
MEGA Storage Options
Looking to use MEGA instead of other options? Here’s how much it can cost you:
- Pro I 2 TB- $111.55 yearly or $11.14 monthly
- Pro II 8 TB – $223.11 yearly or $22.30 monthly
- Pro III 16 TB – 334.67 yearly or $33.46 monthly
- Free – 20 GB
Features of the Most Secure Cloud Storage
If you’ve carefully followed everything we described about our top five picks, you likely know what makes the safest cloud storage services. If not, here are the features you should look for if security is your main concern.
- Encryption. Without a doubt, the #1 factor. Encryption is usually TLS and applies to files in transit and those on the cloud. However, there’s zero-knowledge encryption too, which prevents unauthorized access by handing you the encryption keys. Such a feature is found in all five providers to give you the most secure experience.
- No-logging policy. Like no-log VPN services, there are no-log cloud storage services. There are tons of similarities but in essence, neither keeps logs of your sensitive data. That can’t be said about Google Drive, Dropbox, and other non-secure services.
- Several data centers. We think this is important because of file redundancy. pCloud and MEGA are great examples because they have multiple data centers and store encrypted copies of your data on a few of them. If one server malfunctions, your files aren’t lost. Instead, you can “fetch” them from the remaining few.
- Secure file sharing. Are you using cloud storage to share files? Consider how safe this is. If you have password protection, in-transit encryption, and link expiry date options, that’s phenomenal! It means you can safely share files with friends and family.
- Backups and syncing. The most secure cloud storage must have both. Backups will let you access your files even if your device breaks. File syncing is handy for accessing files across all devices at any moment.
- Good reputation. Last but not least, reputation plays a key role. pCloud, Internxt, NordLocker, and others are known for their security and privacy. Dropbox, iCloud, and Google Drive aren’t, which is why they don’t appear here.
Is Free Cloud Storage Secure? Should I Avoid It?
Yes, it usually is. If you want a free option, don’t take a detour from our list because all five providers have free options. While some of them don’t offer zero-knowledge encryption for free – like pCloud – at least, you’ll get TLS/SSL encryption, which is more than enough.
pCloud, in particular, offers the same level of privacy and security for everyone. The only difference is the amount of storage, which is wildly different in free and paid versions. We wouldn’t say you should avoid free storage, at least if you don’t mind the space you get.
However, this variant usually comes with a few downsides, such as the lack of password-protected sharing links, shorter file versioning, and so on. When it comes to the services you should avoid, we mentioned these three:
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- iCloud
These are phenomenal when it comes to transferring speed, ease of use, and accessibility. However, Google Drive is notorious for keeping tabs on its users and being able to even access and EDIT your documents. Dropbox allegedly uses encryption – a nice thing.
On the other hand, it had a few security breaches in the past, dwindling its level of trustworthiness in the eyes of many users. iCloud… well, we know iPhone users will be shocked, but it’s far from safe. Remember the famous “fappening” incident? Google it.
After all, Google, Apple, and Dropbox are large, multi-billion companies and they’re more likely to care less about your privacy and security, so from a security standpoint, they’re not ideal. It’s better to get pCloud or even consider Internxt as a far safer provider.
Conclusion
The most secure cloud storage is a necessity for taking care of your sensitive files. To ensure you can transfer and store them without worries, pCloud, Internxt, NordLocker, Sync, and MEGA are your best options. This applies to their free plans as well.
Avoid “mainstream” online storage like iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive, and perhaps Dropbox. From a security aspect, they’re not ideal despite offering many convenient features. Now that you know the dos and don’ts, you can make a rational choice.