iCloud Costs 2026: All Storage Plans and Prices at a Glance

iCloud is Apple’s cloud service and virtually indispensable for iPhone, iPad and Mac users. But the free 5 GB fill up quickly. What does more iCloud storage cost in 2026? We explain all the price tiers and the iCloud+ benefits, and show how to save cleverly with Family Sharing.

iCloud storage plans and prices 2026

Prices according to apple.com/de/icloud and Apple Support (as of October 2026), billed monthly, including VAT. Apple does not offer a discounted annual plan for iCloud+ – the annual column is the sum of twelve monthly payments.

Storage	Price/month	Price/year	iCloud+ features
5 GB	Free	–	None
50 GB	0.99 €	11.88 €	✓ All iCloud+ features
200 GB	2.99 €	35.88 €	✓ All iCloud+ features
2 TB	9.99 €	119.88 €	✓ All iCloud+ features
6 TB	29.99 €	359.88 €	✓ All iCloud+ features
12 TB	59.99 €	719.88 €	✓ All iCloud+ features

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What is iCloud+ and what do you get for it?

Every paid iCloud plan automatically includes iCloud+ with the following extras:

1. iCloud Private Relay

A VPN-like service that masks your IP address when you browse in Safari. It works only in the browser, however, not system-wide.

2. Hide My Email

Create unlimited random email addresses that forward to your real address. Perfect for newsletter sign-ups without spam risk.

3. Custom email domain

Use up to 5 of your own domains (for example @myname.de) with iCloud Mail.

4. HomeKit Secure Video

Store recordings from compatible security cameras without counting towards your storage:

• 50 GB: 1 camera
• 200 GB: 5 cameras
• 2 TB+: unlimited

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Which storage plan is the right one?

50 GB (0.99 €/month)

Who it is for: individual users with an iPhone who mainly store photos and backups.

Enough for: approx. 10,000 photos or 2–3 iPhone backups.

200 GB (2.99 €/month)

Who it is for: families or users with several Apple devices.

Enough for: approx. 40,000 photos, several backups, iCloud Drive documents.

Tip: every iCloud+ plan can be shared with up to five other people via Family Sharing.

2 TB (9.99 €/month)

Who it is for: power users, photographers, videographers, families with many devices.

Enough for: 4K videos, RAW photos, complete Mac backups.

6 TB and 12 TB

Who it is for: professional creatives, companies, users with enormous storage needs.

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Family Sharing: how to share the storage

With Family Sharing, up to 6 people (the organiser plus five others) can share an iCloud+ storage plan:

• The organiser pays for and manages the plan
• The storage is a shared allowance, but the data stays private
• Nobody sees anyone else’s data

Worked example: 200 GB for 6 people = just 0.50 € per person/month!

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iCloud vs. alternatives: the price comparison

Service	Small plan	Large plan
iCloud+	50 GB 0.99 € · 200 GB 2.99 €	2 TB 9.99 €
Google One	100 GB 1.99 €	2 TB 9.99 € (Google AI Plus)
Microsoft OneDrive	100 GB 2.00 € (Microsoft 365 Basic)	1 TB 10.00 € or 99 €/year (Microsoft 365 Single, incl. Office apps)
Dropbox	–	2 TB 11.99 € monthly or 9.99 €/month when paid annually (Plus)

Monthly prices according to the providers’ websites (as of October 2026).

Conclusion: at 2 TB, iCloud+ and Google One are level at 9.99 €; Dropbox reaches this price only with annual payment. Microsoft 365 Single offers less storage but includes the Office apps.

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Money-saving tips for iCloud

1. Use Family Sharing: share 200 GB or 2 TB with family/friends.
2. Delete old backups: Settings → Apple ID → iCloud → Manage Storage.
3. Optimise photos: turn on “Optimise iPhone Storage” for photos.
4. Check WhatsApp backups: these can use several GB.
5. Consider Apple One: if you also use Apple Music or Apple TV, the Apple One bundle (from 19.95 €/month, incl. 50 GB iCloud+) is often cheaper.

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How quickly does the storage fill up? A worked example

How much storage you really need can be estimated roughly. A photo in standard format takes up around 2 to 4 MB depending on the device and subject, so 10,000 photos come to about 30 GB. Videos are far larger: according to Apple, one minute of 4K video at 60 frames per second needs about 400 MB. Two hours of holiday footage can therefore occupy 50 GB. On top of that come the device backup, iCloud Drive with documents, and attachments from Messages and Mail, all of which count towards the same allowance.

A family of four with three iPhones and an iPad therefore quickly reaches 150 to 300 GB. The 50 GB tier is then too small, while 200 GB with Family Sharing often just about fits. If you film regularly or shoot RAW photos, plan for 2 TB straight away and move older videos elsewhere later. Under Settings → Apple ID → iCloud you can see which category takes up the most space.

What happens when storage is full or you cancel?

Once your allowance is used up, new photos are no longer uploaded, iCloud backups no longer complete and documents stop syncing between devices. Sending and receiving iCloud mail may also be affected. Data is not lost automatically, but the backup of your iPhone is no longer up to date, which becomes a problem if you lose the device. Take the iOS warnings seriously.

You can cancel the subscription or switch to a smaller tier at any time in the settings. Before you downgrade, back up any data that exceeds the new allowance, for example by downloading it to a Mac or an external drive. Note also that subscriptions are billed through the App Store: if the payment method on file fails, the storage may be downgraded.

Privacy: Advanced Data Protection for iCloud

By default Apple encrypts many iCloud data categories but keeps keys for some of them, for instance to help if you lose access to your account. With the optional Advanced Data Protection, most iCloud categories are end-to-end encrypted, so only your trusted devices can decrypt them. The feature costs nothing extra, but it requires you to set up a recovery contact or a recovery key – if you lose both, not even Apple can restore access. For sensitive documents this is a sensible safeguard; for everyone else the default setting is usually sufficient.

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Apple ID, payment and Family Sharing in everyday use

The storage plan is tied to the Apple ID, not to the device. If you switch to a new iPhone, the subscription stays in place and you can restore your data by signing in with the same Apple ID. Billing is monthly through the payment method stored in the Apple ID, such as a credit card, PayPal or a balance. In Family Sharing the organiser always pays; members only see how much storage is used in total, not the contents of the others.

On Windows computers iCloud can be used through the iCloud app for Windows, so photos and files are available there as well. That helps when a household uses mixed devices. When downgrading, think about privacy: if you cancel shared photo albums, first clarify who wants to keep the pictures. If you give up iCloud entirely, export your photos and documents in good time via privacy.apple.com.

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Conclusion: is iCloud+ worth it?

For Apple users, iCloud is the most convenient solution – everything syncs seamlessly between iPhone, iPad and Mac. The 50 GB plan for under 1 euro a month is a no-brainer for every iPhone owner.

For families we recommend the 200 GB plan with Family Sharing – that way everyone effectively pays only 50 cents a month for enough storage and all iCloud+ features.