Best Lifetime Cloud Storage: Get Cloud Storage for Life
Pay once, use forever? In today’s SaaS era, where even calculator apps tend to come with a monthly fee, true one-time payments are rare. Cloud storage is no exception: you usually rent space rather than own it. Still, a few providers offer a different kind of deal. Their so-called lifetime plans promise cloud storage for a single upfront payment, with no ongoing costs.
In this article, we’ll look at the best lifetime cloud storage providers — and explain why these deals might not always be as lasting as they sound.
What Is Lifetime Cloud Storage?
Lifetime cloud storage is cloud storage you purchase for life. Instead of paying monthly or yearly fees, you make a single, larger upfront payment. In return, the provider promises to keep your storage space available indefinitely — or at least until either you or the company kick the bucket.
If that little reminder of mortality doesn’t throw you off, the math actually works in your favor. Use the storage for years or even decades, and you’ll likely earn back the cost compared to a regular subscription. After that, it’s essentially free storage for the rest of your digital life.
Even if the math looks great on paper, it’s worth being cautious with lifetime offers. At the end of the day, you’re not buying a physical product — you’re paying for ongoing access to a digital service that depends on the provider’s long-term stability.
And that “for life” promise? It’s not as solid as it sounds. A few things can still go wrong:
The provider could cancel your account: Even lifetime plans usually include clauses that allow providers to terminate service, often citing alleged violations of their terms of use.
The provider might shut down: The tech world is full of once-promising companies that have vanished. If the provider shuts down, your “lifetime” storage dies with it.
The product might change over time: Even if the company sticks around, the service itself might not stay the same. Features can disappear, the performance might worsen, and what feels like a great deal today might seem outdated a few years down the line. And since you’ve already paid upfront, you might be reluctant to switch providers.
In short: don’t take “lifetime” too literally, it's not guaranteed.
The Best Lifetime Cloud Storage Options
Lifetime plans might not always last forever, but they can still be a great deal. And honestly, it’s just nice when at least one service doesn't ask you for another monthly payment.
Here are some of the providers that offer the best lifetime storage deals right now:
pCloud: Lifetime Storage From $199
Lifetime Plans: $199 (500 GB), $300 (2 TB), $1,190 (10 TB)
Cheapest Subscription Plan: $49.99 per year (500 GB)
Years Until the Cheapest Lifetime Plan Pays Off: 4
pCloud* is a Swiss-based cloud storage provider that offers all its regular plans (500 GB, 2 TB, and 10 TB) as lifetime options. Pay once, and the storage is yours for as long as pCloud keeps running.
What We Like About pCloud
In our comparison of the best cloud storage services, pCloud ranked second overall, just behind MEGA. Performance played a big part in that result: pCloud performed well in our speed tests, with fast upload and download times and minimal CPU load during transfers.
The provider also benefits from being headquartered in Switzerland, where strict data protection laws apply. However, full end-to-end encryption is not included by default. If you want this feature, you need to purchase pCloud Encryption as an add-on, which costs $150 for lifetime access.
pCloud ranked second in our cloud storage comparison.
Pros and Cons of pCloud
Fast syncing
pCloud performed well in our speed tests, with consistently quick uploads and downloads. The desktop app also runs efficiently, using very little system power, so it won’t slow down your computer even when syncing large files in the background.Reasonable pricing and free tier
pCloud is reasonably priced, even if you stick with a regular subscription. The company also offers 10 GB of free cloud storage, which is more generous than what many other providers include.End-to-End Encryption (Optional)
If you want extra protection for sensitive files, you can enable pCloud’s Crypto folder. It adds true end-to-end encryption — meaning only you can access those files — though it does cost extra.
Lack of transparency
While pCloud holds several standard security certifications, it could be more transparent about its internal practices. We weren’t able to find any independent audits or detailed transparency reports, which would have added more confidence.Issues in the web app
During our review, the web app occasionally had glitches. The built-in video player also didn't always work reliably.No real-time collaboration
pCloud focuses on storage and syncing rather than teamwork. It doesn’t offer live document editing or collaboration features like Google Drive or OneDrive.
Icedrive: Lifetime Storage From $369
Lifetime plans: $369 (2 TB), additional storage for $179 (+1 TB) or $429 (+5 TB)
Cheapest subscription plan: $59 per year (1 TB)
Years until the cheapest lifetime plan pays off: approx. 6 (for 2 TB vs. 1 TB)
Icedrive* is a relatively new cloud storage provider from Wales. It hopes to stand out from the crowd with its clean, modern apps and competitive pricing. In addition to monthly and annual subscriptions, the company offers lifetime plans. The main “Core” package includes 2 TB of storage, which you can expand with extra “Stacks” of 1 TB or 5 TB each.
What We Like About Icedrive
In our comparison of cloud storage providers, Icedrive ranked eighth overall. While its feature set is fairly limited and its performance didn’t fully convince us, the overall package was still solid — especially for a newer provider.
Usability is one of Icedrive’s strengths. The apps feel modern and intuitive, and the Mount feature is especially practical: it lets you connect your cloud space directly to your computer as if it were an external drive, so you can manage files without syncing everything locally.
All paid plans include an encrypted folder protected by client-side end-to-end encryption, which means files are encrypted before they leave your device.
You can mount Icedrive like a hard drive and remove it again.
Pros and Cons of Icedrive
Built-in end-to-end encryption
All paid Icedrive plans come with client-side encryption, giving users strong control over their data. Files are encrypted directly on your device, and only you hold the key.Virtual drive with Mount feature
You can mount your Icedrive storage as an additional drive on your computer with a single click. It behaves much like an external hard drive: you can access, move, or remove it at any time.10 GB of free storage
Icedrive offers 10 GB of free storage space, which is more generous than many competitors’ entry-level tiers.
Slower syncing performance
In our tests, Icedrive lagged behind competitors in upload and download speed. Syncing also caused unusually high CPU usage, especially when handling larger files.Limited Features
Icedrive sticks to the basics. It lacks built-in document editing, real-time collaboration, and advanced sync controls that other services offer.Unclear security and privacy standards
The company’s privacy practices could be more transparent. There are no independent security audits, certifications, or transparency reports to verify its claims.
Note: We’ve tested pCloud and Icedrive in depth — they're the only two providers in our hands-on reviews that currently offer lifetime plans. A few others have similar deals, which we haven’t reviewed ourselves, but still think are worth mentioning:
Filen: Lifetime Cloud Storage (but Only Sometimes)
Filen is a German cloud storage provider based in Recklinghausen, known for its strong focus on security. With end-to-end encryption and a zero-knowledge approach, your data stays completely private — even the provider can’t access it.
Filen also offers lifetime storage, just not all the time. These deals only appear during special promotions, most notably around Black Friday. Going forward, it seems only the starter plan with 100 GB of storage will remain available as a lifetime option — so the amount of space you get is limited.
Filen is an encrypted cloud storage provider from Germany.
On review sites like Trustpilot, Filen receives generally positive feedback. Users appreciate the strong encryption, flexible syncing options, and responsive support. However, some mention occasional bugs in the apps and sporadic sync issues.
Koofr: Lifetime Cloud Storage From $200
Lifetime plans aren’t available directly through Koofr itself, but you can find them on the reseller platform StackSocial, where lifetime storage currently starts at $199.99.
Lifetime codes for Koofr are available at StackSocial.
User reviews on Trustpilot are mostly positive. Koofr is praised for its reliability, strong performance, helpful support, and advanced features like WebDAV, rclone, and multi-folder sync. Many users also value its commitment to data privacy as a European-based provider.
Internxt: Lifetime Cloud Storage From €377
Internxt is a cloud storage service from Spain.
Feedback for Internxt is mixed. Many users like its clean interface, competitive pricing, and strong privacy focus. Others report software bugs, high resource usage, limited features, and slow upload speeds.
Alternative: Cheap Cloud Storage
Lifetime deals can be tempting — but they also come with strings attached. In most cases, they’re only worth it if you plan to actively use the service for several years. And since there’s no absolute guarantee that the provider will stick around for decades (or that you’ll stay satisfied with it), they carry some risk.
For most users, a regular subscription plan — billed monthly or annually — is likely the better option. If you’re unhappy or your needs change, you can cancel anytime and easily switch to another provider.
Looking for affordable cloud storage instead? We’ve rounded up the best low-cost and free options for you:
You can also check out our full ranking of all cloud storage providers we’ve reviewed here:
Lifetime Plans: Big Savings, Real Risks
Most cloud storage providers offer their services through monthly or annual subscriptions. Lifetime storage is the exception: you pay once and can, in theory, use the service indefinitely, or at least as long as the provider exists.
These offers are relatively rare. Major players like Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive stick strictly to subscription models. Lifetime plans are currently available from smaller providers such as pCloud, Icedrive, Filen, Koofr, and Internxt.
Lifetime deals aren’t without risk. They usually take a few years to pay off, and there’s always the chance the provider won’t be around that long — or that your needs will change. But if you’re confident in the provider and expect to use the storage for the long haul, a lifetime plan can save you quite a bit over time.
