Hello friends! Today, we dive into the world of online storage with pCloud, a European alternative to giants like Dropbox and Google Drive. Created in Switzerland in 2013, pCloud offers a simple, economical, and secure online storage solution. Additionally, it complies with GDPR regulations and meets Swiss quality standards. I’ve been using it for a while now (5 or 6 years), and it’s one of my daily backup solutions.
The service already has more than 20 million users who benefit from its services from its data centers in the USA and Luxembourg. Besides a very accessible interface on the web, computer, and mobile, it is known for its superior levels of security and privacy (AES-256 encryption, TLS/SSL, two-factor authentication option to protect your sensitive data, zero-knowledge policy, etc.). Most importantly, encryption is done on the client side, directly on your machine. No one has access to your encryption key.
It is also a flexible and practical solution that will suit the whole family. Not only does it support many OS (macOS/iOS, Windows, Linux, Android), but it also allows for automatic backup (via pCloud Backup) and synchronization. This is very useful if you take a lot of photos or videos with your smartphone like me (the life of an Auvergne star, baby). In desktop mode, it also has a desktop application (pCloud Drive), a virtual drive that simplifies data management and increases device storage.
With pCloud, you can store between 500 GB and 10 TB, with no file size limits. Upload and download speeds are unlimited, depending only on your internet connection. You can even access your files offline and play your content directly from the app thanks to its integrated media player.
File synchronization is ultra-fast thanks to block-level synchronization technology. From my experience, in terms of speed, it’s almost as direct as if you were working on your own hard drive, even with large files. As for backups, it would take a significant issue for you to lose your data; they are copied five times on different servers.
pCloud excels in file sharing, which is very practical daily, especially if you exchange with people who do not use the service. For example, you can generate sharing links with different permission options, protect them with a password, and even customize the appearance of the link itself.
You thus have access to granular file access management, with specific permissions for teams and users. Especially since an alert system exists to signal suspicious modifications of certain files, for example. All your files are readable via different integrated players (no need to install other tools).
But where the service particularly stands out is with its lifetime offers: storage space for 99 years at an attractive price. No monthly subscription nibbling at your wallet every month. Once the initial bite is over, you can forget about its purchase for the rest of your life! (or at least that of the service).
Speaking of prices, pCloud’s Lifetime offers are unique on the market, with options ranging from 1 to 10 TB. This summer, you can enjoy a wave of really nice promotions with discounts of 58 to 70% depending on the package size:
- 1TB pack + free pCloud Encryption at $199 (instead of $664)
- 2TB pack + free pCloud Encryption at $279 (instead of $828)
- 10TB pack + free pCloud Encryption at $890 (instead of $2119)
And the cherry on top of this promo is the integration of pCloud Encryption, which allows you to encrypt your content directly on your machine. Without complex manipulation, your files are encrypted locally on your machine before even being sent to the cloud. You alone hold the encryption key, which is not shared anywhere. A €150 cherry offered on top, that can’t be refused ^^
Pretty cool, right? And for the skeptics, the service offers a free version up to 10 GB, perfect for testing the service before committing.
To summarize, it is an excellent alternative to cloud storage services from the United States. It combines ease of use, security, and excellent value for money. If you are looking for a secure, ergonomic, and affordable cloud service, pCloud is seriously worth considering. Especially since their customer support is rather responsive (never had to wait too long).
