Two terabytes of cloud storage costs about $100 to $180 a year in October 2026, which is $499 to $899 over five years (our arithmetic). A 2TB external SSD was $289.99 at Best Buy on October 5, once, with no subscription. The two are not the same thing: a drive in your drawer is one copy, and a cloud plan is a service that syncs and backs up across your devices. This guide compares the prices at the 50GB, 200GB and 2TB sizes, works out five-year totals and cost per terabyte, and prices an SSD and a NAS as the alternatives.
Prices at 50GB, 200GB and 2TB
Each figure comes from the page named, checked on the date given. A dash means we did not see a plan at that size.
| Provider | About 50GB | About 200GB | 2TB |
|---|---|---|---|
| iCloud+ | $0.99/mo | $2.99/mo | $9.99/mo |
| Google One | 100GB: $1.99/mo | $2.99/mo or $29.99/yr | $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr |
| Dropbox | Basic: free, 2GB | — | Plus: $9.99/mo |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | — | — | 1TB: $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr |
| Proton Drive | Free: 5GB | Plus: $3.99/mo, billed yearly | Duo: $14.99/mo, billed yearly |
Where each figure came from. iCloud+ prices are from Apple’s support page on iCloud+ plans, published September 16, 2026, in US dollars; Apple says some states add tax. Dropbox’s $9.99 is from dropbox.com/plans on October 5, 2026, for one person with 2TB and 30-day file recovery. We did not capture Dropbox’s yearly price. Microsoft’s figures are from the Microsoft Store compare page on October 5; the Personal plan includes 1TB of OneDrive plus the Office apps, so the storage is only part of what you pay for. Proton’s figures are from proton.me/drive/pricing on October 5 with yearly billing selected, and the page showed higher struck-through prices of $4.99 and $19.99 for the 200GB and 2TB plans. The Duo plan covers up to two users and includes Proton’s VPN and other apps.
Google is the weak spot. Google’s own US plan page would not show prices to us, and its AI plans page loaded rupee pricing. The Google One figures above come from an Android Headlines article from March 2026, so they are a secondary source and may have changed. Google’s AI Pro plan, which our AI subscription guide lists at $19.99 a month with 5TB, appears to be where Google is steering larger buyers.
Five-Year Totals
Our arithmetic: monthly price times 60 months, or yearly price times 5. This assumes prices stay where they are, which subscriptions rarely do.
| Plan | Size | Per year | 5-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| iCloud+ | 50GB | $11.88 | $59.40 |
| iCloud+ | 200GB | $35.88 | $179.40 |
| iCloud+ | 2TB | $119.88 | $599.40 |
| Google One, yearly billing | 200GB | $29.99 | $149.95 |
| Google One, yearly billing | 2TB | $99.99 | $499.95 |
| Dropbox Plus, monthly billing | 2TB | $119.88 | $599.40 |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | 1TB | $99.99 | $499.95 |
| Proton Drive Plus | 200GB | $47.88 | $239.40 |
| Proton Duo | 2TB | $179.88 | $899.40 |
The 5-year totals for Apple at 200GB and 2TB are $179.40 and $599.40, while the 2TB drive is $289.99 once. Paying yearly where a provider offers it lowers the bill: Google’s 2TB is $99.99 a year against $119.88 on monthly billing, a saving of $19.89 a year (our arithmetic).
Cost Per Terabyte
Dividing the 2TB prices by two, and the 1TB Microsoft plan as-is, gives our per-terabyte-per-year figures:
| Plan | Per TB per year | Per TB over 5 years |
|---|---|---|
| Google One 2TB, yearly | $50.00 | $249.98 |
| iCloud+ 2TB | $59.94 | $299.70 |
| Dropbox Plus 2TB, monthly | $59.94 | $299.70 |
| Proton Duo 2TB | $89.94 | $449.70 |
| Microsoft 365 Personal 1TB | $99.99 | $499.95 |
| 2TB external SSD, bought once | $29.00 | $145.00 |
The SSD figure spreads $289.99 over 2TB and five years. Microsoft’s per-terabyte price looks high because the plan also includes the Office apps, and Proton’s includes a VPN and other services.
The Alternative: A 2TB External SSD
Best Buy listed the SanDisk Extreme Portable 2TB external NVMe SSD at $289.99 on October 5, 2026, marked down from a comparison value of $423.99 in a Techtober sale. That price may not last, and Best Buy’s own comparison value is a marketing figure.
Break-even is our arithmetic: $289.99 divided by iCloud’s $9.99 a month is about 29 months, and divided by Google’s $99.99 a year is about 2.9 years. After that the drive is cheaper, if it keeps working. The catch is that one drive is one copy. A drive that fails, is lost or is stolen takes your files with it, so a drive is a good second copy and a risky only copy. It also does not sync photos from your phone on its own. Flash prices are also rising: our laptop price guide cites TrendForce’s September 30 forecast of a 15% to 20% fourth-quarter rise in NAND contract prices, so this price may not last.
The Alternative: A Home NAS
A network-attached storage box costs more up front but gives you many terabytes and runs from home. Best Buy listed a Synology DS225+ two-bay NAS, sold without drives, at $364.99 on October 5, 2026, from a third-party seller on its marketplace. A WD Red Plus 4TB NAS drive was $194.99 on the same date, sold by Best Buy.
Two of those drives in the NAS, set up as a mirror so one can fail without losing data, gives about 4TB of usable space for $364.99 + $389.98 = $754.97 (our arithmetic). For comparison, iCloud’s 6TB plan is $29.99 a month, or $1,799.40 over five years. The NAS would match that spend in about 25 months, though it is 4TB, not 6TB, and it is yours to set up and maintain. We left electricity out because we did not find a verified wattage for the box. A device that runs all day does draw power, so see our standby power guide for how to price it.
How to Spend Less
- Pay yearly where offered. Google’s yearly plan saves $19.89 a year at 2TB.
- Buy only the tier you need. At Apple, 200GB is $2.99 a month and 2TB is $9.99.
- Check what you already pay for. A Microsoft 365 or Google AI plan may already include storage.
- Use free tiers first. Dropbox Basic gives 2GB and Proton gives 5GB free.
- Keep two copies of anything you cannot replace. A drive plus a cloud plan beats either alone.
The Bottom Line
At 2TB, the monthly price is $9.99 at Apple, Google and Dropbox, and Google’s yearly plan brings it to $99.99. Over five years that is about $500 to $600 for the mainstream plans and $899 for Proton Duo, which includes a VPN and apps. A 2TB SSD at $289.99 pays for itself in about 29 months against iCloud, but it is a single copy. Choose a cloud plan for sync and automatic backup, an SSD for cheap bulk space, and use both for files that matter.
FAQ
How much is iCloud storage in 2026?
Apple’s support page lists 50GB at $0.99, 200GB at $2.99 and 2TB at $9.99 a month in the US, published September 16, 2026. Some states add tax.
Is Google One cheaper than iCloud?
At 2TB on yearly billing, yes: $99.99 a year against $119.88 for iCloud. That Google figure comes from a March 2026 news article because Google’s own page would not show prices to us, so confirm it on Google’s site.
How much is Dropbox Plus?
Dropbox’s pricing page showed Plus at $9.99 a month for one person with 2TB on October 5, 2026. We did not capture a yearly price.
Is a 2TB SSD cheaper than cloud storage?
Over five years, yes. A 2TB SanDisk SSD was $289.99 at Best Buy on October 5, against $599.40 for iCloud’s 2TB. But a single drive is one copy and does not back up automatically.