The Best Free Unlimited Photo Storage

Google Photos used to be the best free unlimited photo storage service out there. However, in June 2021, Google announced they would be putting a cap on their free storage. Users would get 15GB and would have to pay for more.

Unfortunately, there are no suitable alternatives that offer unlimited storage free of charge. Unless you’d like to subscribe to paid plans, you’ll be limited by the storage capacity or the number of photos you can upload.

With that said, many platforms let you store unlimited photos without breaking the bank. Let’s look at the most popular ones.

1. CBackup

CBackup is as close as you can get to free unlimited photo storage. It lets you combine other cloud storage services into one, consolidating all your free storage from other accounts. For instance, you can create three different Google accounts, each with 15GB of storage, and CBackup will let you combine them into one 45GB cloud.

Better yet, you don’t need to manually upload photos to CBackup. Its file sync and backup options allow you to automatically add images to the platform. During backups and other transfers, your photos will be protected by 256-bit AES encryption, ensuring superior security.

CBackup is free to use if you don’t need more than 500GB of monthly data traffic and 10GB of cloud storage. This should be enough for many transfers, so casual users might not need to upgrade to a higher plan. If you do, you can choose a 2TB plan, as well as an unlimited one.

Creating different accounts and combining them might seem a bit inconvenient. However, it’s more than worth the effort if you want a free way of uploading all your photos without storage constraints.

2. Amazon Photos

If you’re an Amazon Prime member, Amazon photos is an ideal free unlimited photo storage solution. You can upload as many photos as you want at no extra cost, and you’ll get 5GB of video storage. You can upgrade the video storage through a separate plan.

There are no image size constraints, so you can upload full-resolution images without compression. The Auto-Save feature lets you automatically back up all your photos, but you can also choose to do it manually from your gallery.

You can access your photos from any device that supports Amazon’s services. There’s also an option to set a photo as a Fire TV screensaver or Echo Show home screen.

All of the above is only available as long as you’re a Prime member. If you cancel the subscription, you’ll only have the default 5GB of storage for all your photos and videos.

3. Internxt Photos

Internxt embraces Web3 and takes full advantage of the blockchain. It’s a highly secure, open-source photo storage service that puts users’ privacy first.

All photos go through end-to-end encryption before being uploaded to Internxt. This means that no person or organization can ever access them without your permission. It can be an excellent choice if you have sensitive images or are generally concerned about privacy.

Internxt also comes with a few handy features, like sharing images to social media straight from the app. It also syncs between all your devices, so you can access photos on the go.

Internxt’s free plan offers 10GB of storage, which is enough for thousands of photos. The free plan has no feature restrictions, so you’ll enjoy the same privacy as paid users. If you want more storage, you can get 20GB for under a dollar per month or choose between 200GB and 2TB options.

4. Mylio

Mylio rethinks external photo storage and offers an innovative solution. Instead of saving your photos to the cloud, you can choose a primary device to house them. Mylio will then sync your photos with all additional devices and let you access them from anywhere, even without an internet connection.

The app also features editing options and syncs all your edits across devices. It does this without a server since all your photos stay on the physical devices you add. Of course, you can still add a cloud storage option if you want.

Mylio is available for Android and iOS devices, and it offers storage for approximately 5,000 photos for free. If you go with the premium plan, you’ll unlock unlimited uploads.

5. pCloud

pCloud is another great option for those who care about privacy. Created by a Swiss company, it follows the nation’s many strict data laws. It’s not as jam-packed with features as some competitors, but the service does what it promises well enough for most users.

It’s not just a photo storage service but a comprehensive cloud solution, which means you can also upload other files like documents or PDFs. There’s no size limit, so you can upload any file that fits your total pCloud storage.

Speaking of which, you get 10GB of storage for free. You can upgrade the storage at a relatively low cost, so you can get 500GB or 2TB for less than what some other services ask.

If you decide to upgrade, you’ll get access to a variety of useful features. You can protect your photos with a password, set expiration dates, and generate download links that you can share with others.

6. MediaFire

With over 150 million users, MediaFire is among the most popular file storage and sharing platforms. The main reasons for this are its unlimited bandwidth and up to 50GB of free storage. You can quickly upload and download your files, and there are many options for sharing them (email, link, social media, etc.).

So, what does “up to 50GB” mean? Well, you get 10GB of storage with a basic account, but there are many ways to upgrade it. For instance, if you connect MediaFire with Twitter and tweet about the service, you’ll get 400MB of extra storage. There’s also a referral program that lets you get 1GB for each person you refer.

If you’re willing to put in a bit of extra effort, MediaFire can be an excellent platform to store your photos on. If you end up enjoying it and want to expand your storage, you can get 1TB for a few dollars per month.

The main drawback of MediaFire is that it doesn’t offer automatic syncing like most of its other competitors. You’ll have to upload all your photos manually, which might get annoying over time, especially if you don’t do it regularly.

7. Flickr

Flickr is a hybrid of a cloud storage solution and social media platform. You can choose whether you want to keep your photos private or share them with Flickr’s large community. If you only intend to use it as an image hosting service, it’s worth mentioning that you can upload up to 1,000 photos or videos.

This may be enough for some users, but those wanting to store all their photos in one place for years might find it limiting. If this is you, Flickr offers unlimited storage and all its features for less than $10 per month. The actual amount depends on whether you choose the monthly, annual, or two-year plan.

One of the main reasons people use Flickr is its wide variety of features. It lets you add albums or images to your website by simply adding the HTML code it generates. Flickr also shows your photos in an eye-grabbing image stream, which looks quite neat.

It’s worth mentioning that if you go with the free plan, you’ll also face individual upload limitations. Your photos shouldn’t exceed 200MB, and videos are limited to 1TB. If you’re a professional photographer, this might be an issue because you’ll have to compress your files before uploading.

8. iCloud

If you’re an iPhone user, iCloud will likely be your storage service of choice. This is because your photos get automatically backed up to it unless you change your settings.

iCloud offers 5GB of free storage, which may not sound like much. The good news is that additional storage is quite cheap; you can get 50GB for about a dollar. There are also 200GB and 2TB options, which also come at a pretty low price.

The main benefit of iCloud is that it automatically syncs your photos across all devices under your Apple ID. It also preserves the device’s settings so that you can seamlessly switch to a new one. In addition, iCloud has a very user-friendly interface, letting you take full advantage of its features without hassle.

iCloud is native to Apple, so only their devices support it. So, unless you have one, iCloud won’t be available. This exclusivity is its main drawback, besides the low free storage.

9. IceDrive

IceDrive is a highly capable cloud storage solution packed with useful features. On a desktop, it integrates with your hard drive so that you can seamlessly transfer files between local and cloud storage. On mobile devices, it features a clean interface, a document viewer, and a media player.

If you don’t want either, IceDrive offers a web app that lets you manage your photos and other files without hassle. The drag-and-drop function makes file transfer simple and easy, and large files can quickly upload thanks to unlimited bandwidth. The web app also features a document converter that lets you preview different files in your browser.

As for storage, IceDrive offers 10GB with a free account, which is pretty standard. There are three other plans starting at only a couple of dollars, so you can get more storage without burning a hole in your pocket.

The main disadvantage of IceDrive is a lack of continuous backup and sync. Much like MediaFire, it requires you to transfer all files manually.

10. Yandex.Disk

Yandex is a Russian search engine. Similar to Google, it offers various services, including cloud storage. It’s available for different platforms and comes with a few useful features that make it worth considering.

First, it supports auto-uploads, so you don’t have to bother with manual transfers. It also doesn’t compress images, so you can rest assured they’ll retain their original resolution and quality. Yandex.Disk also allows you to send your photos via short links, which makes sharing quite convenient.

The free account offers 10GB of storage, and Yandex offers competitive prices for additions. It’s not the cheapest service, but it could be worth it thanks to its many useful features.

As for the drawbacks, the main one is that Yandex puts ads on free accounts. We all know how intrusive ads can get, so some users might find this frustrating.

11. OneDrive

Windows users often go with OneDrive as the most convenient could storage service. This makes sense, as it integrates perfectly with Microsoft’s other services. Among its many uses, OneDrive can be a great photo hosting solution.

A small but neat feature is the ability to share files for a limited time. This is great if you’d like to share some photos temporarily with others. Bear in mind, though, that uploads are limited to 15GB per file. While this is a lot, some videos may exceed this limit, so professional video makers might want to consider another option.

OneDrive offers 5GB of storage for free, which isn’t much. As you saw here, many services offer much more with their free accounts. On the other hand, OneDrive’s paid plans are cheaper than many of its competitors, so you can get up to 1TB of space without spending too much.

Keep Your Photos Safe

Since Google stopped offering free unlimited photo storage, there hasn’t been a fitting replacement. Luckily, storage usually doesn’t come at a high price, so you can find an affordable cloud solution for your photos.

As you read here, there are many options to explore, and each of them offers a unique set of benefits. It all comes down to the features you’re looking for in a storage platform. Think about your needs, and choose an option that meets them without breaking the budget.

Have you used any of the platforms mentioned here? Do you have any other suggestions? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section!