- Pick it if you are:
- Creatives working with large files; Teams needing many third-party integrations
- Top complaint:
- Dropbox customer support is hard to reach
- Price:
- Free plan, paid from $11.99/mo
- Pick it if you are:
- Long-term personal storage buyers; Media collectors (video, music, photos)
- Top complaint:
- pCloud encryption costs extra on personal plans
- Price:
- Free plan, paid from $4.99/mo
Score Comparison
Signals Comparison
Dropbox
- Dropbox free plan is only 2GB(7/10)
- Why is Dropbox so expensive? Plus is $11.99/month unless you prepay a year(7/10)
- Dropbox team plans went back up to $15 and $24 per user in January 2026(6/10)
- Shared folders count against your Dropbox storage(7/10)
pCloud
- pCloud encryption costs extra on personal plans(7/10)
- pCloud refund only within 14 days, nothing for unused time(7/10)
- Is pCloud lifetime really lifetime?(6/10)
- pCloud always on sale: list prices are not real prices(4/10)
Dropbox
- Dropbox Basic limited to 3 devices(6/10)
- Dropbox moved to ~/Library/CloudStorage on Mac (File Provider)(7/10)
pCloud
No signals
Dropbox
- Dropbox cancellation and refund problems(8/10)
- Dropbox customer support is hard to reach(8/10)
pCloud
- pCloud support slow, AI chat and no live agent(6/10)
- pCloud account suspended without explanation(8/10)
Dropbox
- Dropbox stuck on syncing or indexing(7/10)
- Dropbox using high CPU and RAM with many files(6/10)
pCloud
- Why is pCloud so slow to upload?(6/10)
Dropbox
- Dropbox creates conflicted copies and duplicate folders(6/10)
- Dropbox lost my files - reports of missing or corrupted files(9/10)
pCloud
- pCloud sync stuck or takes forever to start(7/10)
- pCloud Drive won't mount on Mac (system extension blocked)(7/10)
- pCloud shared link traffic limit reached(5/10)
- pCloud deletes files when you stop paying or go over quota(8/10)
Dropbox
- Dropbox shut down Dropbox Passwords and the Paper mobile apps(6/10)
- Problems with Dropbox for Business: admins can't see device sync status(6/10)
pCloud
No signals
Dropbox
- No zero-knowledge encryption on personal plans(6/10)
pCloud
- pCloud encryption flaws found by ETH Zurich researchers(6/10)
Dropbox
No signals
pCloud
- pCloud Family plans are lifetime-only(4/10)
Pricing Comparison
Dropbox
Users: 1 user
Storage: 2GB
Limits: Max 3 linked devices; no live chat support; tiny storage compared with Google Drive (15GB) or OneDrive (5GB)
Users: 1 user
Storage: 2TB
Limits: Single user; only 30 days of version history; no live chat
Users: 1 user
Storage: 2TB
Limits: Single user
Users: 1+ users (per user)
Storage: Starts at 3TB for the team
Limits: No SSO, no tiered admin roles, no phone support
Users: 3+ users (per user)
Storage: Starts at 15TB for the team
Limits: 3-user minimum
Users: Custom
Storage: Custom
Limits: Sales process required
pCloud
Users: 1.0
Storage: Up to 10 GB
Limits: Encryption not included, 50 GB monthly link traffic, short file history, no extended file history, smaller storage than paid plans
Users: 1.0
Storage: 500 GB
Limits: No client-side encryption without the add-on
Users: 1.0
Storage: 500 GB
Limits: Encryption costs extra
Users: 1.0
Storage: 2 TB
Users: 1.0
Storage: 2 TB
Users: 1.0
Storage: 10 TB
Users: 1.0
Storage: 10 TB
Users: 1.0
Storage: 500 GB
Limits: pCloud may decline refunds on promotional purchases
Users: 1.0
Storage: 2 TB
Users: 1.0
Storage: 10 TB
Users: 1.0
Storage: 3 TB
Users: 5.0
Storage: 2 TB shared
Limits: Storage shared between all members
Users: 5.0
Storage: 10 TB shared
Users: 3.0
Storage: 1 TB per user
Limits: Minimum 3 seats
Users: 3.0
Storage: 2 TB per user
Limits: Minimum 3 seats
Users: 1.0
Limits: Some features (previews, sharing) don't work on encrypted files
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Dropbox | pCloud |
|---|---|---|
| Sync | ||
| Cross-platform sync Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android | ||
| Virtual drive (pCloud Drive) | ||
| Selective folder sync | ||
| Pricing | ||
| Lifetime plans Owner's lifetime or 99 years | ||
| Performance | ||
| Block-level sync Faster uploads for changed files | ||
| Security | ||
| Client-side (zero-knowledge) encryption Paid add-on on personal plans | ||
| Zero-knowledge encryption Not on personal plans; end-to-end encryption listed only on Advanced | ||
| Password manager Dropbox Passwords discontinued October 28, 2025 | ||
| Sharing | ||
| File sharing links Password protection, expiration dates | ||
| Family plan Lifetime only | ||
| Backup | ||
| Version history 30 days (Plus), 180 days (Standard), 1 year (Advanced) | ||
| File recovery Restore deleted files | ||
| Extended file history (up to 365 days) Paid add-on | ||
| Mobile | ||
| Automatic photo upload | ||
| Storage | ||
| Smart Sync Online-only files to save local space | ||
| Productivity | ||
| Paper (notes/docs) Paper mobile apps lost support in October 2025 | ||
| Built-in office suite Relies on integrations | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Third-party integrations Slack, Zoom, Adobe, etc. | ||
| Platform | ||
| Mobile apps iOS and Android | ||
| Linux desktop app Available for Linux | ||
| Unlimited devices Paid plans only; Basic is limited to 3 devices | ||
| Media | ||
| Built-in media player | ||
| Usability | ||
| Offline access Mark files for offline use | ||
| Collaboration | ||
| Office document editing No built-in editor like Google Docs or Office Online | ||
| Real-time collaboration Via Microsoft 365/Google co-editing integrations; otherwise conflicted copies | ||
| Admin | ||
| Admin console (Business) Business plans only | ||
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