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Most buyers should pick MEGA.
Pick MEGA if zero-knowledge encryption, a 20 GB free plan, or bundled extras matter more: paid storage plans include VPN and Pass, and S4 is S3-compatible. Pick pCloud for choosing Europe or the USA as your storage region, or for family lifetime plans; listed options include 2 TB for $749 and 10 TB for $1,499. Compare transfer and link-traffic limits before switching: MEGA limits transfer by plan, while pCloud lists monthly shared-link traffic caps.
01Side by side
| pCloud | MEGA | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $4.17/month billed yearly (500 GB) | From €3.33/month billed yearly (200 GB) |
| Free plan | Up to 10 GB; starts at 2 GB | 20 GB, with limited dynamic transfer quota |
| Best for | Storage-region choice and family lifetime plans | Encrypted storage, sharing, and bundled tools |
| Core strength | Sync, backup, and file sharing | Zero-knowledge storage and controlled file sharing |
| Learning curve | Not specified on the vendor's site | Not specified on the vendor's site |
| Integrations and data | Choose Europe or USA storage | Zero-knowledge encryption; S4 is S3-compatible |
| Team and seat costs | $7.99/user/month billed yearly; minimum 3 | €15/month; minimum 3; €5/additional user |
| Support | Review support score: 5.5 | Review support score: 5 |
pCloud Choose pCloud if
- Choose pCloud if you want to select Europe or USA storage.
- Choose pCloud if you need shared-link traffic allowances listed by plan.
- Choose pCloud if a one-time family lifetime plan fits.
MEGA Choose MEGA if
- Choose MEGA if you want zero-knowledge encrypted storage.
- Choose MEGA if 20 GB free storage beats pCloud’s up-to-10 GB.
- Choose MEGA if VPN, Pass, or S3-compatible object storage matters.
02Pricing compared
pCloud’s free plan offers up to 10 GB, starting at 2 GB, with 15 days of file history. Paid individual plans start at $4.17 per month when billed annually for 500 GB; the monthly price is $4.99. Its 2 TB plan is $8.33 monthly on annual billing, or $9.99 month to month. Family plans are one-time purchases: $749 for 2 TB or $1,499 for 10 TB, shared by up to five users.
MEGA’s free plan lists 20 GB, but transfer is limited by a dynamic quota. Essential costs €3.33 per month billed yearly for 200 GB and 2.4 TB of annual transfer. The currencies differ, so don’t treat these figures as a direct price comparison. Check the transfer and shared-link limits too: MEGA sets transfer by plan; pCloud lists monthly link-traffic caps.
03Features and depth
MEGA is the clearer fit if zero-knowledge encryption is central: its homepage describes encrypted storage, folder sharing with access controls, and sync and backup. Shared links can be password-protected or set to expire, and folders can be shared with read-only or full access. Paid storage plans include MEGA VPN and Pass at no extra cost, according to the published pricing details. MEGA S4 adds S3-compatible object storage, listed with unlimited data storage.
pCloud focuses more narrowly on file storage, sync, backup, and sharing. Its homepage says users can choose Europe or the USA for file storage, and that it supports files of any size with unlimited upload and download speed. It also lists automatic photo and video backup. Its key comparison point is traffic: Premium plans include 500 GB, 2 TB, or 20 TB of shared-link traffic, while Ultra lists 20 TB total. MEGA’s transfer allowances are plan-based, so frequent sharing warrants checking both products’ caps before switching.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The published product details don’t publish enough about setup, interface, or learning curve to call either service easier to use. The choice is more about which set of tasks you want in one account. pCloud’s listed tools center on storage, syncing, backup, file sharing, and choosing a storage region. MEGA adds VPN, password management, chat, meetings, and S3-compatible object storage alongside storage and sharing.
That wider feature set may mean more options to consider, but the published material doesn’t establish that it makes MEGA harder to learn. For a basic file-storage switch, compare the free-plan limits and how each service handles sharing traffic. If your team needs shared storage, also compare pCloud Business’s minimum three users with MEGA Business’s minimum three users and usage-based overages.
Questions people ask
Which has more free storage, pCloud or MEGA?
MEGA lists 20 GB of free storage, with a limited dynamic transfer quota. pCloud Free offers up to 10 GB, starting at 2 GB; tasks and referrals can expand it. Storage capacity alone doesn’t show how much you can share or transfer.
Is pCloud or MEGA cheaper?
There’s no clean direct comparison in the listed prices because pCloud prices are in US dollars and MEGA’s are in euros. pCloud’s annual 500 GB plan is $4.17 per month; MEGA Essential is €3.33 per month billed yearly for 200 GB. Compare storage and transfer allowances as well as currency.
Which service is better for private file storage?
MEGA’s homepage describes zero-knowledge encryption for storage. The published pCloud details highlight storage-region choice, syncing, backup, and sharing, but don’t specify comparable encryption for individual plans. pCloud Business lists pCloud Encryption/Crypto as included, so check the plan details if encryption is a deciding factor.
Can I share large files with either service?
Both services list file sharing, but their published allowances differ. pCloud sets monthly shared-link traffic caps, including 500 GB on Premium 500 GB and 2 TB on Premium Plus 2 TB. MEGA sets transfer allowances by plan, with overages on Pro Flexi and Business priced at €3.50 per TB.