Google Photos remains one of the best cloud storage for photos in 2023. It no longer offers unlimited free storage, but there's more to it than just the storage space. It packs a ton of useful features that let you easily search through your images, automatically create memories, edit photos and videos, and so much more. That being said, if you don't want to pay for additional storage space for Google Photos or if you simply want to explore some other alternatives, then there are some good options to consider. You may not find an alternative that comes with all the bells and whistles, but there are plenty of solid services. Let's dive in!
Our favorite Google Photos alternatives for cloud storage in 2023
Amazon Photos
With affordable plans for non-Prime members too
Amazon Photos is a free cloud storage service for Amazon Prime users. As a Prime member, you can store unlimited photos and up to 5GB of videos for free. Non-Prime members can pick up a suitable storage plan based on their needs.
- Unlimited photo storage for Amazon Prime members
- Secure automatic bakcup
- Family sharing with up to five members
- Only 5GB of free storage space for videos
- Prime subscription is pricey if you aren't already a member
Amazon Photos is the best Google Photos alternative for you if you're an existing Amazon Prime member. It offers unlimited full-resolution photo storage for Prime members and 5GB storage for videos, while non-Prime users get a total of 5GB of free storage. Along with that, Amazon Photos lets you share your unlimited storage with up to five family members, offers a powerful search feature to help you quickly look up photos, and packs some editing features.
Since Amazon Photos comes bundled with an Amazon Prime membership, it offers incredible value as a lot of people pick up Prime for the shopping benefits anyway. But if you don't have a Prime membership, it'll cost you $20/year for 100GB of storage. Given that a Google One subscription for 100GB of storage also costs $20 annually, it makes little sense to move away from Google Photos if you're not already a Prime member.
Prime membership is a bit on the expensive side, but it may be worth considering if you plan on using other Amazon services as well. It costs $139 (plus taxes) annually and comes with a boatload of other services like shipping benefits, Amazon Drive, Amazon Music, Prime Gaming, Prime Video, Prime Reading, etc. In comparison, $100/year on Google One will get you 2TB of storage that you can share with up to six family members, 24/7 priority customer support, a 10% cashback in the Google Store, and a VPN for your Android phone.
Microsoft OneDrive
A solid alternative to Google Photos with great features
Microsoft OneDrive is a reliable cloud storage service for Windows and other Microsoft service users. It integrates perfectly with Microsoft Office programs and is available on a bunch of different platforms.
- Gallery view for all your photos
- Integrates well with Microsoft Office programs
- Easy file sharing
- No native Linux client
- Bit on the expensive side for non-Microsoft 365 users
Microsoft's OneDrive is a good cloud storage solution for your photos and videos for existing Microsoft 365 subscribers. Much like Google Photos, OneDrive is available across most platforms, and it can automatically sync photos from your phone to the cloud. While it isn't as feature-rich as Google Photos, it does offer a gallery view to help you easily search for photos, and it can automatically tag pictures based on their content. Furthermore, it now offers a Photo Story feature that lets you easily share photos with friends and family.
All Microsoft 365 members get 1TB of storage, which should be enough for most users, even if it's shared with other Microsoft services. If you don't have a membership, though, OneDrive's pricing is at par with Google Photos. Although free accounts get only 5GB of storage, you can purchase an additional 100GB for just $2/month or $20/year. Subscribing to Microsoft 365 Personal plan by paying $69.99 annually will give you the best value for your money, as it also allows you to use other Microsoft Office apps, advanced security features, and other productivity tools.
Apple Photos
iCloud offers a lot of different ways to store your data, including photos. It's built right into iOS, so uploading and downloading your photos is seamless. With an Apple One subscription, you can get great value for storage too.
- Solid integration with Apple devices
- Good value when bundled with other Apple services
- Can be used by non-Apple device users too
- Only 5GB of free storage space
- Limited experience on Android and Windows
Apple Photos is undoubtedly the best Google Photos alternative for iOS and macOS users. The service offers 5GB of free storage for all users, but you can pay for additional iCloud storage, starting at $0.99 a month for 50GB. The best thing about Apple Photos is that it ships with almost all Apple devices out of the box, meaning you can get started with Apple Photos with just a few steps. Much like Google Photos and Amazon Photos, it syncs all your media across Apple devices in an instant and keeps them secure.
On the downside, the experience of using Apple Photos is going to be very limited for non-Apple device users, so it may not be the best option if you don't have an Apple device. As far as features are concerned, Apple Photos offers pretty much all the features you'd find on Google Photos. It offers an AI-powered search feature, powerful editing tools, a feature called Memories that automatically creates galleries based on your activities and more.
Dropbox
Great for sharing photos across platforms
Dropbox is a good option to consider if you want reliable cloud storage for file sharing. The fact that it's readily available across multiple platforms including Linux is what makes it better than a lot of options.
- Easy to use
- Dropbox Transfer sharing via links and email
- macOS, Windows, and Linux support
- Only 2GB of storage available for free plans
- A bit on the expensive side
Dropbox is another useful cloud storage solution that you can use as a Google Photos alternative to back up your media. While it isn't specifically meant for photo storage, it offers a few useful features that will help you keep your backups organized. The service offers automatic backups for photos, videos, and screenshots, a document scanner, a dedicated section in the mobile app to browse through media and comprehensive access controls for any media you share with others. On top of that, a paid plan will get you access to Dropbox Transfers to share large files, Dropbox Passwords to securely store your passwords, and a Vault feature to store sensitive files.
Sadly, Dropbox's free plan only offers 2GB of storage. So, it isn't a good deal if you're not willing to pay for storage space. Even if you are willing to pay, Dropbox's plans are a bit more expensive than Google's. Its 2TB Individual Plus plan is priced at $120, which gives you single-user access to all the services mentioned above. If you want to share your cloud storage with family members, you'll have to shell out slightly over $200 for 2TB of storage. The Family plan will let you add up to 6 users and give you access to all the features. In comparison, Google One's 2TB plan is $20 cheaper, and it lets you share your storage space with five others from the get-go.
Adobe Creative Cloud
One that works very well with Adobe programs
Adobe Creative Cloud is great for media professionals who want access to their photos and videos at any given time across multiple devices. Also, the fact that you get also get Adobe's powerful photo and video editing tools within the same plan is also a bonus.
- Bundled with other Creative Cloud apps
- Excellent integration with other Adobe programs
- Discounts available for students and teachers
- A bit on the expensive side
Adobe Creative Cloud is among the most expensive options out there, but it delivers a good set of features for the price. It can be bundled as a part of Adobe's Creative Cloud, and it offers excellent integration with other Adobe programs. The photography bundle is a great place to start if you're only looking to store all your photos. That bundle, in case you're wondering, costs $20 per month and includes access to Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, and 1TB of Creative Cloud storage.
Those working on video projects, on the other hand, can get a similar bundle that includes access to things like After Effects, Premier Pro, and more. All these bundles are a bit expensive, so consider this only if you're planning to use the Adobe software that you get with the storage. Students and Teachers can get access to all the Adobe apps along with 100GB of free storage, so be sure to check it out.
Flickr
Free space for up to 1,000 photos & videos
Flickr is a great option to consider if you're a casual photographer looking for a platform to save/host your photos and videos. This ad-supported platform lets you store up to 1,000 photos and videos for free, You can, however, get rid of the ads and get unlimited space by upgrading to the Pro version.
- The free tier is good enough for casual users
- Pro subscription offers good value for money
- Great community sharing support
- Not ideal to be used as a "storage service"
If none of the services mentioned above fit the bill, you can also use Flickr as a Google Photos alternative. The image and video hosting platform will let you store up to 1,000 images and videos at no cost, but its free tier is supported by ads. While you can get rid of the ads and get unlimited storage space by subscribing to Flickr Pro, it'll set you back $8.25/month or $71.99/year, exclusive of taxes. For that amount, you'll get unlimited full-resolution storage for your photos and videos, advanced stats to see which of your photos are trending, ad-free browsing and sharing, a desktop uploader for automatic backups, and more.
The service automatically arranges all photos you upload in a social feed, making it easy for you to find your images on the platform. However, it lacks all the AI-based features you get with Google Photos. Another downside of using Flickr as a cloud storage solution is that it isn't designed to help you store your entire image library. It's meant to be a social media platform for photographers. Therefore, I wouldn't recommend uploading private images or videos to the platform, even though it gives you an option to hide them from other users.
Best Google Photos alternatives: Final thoughts
You'll find a lot of alternatives out there for Google Photos, but they're all priced very differently and support different features. I recommend checking out Amazon Photos first simply because you get access to unlimited storage for photos along with other Amazon Prime benefits with a single subscription. Similarly, Microsoft's One Drive is also a great choice for those who already use Microsoft 365 services. Dropbox is also great for those who simply want to save or share media. It doesn't have a proper gallery view or the features you get with Google Photos, and it's also a bit on the expensive side. I've also highlighted some other options, including Adobe Creative Cloud and Flickr, so be sure to check out the entire list to find the best option that works for you.
Amazon Photos
Amazon Photos is a free cloud storage service for Amazon Prime users. As a Prime member, you can store unlimited photos and up to 5GB of videos for free. Non-Prime members can pick up a suitable storage plan based on their needs.
Lastly, if you don't want to depend on a third-party service for your media backup, you can look into a Network Attached Storage (NAS) solution. Taking this route will involve a high upfront cost and require some technical know-how, but it'll turn out to be much cheaper in the long run. In addition, it will be better than all the alternatives mentioned above from a privacy standpoint because only you will be in control of your data.