How Much Cloud Storage Do You Need?
Calculate cloud storage needs based on files, photos, videos, and email. Compare Google, iCloud, and Dropbox plans.
How Much Storage Do You Need?
Average file sizes: Photo: 3-7 MB (smartphone). Video: 2-4 GB per hour (1080p). Document: 50-500 KB. Email: 1-3 GB per year of history. Song: 5-10 MB. Most people use 50-200 GB — well within a paid cloud plan. Photos and especially video are the biggest consumers by far.
Comparing Cloud Plans
Google One: 15 GB free, 100 GB/$2, 2 TB/$10. Includes Google Photos, Gmail, Drive. iCloud+: 5 GB free, 50 GB/$1, 200 GB/$3, 2 TB/$10. Best for Apple ecosystem. Dropbox: 2 GB free, 2 TB/$12. Best for file sharing and collaboration. OneDrive: 5 GB free, 100 GB/$2, 1 TB/$7 (includes Microsoft 365).
Google Photos compression (Storage Saver) reduces photo file sizes by ~75% with minimal visible quality loss. A 5,000-photo library that would use 25 GB in original quality uses only ~6 GB with Storage Saver — potentially keeping you within the free 15 GB tier. Enable it in Google Photos settings if storage is tight.
