GooglePhoto’s free unlimited photo storage offering is set to end on June 1st, 2021. After 5 years of free unlimited photo storage, they are now setting some limits to the photo storage platform. Along with other Google Drive Policies, Google Photos will be charging a fee when the photos you store exceed 15GB.
The good thing is that files uploaded o Google Photos prior to June 1 will not count against the 15GB limit. So you can rest assured that no matter how much you have stored in there, they are still safely backed up.
For now, the only thing you should think about, if you still want free or at least cheaper photo or video storage, are the alternatives you have.
Finding free and unlimited photo storage can be impossible now. But here are some online file storage services for storing photos that can be great alternatives to Google Photos
IDrive
IDrive is a feature-packed cloud storage service provider that delivers quite fast upload speed. With its basic plan, you can get 5GB of storage for free. You just have to sign up on their website and start uploading your photos. They also offer paid plans that start at $52.12 per year for a 5TB storage. It really is worth the price, should you need to store tons of photos and videos as well as other files.
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IDrive allows users to backup unlimited PCs, Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Android devices into a single account. It also syncs files and offers other useful features for backing up and securing your files.
Amazon Photos
You can also get a free 5GB storage for your photos and videos upon using Amazon Photos. All you need is an Amazon account and you can easily use and synchronize your storage across your devices including your computer, mobile, or tablet. However, if you want unlimited storage for backing up your photos, you will need an Amazon Prime subscription. This also comes with 5GB of storage for your videos as well.
Amazon also allows its users to share images with friends, view them through their TV screen or customize viewing by hiding photos from their timeline.
iCloud Photos
Offered by Apple, iCloud Photos works just like Google Photos. Similar to Amazon, it offers a free 5GB storage for your photos and can be used if you have an Apple ID. It allows users to upload photos and create albums.
For sharing with friends and family, you can generate a link that they can use to access the photos. Though, you have to note that iCloud will not actually allow you to share a whole album.
OneDrive
OneDrive is cloud storage for files and photos offered by Microsoft. If you have been using Outlook, this means you already have a Microsoft account and is entitled to a free 5GB storage through OneDrive Basic. If you don’t have a Microsoft account yet, you can sign up for the basic plan for free. Microsoft also provides the option to expand your storage depending on your needs.
You can use OneDrive for backing up photos and sharing them with friends as well. A link is all you need to share to give people access to photos or files you have stored.
Dropbox
Dropbox is known as cloud storage that lets you sync, transfer, and share files across different devices. Cloud storages, of course, are not free but Dropbox offers a basic account, which you can sign up for free to get a complimentary 2 GB of storage. With this, you can back up your photos.
You can simply install the Dropbox app on your Android or IOS device, or sign in with your account through their website, be it through a Windows or Mac PC. From there, you can upload your photos and access them anywhere.
Another option to consider
Other than cloud storage, there are also other ways to back up your photos or videos online. Uploading them to social media can be an obvious choice, but doing this can compromise the quality of your photos and videos
You may consider using Flickr, a photo-sharing community that lets you showcase images you captured. It allows users to sign up for free and upload up to 1000 photos and images on the platform. Should you want to keep the photos personal, you can customize the privacy setting for your files. You can set your photos and videos to be only visible to you and hidden from public search options.
There are many other cloud storage, as well as other sites and ways for backing up your most cherished moments. However, it is also important to note the security features a cloud storage service provider can offer you.
As Google Photos starts to charge fees for their storage, you can give the above-mentioned services a try and see if they can fit your needs.
