Dropbox excels in collaboration and integrations with 8M+ business users, while pCloud prioritizes affordability and lifetime plans with one-time payments starting at $165. Dropbox is better for teams; pCloud suits budget-conscious individuals.
Dropbox vs pCloud — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud storage platform with advanced team collaboration, 3,500+ integrations, and industry-leading file sync.
Affordable cloud storage with lifetime ownership option, one-time payments, and large file support up to 5TB.
Pricing Model. Business Users. Native File Sync Speed (MB/s). Lifetime Plan Availability. Team Collaboration Features. Third-Party App Integrations. Maximum Single File Size
Choose Dropbox if you need enterprise-grade collaboration, seamless team workflows, and thousands of integrations—it's the gold standard for businesses and creative teams. Choose pCloud if you prioritize affordability, want to own storage via lifetime plans, and primarily need personal file backup with minimal team collaboration needs.
Dropbox: 250 GB (Business Plus) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: 30-365 days (plan dependent) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: Yes, with expiry dates | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: Basic comments only; requires integrations | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: $11.99 (Dropbox Plus) | pCloud: $9.99/month
Dropbox: Not available | pCloud: $599 one-time
Dropbox: 180 days (Plus plan) | pCloud: 30 days
Dropbox: AES-256 (free tier unencrypted) | pCloud: End-to-end encryption standard
Dropbox: Yes (Dropbox Spaces, Team Spaces) | pCloud: No (folder sharing only)
Dropbox: 4.7/5 (380K reviews) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: In-transit AES-256 + optional client-side encryption | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: Advanced (@mentions, comments, Paper documents, 300+ integrations) | pCloud: No (file sharing only)
Dropbox: Server-side (TLS 1.2+) | pCloud: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Standard Tier)
Dropbox: $11.99/month | pCloud: $165 lifetime (one-time)
Dropbox: Dropbox Business (3TB+ per user, admin console) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: Optional via third-party or manual import | pCloud: N/A
Monthly Cost per User (Annual Commitment)
Dropbox: $11.99/month (Plus plan with 2 TB) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: 1 user (free plan, 30-day trial for paid) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: Third-party integration only (Microsoft Office, Google Docs) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: No (integrate Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: 180 days (on Plus plan) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: Robust (SSO, DLP, HIPAA, SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: 6 platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: Advanced (view-only, download blocks, expiring links, password protection) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: No automatic photo backup | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: Dropbox Sign, Spaces, Paper, task management | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: 700 million (2024) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: 2 TB ($11.99/month) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: No (storage-focused) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: All file types (universal) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: $17.99 + seat fees (~$120 estimated) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: All file types via sync | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: Yes, in Dropbox Spaces | pCloud: N/A
Microsoft Office Co-authoring Integration
Dropbox: Limited (basic sharing, no native co-editing) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: 180 days (Plus), 1800 days (Professional) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: Role-based access, expiring links, password protection, IP restrictions | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: Third-party add-ons and basic integration | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: 3000GB (3TB) Dropbox Professional | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: Yes (comments, @mentions, file requests, Dropbox Transfer) | pCloud: N/A
Business Plan Starting Price (Annual per User)
Dropbox: No native conferencing | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: Windows, Mac, Linux | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: Full Dropbox Business suite | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: 300 (Business plan) | pCloud: N/A
Dropbox: N/A | pCloud: $99 lifetime (500GB equivalent)
Dropbox: N/A | pCloud: Limited (no native suite)
Dropbox: N/A | pCloud: $1,190 lifetime (one-time)
Dropbox: N/A | pCloud: Optional (pCloud Crypto)
Dropbox: N/A | pCloud: 3 regions (US, EU, Switzerland)
Dropbox: N/A | pCloud: Yes (pCloud Crypto available)
How to choose between Dropbox and pCloud
Dropbox vs pCloud — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Dropbox vs pCloud. Contains 116 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Dropbox vs pCloud — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Dropbox vs pCloud.
Does pCloud's lifetime plan really last forever?
Yes. pCloud's lifetime plan is a one-time purchase that provides permanent storage access with no expiration. You maintain access indefinitely, though terms note storage is tied to account activity. No recurring fees apply after purchase, making it $0.27/month amortized over 20 years versus Dropbox's $11.99/month ongoing subscription.
Can I use Dropbox or pCloud for team collaboration?
Dropbox is significantly better for teams with comments, mentions, task assignments, and advanced version control. pCloud offers basic sharing and commenting but lacks team-focused features. For 2+ person teams needing active collaboration, Dropbox is the clear choice.
Which is faster for uploading/downloading large files?
Dropbox averages 50-120 MB/s sync speed with LAN Sync technology, outpacing pCloud's 40-100 MB/s. However, pCloud supports single files up to 5TB versus Dropbox's 20GB limit. For large individual files, pCloud is better despite slightly slower speeds.
Dropbox retains file versions for 180 days, allowing rollback and recovery of deleted content across that period. pCloud offers only 30-day version history. For data recovery and peace of mind, Dropbox's 6x longer retention is a significant advantage.
Which has better privacy and encryption?
Both use industry-standard encryption in transit (SSL/TLS). pCloud offers optional client-side encryption via pCloud Crypto at no extra cost, giving users full control. Dropbox uses server-side encryption by default but with standard enterprise compliance (SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR). pCloud Crypto users have stronger privacy at the cost of slightly reduced functionality.
How to Choose Between Dropbox and pCloud
Pricing Model: Dropbox has $11.99/month (2TB) or $19.99/month (3TB), while pCloud has $165 one-time (500GB lifetime) or $495 one-time (2TB lifetime).
Business Users: Dropbox has 8+ million, while pCloud has 1+ million.
Native File Sync Speed (MB/s): Dropbox has 50-120 MB/s (average), while pCloud has 40-100 MB/s (average).
Lifetime Plan Availability: Dropbox has No lifetime plans offered, while pCloud has Yes, multiple lifetime tiers.
Team Collaboration Features: Dropbox has Comments, mentions, task assignments, version history with 180-day rollback, while pCloud has Basic sharing, comments, 30-day version history.
Third-Party App Integrations: Dropbox has 3,500+ via App Center, while pCloud has 200+ integrations.
Maximum Single File Size: Dropbox has 20GB, while pCloud has 5TB.