Google Drive excels in collaboration and integration with Google's ecosystem, offering 15GB free storage and seamless sharing, while pCloud prioritizes privacy with end-to-end encryption and lifetime purchase options, though with smaller free tier (10GB) and fewer collaboration features.
Google Drive vs pCloud — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud storage and file synchronization service integrated with Google Workspace productivity tools.
Affordable cloud storage with lifetime ownership option, one-time payments, and large file support up to 5TB.
Free Storage Capacity. Encryption Type. Collaboration Features. Pricing Model. Integration Ecosystem. Maximum File Size Upload. User Base
Choose Google Drive if you prioritize seamless collaboration, integration with productivity tools, and a large free storage tier for personal or team use. Choose pCloud if privacy is your top concern, you prefer avoiding recurring subscriptions through lifetime plans, and you need secure file storage without needing extensive team collaboration features.
Google Drive: 1 TB (100 GB × 10 users shared) | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: Advanced (simultaneous editing in Docs/Sheets) | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: $6-12/user/month (Google Workspace) | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: 3 (OCR, translation, image processing) | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: Limited - through export/import | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: Excellent - Android-optimized | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Web | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: Extensive marketplace | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: Full offline with sync | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: Server-side encryption | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: Meet, Sheets, Docs, Forms integrated | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: Image & PDF to text conversion | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: $9.99 (100 GB plan) | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: Full offline editing with sync | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: None (Sheets only for spreadsheets) | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: Under 1 hour | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: Full REST API with webhooks | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: $1.99/month (100GB) | pCloud: $99 lifetime (500GB equivalent)
Google Drive: Unlimited (Workspace) | pCloud: 2TB
Google Drive: No (Workspace only) | pCloud: Yes (all plans)
Google Drive: Native (Docs, Sheets, Slides) | pCloud: Limited (no native suite)
Google Drive: $99.88/year ($9.99/month 2TB) | pCloud: $1,190 lifetime (one-time)
Google Drive: Not available | pCloud: $165
Google Drive: No (standard encryption only) | pCloud: Yes (pCloud Crypto available)
Google Drive: Yes (Docs, Sheets, Slides, co-editing) | pCloud: No (file sharing only)
Google Drive: 1,800 million | pCloud: 14 million
Google Drive: Basic (Zapier required) | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: All paid plans | pCloud: N/A
Real-time Collaborative Editors (Simultaneous Users)
Google Drive: SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001 | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: 30 days permanently | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: $9.99 (100GB) | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: 5 GB per file | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: Full editing offline | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: 5 minutes to productive use | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: None - spreadsheets only | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: Native/seamless | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: Desktop sync only | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: 5TB (individual files) | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: 500+ via Workspace Marketplace | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: 5GB per file | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: 385+ languages | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: 500M+ downloads | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: 100+ editors | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: 30 days (unlimited for Workspace Business+) | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: 4.6/5 (2.1M reviews) | pCloud: N/A
Google Drive: N/A | pCloud: Optional (pCloud Crypto)
Google Drive: N/A | pCloud: 3 regions (US, EU, Switzerland)
Google Drive: N/A | pCloud: $599 one-time
Google Drive: N/A | pCloud: End-to-end encryption standard
Google Drive: N/A | pCloud: No (folder sharing only)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Standard Tier)
Google Drive: N/A | pCloud: $165 lifetime (one-time)
How to choose between Google Drive and pCloud
Google Drive vs pCloud — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Google Drive vs pCloud. Contains 90 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Google Drive vs pCloud — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Google Drive vs pCloud.
Google Drive is significantly better for team collaboration. It offers real-time co-editing in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, inline comments, and suggestions—features pCloud lacks entirely. Google Drive is built for teams, while pCloud focuses on individual file storage and backup.
Which offers better privacy and encryption?
pCloud offers superior privacy with optional end-to-end encryption through pCloud Crypto (zero-knowledge architecture), meaning even pCloud cannot access your files. Google Drive uses standard encryption in-transit and at-rest but Google can theoretically access your data. If privacy is paramount, pCloud is the clear winner.
Can I avoid recurring subscriptions with either service?
Only pCloud offers lifetime purchase plans starting at $165 one-time for 500GB storage—eliminating monthly fees forever. Google Drive requires ongoing subscription payments with no one-time purchase option, making it more expensive long-term for heavy users.
Google Drive provides 15GB free storage (shared with Gmail and Google Photos), while pCloud offers 10GB free storage. Google Drive's larger free tier is more generous for casual users, but pCloud's 10GB is sufficient for basic backup needs.
Which integrates better with other apps and services?
Google Drive dominates with 2,000+ third-party integrations through Zapier, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, and native Google Workspace apps. pCloud has limited integrations (50+) and is primarily a standalone storage solution, making it less suitable for complex workflows.
How to Choose Between Google Drive and pCloud
Free Storage Capacity: Google Drive has 15GB, while pCloud has 10GB.
Encryption Type: Google Drive has Standard encryption (in-transit and at-rest), while pCloud has End-to-end encryption (zero-knowledge).
Collaboration Features: Google Drive has Real-time co-editing, comments, suggestions, version history, while pCloud has Limited sharing, no real-time co-editing.
Pricing Model: Google Drive has Subscription-only ($1.99-$9.99/month), while pCloud has Subscription or lifetime purchase ($165-$440 one-time).
Integration Ecosystem: Google Drive has Google Workspace, 2,000+ third-party apps, while pCloud has Limited integrations, basic API.
Maximum File Size Upload: Google Drive has 5TB per file, while pCloud has 2TB per file.
User Base: Google Drive has 1.8 billion active users, while pCloud has 14 million registered users.