1TB plans

What separates the top 1TB plans?

Eight services here, and the scores run from 8.7 down to 7.5. The gap is not storage size — most of these give you 1TB or more for around $99 to $119.88 a year. It is what the service does with your files.

pCloud (8.7, $99.99) mounts as a network drive, so 2TB costs no local disk space, and its 16-minute upload for 10GB is the second-fastest in the test. Zero-knowledge encryption is a $49.99-a-year add-on, not the default.

Sync.com (8.4, $96) is the opposite trade: end-to-end encryption on everything by default, 180 days of file history, HIPAA, GDPR and PIPEDA paperwork. Its upload took 24 minutes for 10GB — the encryption costs time.

Google One (8.1, $99.99) posted the fastest transfer at 13 minutes for 10GB, with Docs collaboration and Google Photos search. No zero-knowledge option, and no official Linux client.

Backblaze (7.9, $99) is backup, not sync — 4TB from one machine for $99, no shared folders. Proton Drive (7.8, $119.88) encrypts file names and folder structure under Swiss law but was slowest at 26 minutes. OneDrive (7.6, $99.99) bundles desktop Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint. iCloud+ (7.5, $119.88) syncs Apple devices with nothing to configure. Dropbox (7.5, $119.88) re-uploads only changed blocks — a 900MB edit took 20 seconds.

What should you check before buying a 1TB plan?

The scoring criteria weight sync speed and reliability at 25, privacy and encryption at 25, features and sharing at 20, platform coverage at 10, and value at 20. Match those to your own habits.

• Encryption defaults: Sync.com and Proton Drive encrypt by default. pCloud charges $49.99 a year for it. iCloud+ has Advanced Data Protection, but it is off by default.
• Upload speed: 13 minutes for 10GB on Google One versus 26 minutes on Proton Drive. If you move large files often, that matters.
• Platform: Dropbox has an official Linux client. Google One and Sync.com do not. iCloud+ has nothing for Linux or Android files.
• Sync or backup: Backblaze has no shared folders or multi-device access to the same live files, and costs $99 per computer.
• Price: $96 to $119.88 a year. Dropbox is the most expensive mainstream plan here at $119.88 for 2TB.

Which 1TB plan is right for you?

Pick pCloud if you want a network drive that does not fill your disk and you may buy the lifetime plan. Pick Sync.com if default end-to-end encryption and compliance paperwork matter. Pick Google One if you live in Docs and Photos and want the fastest transfers. Pick Backblaze if you need every file on one machine backed up, not synced. Pick Proton Drive if you already use Proton Mail and want Swiss jurisdiction. Pick OneDrive if you would buy Office anyway. Pick iCloud+ if your devices are Apple. Pick Dropbox if you edit large files over a slow line or need Linux.

For default end-to-end encryption, Sync.com is the pick; for the fastest transfers and Docs collaboration, Google One. Backblaze suits anyone who needs whole-machine backup rather than sync, and Dropbox is the one to choose if you need an official Linux client or block-level sync.