For years, Google Photos has been offering free cloud storage with unlimited photo uploads. Billions of Android and iPhone users rely on Google Photos to store their favorite pictures online so that they can easily find them whenever they want. However, by June 2021, Google Photos will kill free unlimited storage. Google Photos stores trillions of images and videos, so it's getting too expensive for Google to keep offering unlimited cloud storage, especially as more and more users upload photos every day.
From June 2021 onward, only Pixel 1st - 5th gen devices will have free storage for high-resolution photos; all other Android and iPhone users will have only 15 GB of free storage. If you want to switch from Google Photos, some alternatives are available on the market. However, they don't all have the same features, and some may require more effort to set up than others.
What Are the Best Alternatives to Google Photos?
Amazon Photos
Amazon Photos offers unlimited cloud storage not only for photos but also for videos and other files. It is one of the best free Google Photos alternatives you can find out there. The only problem is, you can only store 5GB of videos and other files, and if you want to store more than that, you will need to buy a plan. With Amazon Photos, you can automatically share photos with family members the same way you can on Google Photos. On a single subscription, you can share unlimited photo storage with up to six members of your family.
For Prime customers, Amazon Photos is a great deal since you get unlimited free storage as long as your Prime membership remains active. It is a great alternative to Google Photos, especially for Prime members since they get not only unlimited cloud storage but also exclusive access to Prime Video and Prime Music, among other desirable features. However, if you cancel your Amazon Prime subscription, your photos will be lost, and they might even be permanently deleted.
Flickr
Although Flickr is not new, many people are not aware of its advanced photo storage functionality. Flickr is primarily used by professional photographers to store and share their high-quality work, but it is also a great photo storage platform for regular users, too. With this app, you can upload individual photos or auto-sync an entire album of your photos. Flickr was made specifically with photos in mind, so keeping everything organized in albums is “a piece of cake”.
With Flickr, it is easy to invite friends and relatives to view, organize, and share photos. In order to secure your personal information, you can keep your photos and videos private so that no one else has access to them. Flickr’s free plan allows you to store 1,000 images, but if you want unlimited storage and automatic backups, you have to pay $5/month or $60/year (billed annually).
Dropbox
Although Dropbox is primarily a cloud storage platform, it can also serve as an alternative to Google Photos since its Photos tab lets you manage images without having to sort through other file types. Using Dropbox, you can automatically sync the photos on your smartphone to a secure cloud location with only a few clicks. However, Dropbox’s paid plans are quite expensive, and you only get 2 GB of free storage space, which is much less than Google Photos’ 15 GB of storage.
Even so, Dropbox is worth it if you consider its security features, file syncing and sharing options, and third-party integrations with most of the apps you use, among others. For non-business use, Dropbox offers two subscription plans—the Personal plan gives you 2 TB of storage space at $9.99/month (billed annually), and the Family plan offers a shared 2 TB storage space for up to six members at $16.99/month (billed annually).
Apple iCloud
Apple iCloud is a great alternative to Google Photos since it works automatically on all Apple devices. iCloud synchronizes with your current apps—you can sync your iPhone’s camera roll with photos stored on your iPad or Mac, and you can access them remotely on the web or on any of the devices. And as you take new photos, it will automatically sync them across all of your devices.
iCloud only gives you 5 GB for free. If you need more storage, you'll need to pay $0.99/month for 50 GB, $2.99/month for 200 GB, or $9.99/month for 2TB. However, Apple One subscribers can save money on all of these plans. Apple One comes with different subscription plans that include 50GB, 200GB, or 2TB of iCloud storage, which you can share with family members.
Microsoft OneDrive
In a similar way to Dropbox, OneDrive is more of a cloud storage service than a dedicated photo storage platform. With Microsoft OneDrive, you get 5GB of free space for storage and can synchronize your photos across multiple devices and share them with whoever you choose.
With the OneDrive app on Android, you will get simple photo editing features – just don't expect more. OneDrive doesn’t support web photo editing, but OneDrive's automatic sync on Windows lets you sync up any desktop photo editor when you're using OneDrive on the web.
Google Photos is undoubtedly a great option; however, OneDrive provides you with easy access to all Microsoft applications and can be used across all platforms, including Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.
Conclusion
There you have it – the best Google Photos alternatives in 2021. Now, you may be wondering, “Is it better to pay for more storage on Google Photos?” Well, you will need to answer that question based on your photo storage needs and requirements. Don’t hesitate to use the comment section if you have questions to ask or more app suggestions to make.
Also, if you are searching for an easier way to send large batches of photos over the internet, you should check out FileWhopper. This platform lets you send a file or folder of any size (10GB, 100GB, or even 10 TB) over a secure and fast connection. It's ideal for video makers, photographers, and almost anyone looking for a cheaper alternative to paying for cloud storage services like Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox. The platform allows users free transfers of up to 5 GB, but after that, you will have to pay a small one-time fee that is calculated based on the size of the file or folder you want to send.
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