VirtualDrive vs pCloud
Swiss cloud storage with one-time lifetime plans.
pCloud's hook is a one-time "lifetime" payment instead of a recurring subscription — pay once for 2 TB and never see another bill. It's a great deal if you trust the company to be around in 10 years (they've been around since 2013, so reasonable bet). Monthly plans are more expensive than VirtualDrive, and pCloud Crypto (E2EE) is an extra paid add-on. VirtualDrive doesn't have a lifetime plan but is cheaper month-to-month and ships audit logs at every tier.
| How they compare | VirtualDrive | pCloud |
|---|---|---|
Free tier | 20 GB | 10 GB |
500 GB plan | 200 GB at $2.99/mo | $4.99/mo |
2 TB monthly | $9.99/mo | $9.99/mo |
2 TB lifetime (one-time) | Not offered | ~$399 one-time |
10 TB lifetime (one-time) | Not offered | ~$1,190 one-time |
AES-256 encryption at rest | Yes | Yes |
End-to-end encryption | On the roadmap | Paid add-on (pCloud Crypto) |
Password-protected share links | Yes, all plans | Premium+ only |
Expiring share links | Yes, all plans | Premium+ only |
Audit logs | Yes, all plans | Business only |
Uses files to train AI | No, ever | No (stated) |
Hosted in | US (SOC 2 Type II) | Switzerland / Texas (user choice) |
Native iOS / Android apps | Yes | Yes |
Prices and features as of 2026-05-22. Sources: pCloud pricing page.
When pCloud is the better choice
Stick with pCloud if you specifically want a one-time payment to avoid recurring billing — that's the unique pCloud value. We may add a lifetime tier in the future but don't offer one today.
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