Google One vs iCloud+: price and which to choose
Quick verdict
Google gives every account 15 GB free; Apple gives 5 GB. Both paid plans can be shared with five others. Google One goes up to 5 TB on AI Pro and bundles Gemini features; iCloud+ goes up to 12 TB and adds privacy features like Private Relay and HomeKit Secure Video, billed monthly.
Option A
$9.99/moGoogle AI Plus (2 TB)
Official price before tax: $9.99
Price checked
Also has a free plan: Free
Google One price and plans
Option B
We compare plans with a similar purpose, whose features may differ; prices before sales tax; prices for other plans and periods are in the reviews.
Feature comparison
| Criterion | Google One | iCloud+ |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 15 GB | 5 GB |
| Largest plan | 5 TB | 12 TB |
| Sharing | Up to 5 others | You plus five |
| Extras | Gemini, YouTube Premium Lite (AI Pro) | Private Relay, HomeKit Secure Video |
| Billing | Cancel anytime | Monthly |
For most people the phone decides: iPhone backups live in iCloud, Android backups in Google. The plans themselves differ in free storage, sizes and extras.
If you don’t want to read further
Android, Gmail or Gemini — Google One. iPhone backups, Private Relay or HomeKit cameras — iCloud+.
What really sets them apart
In each row, the last sentence matters most — what the difference means for you.
Free storage?
Google One
15 GB, shared across Gmail, Drive and Photos.
iCloud+
5 GB.
Google’s free tier lasts longer before you pay.
Plan sizes?
Google One
Basic 100 GB, Google AI Plus 2 TB, Google AI Pro 5 TB.
iCloud+
50 GB, 200 GB, 2 TB, 6 TB, 12 TB.
iCloud+ has more steps and goes larger.
Extras?
Google One
Gemini on the AI plans; AI Pro adds YouTube Premium Lite and Google Home Premium.
iCloud+
iCloud Private Relay and HomeKit Secure Video.
Google bundles AI; Apple bundles privacy.
Billing?
Google One
Cancel anytime.
iCloud+
Monthly; tax added in some US states.
Both are easy to drop.
Where they don’t differ, even though it seems they should
This part is often more useful than the list of differences — it saves money for anyone who was about to pay for an imaginary advantage.
Share with five
Both plans can be shared with up to five others.
Phone backups
Each is the default backup for its own phone platform.
Over the limit, things stop
When storage is full, backups and uploads stop.
Which one fits whom
| Your situation | What to choose | On what condition |
|---|---|---|
| You use an iPhone | iCloud+ | iPhone backups and Photos. |
| You use Android and Gmail | Google One | 15 GB free to start. |
| You want Gemini features | Google AI Plus or Pro | AI Plus comes with 400 GB or 2 TB; AI Pro with 5 TB. |
| You have HomeKit cameras | iCloud+ 2 TB or more | Unlimited cameras. |
- Google One’s 2 TB tier is Google AI Plus; a 400 GB plan with the same name is sold on the Google AI plans page.
- iCloud+ is billed monthly; Apple Store gift cards can’t pay for it.
- Over your Google storage, Gmail can be affected.
- Private Relay can make some websites ask for extra sign-in steps.
Where the facts come from
Sources: Google One and Google AI plan pages for the US, and Apple’s US iCloud+ pages. Prices are in the price blocks on each service’s page.
Facts in the text checked: .
FAQ: Google One or iCloud+
Other comparisons
The same products against other competitors, and other comparisons in the “Cloud storage” category.
Where their scores differ
Only criteria we’ve checked for both services and where the scores differ. Equal criteria and criteria without data aren’t shown here, because they add nothing to the decision.
If what matters most is — encryption: iCloud+ 2 TB
Google One Google AI Plus (2 TB): the provider manages the keys (2,0/5) · iCloud+ 2 TB: available, but you have to turn it on yourself (4,0/5)
The scores and their weights are the same as in the reviews of both services. How we calculate
Comparison text updated: