Microsoft 365 vs iCloud+: price and which to choose
Quick verdict
Microsoft 365 bundles OneDrive storage with Office desktop apps, Copilot and Defender — 1 TB on Personal, and on Family 2 TB shared by up to 6 — with a free month. iCloud+ is storage plus privacy features in five sizes up to 12 TB, shared with five family members and billed monthly.
Option A
$1.99/moMicrosoft 365 Basic
Official price before tax: $1.99
Price checked
Microsoft OneDrive 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 | Microsoft OneDrive | iCloud+ |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 5 GB | 5 GB |
| Largest plan | Family: 2 TB shared | 12 TB |
| Bundled | Office, Copilot, Defender | Private Relay, HomeKit Secure Video |
| Free trial | 1 month | Not listed |
| Billing | Monthly or yearly | Monthly |
iCloud+ is the iPhone’s natural cloud; Microsoft 365 is the Office suite with storage attached. Both give 5 GB free.
If you don’t want to read further
Office apps on a computer — Microsoft 365. iPhone backups, Private Relay or more than 2 TB — iCloud+.
What really sets them apart
In each row, the last sentence matters most — what the difference means for you.
What’s bundled?
Microsoft OneDrive
Office desktop apps with Copilot, Microsoft Defender, Teams calls.
iCloud+
iCloud Private Relay and HomeKit Secure Video.
Productivity apps versus privacy features.
Sizes?
Microsoft OneDrive
100 GB, 1 TB; Family: 2 TB shared.
iCloud+
50 GB, 200 GB, 2 TB, 6 TB, 12 TB.
iCloud+ goes much larger.
Family?
Microsoft OneDrive
Family: up to 6 people, 5 devices each — 2 TB shared.
iCloud+
Every plan: you plus five through Family Sharing.
Both cover six.
Trial and billing?
Microsoft OneDrive
A free month on Personal, Family and Premium; yearly saves up to 17%.
iCloud+
Monthly billing.
Microsoft offers a trial and a yearly discount.
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.
5 GB free
Both give every account 5 GB.
Six people
Both have a plan for six.
Auto-renewal
Both renew until you cancel.
Which one fits whom
| Your situation | What to choose | On what condition |
|---|---|---|
| You need Word and Excel | Microsoft 365 | Storage included. |
| A family on iPhones | iCloud+ | Family Sharing on every plan. |
| You need more than 2 TB | iCloud+ 6 TB or 12 TB | Microsoft 365 tops out at 2 TB shared unless you buy extra storage. |
| You want antivirus included | Microsoft 365 Personal or Family | Microsoft Defender. |
- Microsoft 365 renews at the regular price after the free month unless you cancel.
- On Microsoft 365 Family, AI features are for the owner only.
- iCloud+ is billed monthly; tax is added in some US states.
- Private Relay can trigger extra sign-in steps on some sites.
Where the facts come from
Sources: Microsoft’s US Microsoft 365 plans page and Apple’s US iCloud+ pages. Prices are in the price blocks on each service’s page.
Facts in the text checked: .
FAQ: Microsoft OneDrive 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+ 50 GB
Microsoft OneDrive Microsoft 365 Basic: the provider manages the keys (2,0/5) · iCloud+ 50 GB: available, but you have to turn it on yourself (4,0/5)
If what matters most is — number of people: iCloud+ 50 GB
Microsoft OneDrive Microsoft 365 Basic: 1 person (3,0/5) · iCloud+ 50 GB: 6 people (5,0/5)
The scores and their weights are the same as in the reviews of both services. How we calculate
Comparison text updated: