The best Google Photos alternatives provide a safe space to store and share your photos. It comes as no surprise that one of the most widely used photo cloud storage services is Google Photos. The photo app, integrated with most Android and Google products, offers one of the simplest, most user-accessible interfaces across all platforms and devices.
We included Google Photos as one of the top online photo-sharing and storage services in our roundups of reviews. It “simply works,” like the majority of Google services.
But not everyone will enjoy it. The photo backup tool is “an excellent choice for users looking for cloud storage space to store their photos and images,” according to our hands-on Google Photos cloud storage review. However, we noted that “more advanced users will look for more functionality” due to the tool’s “basic editing tools.”
Limits on cloud storage also play a role in choosing the best alternatives. Before introducing a 15GB free cap and Google One subscriptions to increase storage space, Google’s platform allowed free unlimited photo storage at a lesser quality.
The best Google Photos alternatives with limitless storage will appeal to users with a lot of media. Most platforms typically offer a range of storage solutions to meet needs and budgets because only some require unlimited cloud storage.
For your media to remain accessible and safe, we’ve researched the best Google Photos alternatives.
1. Flickr
Up to 1000 photos and videos can be stored on Flickr, a great free alternative to Google Photos (but there are ads). Along with a Mac-only uploader tool, it is also available on the web, Android, and iOS, similar to Google’s service.
Regular photographers will probably rapidly reach the free limit. Only one upgrade option is available: Flickr, keeping things even simpler.
For a monthly, yearly, or biannual subscription, FlickPro offers limitless photo cloud storage. Images can be stored at full resolution and uploaded automatically. Additionally, the package comes with a range of professional analytics tools (and the data-curious).
According to what we wrote in our review, FlickrPro “offers a powerful entry into the cloud. Storage space of image and video storage, adding the social aspect for sharing the information.” It offers unlimited storage, a specialized software tool, cross-platform compatibility, and ease of use, particularly in tagging images.
However, only JPG, PNG, and non-animated GIFS are supported in file types. Unfortunately, this excludes RAW images favoured by professional photographers, as we noted. Any additional image that is submitted will be changed to the JPEG format.
Flickr photos are arranged neatly and tastefully in a social feed that may be made public or private. You can allow other photographers to follow and comment on your work by making your Flickr photostream public.
2. IDrive
Not only is IDrive one of the best Google Photos alternatives. But it’s also TechRadar Pro’s top selection for the best cloud storage overall. Because of this, it’s a great choice for anyone seeking a safe place to manage their image collections online (as well as other file types).
IDrive is particularly beneficial for corporate users, given its security features and range of storage options. While it undoubtedly has some flaws, we felt that “you can’t blame the service in terms of the terrain it covers and the excellent reliability” throughout our time with the service.
We felt IDrive earned “excellent scores for the sheer breadth of services offered – from backing up the files on your company’s computers to backing up the photos on your smartphone.”
You can always sign up for IDrive’s free edition if you need sizable cash to invest in a photo storage app. For people who don’t have many photos to store, the 5GB of storage it offers is adequate.
You may upgrade to 5TB or 10TB of storage, though, if this is insufficient. Additionally, you could upload and store photos from your devices if you had a premium account.
We adore IDrive since it offers some helpful features for photographers. In particular, you may take advantage of the Auto Camera feature to automatically back all of the current photos and videos on your device to the cloud.
Additionally, you may sort your photos automatically using a facial recognition tool, and you can sync photos across various connected devices. Additionally, you may use IDrive Express to access a physical hard drive that contains all of your backed-up photos and videos if your data is ever deleted.
3. pCloud
The lifelong subscription that pCloud offers separate it from some of the top Google Photos alternatives. You can use this platform without making additional payments for as long as you pay one upfront charge—ideal for people who want to avoid Google’s keen subscription fees.
The cheapest lifetime subscription offers 500GB of storage for $175. If this is still insufficient, you can pay $350 to have 2TB of storage. Annual plans are available if you’d rather not spend a hefty lump sum payment.
We found the Swiss-made cloud storage product’s interface to be as tidy as “a typical street in Geneva or Zürich” in our review. Still, we also felt that “although it can share and sync many types of files, pCloud is ideally suited for video content.”
Your photos and videos are automatically uploaded to the cloud by pCloud, just like iDrive. You can also automatically sync all of your devices. You can make backups using iCloud if you store photos on online services like DropBox, Facebook, Instagram, OneDrive, and Google Drive.
Security is another area where pCloud excels, with 256-bit encryption for each file saved on its platform. Many thorough file management capabilities are also included, including file versioning, data recovery, remote upload, online document previews, and the ability to go back 30 days in your account history.
4. Creative Cloud Photography by Adobe
Photoshop and Lightroom are the industry leaders in terms of the best photo editors and photo organizers. Therefore, you should definitely have a look at Adobe Creative Cloud Photography if you’re a professional photographer searching for a more sophisticated alternative to Google Photos.
CC Photography, a Creative Cloud subscription bundle, gives photographers access to some of Adobe’s most well-known cloud services.
Utilizing user-friendly mobile, desktop, and web software, Lightroom enables you to take and edit photos. Additionally, you may instantly save your edited images to the cloud after you’re done.
You may edit your photos with one of the most potent photo-editing tools available, Adobe Photoshop for desktop and iPad. After that, you may display your work by building a portfolio website and utilizing a range of the plan’s social networking options.
You also receive 20GB of cloud storage on top of these features. According to Adobe, this is sufficient data to back up 4,000 JPEG files.
We’ve studied, tested, and rated the top Photoshop and Lightroom alternatives in case you’re likewise eager to ditch Adobe.
5. SmugMug
SmugMug offers limitless photo cloud storage at full resolution, something that the majority of the best Google Photos alternatives do not.
But this is not simply another provider of cloud storage. SmugMug, which the same firm owns as Flickr, is entirely devoted to photographers.
Therefore, users can create their websites in a matter of minutes by dragging and dropping content boxes into place and storing images online with complete support for RAW files through SmugMug Source. The outcomes are professional and offer fine-grained customization for higher-level subscribers. It was a great method to support photographers in growing their following and showcasing their work uniquely.
SmugMug features simple eCommerce selling options for artists who want to monetize their work. The photo-sharing and storage website’s subscribers also have access to stats, analytics, and engagement metrics.
Unfortunately, there are no choices for free storage available here. However, access is available to subscribers of all plans, with monthly subscriptions starting at $11.
6. NordLocker
Although Nord Security is perhaps better known for its NordVPN service, one of the best virtual private networks, it has also created NordLocker, a potent alternative to Google Photos.
In our comprehensive review, we praised NordLocker for its “user experience that is nearly best-in-class” for backing up photos and referred to it as an incredibly safe cloud storage platform.
You may drag and drop all your images and videos into the cloud using the Google Photos alternatives, which will secure them with end-to-end encryption. You only need to sign in to your NordLocker account on a PC or Mac to access your photos and videos.
If your device is damaged or destroyed, you can quickly recover your priceless photos and videos thanks to automated data backups. You can grant someone access to one of your encrypted folders (i.e., your locker) and send them a file securely using NordLocker’s secure file-sharing feature.
NordLocker won’t be everyone’s ideal replacement, either. For starters, there is currently no support for iOS and Android, and there are no high-capacity storage options. Additionally, only other NordLocker users can share files.
NordLocker is one of the best Google Photos alternatives for a nice workflow and solid security backing.
7. Amazon photos
Because it resembles the most popular photo storage website almost exactly, Amazon Photos is one of the best Google Photos alternatives. Ideal if you want your experience to stay the same. For those who are just starting out or simply want hassle-great photo cloud storage, the interface is largely the same and follows the same basic flow. Even better, the Google Photos alternative offers limitless photo storage.
To begin with, Amazon will compress your “unlimited” images in a similar manner to how Google Photos used to do; to keep high resolutions, you’ll have to pay. Only Prime members have unlimited photo storage and 5GB of video storage. 5GB of photo and video storage is offered to non-Prime subscribers. There are, of course, subscription plans available. The space provided as one of the best free alternatives to Google Photos is decent but sparse.
That presented a significant challenge during our review. However, if you’re not already an Amazon Prime member, we felt that “Amazon Photos offers all the basics you want from a cloud storage service; there’s nothing special enough about it to justify choosing it over iCloud, Google Photos, or Dropbox.”
Download the Amazon Photos app to save and back up each photo and video on your device. By doing so, you can conserve memory on your phone and retrieve content in the device that is broken or lost.
In addition to receiving more storage on Amazon Photos, Prime members also have access to unlimited storage for five family members and the ability to enter search terms based on words, users, and names to find particular photos quickly.
The Amazon Photos app lets you view your pictures and videos on any device. You can send a photo or video via text message, email, or supported apps if you want to share it with someone. Best for Prime subscribers or those seeking a less sophisticated equivalent to Google Photos.
How to select the ideal Google Photos alternatives for you
Decide what you like and dislike about Google’s platform before deciding which Google Photos alternative is best for you.
There are two different options available. IDrive and pCloud are examples of general photo cloud storage, while Adobe CC Photography, Flickr, and Amazon Photos are examples of storage specifically designed for photos. Photography storage sites are worth looking into if you primarily store images and other media. If you use cloud storage for documents and different file types, the former
The 15GB of free storage offered by Google Photos is about average. The generous 1000 free photo limit on Flickr. Most are less kind, offering either no free space at all or only 5GB to 10GB of free cloud storage.
Therefore, finding the subscription plan that offers the best value is preferable. In contrast, Google Photos provides programs with 100GB, 200GB, and 2TB of storage. An online photo backup service like iDrive offers storage options ranging from 10GB for free to 50TB. Additionally, services like Amazon Photos, iCloud, and FlickrPro offer limitless photo storage.
Look for extra features when evaluating Google Photos alternatives. In contrast to services like Adobe Creative Cloud Photography, which offers premium photo storage and industry-recognized photo editing tools, Google Photos provides relatively simple editing tools. Make the switch work for you if you’re doing it.
Verify platform accessibility. The Google service is a widely used app, but not all top Google Photos alternatives offer mobile support.
How we evaluate the top Google Photos alternatives
We compare the top Google Photos alternatives using user-relevant metrics, including experience, space, performance, security, and value.
Even Amazon Photos, which does feel a little dated, can’t compare to the top alternatives when comes to user experience. All of the services we rated the best have simple-to-use interfaces and are accessible to all users.
A significant factor is storage space. The more storage options there are, the better. Although only some infinite storage, most will require more than free storage limits people continue to take photos and videos. Services that understand and meet a range of user needs receive high marks from us.
We evaluate the performance and security of every platform. Photo syncing should be as quick, seamless, and accessible on other devices as Google Photos. We all put a place of money into our digital assets, so best alternatives need to established security and encryption.
Last, we consider value: Are the free options (and free)? Does the platform provide the best prices for storage and extras?
