I always have a problem. I am cheap.
I do not like paying for storage. That goes for photos too.
No, I am not willing to pay for iCloud or Google Drive.
What I can compromise on though, is the quality of the photos.
…I had quite a headache after coming back from exchange. So many photos, but no where to store them?! So after researching and trying out different storage options such as Flickr, OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud, Facebook, Dropbox, and more specifically, Google Photos, I’ve decided to do it this way:
Keep all my photos to Google Photos, all my documents on Google Drive.
I love Apple, but their storage space is just too expensive for a cheap bloke like me. (Actually, it sounds quite affordable at 50GB for $1.28, 200GB for $3.98 and 2TB for $12.98) Maybe it’s the Singaporean in me — not wanting to lose out, being kiasu — or maybe it’s just me.
But when I found out that Google Photos has UNLIMITED storage, my brain lit up. Well, my brain was the one that found it out too but yeah… ok I need to stop with the “everything is actually by/from your brain” thing.
The only catch? The quality of photos can only be stored up to 16MPs and for videos, up to 1080p. (I feel like I’m doing a promo for Google Photos HAHAHA).
Okay, actually there are other concerns too such as privacy. What if the government legislates laws that require Google to send all your photos to them?! Or what if Google decides to close down Google Photos like they did for many of their other products?
But I guess that concern is the same for any cloud storage. Unless you tell me that there’s something like BitTorrent or Bitcoin (Urgh was researching about it and then it suddenly spiked up from $7k to $18k) and even then, I’m not sure if I can trust that my uploads online will be forever protected and preserved like a museum or heritage. (Which occasionally gets destroyed). In addition to cloud storage, of course, get an external hard drive or USB. I got mine (64Gb) at about $15 LOL but it probably isn’t gonna last long.
Another concern that I have yet to solve is that Google Drive only has 15 Gb of free space. That is A LOT of free space compared to other options but my documents are piling up…
Quick notes and comparisons between the cloud storage platforms:
Note, I’m only comparing the free options.
- Flickr: Good amount of space – 1 TB!!! Would probably last me for at least 10 years. But!!! The annoying thing is that I always forget my yahoo password. I’m sorry. And also, I can’t share that easily as compared to say, Google Drive.
- Google Drive: Decent amount of space – free 15 GB. But that’s not gonna last you long. Solution that I did: Only upload documents, and that’ll probably last you 5 years. I like this over other options such as OneDrive because I am a frequent Google user, using Google Docs/Sheets/Slides often, so it kind of integrates easily.
- Google Photos: THE solution (for now). But if you’re an avid photographer that wants to store a higher quality photo (e.g. 4K videos or DSLR types) then forget about this. Also I like that they allow you to search for keywords e.g. ‘Castles’ and all the photos that have castles inside will pop up. And they have a neat timeline. I was quite worried when I mass uploaded my photos there but they sorted it out neatly (and accurately) so it really is a trip back down to memory lane.
- OneDrive: Used to have more free space iirc, but it’s reduced to 5GB? I guess this is a good alternative to Google Drive for documents and stuff.
- Facebook: I actually still use this. Some of my travel photos are there, privately stored in albums. It’s unlimited too! I think. There’s however a limit on the number of photos in an album (although in a shared album the limit is greatly increased).
- Dropbox. Good for sharing stuff easily, but again, storage space is too little for me.
- iCloud: I am an Apple fan but the free option is barely enough for me. I use it to backup my contacts, calendar events and notes though.
- Others I have yet to try: Box, Mega and more
I am a simple human. I see free storage, I click. I used to (attempt) to use DSLR, point-and-shoot cameras for my photos (especially for travels). However, I’m an avid iPhone user (4 to 6 to currently 8) — and I find that taking photos using my iPhone is so much more convenient. (Beside the times it died cuz it was so cold in Sweden/Northern Europe. My friend’s Xiaomi didn’t though. Maybe cuz the cold cooled down the phone LOL).
Anyway, since GooglePhotos is very compatible with my iPhone (can autosync it and works on a Mac/PC, with easy sharing options + helps to sort out your photos very easily, its the clear winner for me. For now…
Signing off,
The Sloth Explorer
#exploringcloudstorage