Best Google Photos Alternatives

Starting June 1, the Google photos storage service is changing. Google recently announced that Google is removing its free tier. Over the past five years, Google Photos has made a reputation for itself as the most affordable cloud storage solution. Since its launch, it has been providing unlimited photo and video storage at no charge.

Google first announced the end of its free, unlimited “high-quality” photo and video storage tier in November 2020. And again, the tech giant confirmed that the change would be enforced on June 1, 2021. That’s just a day away. Now the free space is limited to 15 GB only. And the free storage is shared between Google Drive, Gmail and Photos.

According to the company, more than 4 trillion photos are stored in Google Photos, and every week 28 billion new photos and videos are uploaded. Google claims that this change also allows them to keep pace with the growing demand for storage. Could this be Google’s strategy to attract masses to subscription-based cloud storage platform Google One?

What happens to photos in existing storage?

Google claims that any photos or videos that have been uploaded in High quality before June 1, 2021, will not count toward the 15GB of free storage. Google claims that over 80% of users should still be able to store roughly three more years worth of memories with the free 15 GB of storage. You’ll get notified if your storage is nearing the 15 GB limit.

Google Photos Best Alternatives

Google Photos is a popular cloud storage solution for backing up photos and videos. With Google Photos, you can upload all your photos and videos to the cloud. And by accessing the Google Photos app on a smartphone, tablet, or computer, you can view your photos and videos whenever and wherever you want. Google Photos offers a range of editing tools and smart filters, too.

Using Google Photos is so convenient and many users absolutely love it. And there’s a plus point to Google’s Pixel Phones from first to the latest Pixel 5. Pixel phone users are exempt from this storage problem. Lucky pixel owners. But those of you who’ve relied on Google Photos for long, you might be wondering, now what?? 15 GB is still a decent amount of storage that google’s offering you but in case the limit exceeds it’s best to be prepared with an alternative. Hence, here are some of the best Google photos alternatives.

Stick to Google, Pay for storage

15 GB is still a lot of storage and that might hold for quite a while if you consider an exemption from high-resolution photos and videos. Since Google Photos has been so wonderful for years, one might love sticking to it for its rich features.

The other solution becomes switching to Google One. Google One Plans start at $1.99 per month/$19.99 per year for 100GB, $2.99/$29.99 for 200GB, and $9.99/$99.99 for 2TB. Google Photos might be the best alternative for google photos for those who have been preferring Google for years.

OneDrive for Microsoft Users

Microsoft’s cloud storage solution. One drive is a good cloud storage solution for your photos and videos if you’re an existing Microsoft 365 subscriber. Much like Google Photos, OneDrive is available across most platforms, and it can automatically sync photos from your phone to the cloud. Although not specifically designed for storing photos and videos, it’s such an all-round performer
Purchasing a Microsoft 365 subscription for only $6.99 per month, you will get 1 TB of OneDrive storage. Plus you also get access to apps such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. This is a top-quality package and makes OneDrive one of the top Google Photos alternatives.

iCloud to Apple Users

Using iCloud for storing photos offers the advantage of reducing the storage required on your device. Like Google Photos, it’s an easy way to keep all of your photos safely stored in the cloud. It doesn’t have the same search capabilities, but you can access your photos from virtually any device. Free users are limited to 5GB of storage, but Apple iCloud offers some of the cheapest plans for expansion. 50GB runs just $1 a month, 200GB runs $3 a month, and 2TB runs just $10 a month.

Amazon Photos to Amazon Prime members

Amazon Photos is an excellent replacement. Even better, you already have it if you’re paying for Amazon Prime. Amazon Photos is essentially unlimited cloud storage, but just for photos. You can store 5GB of videos and other files, but you have to pay for more than that.

Amazon offers unlimited photo storage for Prime members with its $119-per-year Prime membership. Of course, you get lots of other perks like Amazon Prime Video, product discounts, and free 2-day shipping on many Amazon items.

Flick to Flicker

Flicker has been around for quite a while offering great photos storage plans. It’s primarily marketed towards professional and amateur photographers as a way to host and share high-quality photos, but it can be great for everyday users, too. A Flickr free account is limited to 1000 photos and videos. But then, a Flickr Pro subscription unlocks advanced statistics and more features. A $6.99 monthly plan provides unlimited storage, no adverts, and more. The app offers auto-syncing of all of your photos, or individual uploads if you just want to save the best shots. With the Pro feature, users get access to unlimited storage and other benefits.

Have your own External Hard Drive storage

Cloud services are convenient but the services seem temporary. You’ll have to keep renewing your subscription plan. Thus, the perfect solution becomes owning hard drive storage. You can choose from the best hard drives and pay for all your photos just at once. Why bother with the subscription plan notification each month. Invest all at once and for good. Your memories are safe, stored and accessible when you need them.

Thus, what alternatives would you suggest for Google Photos? Or what have you planned?