Connects you & your Apple Devices in Amazing Ways

4.5
162 reviews
Made for

backup and storage for data on Apple products

Not for

sophisticated storage or backup, highly sensitive documents.

 
Free: 5 GB
 
50 GB $1/mo.
Pricing details

Features

Features

File Tools:
  •  Syncing
  •  Sharing
  •  Collaboration
Backup:
  •  Scheduled Backup
  •  External Hard Drive Backup
  •  Incremental Backup
  •  Mobile Device Backup
Storage:
  •  Unlimited Storage
  • File versioning: None
  • File Size Limit: 15 GB

Security

Encryption:
  • In-Transit: SSL
  • At Rest: Minimum AES-128
File Management:
  •  Role Based Access
  • Retention Time: 30 days
Compliance:
  •  HIPAA
  •  PCI
  •  ISO

Performance

Access:
  •  Multi-User
  •  Mobile Access
  • Windows, Mac, Linux
Usage:
  •  SLA
  • Ease of Use: 4/5
Support:
  •  Phone
  •  Chat
  •  Forums and Guides

Pricing

Basic info

 
Free: 5 GB
 
50 GB $1/mo.
 

1 Month minimum contract

 
Monthly subscription
Plan SizePrice
5GBFree
50 GB$0.99/mo.
200 GB$2.99/mo.
1 TB$9.99/mo.
Vendor Pricing

Reviews

4.5
162 reviews
Sort by
 
Survey Response
Sep 16 2016

Lived up to its Reputation

4.0

Features: 
4.0
Ease of use: 
5.0
Support: 
3.0
Willing to refer: 
4.5
See More
the reviewer
 
$51 - $250/mo. spend
 
Hospitality & leisure
 
201 - 500 employees
 
Port Orange, FL
Manager, Human Resources
1
The Review

Recommendations:

It's the easiest cloud service to use. You can store virtually anything in the iCloud. It's super easy to use. I'm happy with it.

Experience:

We trust the brand and are familiar with it. Our workers have used the iCloud for their personal use and feel like it's the easiest cloud service to learn. We use the safe documents, spreadsheets, pictures and account sheets. We sometimes store music. It has lived up to the reputation that it's known for. We are able to look at what we want in a heartbeat. People in our office and the people in corporate can look at the information at the same time.

Pros:

It's a brand name. I have trusted apple products for over 12 years. It's easy to save files on the iCloud.

Cons:

I feel like it's not secure enough. With the iCloud hack a few years ago I'm scared that the files could be hacked.

 
Client Interview
Nov 11 2015

Instant and Seamless Storage and Syncing Across Apple Products

4.5

Features: 
4.5
Ease of use: 
5.0
Support: 
3.5
Willing to refer: 
4.0
See More
the reviewer
 
Less than $250/yr. spend
 
Marketing and Advertising
 
1-10 Employees
 
Philadelphia
President at True Voice Media
Jeff Gibbard
1
 
Verified
The Review
Recommendations

According to the user, it offers the fastest and most seamless backup, syncing, and integration for Apple users of any cloud storage service provider. It also allows users to combine the functionality of all Apple products at once. The user recommends this product to any person or business that uses Mac products as the best backup for Mac-based content.

BACKGROUND

Can you provide a brief description of your company and the role that you play there?

I work for True Voice Media. We're a social business agency in Philadelphia, and we help our clients create social media strategies that revolve around some form of business objective whether that's customer service, increasing sales, building awareness, generating more leads, or making improvements. Ultimately, we are using social tools as a means to accomplish a business objective.

OPPORTUNITY/CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge your company was facing that initiated the need for this platform?

Our team is spread out across the country, so we need to take advantage of common, shared folders. We're a Mac-based business. The iCloud and various Apple services are by far the easiest to use. We are iPhone users with iPads, Mac computers, and Apple TVs. You can't beat the functionality of having all the Apple products together.

SOLUTION

How does your company implement this platform or software?

There are only two things in business that I use iCloud for. The photo syncing is one. We could use Dropbox or Google Drive but what's nice about iCloud is that it shows up on my photos app on my computer, where all of my photos are. It backs up automatically, and it's seamless. It runs in the background and is super easy. It gives me access to the full photo library. That's helpful to me as I'm building my image library. By using Apple products, all of that is going to be on the camera roll as opposed to using Dropbox or Google Drive I would have to take it out of Dropbox or Drive and put it in the camera roll to be able to use it in other applications. 

The second way, we started doing this out of a business catastrophe, is backup for Keynote, which I use for my public speaking in order to have the best chance of always being ready to give a presentation. Always having a backup on the iCloud is the best because it thoroughly syncs keynote documents. Dropbox is equal in its capability but when you're on an iPhone, and you need to present a keynote document, if you're on Dropbox you have to take it out of Dropbox, put it into your keynote application to open it. Whereas if you just use iCloud, it's already synced and you can just open it up in your keynote app. I like the ability to have your documents available everywhere. The additional part is that iCloud documents are available via the web. I can open up a Safari web browser, pull up my keynote document and play it directly off the web. It may be missing some animations and such, but ultimately I have the same document that I've created in the keynote app, and I can edit it.

Was your company considering other platforms? Why this platform?

Our business uses many platforms, including Dropbox, iCloud, and Google Drive. Each is used for various tasks.

FEATURES

Were there any software features or tools that really impressed you?

For the average person, there is no easier setup than iCloud. Accessing iCloud is simply putting in your credentials and checking the boxes to stay on, then everything will work. The syncing is faster. We've been talking about files and file types, but if you look at Google Drive or iCloud, you can sync your contacts, your calendars, your reminders, and all sorts of things using those services. iCloud's integration with Apple devices is seamless whereas Google's is sometimes wonky. If you're an Android user, Google might be better, but for all of your important information iCloud's going to provide you the most seamless background. You don't even notice that it works.

Looking back, are there any areas of the software upon which you feel could be added or improved?

I wish it were a little less expensive mainly because I don't use it to the extent that I use Dropbox and Google Drive. But, I paid probably just about as much if not more to have all the space and use it. It's expensive for how limited it is versus Dropbox and Google Drive. But, for what it does, it does it extremely well.

Have you had to interact with the platform's support team or reference their support resources?

I think I probably have. The worst part has been trying to get back their iCloud password. It's not a great experience. The security on iCloud is simultaneously not super secure and, in their efforts to make it secure, a bad experience. Google Drive has the best security compared to iCloud and Dropbox. The Apple forums are generally worse than Google or Dropbox, too.

OVERVIEW

We have a few quick questions and, for each question, we ask you to rate the software on a scale of one to five, with five being the best. What would you give the software for functionality of the features available?

Four and a half.

What would you give the software for ease of use or ease of implementation into your business?

Five.

For support, as in responsiveness of the team or helpfulness of the resources available?

Three and a half.

For overall satisfaction with the platform?

Four and a half.

How likely are you to recommend the software to a colleague or similar business?

Four.

4.5
Overall Score
  • 4.5 Features
  • 5.0 Ease of Use
  • 3.5 Support
  • 4.0 Willing to Refer
 
Survey Response
Sep 27 2016

Efficient and Intutive Solutions

4.5

Features: 
5.0
Ease of use: 
4.5
Support: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
See More
the reviewer
 
$51 - $250/mo. spend
 
Construction
 
2 - 10 employees
 
Fulton, IL
President, Administration
1
The Review

Recommendations:

Compare it carefully to the alternatives and jump right in if you are already well familiar with Apple products and have used them successfully. If you are a Microsoft devotee you should still consider it since it may well improve your efficiency beyond all expectations!

Experience:

We've used Apple for many years so it makes sense to use a native cloud application or system, rather than Microsoft which definitely has a nefarious past and too many bumps or hoops to jump through. Have found iCloud to be very reputable and consistent in performance. We use most of its features to enhance our performance and collaboration, access is good and by whichever mobile device we use. It has performed admirably and really increased our efficiency and ability to collaborate, even in the field, and the versatility means it works for so much of our database and access is very easy. It has definitely improved productivity and profitability in a measurable way.

Pros:

I think it is just very efficient and intuitive, easy to use for everyone and it makes great sense how it all works so you can work together and get everything done when you want it done.

Cons:

Sometimes it is not as fast or efficient as we would want it to be and I think the upgrades are sometimes too often and it is not always easy to keep up with everything and we get left behind from time to time. That seems to be one deficiency of Apple but you can say that they do continuously improve so generally it is worth it.

 
Survey Response
Sep 18 2016

A Classroom Solution

3.5

Features: 
3.0
Ease of use: 
4.0
Support: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
3.5
See More
the reviewer
 
Education
 
11 - 50 employees
 
Harrisburg, PA
Associate, Education
1
The Review

Recommendations:

Offering more space or making it cheaper to purchase

Experience:

We went all-digital at our school. We use an app to help track the children and can be sent to parents right away. We also take a lot of photos in the class so we needed something that could help store them per classroom. We use it for the photo part for classrooms and then other media such as music, in the director’s office. It has performed very well. Other than limited space sometimes, each class has been very pleased. It has been nice having separate things per room but still then is all on one.

Pros:

Accessibility to numerous files and photos

Cons:

The limited amount of storage available. Making you pay to upgrade for more room

 
Survey Response
Sep 16 2016

Simplicity of Operations on iCloud

5.0

Features: 
5.0
Ease of use: 
5.0
Support: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
See More
the reviewer
 
$51 - $250/mo. spend
 
Consumer Products
 
11 - 50 employees
 
Charlotte, NC
President, IT
1
The Review

Recommendations:

I would highly recommend them to any organization that wants to feel confident in securely storing important data. I will also inform them that the customer service is second to none.

Experience:

The main reason we picked this is because our company deals with a lot of customer’s sensitive information and we believe it is very important for our customer to feel safe and secure with our handling of their personal information. Our company uses the cloud storage and the backup service to ensure all the information is stored safely and securely. They have performed exceptionally well. I really appreciate when we have a situation they are quick to rectify it in a timely manner. Our company has benefited a great deal because we can provide top of the line storage space that is very secure.

Pros:

One thing I really like is the simplicity of the operations and the ease of doing business with the techs. They are good also in periodically checking with us to ensure the product is working to our satisfaction.

Cons:

I would like if they extended the services to other areas.

 
Survey Response
Mar 20 2016

Improved Data Reliability with iCloud

5.0

Features: 
5.0
Ease of use: 
5.0
Support: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
See More
the reviewer
 
Non-profit
 
51 - 200 employees
 
Green Bay, WI
Associate, Human Resources
1
The Review

Recommendations:

Absolutely do it! It pretty much "saved" our business.

Experience:

I work at a homeless shelter and we take in A LOT of data every night. Sometimes we will have to run a warrant check on a person staying in the shelter and possibly check our security cameras for something that had happened earlier in the week. Well, our computers were constantly crashing and deleting information. Then, when police would show up to look at the footage or information we had on said person, we looked extremely unprofessional. So, we upgraded to an iCloud system and have had zero problems since! As I've said, it's made us look much more professional when dealing with law enforcement and the chamber of commerce when they want to come by and look at our data.

Pros:

I love the amount of storage. We can literally load weeks upon weeks of video onto it.

Cons:

I honestly can't think of anything I dislike.

 
Survey Response
Mar 20 2016

Email and Calendar Syncing with iCloud Storage

5.0

Features: 
5.0
Ease of use: 
5.0
Support: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
See More
the reviewer
 
Business Services
 
11 - 50 employees
 
Phoenix, AZ
Director, IT
1
The Review
Recommendations

Employees have flexibility in where they work, iCloud (or another cloud service) is an absolute necessity. Now employees don’t have to worry about sending documents to themselves to access at home, or on the go.

Experience

The security of having all of my important pictures, videos, documents, music, mail, contacts, calendar etc. in a secure cloud that is regularly backed up definitely makes me feel very secure. I definitely trust Apple as a company and think they are the best. Although the most important documents are backed up onto an external drive, I love the security of knowing that my items are in iCloud whenever I am ready for them. For some reason I have a hard time accusing items across devises (iPhone, iPad and MacBook). I log into iCloud and seem to have a hard time figuring out what I need to do to obtain my items. I think accessibility could be a bit more streamlined. Luckily I have not had to track down anything of extreme importance. ----- Definitely give iCloud a fair shot. It took me forever to make the switch to Apple but now that I did (five years ago) I am more productive and that is in part because of the iCloud software and being able to work between devices with security that my items are safe! Keeping all of my files/documents etc. in iCloud allows me to have the security of a big business server without paying for one. I am able to back up all documents to iCloud and feel secure that it will always be there. Being able to have that luxury is a very nice benefit.

The iCloud service offers small businesses better organization, communication, and security. Owners and employees will have the ability to create documents or make edits remotely using an iPhone or iPad. This can also be done for the company contacts and calendar, resulting in smoother operations for businesses where employees frequently travel or work from home. With the set-up of the account, you will receive a me.com e-mail that will keep messages synched on all your devices. If, for some reason you cannot access your iPhone, iTouch, or iPad, you can still get to your mail, contacts, and calendar from any computer via iCloud.com. The cloud service allows employees to see updated information instantly, no matter where they are located.

It provides security by automatically backing up when new information when it is added and offering the Find My Mac service. This service allows users with a Mac connected to Wi-Fi with the activated feature to obtain an approximate location for his/her computer. The screen can be locked and hard drive erased remotely in the event that the computer is stolen, which is especially attractive for company computers. iCloud has definitely had an enormous effect on the society in which we live in today. Every day I am using my apple devices and updating information or buying new music or apps. These technological advances are helping society create more efficient ways to do everyday things and store information in a more organized manner. iCloud is a safe and secure way of making sure important personal data will remained organized and won't get deleted. The innovation of the iCloud has affected me and many people around me.

Pros

An important feature iCloud has to offer is the syncing of the e-mail and calendars on your devices. When I get sent an e-mail for a work event, once I accept and RSVP to the event, it immediately gets put into my calendar on that device and then iCloud pushes that information on all of my other devices. It helps me stay organized.

Cons

iCloud Music Library can match music incorrectly, it may also display the wrong album artwork for some of your tracks.

 
Survey Response
Mar 17 2016

High Level Performance from Apple

4.5

Features: 
4.5
Ease of use: 
5.0
Support: 
4.5
Willing to refer: 
5.0
See More
the reviewer
 
Retail
 
201 - 500 employees
 
Baltimore, MD
Manager, Human Resources
1
The Review

Recommendations:

Users can look around at other options but they really need only to look into this. It will solve any problems they have with keeping data stored safe.

Experience:

We selected iCloud due to its ease of use, and most people in the company being familiar with the service and company. It’s from Apple so it’s as trusted as any other brand or product out there. We just needed a safe and secure way to store our data like billing info, info about customers including their personal details, such as private numbers. We use all features that have to do with storing and keeping our data and customers’ data safe. It has been very useful and easy to use, and we have had no issues and no breaches of our data since we started using iCloud.

Pros:

It’s easy to use and keeps our data safe with no issues. It's from Apple, so it’s trusted and performs at a high level.

Cons:

There’s nothing I can think of about it we don't like. The price of using it could be cheaper, I guess.

 
Survey Response
Mar 16 2016

Automatic Syncing all Devices

5.0

Features: 
4.5
Ease of use: 
5.0
Support: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
4.5
See More
the reviewer
 
Other Industry
 
2 - 10 employees
 
San Antonio, TX
Manager, Administration
1
The Review

Recommendations:

Based on my experience using iCloud, I would highly recommend considering a crowd and ultimately using iCloud.

Experience:

Other then it automatically syncing to our iOS devices, which is one of the main reasons that we selected iCloud, it can automatically backup important data on our device including video or photos and messages or settings. ------ The problems that we needed to be solved were mainly that we were needing to keep our old messages. Also any other documents that we had to use for our business that was always somehow managed to get lost somehow previously we are now able to always find them. Sometimes we misplace our phones and it has the capability to find my iPhone or iPad. We pretty much use all of the iCloud’s features. iCloud has performed beautifully. It has benefited our organization by helping us stay organized.

Pros:

What I like most about the iCloud is that it syncs everything into our phones automatically. What makes it such a great tool is that it is automatically done, and therefore it cuts out the stress and the worry

Cons:

I haven't really discovered anything that I dislike about iCloud. As far as what could be optimized to better meet my needs, have not yet discovered anything.

 
Survey Response
Mar 16 2016

Great Value and Storage Options

5.0

Features: 
5.0
Ease of use: 
5.0
Support: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
See More
the reviewer
 
Education
 
1 employee
 
Lexington, KY
Owner
1
The Review
Recommendations

I would recommend that the organization first consider how much data they are needing to store before they start to use iCloud, so I could help them choose what storage would be right for their business. But the thing about iCloud that makes it wonderful, is the fact that you have to store over 5 GB of data before you have to purchase an upgrade, so I would encourage the potential organization to check out iCloud. ---- I would recommend that they take full advantage of all services offered by iCloud, to include but not be limited to, photo/video streaming, location services, document storage, top-notch encrypted security features, and much, much more! At the very least, the organization can use the free version, or the paid version, depending on the amount of storage that will be uploaded to the server, making this a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Experience

My organization is a higher education learning center. We chose iCloud because of its overall great value, pricing, and storage options. We needed to store thousands upon thousands of video and audio files, and iCloud made it as simple as connecting to the internet. We were able to store all of these files simultaneously (after some initial time spent uploading them to begin with) and have access to each video seamlessly and without any effort in no time. It made the storage of online media very simple, and an overall great experience! We as an organization use pretty much every feature that iCloud offers. The features we use most are the storage of audio and video content, storage of apps that our business uses, iBooks for all of our teaching materials, photo streaming of all pictures with our clients, and lastly the ability to save all our documents in the cloud. iCloud has offered renowned services that its competitors couldn't touch. The ease of use and benefits that are offered by iCloud has made our data storage as simple as a click of a mouse, or as soon as our devices are connected to Wi-Fi to back up the new content. We have made the switch to the online backup last year, and it made our lives so much easier, to the point we are able to minimize the use of our external storage devices in our office. We will always continue to use iCloud and its services the entire time our company is in operations, and we have done nothing but expand for the last 10 years! The benefits that have been provided by being a customer has far surpassed any other online storage services by offering outstanding services for very convenient rates, and they have a wide variety of payment options. The customer service is hands-down, the best on the planet, and makes encountering problems or needing help, a not-so-bad thing.

Pros

iCloud makes the use of storing documents, data, and media very simple. In fact, it is so simple, all you have to do is connect to Wi-Fi to start uploading any type of medium that you need stored to the cloud, making these frequent uploads seamless and effortless each time that I need to store my data.--- The feature that I love the most is the photo sharing feature of iCloud, and it makes sharing photos very convenient for the user. I love the fact that we can share videos and photos in real-time, to anyone, anywhere in the world. iCloud has simply dominated the market, and will continue to improve and offer other features, if any, to its customers. --- iCloud is a great tool because it houses many relevant user-related issues, and allows users to not have to worry about data being stored, or the security that houses the data. iCloud has offered the strongest security of any of its competitors, which is another reason I will continue to remain loyal. After many negative experiences, I turned to iCloud and have not had an issue since.

Cons

Truth be told, iCloud offers everything that my business needs, so there is not anything that I dislike about iCloud and its services. If I could complain about anything at all (everyone complains about this no matter what type of product or service you provide) is the price. It would be awesome if it were free to store a massive amount of data each month, but we all know that businesses have other fees outside the spectrum or scope of the consumer, so we must pay to use the services. I think just lowering the bill by $5/month would be acceptable to all users.