5 Best Cloud Storage Solutions for Photographers

No matter what kind of photographer you are — events, magazines, or even media outlets — the one problem that we all face is where to store photos. Fortunately, the cloud is there to help us out. Find the 5 Best Cloud Storage Solutions for Photographers as Cloud storage is virtually limitless as all the files uploaded are stored on an online server.

To know which of 5 Best Cloud Storage Solutions for Photographers best fits your needs, you will want to consider a few things: how much space it offers, the security it promises, and key features to know if it’s ideal for your niche.

Based on the given criteria, here are some of the best cloud storages on the market.

Table of Contents

Which cloud storage is best?

Dropbox

Security

The service allows you to create password-protected galleries for all clients, folders, and the like. It also has a built-in tracking system so you can see where your images go after you share them.

If you’re looking to ensure your privacy even further, make sure to check out Knoji.com’s Dropbox Privacy Guide!

Space & Pricing

Dropbox caps at 2TB for the Professional package for $19.99/month (€18.31) and 1TB for Plus for $9.99/month (€9.15).

Why choose it?

Dropbox is one of the few online storages that recognise RAW files as viewable images. Normally, other cloud services will only have PNG, JPG, TIFF, and BMP for preview. It has good features, especially for professional photography, but remains one of the more expensive options on the market.

Backblaze

Security

Backblaze has a sync and backup service that will automatically secure your files the moment they’re uploaded.

Space & Pricing

All plans are unlimited for $6/month (€5.49)

Why choose it?

Storage is unlimited and prices are cheap. However, it really is just a storage, so it doesn’t have photography features like tagging, watermarking, and the like.

Photoshelter

Security

This service offers SSL security, which is the same level used for credit cards.

Space & Pricing

For unlimited storage, it’s $45/month (€41.21).

Why choose it?

Photoshelter has options to showcase, deliver, and even sell work directly from the cloud. It even licenses your photos so its internet attribution will always go back to you.

Smugmug

Security

Smugmug gives you privacy options (Everyone, Anyone with the Link, and Only Me) that you can apply to any gallery, page, or folder on the service.

Space & Pricing

You can get unlimited storage for as low as $5.99/month (€5.49) and as high as $41.99/month (€38.45). It all depends on the kind of photo services you need.

Why choose it?

Smugmug is a customisable, more basic form of Photoshelter. Its only downside is that uploads aren’t automatic and its interface isn’t as user-friendly as the former.

pCloud

Security

Among all options, pCloud is easily the most secure. Every file is TLS encrypted (on top of the usual SSL), which makes your photos secure even when you transfer them.

Space & Pricing

This is one of few services that offer lifetime storage subscription — a modest price of $350 (€320.53) for 2TB.

Why choose it?

Besides security, pCloud also has RAW files enabled for preview. Additionally, it has a direct plug-in for Adobe Lightroom, should you use the program for photo editing.

With everything going digital, having a cloud storage solution is necessary for photographers. After all, you don’t want all your precious work disappearing due to a computer or file issue.

However, HP warns that cloud storage shouldn’t be your only go-to strategy for saving your photos. There’s still the possibility of being hacked or your website malfunctioning too.

For an extra security measure, an article on The Guardian suggests using disk drives or optical disks for local storage. Disk drives are arguably more resilient than a hard drive, but local storage is still safer than a USB. At the end of the day, having as many back-ups as possible is the best decision you can make.

For more tips, see our Photo Editing Services Review for the best photo editors online.