Comparison

Dropbox vs pCloud

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Dropbox

Securely store, sync, and share your files and photos across all your devices. Easily upload, access, and send documents, videos, and more from anywhere, even offline. Offers robust backup and recovery features for peace of mind.

Highlights
  • Automatic photo and video upload
  • Offline file access
  • Large file sharing via links
  • Document scanning to PDF
  • Version history and file recovery
  • Cross-device synchronization
Read full description

Dropbox lets you upload, save, and transfer photos and files to the cloud. Backup and sync your pictures, videos, documents, and other files to cloud storage and access them from any device, anywhere. With advanced sharing features, it’s easy to share and send photos or files to family, friends, and co-workers. Features: • Automatically upload videos and photos from your camera roll to cloud photo storage - all in the background - for easy video sharing and photo sharing. • Access any file in your account - even offline - and preview over 175 different file types with no special software required. • Easily send large files by copying and pasting a link you can give to anyone, even if they don’t have a Dropbox account. • Scan documents, receipts, IDs, photos, and more using your mobile device and transform them into high-quality PDFs, so you can view and send anywhere. • Sync folders on your PC or Mac to Dropbox with computer backup, and recover older versions or restore deleted files with version history and file recovery. Sign up now for your free Dropbox Plus trial. You’ll get 2 TB (2,000 GB) of storage space - that’s enough room to save files from all your linked devices. And with Dropbox Rewind, you can roll back any file, folder, or your entire account, up to 30 days. Before starting a trial or completing payment, you’ll see the plan price. This amount will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase and on renewal and will vary by plan and country. Dropbox subscriptions renew monthly or yearly, depending on your plan. Your account will be charged for renewal 24 hours before the end of your current billing period. To avoid auto-renewal, turn it off within at least 24 hours before your subscription renews. You can turn off auto-renewal anytime from your Apple ID account settings. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. Dropbox is a secure cloud solutions leader trusted by Fortune 500 companies for their most sensitive data. Over 14 million paid users choose Dropbox because they know they can count on a company that’s also dedicated to their security and privacy—no matter what they do or where they are. Let Dropbox be your all-in-one file storage, file organizer, file transfer, and file sharing solution for all your devices. We’d love to hear from you! Join the Dropbox community: https://www.dropboxforum.com Terms of Service: https://www.dropbox.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.dropbox.com/privacy

About

pCloud

Securely store and access your photos, videos, and documents from any device. Automatically back up media to free up phone space and stream content on the go. Share large files easily with others.

Highlights
  • Up to 10 GB free storage
  • Automatic photo and video backup
  • Stream HD videos and music
  • Send and receive large files
  • Offline file access
  • Military-grade encryption
Features
Read full description

pCloud - Secure Cloud Storage for Your Files pCloud is the secure place for your photos, videos, and documents - all in one app. Access your files anytime, anywhere, and keep everything safely stored and organized across all your devices. Back up your memories automatically, free up space on your phone, and enjoy your content on the go. Preview and edit your photos, stream HD videos, and listen to your music without downloading. Easily share large files with anyone, even if they don’t use pCloud. Start with up to 10 GB of free storage. Optionally, you can expand up to 10 TB of storage with monthly, annual or lifetime plans. Features: • Up to 10 GB free storage upon registration • Store and access photos, videos, and files • Automatic photo and video backup • Access your files anytime, anywhere • Stream videos and music instantly • Share large files with a link • Sync across all your devices • Simple, intuitive and easy to use • Add zero-knowledge encryption Terms of service: https://www.pcloud.com/terms_and_conditions.html Privacy policy: https://www.pcloud.com/privacy_policy.html

Screenshots

Dropbox4 screens
pCloud4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Dropbox at 900K against pCloud's 8.1K. Dropbox also leads on chart position (#5 vs #207). pCloud's advantage is review sentiment (62% vs 48%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Dropbox sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and pCloud sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Dropbox against 4.7 for pCloud. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dropbox has 900K ratings behind it against 8.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 48% of Dropbox's written reviews are positive against 62% of pCloud's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dropbox ships an update every 2 weeks, pCloud every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Dropbox versus pCloud: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDropboxpCloud
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (900K ratings) — better4.7 (8.1K ratings)
Positive reviews47.6% of reviews62.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings900K — better8.1K
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#5 — better#207
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size228 MB112 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperDropbox, Inc.PCLOUD LTD

Customer experience

Dropbox

All ratings900,290 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral1.7%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews2,055 reviews
Positive47.6%
Neutral6.3%
Negative46.1%

pCloud

All ratings8,149 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral2.8%
Negative5.1%
Written reviews822 reviews
Positive62.4%
Neutral11.3%
Negative26.3%

User reviews

Dropbox

From 900K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Reliable cloud storage
  • 🔒 Secure file sharing
  • 📁 Convenient file management
  • 💻 Cross-device accessibility
  • 📸 Automatic photo backups

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy app updates
  • 🔍 Confusing file navigation
  • ⚠️ Unreliable upload/sync
  • 💰 Expensive paid plans
  • 🔋 High battery drain

pCloud

From 8.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast uploads and downloads
  • 🔒 Secure and encrypted storage
  • 👍 Convenient app integration across devices
  • 💰 Affordable lifetime plans
  • 📂 Flexible file organization

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Unreliable auto-upload feature
  • 🔍 Lacking advanced search and organization tools
  • 🔇 Subpar media player functionality
  • 🔒 Encryption features behind paywall
  • 🤔 Confusing free storage limits

Bugs and requests

Dropbox

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Freezing on login screen
  • Duplicate file uploads
  • Incorrect file timestamps
  • Incompatibility with iOS updates
  • Disappearing recent files

Requested features

5 requests
  • Select all option for uploads
  • Background upload support
  • Integrated media player
  • Increased free storage
  • Flexible paid plan options

pCloud

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • Inconsistent file syncing across devices
  • Issues with downloading and sharing files
  • Missing metadata and HEIC file support

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved photo/video management and viewing
  • Background sync and auto-upload
  • Sorting and filtering options for files
  • Built-in text editor and note-taking
  • Gapless audio playback

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Dropbox

Subscriptions9
  • Dropbox Simple - Monthly1 Month trial$6.991 Month
  • Dropbox Plus - Monthly$11.991 Month
  • Dropbox Plus - Monthly1 Month trial$11.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Dropbox Plus - Monthly14 Days trial$11.991 Month
  • Dropbox Professional - Monthly$19.991 Month
  • Dropbox Professional - Monthly1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Dropbox Family - Monthly1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Dropbox Plus - Annual2 variants$119.991 Year
  • Dropbox Plus - Annual1 Month trial$119.991 Year
13 purchases

pCloud

Subscriptions9
  • Premium$4.991 Month
  • pCloud Encryption$4.991 Month
  • Premium7 Days trial$4.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Premium1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • Premium Plus$9.991 Month
  • Ultra 10TB Monthly$29.991 Month
  • Premium$49.991 Year
  • pCloud Encryption$49.991 Year
  • Premium Plus$99.991 Year
One-time4
  • pCloud Encryption$149.99
  • Premium$199.99
  • Add Extra 2TB Lifetime Storage$279.00
Show 1 more
  • Premium Plus$399.99

Questions

Is Dropbox free?
Dropbox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is pCloud free?
pCloud is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Dropbox or pCloud?
Dropbox is rated higher. Dropbox averages 4.8 out of 5 from 900K ratings, while pCloud averages 4.7 from 8.1K ratings.
Do Dropbox or pCloud have ads?
Neither Dropbox nor pCloud shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dropbox or pCloud?
Dropbox ships an update every 2 weeks, and pCloud every 3 weeks. Most recently, Dropbox was updated on September 24, 2026 and pCloud on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Dropbox or pCloud?
Dropbox currently peaks at #5 in the App Store charts, and pCloud at #207. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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