Since its launch in June 2011, Apple has kept the free iCloud storage limit at 5GB. While this amount is quite inadequate for most users nearly 15 years later, there’s a more pressing concern regarding iCloud: its paid subscription options.
History of iCloud Storage
For a significant period, Apple has priced its iCloud tiers at $0.99/month for 50GB, $2.99/month for 200GB, and $9.99/month for 2TB. This pricing structure was established in 2017 and has not changed since.
Prior to 2017, the $9.99/month plan offered just 1TB, while 2TB was priced at $19.99/month. It’s commendable that Apple reduced the cost of 2TB, but the removal of the 1TB option created a significant void in their storage offerings—this is where my concern lies, which I will elaborate on later.
Since implementing this pricing model in 2017, Apple has added features to iCloud, including Private Relay, Custom Email Domains, Hide My Email, and HomeKit Secure Video (for those subscribed to the 2TB tier or higher). Moreover, in 2021, Apple rebranded its paid iCloud tiers to iCloud+.
In 2023, Apple recognized that many users desired additional iCloud+ storage options. Following the unveiling of Apple One in 2020, users realized they could acquire the Apple One Premier plan for $34.95/month (which includes 2TB of iCloud) and stack another 2TB iCloud subscription for $9.99/month, resulting in a total of 4TB.
While I’m unsure how many users opted for Apple One Premier solely to access the 2TB iCloud storage, the demand must not have been negligible. Subsequently, Apple introduced new 6TB and 12TB iCloud+ tiers in 2023, priced at $29.99/month and $59.99/month, respectively.
That was the extent of the changes. Apple did not adjust any existing iCloud+ tiers when introducing the new options. The plans first launched in 2017 remained intact, alongside the introduction of higher tiers for heavy users.
Apple likely gains substantial benefits from the current tier structure (excluding the extreme options). I have long advocated for a simple 1TB plan to fill the gap between 200GB and 2TB, but there’s probably a well-considered business reason for not offering it. Therefore, I propose an alternative solution.
My Suggestions
Rather than introducing a new low-end tier, why not simply enhance the storage allocated to each tier? After nearly a decade of the 50GB and 200GB plans remaining unchanged, it’s time for an update. With file sizes consistently increasing, a 50GB plan barely suffices for most users’ iPhone backups today.
My proposal is as follows:
- Free: 5GB (I know, not ideal, but this isn’t the main focus)
- $1.99/month: 100GB
- $3.99/month: 400GB
- $9.99/month: 2TB
The inspiration for a 100GB tier comes from Google, which offers a similar plan for $1.99/month. Considering both Google and Apple charge $9.99/month for 2TB, it seems reasonable to use that as a pricing benchmark.
Next, the proposed 400GB plan at $3.99/month strikes a balance, providing additional storage without significantly infringing on potential customers for the 2TB subscription.
Some may argue that Apple deliberately maintains a substantial gap between the 200GB and 2TB plans to encourage users to purchase more storage than they require. However, I don’t necessarily subscribe to that view. Often, when users hit the 200GB limit, they end up using iCloud less—either by keeping their photos/videos stored locally or by deleting items to free up space.
Conclusion
Many believe that it may be a long time before they can fully utilize 2TB, so why rush to pay for it now? My suggested pricing structure more effectively addresses storage demands today and offers sufficient capacity.
When Apple established its current storage tiers, iPhones were transitioning from 32GB to 64GB of base storage. Nowadays, most iPhone models come with 128GB or 256GB options, making it reasonable for iCloud tiers to update in alignment.
Do you agree with these proposed tiers, or do you envision something different? Many might advocate for an increase in the free storage limit, which would also be a beneficial change. Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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