Choose iCloud+ if your household lives on Apple devices and you want one plan for everyone: 2 TB is $9.99 a month in the US and you can share it with up to five other family members. Choose Dropbox if you work with clients or a team and need big file transfers, signatures, longer file recovery and admin control, because Dropbox Plus is $9.99 a month for one person and the team plans start at $15 per user a month, as of October 2026.
At 2 TB these two cost exactly the same in the US, so price won't settle it. Who the storage is for will. I worked from Dropbox's plans and business comparison pages and Apple's iCloud+ plans and pricing page, so every figure here is what Dropbox and Apple publish, as of October 2026.
Dropbox and iCloud+ compared plan by plan
US prices, per month.
| Dropbox | iCloud+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Free storage | 2 GB (Basic) | 5 GB with every Apple account |
| 2 TB price | $9.99 a month (Plus, 1 person) | $9.99 a month, shareable with up to five other family members |
| Smaller paid tiers | None between free and 2 TB | 50 GB $0.99; 200 GB $2.99 |
| Bigger tiers | Standard from 3 TB for the team; Advanced from 15 TB for the team | 6 TB $29.99; 12 TB $59.99 |
| Team and admin | Standard and Advanced add team folders and admin control; Advanced adds single sign-on | Personal and family plans |
| Signatures and PDF editing | Built in (3 signature requests a month on Plus) | Not part of the plan |
Dropbox plans and what each one adds
Dropbox Basic is free with 2 GB. Plus is $9.99 a month for one person with 2 TB, 30 days to restore deleted files, transfers up to 50 GB, 3 signature requests a month and PDF editing.
Standard is $15 per user a month for one person or more and starts at 3 TB for the team. It keeps deleted files for 180 days, sends transfers up to 100 GB, and adds password-protected and branded sharing, team folders and admin control. Advanced is $24 per user a month for 3 people or more, starts at 15 TB for the team, keeps deleted files for a year, and adds single sign-on, audit logs and end-to-end encryption. Dropbox also lists Replay for video review (4 file uploads on these plans), video transcripts and captions, and document signing.
iCloud+ prices in the UK, Australia and Canada
Every Apple account gets 5 GB free, and iCloud+ is the paid upgrade. Apple's page lists local prices, so here they are with the currency named. UK prices include taxes, and so do the Australian ones.
| iCloud+ plan | US ($) | UK (GBP) | Australia (AUD) | Canada (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 GB | $0.99 | £0.99 | $1.49 | $1.29 |
| 200 GB | $2.99 | £2.99 | $4.49 | $3.99 |
| 2 TB | $9.99 | £8.99 | $14.99 | $12.99 |
| 6 TB | $29.99 | £26.99 | $44.99 | $39.99 |
| 12 TB | $59.99 | £54.99 | $89.99 | $79.99 |
Every iCloud+ plan can be shared with up to five other family members at no extra cost, and it adds iCloud Private Relay, Hide My Email, a Custom Email Domain and Apple Invites. HomeKit Secure Video covers 1 camera on 50 GB, 5 cameras on 200 GB and unlimited cameras on 2 TB and above. You can upgrade from an iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC. Billing is monthly, you pay by card or Apple Account balance, and Apple Store gift cards aren't accepted for upgrades.
Same price, different job
Here's what people miss. At 2 TB the US price is the same $9.99, but Dropbox Plus is for one person, while one iCloud+ 2 TB plan covers you and up to five family members. On the other side, iCloud+ doesn't come with team folders, admin control or signature requests, which is the work Dropbox is built for.
The second catch is file recovery. Dropbox Plus keeps deleted files for 30 days, and Standard keeps them for 180. If you share files with clients and something gets deleted that you don't spot for a couple of months, that gap matters.
Which one fits how you work
- An Apple household sharing photos and backups: iCloud+, with one plan shared across the family.
- You only need a little more than the free allowance: iCloud+ 50 GB at $0.99 a month in the US.
- A freelancer sending large files and getting contracts signed: Dropbox Plus, with 50 GB transfers and 3 signature requests a month.
- A small team that needs shared folders and control over who sees what: Dropbox Standard.
- A company that needs single sign-on and audit logs: Dropbox Advanced, for 3 people or more.
- Home cameras on HomeKit: iCloud+ 2 TB or above, which covers unlimited cameras.
If neither feels right, I've rounded up Dropbox alternatives, and this piece on using cloud storage to work more productively covers the habits that make any of them earn their keep.
More cloud storage options
Other services worth comparing: Google Drive, OneDrive, Box and pCloud. Check what each one gives you free and whether a single plan can be shared, because that's where these services differ most.
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My advice on picking cloud storage
If everyone at home is on an iPhone, I'd put the family on one iCloud+ 2 TB plan and stop paying for separate storage. If you run a business, I'd keep work files in Dropbox, and if it's more than just you, I'd go straight to Standard for the team folders and the 180 days of file recovery. Plenty of people pay for both, one for family photos and one for work, and that's fine when they're doing different jobs.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Dropbox or iCloud better value at 2 TB?
In the US both cost $9.99 a month at 2 TB, as of October 2026. Dropbox Plus is for one person, while an iCloud+ 2 TB plan can be shared with up to five other family members.
How much free storage do Dropbox and iCloud give you?
Dropbox Basic gives you 2 GB free. Every Apple account gets 5 GB of iCloud storage free.
How much is iCloud+ 2 TB in the UK?
Apple lists iCloud+ 2 TB at £8.99 a month in the UK, taxes included. It's $14.99 in Australian dollars and $12.99 in Canadian dollars.
Can I share Dropbox with my family?
Dropbox Plus is for one person. Shared team folders and admin control come with Standard at $15 per user a month. iCloud+ plans can be shared with up to five other family members at no extra cost.
How long does Dropbox keep deleted files?
Dropbox Plus lets you restore deleted files for 30 days, Standard for 180 days and Advanced for a year.
Can I pay for iCloud+ with an Apple gift card?
Apple says Apple Store gift cards aren't accepted for iCloud+ upgrades. You pay monthly by card or with your Apple Account balance.
