We have multiple options for saving files nowadays. For example hard drives, USB memories, cards… But we can also make use of the cloud. There are clear differences and we can say that each option has its advantages and disadvantages. Now, in this article we are going to explain what is best, whether to buy an external hard drive or hire a cloud service to save content.
Should I buy a hard drive or contract the cloud?
You may have asked yourself this question. If you see that your computer runs out of space or if you need to create backup copies, you can buy an external hard drive or hire a cloud service . It is true that the cloud may be free, but we are not going to have more than a few GB available. If we want to choose to have a greater capacity, we will have to pay.
So what is better? Let’s make some common assumptions. Let’s see how much it would cost to buy a physical hard drive for that capacity and compare it to what a cloud service that has the same available space would cost us. At the end we will reflect.
1TB space
Perhaps it is a basic measure today when we want to buy an external hard drive. There we can store content of all kinds and it is normal that we do not have space problems. We can create backup copies of the mobile, computer, etc.
If we think of physical hard drives, the price in this case is around €45-50 . Sometimes we can find a model for less and also many options for more money. It will also depend on the reading speed, among other characteristics. But we can get an idea of an approximate price of €45-50.
On the other hand, contracting 1 TB in the cloud can be contracted from €3.5-4 per month . Some options even cost €10 per month, but we can take €3.5-4 as a starting price. Some platforms like Icedrive or Mediafire have those fees.
When it comes to price, a physical hard drive should always be cheaper. This is something that will last us more than a year, so we are going to pay less than contracting the cloud, although there may be offers of even €30-35 for 1 TB per year. As a positive point of the cloud we can mention that we are going to have everything accessible anywhere, we can make backup copies from the mobile just by having Internet access, etc.
2TB of space
Things don’t vary too much if we go to the next level, which would be the 2 TB of available space. In this case, a physical hard drive can be found around €50-55 . There is not much difference if we compare it with a 1TB drive. Of course, you will find models even for €40-45 and others that go from €60-65.
Regarding the cloud, 2 TB usually cost between 8 and 10 euros per month . For example with services like Google Drive or Dropbox, which are some of the most popular. There are many more and you can find certain offers, but in general it is rare to find 2 TB for less than €75 per year.
Therefore, in this case clearly at an economic level the use of physical hard drives wins once again. Of course, as long as you expect to use it for at least a year.
In short, as you can see in terms of prices, physical hard drives are still a better option than hiring a cloud service. But of course, today you have to analyze other aspects such as being able to access files remotely, synchronize devices, create automatic backups, etc. In the end it will depend on each user, what they need and how they will use both the hard drive and the cloud.
We recommend giving the pCloud service a try, a service that will allow us to buy storage space in the cloud with a single payment, without having to pay a monthly or annual subscription. Thanks to this service, we can buy 500GB, 2TB and even more space, to use it as much as we want.
