4 – Mega – Most free storage with end-to-end encryption

Pros
15GB+ free storage
End-to-end encryption
Cons
Used to be 50GB free
High-capacity plans available
Free (more storage from $5.60 per month)

New Zealand based Mega used to offer a generous 50GB to new users, but that’s now changed to 15GB with additional capacity rewarded for something Mega calls ‘achievements’.

These include validating your account, installing the Mega apps, and inviting friends to the service. This is complicated further by the fact that the bonus storage is different for each achievement and only temporary, with a range of expiration dates from 30 days to a year.

That being said, you still get 15GB free, which is as much as any other service, and there are premium tariffs that include 400GB (€4.99 / £4.27 per month), 2TB (€9.99 / £8.56 per month), 8TB (€19.99 / £17.13 per month), and 16TB (€29.99 / £25.69 per month).

Mega’s main selling point is security, with end-to-end encryption protecting your files even when in transit between your device and its servers. The key to the encryption is your password, meaning even Mega can’t access your data, although if you lose it you’ll be in trouble as you, too, won’t be able to access those encrypted files.

The service offers extensions for Chrome and Firefox, secure chat with other Mega users, plus a mail add-on for Thunderbird so you can easily and securely exchange large files.

Bottom Line: Fast, easy to use and good value if you need to store masses and masses of data in the cloud.