Is iCloud or Google One cheaper?

How do the plans line up?

Why isn't free space a fair comparison?

Google's 15 GB covers your whole Google Account. A busy Gmail inbox can use half of it before a single photo uploads. Apple's 5 GB excludes the phone's local storage but includes iCloud Mail and backups. In both cases a photo library is what usually breaks the free tier.

Google also offers yearly billing, which it says can save up to 16% on some plans. Apple bills iCloud+ monthly.

Over a year, the gap at the low end is small. Apple's 50 GB costs $11.88 a year; Google's 100 GB costs about twice that but holds twice as much. At 200 GB, Apple's $2.99 tier has no exact Google match in every country, so compare by the space you need rather than the plan name.

Bundles muddy things further. Apple One packs iCloud+ with Music and TV. Google's AI plans add Gemini features and more storage. If you would not use the extras, the plain storage tier is the cheaper buy.

Which should I choose if I switch phones?

Pick the one that matches your main phone. Android backs up to your Google Account, and iPhone backups only go to iCloud. Photos are the flexible part: both services have apps for the other platform, so the backup of the phone itself is what decides it. Paying for both is common after a switch and easy to forget. Once your photos are safe on the new side, cancel the old one; see cancelling iCloud+ without an iPhone.

Whichever you pick, clearing duplicates first keeps you on a cheaper tier for longer. The Google One storage guide covers the Google side.