I don’t pay for iCloud on Mac, here is what I use instead

While Apple iCloud is the de facto choice for Mac users, it’s not the only (or dare I say even arguably the best) solution for all your cloud storage and syncing needs. Although there is no shortage of iCloud alternatives, Microsoft OneDrive stands out for me for a number of reasons. It integrates seamlessly with the Finder app, offers more bang for the buck, and delivers greater control over my files. Here are the top reasons why I ditched iCloud in favor of OneDrive on my MacBook Pro.

5 Cross-platform availability

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Like all Microsoft products, OneDrive is a cross-platform solution. You can access it on your Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android, even on Linux and Chromebook via the web version. The latter received a nice UI makeover with rounded elements and colored folders. It surely looks better than iCloud’s web version.

I frequently switch between an iPhone and an Android phone for work purposes. Using iCloud as my primary storage means I lose access to my files whenever I pick up an Android phone as a daily driver (it’s 2024, and Apple still doesn’t offer a native iCloud app on Android, which is a shame). With OneDrive, I don’t have to think twice before picking up any device.

4 Robust integration with the Finder app

Although OneDrive is a third-party cloud storage on Mac, it has seamless integration with the default Finder app on Mac. You can create a shortcut on the sidebar to access your frequently used folders, utilize Finder tags to organize them effectively, and even glance over the real-time file sync process from the menu bar at the top.

Like Windows, OneDrive supports files on-demand on Mac as well. You can mirror your entire OneDrive library in Finder and download only relevant files to save storage and bandwidth. Once your task is complete, you can move it back online with just a single click. Quite convenient, isn’t it? If you work with limited bandwidth, you have the option to limit upload and download speeds, too.

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3 The ability to set password and expiry date for shared links

Now, let’s talk about a couple of OneDrive add-ons that blow iCloud out of the water. When you frequently share confidential files and folders on OneDrive, you have the option to password-protect them to keep prying eyes away. If it’s a time-sensitive matter like an event or specific project files and presentations, you can set an expiry date as well.

I use it all the time whenever I share my bank statements and other financial details with my accountant. It gives me a level of granularity that iCloud lacks. With iCloud, I essentially share a link with no control over who accesses it or for how long.

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2 Personal Vault

Personal Vault is another neat privacy feature for your confidential files. As the name suggests, it acts as your digital safe in OneDrive. Even if someone gets access to your OneDrive, the person needs to go through an extra layer of security to peek over your stored files. You can use it to store financial documents, project files, and passport scans.

The Personal Vault is available on the web, Windows, and mobile apps. Unfortunately, you can’t access it from the Finder app. Files stored in your Personal Vault are encrypted, both in transit and at rest, and it automatically locks itself after a period of inactivity. While iCloud offers security features like two-factor authentication and encryption, it lacks a dedicated, protected space like OneDrive’s Personal Vault. This means all your files are essentially stored together with no option for isolating your most sensitive documents.

1 Excellent pricing model

Both OneDrive and iCloud offer multiple plans to choose from. iCloud pricing starts at $1 per month for 50GB and $3 per month for 200GB. However, after that, you need to pay $10 per month for a 2TB plan, which is simply overkill for me. OneDrive has a better pricing model with the Microsoft 365 bundle, where you can pay $7 per month or $70 per year to unlock class-leading Office desktop (and Mac) apps and 1TB of cloud storage space.

I usually have around 400GB of files stored on the cloud, and OneDrive’s pricing model makes more sense to me. Microsoft 365 Family plan is even better, as you can share the same perks with up to five more members (each member gets 1TB space of their own).

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My iCloud-free Mac workflow

If you’re looking to break free from iCloud’s limitations and explore a cloud storage solution that truly puts you in the driver’s seat, give OneDrive an honest try. While it might seem like an unexpected choice for a Mac user, my experience with OneDrive proved to be a favorable one. Although Microsoft offers multiple OneDrive plans, make sure to bundle with Microsoft 365 to unlock its full potential.

If you want to learn more about other iCloud alternatives like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Nextcloud, give our dedicated guide a read.