No affiliate links or sponsorship. Prices and terms come from each provider’s own pricing pages and terms, checked October 28, 2026. pCloud showed prices in euros from our location, so we quote euros for pCloud. We didn’t buy or test any of these plans.
Quick answer
Lifetime cloud storage plans can be worth it if you’ll keep using the same provider for roughly five years or more, you store mostly personal files, and you accept the risk that the company changes or closes. They’re a one-time payment for a fixed amount of storage, not unlimited storage forever. On our check, pCloud’s 2 TB lifetime plan cost about the same as five years of its 2 TB annual plan. “Lifetime” also has a definition: pCloud’s terms say it means the account owner’s lifetime or 99 years, whichever is shorter.
Key takeaways
- Break-even: pCloud’s 500 GB lifetime plan (€219) equals about 4.4 years of its annual plan (€49.99); 2 TB (€499) equals about 5 years (€99.99/year).
- “Lifetime” is defined in the terms: pCloud: the account owner’s lifetime or 99 years, whichever is shorter.
- Offers change: Filen has removed its lifetime plans “for an indefinite period”; Koofr currently sells yearly plans only.
- Use rules apply: Filen says lifetime accounts must log in at least once every 3 years, and Icedrive pitches lifetime for casual personal use.
- Refund window: pCloud shows a 14-day money-back guarantee; Icedrive and Internxt offer 30 days.
Our verdict
A lifetime plan is a reasonable bet if you need a fixed amount of storage (say 500 GB to 2 TB) for photos and documents, plan to use it for 5+ years, and keep another copy of anything important elsewhere.
Stick with a subscription if your storage needs will grow a lot, you might switch providers, you need team features, or you can’t afford to lose the upfront payment if the service changes.
How we compared
We compared lifetime offers using pCloud’s, Icedrive’s, Internxt’s, Filen’s and Koofr’s official pricing pages, help articles and terms, re-checked October 28, 2026 (PKT). Lifetime prices are often shown as discounts and change often, and they can vary by country and currency. Internxt’s page didn’t show prices to our crawler, so we don’t quote them. We didn’t buy any plan or test upload speeds.
How lifetime cloud storage works
You pay once and get a fixed storage allowance with no renewals. Icedrive describes its lifetime plans as one payment that lets you keep your space “without monthly bills or yearly renewals” (Icedrive). pCloud sells lifetime plans alongside monthly and annual ones and calls its prices final, with no setup fees (pCloud).
If you need more space later, you usually buy more. pCloud says you can add storage by buying another lifetime plan at its full price; the new storage is added on top, up to 17.5 TB per account (pCloud Help Center). Icedrive lets you add a subscription on top of lifetime storage or make a one-time top-up (Icedrive).
Lifetime plans compared
| Provider | Lifetime options (Oct 28, 2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| pCloud | 500 GB: €219 (list €279); 2 TB: €499 (list €709); 10 TB: €1,499 (list €2,799) | 14-day money-back; stackable to 17.5 TB |
| Icedrive | 500 GB: $229 (list $344); 2 TB: $499 (list $749) | Zero-knowledge encryption; 30-day refund; aimed at casual use |
| Internxt | 1 TB, 2 TB and 5 TB lifetime plans | Prices not shown to our crawler; 30-day money-back |
| Filen | Lifetime plans removed for now | Monthly and annual plans only |
| Koofr | No lifetime plan | Yearly subscriptions only |
Sources: pCloud (pricing), Icedrive (lifetime plans), Internxt (lifetime), Filen (pricing FAQ) and Koofr (pricing). For a full review of the best-known lifetime seller, see our pCloud review.
Is it worth it? The break-even math
Divide the lifetime price by the yearly price of the same storage to see how many years it takes to pay off. pCloud makes this easy because it sells both: its annual plans are €49.99 for 500 GB and €99.99 for 2 TB, and its lifetime plans were €219 and €499 on our check (pCloud).
| pCloud plan | Annual price | Lifetime price | Break-even |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium 500 GB | €49.99/year | €219 | About 4.4 years |
| Premium Plus 2 TB | €99.99/year | €499 | About 5 years |
Past the break-even point, each extra year is effectively free storage. Before it, you’d have spent less on a subscription. Compare with mainstream subscriptions too: our Google One storage plans guide and cloud storage pricing tracker list current monthly and yearly prices.
Watch the assumptions
The math assumes subscription prices stay flat and that you’d stay with the same provider. If you expect to need much more space in a few years, a lifetime plan sized for today may not save money, since pCloud upgrades cost the full price of the new plan (pCloud Help Center).
What “lifetime” really means
Read the terms: lifetime has a definition, and it isn’t forever. pCloud’s terms say a lifetime plan “is in effect for the duration of the lifetime of the account owner or 99 years, whichever is shorter” (pCloud terms). The same terms say you can cancel at any time but no refund is given for unused days.
Some providers attach activity rules. Filen says data on lifetime accounts is deleted after 3 years of inactivity, so you need to log in at least once every 3 years, and it sends reminder emails first (Filen). Icedrive says lifetime is “made for casual use” and that power users and heavier workloads may be better suited to a subscription (Icedrive).
Limits still apply, too. pCloud lists monthly traffic caps for each storage tier; for example, the 500 GB Premium tier includes 1,000 GB of shared-link traffic per month (pCloud Help Center).
Risks to weigh
- Offers can disappear: Filen says it has removed lifetime plans from its lineup “for an indefinite period” (Filen). Existing lifetime accounts there still follow its inactivity rule.
- The company could change or close: a lifetime plan lasts only as long as the provider runs the service. No plan we checked makes it risk-free, so keep another copy of files you can’t lose.
- You’re locked in: once you’ve paid upfront, switching to a better or cheaper service means writing off the purchase.
- Fixed size: the storage doesn’t grow. Adding more means buying again (pCloud Help Center).
- Short refund windows: pCloud shows 14 days (pCloud); Icedrive offers a full refund within 30 days (Icedrive) and Internxt lists a 30-day money-back guarantee (Internxt).
Cloud storage that syncs isn’t a backup on its own. Our cloud storage vs cloud backup guide explains how to keep a separate copy.
Who should (and shouldn’t) buy one
- Good fit: a photo archive or family documents of a predictable size, kept for many years.
- Good fit: someone already paying yearly for the same provider and planning to stay.
- Poor fit: teams and businesses that need admin controls and growing seats; Icedrive itself points heavy users to subscriptions.
- Poor fit: anyone who only needs a little space; free tiers may be enough (see our best free cloud storage list).
- Poor fit: anyone who would struggle if the upfront payment were lost.
Checklist before you pay
- Estimate how much storage you’ll need in 5 years, not just today.
- Work out the break-even against the provider’s own annual plan.
- Read the terms for the definition of lifetime, inactivity rules and refunds.
- Check traffic, file-size and device limits on the plan you’re buying.
- Check whether encryption is included or a paid extra.
- Pay with a method that gives you some protection, and use the refund window to test uploads and the apps.
- Keep a second copy of irreplaceable files somewhere else.
Want a wider view first? Our best cloud storage roundup and Dropbox review cover subscription alternatives.
FAQ
Are lifetime cloud storage plans worth it?
They can be if you’ll use the same provider for about five years or more and your storage needs are stable. On our check, pCloud’s 2 TB lifetime plan cost about the same as five years of its 2 TB annual plan.
Does lifetime cloud storage really last forever?
No. pCloud’s terms define lifetime as the account owner’s lifetime or 99 years, whichever is shorter, and any plan depends on the provider staying in business.
What happens if a lifetime cloud storage company shuts down?
You would likely lose the service you paid for, which is why you should keep another copy of important files. Check the provider’s terms for what they promise.
Which companies offer lifetime cloud storage?
On October 28, 2026, pCloud, Icedrive and Internxt offered lifetime plans. Filen had removed its lifetime plans for now, and Koofr sells yearly plans only.
Can I upgrade a lifetime plan later?
Usually by buying more storage. pCloud says you pay the full price of the additional lifetime plan and the storage is added on top, up to 17.5 TB per account.
Can I get a refund on a lifetime plan?
Only within the money-back window: 14 days at pCloud and 30 days at Icedrive and Internxt, according to their pages.
Sources
Official provider pricing pages, help articles and terms. All checked October 28, 2026 (PKT).
Show all 9 sources
- pCloud: Pricing (lifetime and subscription plans)
- pCloud: Terms and conditions (lifetime subscriptions)
- pCloud Help Center: Plan details
- pCloud Help Center: Upgrading to a larger Lifetime plan
- Icedrive: Lifetime cloud storage plans
- Icedrive: Plans and pricing
- Internxt: Lifetime cloud storage
- Filen: Pricing and FAQ
- Koofr: Plans and pricing
Changelog
- October 29, 2026: First published. Lifetime plan prices, terms, upgrade rules, refund windows and availability for pCloud, Icedrive, Internxt, Filen and Koofr checked against official pages on October 28, 2026. No purchases, hands-on testing or screenshots.
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