Millisecond Inquisit. How to Upload More Than 60 Mb in Files Per Experiment
pCloud is one of the best cloud storage providers bachelor right now. It offers a range of affordable storage plans and gives away a decent corporeality of free cloud storage. pCloud also gives its users full control over their privacy, something we'll comprehend in greater detail during this pCloud review.
Key Takeaways:
- pCloud is a fast, secure cloud service and is reasonably priced.
- It's based in Switzerland and has to attach to strict Swiss privacy laws, meaning more than protection for your files.
- Customer back up is less than stellar, and is the master area where the service lets itself down.
- This cloud storage service is a fantastic pick for most personal and business users.
pCloud is a cloud storage service that ticks several boxes: it's fairly priced, has a dedicated media player and offers added encryption for your files. It tin't rival Google Drive and OneDrive in terms of document creation and collaboration, but it beats them hands downward when it comes to privacy.
One matter that sets pCloud apart from some of the large-proper name players in the game is zero-knowledge encryption. Having total control over who tin can access your files is a must in this twenty-four hours and age. However, with pCloud, there's a catch: yous need to pay extra to access what it calls "pCloud Crypto."
If you're looking for a cloud storage service that includes zero-noesis encryption for all of your files without an boosted fee, and so you should consider a service such as Sync.com (read our Sync.com review).
However, if you lot'd prefer the power to choose which files are protected with nil-knowledge encryption, pCloud is an excellent choice. Let's have a closer look at what information technology has to offer in this pCloud review.
Nosotros also have a video review if yous adopt your data bite-sized. Acquire more well-nigh pCloud and its CEO, Tunio Zafer, in our pCloud edition of "talk with the boss."
pCloud Video Review
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10/16/2021 Facts checked
Performed a fresh review of pCloud, including new upload and download speeds and images.
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Because pCloud is located in Switzerland and has to adhere to strict privacy laws, the service is extremely trustworthy. It also states that information technology doesn't sell user data to third parties, making information technology a meliorate option for those concerned about their privacy.
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For security and privacy, yep. However, Google Drive provides ameliorate collaboration tools and has quality native app integrations through Google Workspace.
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pCloud is extremely prophylactic. Not only does information technology apply industry-standard AES 256-flake encryption, simply yous can also use pCloud Crypto to ensure that only you can access your files.
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pCloud was founded in 2013 by Tunio Zafar. The company is registered and based in Switzerland, making it one of few cloud storage providers that must adhere to strict Swiss privacy laws.
Alternatives for pCloud
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- Great value
- Zero-knowledge encryption
- Fast syncing
- Accepts bitcoin payments
- Sync any folder
- Integrated media player
- Lifetime programme options
Weaknesses
- Encryption costs extra
- No document integration
Features
The most essential feature of any cloud storage service is its file syncing, which pCloud does incredibly well, especially compared to a bare-basic service like MediaFire. pCloud too comes with a number of boosted features that add to your experience; admittedly, some of these features are better than others.
pCloud Cloud Storage Rewind
The pCloud "rewind" feature allows yous to recover files from a previous date if, for some reason, you delete your files or they get corrupted (ransomware, look out).
You can apply rewind to admission onetime files for up to 15 days with a free account. However, the Premium and Premium Plus plans permit you to rewind your account for upward to 30 days. This allows yous to run into a snapshot of how your files and folders looked at a specific date and time.
In comparison to other cloud storage providers, Dropbox allows users to rewind upwards to 180 days, and Icedrive allows you to rewind indefinitely (check our full Icedrive review), so pCloud'south xxx days isn't all that much.
The rewind feature allows you to restore any of your previous files and folders from that engagement. Rather than simply reverting your account to match how it looked then, pCloud will requite you the option to either download the files and folders you lot want to recover or restore them individually.
pCloud allows paid users to restore files for upwardly to xxx days.
You can extend the rewind characteristic for up to a year, only it will toll you $39. This also applies to file versioning, which is a like feature for restoring individual files to a previous land. In fact, pCloud makes it onto our listing of the best cloud storage for versioning.
pCloud Save
pCloud also interfaces with your browser via pCloud "salvage," an extension for Opera, Firefox and Chrome. This extension allows you lot to salve images directly to your a special "pCloud relieve" folder by simply right-clicking on them.
It's important to note, withal, that enabling 2-factor authentication (2FA) — something we volition expect at later on — renders pCloud salvage unusable.
If you already apply Dropbox, Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive, but are thinking well-nigh trying out pCloud, you tin can back up all your information from these services directly into pCloud.
- Get to pCloud'south "backup" section
- Choose the provider yous want to back up from
- Sign in to link your account and pCloud will re-create all of your files and folders into a new folder called "backups"
You can as well support your photos from social media, like Instagram and Facebook, in the same manner (we too take a carve up guide on how to support social media). Currently, this service doesn't work if you're trying to dorsum up Dropbox Business organisation or OneDrive Concern accounts.
pCloud save allows yous to save photos directly from your browser.
If y'all're interested in collaborating with other pCloud account holders, you may want to give pCloud's "fair share" feature a endeavour. If y'all share a binder, the recipient can add equally much as they want to the shared folder without using up any of their storage space allocation. The shared folder will take upward space but on the business relationship of the person who originally shared it.
At that place's no integration with either Microsoft Office or Google Docs, unfortunately, and so pCloud doesn't arrive onto our list of the all-time deject storage for collaboration.
Public Folder
There's likewise the option to set up a public binder. This can be used for a number of purposes, such equally hosting static HTML web pages, creating straight links to files or for embedding images every bit an culling to image hosting sites, such every bit Imgur. While this feature isn't bachelor on a free business relationship, you do get a seven-solar day trial when signing up for the service.
pCloud Crypto Characteristic
I of the all-time features, though, is pCloud Crypto, which allows yous to protect some of your files and folders with end-to-finish encryption. We'll take a await at this in more detail in the "security" department of this pCloud review.
pCloud Backup
pCloud recently introduced what information technology calls "pCloud backup." Through your desktop, you tin can select which folders you want to back upward automatically to the cloud. For example, if you back up a folder of images, each time a new image is saved to the binder, pCloud backup volition automatically sync it to the cloud.
While information technology's a useful feature to go on your files regularly updated, nosotros found it to be a petty inconsistent. We saved ten new images to our binder, and not all of them were reflected in the cloud. During our testing we were unable to determine why this happened.
Media Role player: Music & Video
pCloud has some useful media features, making it our number one pick for the all-time deject storage for music.
pCloud has a music player that comes with enough of useful features.
pCloud's integrated music histrion is available on the web and smartphone app. In addition to existence able to play your music files, you tin can search for songs and artists and create playlists. Yous can likewise shuffle songs and loop albums or playlists, making pCloud's sound player one of the best.
You can also download music to your phone if y'all want to listen offline. If videos are your matter, you can play videos through the spider web interface or in the pCloud mobile apps.
If you're storing your media collection with pCloud, you might exist interested in its integration with Kodi, the popular media player. An unofficial add-on for Kodi allows you to stream directly from your pCloud drove, making it one of the best cloud storage for Kodi streamers.
Yous can besides download your converted files and consign them using the "download converted" selection, which — along with no file-size limits that crush the 50GB Dropbox (2TB on Dropbox for desktop) max file size — helps to make pCloud the best deject storage for video.
pCloud's integrated video player converts file types, allowing you to view them through your browser.
pCloud Features Overview
| Visit pCloud | |
|---|---|
| Sync | |
| Sync Folder | |
| Cake-Level Sync | |
| Selective Sync | |
| Bandwidth management | |
| Sync Any Binder | |
| File Sharing | |
| File Link Sharing | |
| Link Passwords | |
| Link Death Dates | |
| Folder Sharing | |
| Folder Permissions | |
| Link Download Limits | |
| Upload Links | |
| Productivity | |
| File Previews | |
| Edit Files | |
| In-App Collaboration | |
| Office Online | |
| Google Docs | |
| Notes App | |
| Media Playback | |
| Mobile Apps | |
| Deleted File Retentivity | |
| Versioning | |
| WebDAV | |
| Security | |
| At-Rest Encryption | |
| In-Transit Encryption | |
| Encryption Protocol | AES 256-bit |
| Aught Knowledge | |
| Two-Factor Authentication | |
| Server Location | US |
| Support | |
| 24/7 Support | |
| Live Chat Back up | |
| Telephone Support | |
| Electronic mail Support | |
| User Forum | |
| Knowledgebase | |
| Misc | |
| Free Plan |
Pricing
pCloud is reasonably priced and a good value for the money, with only Sync.com beating it in the boxing of the best deals for cloud storage. Y'all can acquire more than well-nigh Sync.com in our Sync.com vs pCloud comparison, simply as yous'll meet, pCloud competes very well on pricing.
pCloud Pricing
Business
- : cost per user (Min. 3 users)
- : grand GB
Free Version
If you lot're looking to give pCloud a try, take a look at the free account first. It tops our list of the best free deject storage and offers up to 10GB of storage space with costless accounts, although y'all start with merely 2GB — you'll demand to unlock the rest. Certain, that's less than Degoo, with its free 100GB of space (come across our Degoo review), just it'south significantly better in almost every other mode.
To unlock an extra 5GB of gratis storage, you demand to verify your email, upload a file, download the desktop and smartphone apps, and turn on automated photo uploads on your smartphone. Information technology'due south a cumbersome process, but it's worth it for the extra storage infinite. The final 3GB are earned by successfully inviting other people to sign upwards.
Paid Plans
Personal plans are split between two options: Premium and Premium Plus. At the time of writing, the Premium program costs $49.99 per yr, which gives you 500GB of storage space. The Premium Plus program costs $99.99 per yr for 2TB of storage. Both plans are paid annually.
pCloud Lifetime Subscription
For lifetime access to pCloud storage infinite, yous can pay $175 for the Premium plan, and $350 for Premium Plus. If yous don't program on switching providers, it's certainly a skillful value in the long run.
pCloud offers corking value to those looking for lifetime access to cloud storage infinite.
If you want a cloud storage account to share with your family, pCloud offers a plan with 2TB of storage that can be shared amid upwards to five people. Previously, pCloud priced this programme at $one,400, which is a lot; however, the program has been discounted to $500 for quite some fourth dimension.
If this is the program for y'all, we recommend that you lot sign up as soon every bit possible, since in that location's no fashion of knowing how long this discount volition last.
pCloud Account for Business
If you're a business user, pCloud's Business organisation plan offers 1TB of storage for $9.99 per user per month. You can too pay annually, which brings the price down to $seven.99 per user per month. 1 huge do good of pCloud Concern is that it includes Crypto at no boosted price.
pCloud also includes additional team tools, such as the ability to fix individual access levels and annotate on shared files and folders. However, these features aren't quite strong enough to see pCloud arrive onto our rundown of the best cloud storage for enterprise, where providers like Egnyte dominate.
Ease of Use
With so many cloud storage options out there, providers like pCloud that lack brand recognition need to smash downwards i affair if they want Joe Public to subscribe: ease of use. Thankfully, pCloud doesn't disappoint, although there are a few areas for comeback.
Signing up to pCloud is quick and effortless. Y'all can also get access to 10GB of complimentary storage.
Signing upwardly to pCloud requires an electronic mail address and password, or you can sign up with your Google, Facebook or Apple tree account. You're then encouraged to download pCloud Drive to gear up a virtual drive on your system, which is all very straightforward. This turns your documents folder into a sync folder by default, meaning your documents are automatically synced to pCloud.
Following in the footsteps of Dropbox and others, pCloud uses the tried-and-tested cloud storage model, with a sync folder on your computer and a organization tray icon to alter your settings.
Some desktop apps permit yous to explore your files and folders inside the app. However, the pCloud desktop app is purely for making changes to your account and settings.
pCloud's desktop client is simple and easy to use.
The menu links across the tiptop of the desktop app let you to switch between business relationship data, your sync folders, backup options, shared files and folders, pCloud Crypto, settings, back up and information on the app itself.
The desktop app is easy to navigate, but it doesn't have the nigh highly-seasoned interface we've ever seen. The app is available for macOS, Windows and Linux, making information technology on our all-time cloud storage for Linux short list.
pCloud Web
If you lot desire to access your files when you're away from your estimator, you lot tin can use the pCloud spider web interface. Similar the pCloud app, there are menu links for browsing your files, accessing your public binder, pCloud rewind, backups from other cloud services and your trash folder. Below this are links for accessing your Crypto folder, shared folders, your download links and your audio files.
Users can access pCloud from their web browser to upload, download and manage files.
Yous tin can add files and folders straight to pCloud by dragging and dropping them into the web interface, but this is a little clunky.
Instead of assuasive you to drop the files into specific folders by hovering over them, pCloud opens an upload screen that shows your files uploading to the binder that is currently open. If you want to upload to a different folder, you'll take to open up that binder before you start the drag-and-drop process.
At that place's likewise no way to drag a file out of pCloud and drop it on your desktop; y'all accept to select it and choose the download option. Other online cloud storage services, such as OneDrive, permit you to driblet files into individual folders, which is quicker and more than efficient. Take a wait at our OneDrive review to learn more than.
pCloud allows users to elevate and drop files into the spider web browser app, but the design and functionality could exist improved.
pCloud Mobile App
The mobile app is available for Android and iOS, and it has a carte du jour similar to the web interface, with links to your files, pCloud Crypto and more. Calculation files is easy: simply striking the plus sign at the acme of the screen and select the files you want to upload.
The pCloud mobile app lets you manage files, use Crypto and play music.
The experience of using the app is pretty smooth, which is why it's one of our best cloud storage for Android picks. In one case y'all've uploaded photos and videos, pCloud will prompt you to delete them from your phone to free up some space.
You tin can also brand files bachelor offline with a couple of taps, which is particularly useful if you want to listen to music or scout videos on the go.
File Syncing & Sharing
pCloud is i the best file syncing services on the market. You lot can sync whatsoever folder on your computer, and the virtual bulldoze allows you lot to free up space on your hard drive. Sharing files and folders is besides simple to do and can be done in a variety of ways.
We'll first with the virtual drive. One problem with the traditional sync binder model for online storage is redundancy. Information technology keeps files on your bulldoze, then copies them to cloud servers, making sure that files are mirrored equally between the two. However, this isn't bang-up if your local storage space is limited.
pCloud Bulldoze
In many cases, if you cull non to sync everything to your PC or Mac, y'all mostly can't interact with it. pCloud gets around this past creating a virtual drive that takes upwardly none of your disk drive infinite at all — this is pCloud Bulldoze.
pCloud Drive allows you to free up space on your difficult bulldoze.
Using pCloud Drive, you tin navigate through all of your deject files and folders in file explorer equally if they were on your difficult drive. In essence, this adds up to 2TB of storage space to your computer.
Files will open as if they were stored on your hard drive, and once y'all close them, they render to the cloud. I downside of this system is that yous can't access the files if you lot're offline, just information technology'southward simple plenty to remedy by setting up a new sync binder.
Sync folders are boosted folders from your hard drive that you can choose to sync to pCloud. Different with some other deject providers, you tin can choose any folder to be a sync folder and you can have as many as y'all similar. That ways yous don't take to mess with your binder structure if you want to add files to your storage — you can leave everything exactly where it is.
Yous can share files with internal and external users, as well as enable added protection.
Calculation a new sync folder is equally unproblematic as right-clicking on the binder and choosing the "sync to pCloud" option, just you can too fix new sync folders inside the desktop app. It's important to remember that your sync folder volition mirror what is stored in the deject, and then if you delete any files on your desktop, they will disappear from your business relationship too.
It'south worth noting that pCloud doesn't preserve custom file permissions on Linux, meaning that certain file types — such as executables — demand to have their permissions manually restored using the "chmod" command. This is a small issue that only occurs on Linux, but it's something that could crusade headaches for software developers and the like.
Sharing Files
Sharing files is also simple and helps pCloud brand information technology onto our best cloud storage for sharing short list, alongside Google Bulldoze and Dropbox. You can share files from your reckoner or through the desktop app, web interface or mobile app. Similar Google Bulldoze, pCloud allows you lot to share links directly to your shared files or yous can invite pCloud users using e-mail.
You can share files through pCloud directly through the desktop awarding.
At that place's the pick to grant read-only or read-and-write access using the shared link, and you can password-protect your file or set an expiration engagement. You can as well choose to generate a shorter link, although pCloud volition remind you that these links are less secure. However, you can't share files stored in pCloud Crypto unless you have a Business account.
A useful part of the sharing window is the "stats" page. This allows you to run into when the link was created, how many times the file has been downloaded and the total download traffic. Because download link traffic has a per-month limit, it'south useful to be able to rails this metric if you programme to use information technology a lot. At that place's as well a prissy graph that shows your weekly traffic stats.
pCloud provides a detailed overview of your file-sharing history.
Sharing via the smartphone app is also uncomplicated. A quick tap on the sharing icon below each folder allows you to transport invitations to the binder or to generate upload or download links. Yous tin gear up permissions to view or edit, although you can't ready passwords or expiration dates from within the app.
Speed
To put pCloud'south speed functioning to the test, we uploaded a 5GB folder total of mixed file types, with a connection speed of 100 Mbps for both uploads and downloads.
The results were impressive and continued the overall positive trend of this pCloud review. Upload and download speeds didn't match those of the speed demon that is Dropbox, but they were marginally better than OneDrive's functioning.
| First try: | 2d effort: | Boilerplate: | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upload | 0:08:55 | 0:07:thirty | 0:08:12 |
| Download | 0:06:41 | 0:06:43 | 0:06:42 |
If you want to ship large files or if you're moving a lot of files around, yous may want to limit your download or upload speeds. pCloud allows you to do this in its settings area, just information technology's set to unlimited by default.
pCloud likewise makes employ of cake-level sync to speed upwards the process of syncing files that have been edited. In essence, your files are broken up into minor pieces, and only the pieces that have changed are synced. It means that if you lot edit a large file, it will sync in a matter of seconds, rather than several minutes. If you edit a lot of large files, this tin make a real difference.
Not all services offer this, and then if you're looking for alternatives, yous'll need to consider providers like Dropbox or OneDrive instead (cheque out our pCloud vs Dropbox comparison review for more).
Security
Security is important, especially in an era when data breaches are a daily occurrence. pCloud has some excellent security features that assistance information technology find its way onto our list of the near secure deject storage, so we're pretty confident in recommending it for those who are worried virtually their data security.
Some of these features require y'all to pay extra, though, which is a shame. Providers like Sync.com offer similar features at no extra cost, then information technology's something to conduct in mind.
When we consider data security from cloud providers, nosotros're looking for the holy grail: zero-knowledge encryption. This type of encryption gives y'all complete control over your encryption keys. This means that only you can decrypt your files — non pCloud, non the law and not a rogue hacker with admission to its servers.
This layer of security is important because it means your files remain completely secure from outside snooping (as long every bit your encryption keys are kept secure).
pCloud Crypto adds an extra layer of security for your virtually sensitive files.
pCloud Crypto
What about phone call null-knowledge encryption, pCloud calls "pCloud Crypto." Information technology's marketed equally client-side encryption, meaning yous're the boss and have full command over who has access to your files.
While we appreciate having the ability to better secure our files, it's disappointing that we accept to pay extra. It costs $4.99 a month extra for pCloud Crypto or around $iii.99 a month if you lot pay upwards forepart. However, Business organisation pCloud users become it for free.
As we've already mentioned, some providers already offering client-side encryption for free, but others don't offer it at all. pCloud Crypto is a middle-basis option, allowing you to choose which files you want to improve protect. Anything in your Crypto folder is impossible for the server to read, so you can't run into whatever previews, or play music or videos from within pCloud.
Not being able to preview media files directly in the pCloud platform is a small price to pay, particularly when it means y'all tin be certain that others tin't access them.
For added security, you tin opt in for two-step authentication when logging into your account.
Files that aren't kept in pCloud Crypto are notwithstanding protected past industry-standard AES 256-fleck encryption, and pCloud uses the TLS protocol to reduce the risk of man-in-the-heart attacks. Yous can besides use two-factor authentication to help protect your account.
Two-factor authentication requires you to provide a 2d grade of verification in order to sign in to your business relationship (commonly an SMS message or a code generated using an authentication app). If someone gets hold of your password, they shouldn't exist able to log in to your account unless they likewise have admission to your telephone, which adds another layer of security.
Privacy
If you lot're concerned about the privacy of your data, then pCloud is a particularly good selection, although there are some minor areas for business organisation. If you're using pCloud Crypto, your files will exist secure with zero-knowledge encryption, but everything else could exist at run a risk unless you add other defenses, like 2-gene authentication.
Something to exist mindful about are pCloud's server locations. It has two: the Us and Luxembourg. The U.S. is office of the Five Eyes Alliance, an organization fabricated upwardly of 5 nations, all of which take the ability to access user data as they see fit (read more about the V Eyes brotherhood).
If your files are located in the U.S., you can request to have them moved to Luxembourg, but you'll demand to pay $19.99 to do and so. If you lot're considering signing up for pCloud, nosotros recommend yous cull Luxembourg as your server location from the beginning.
Because it's based in Switzerland, pCloud allows users to enjoy some of the best deject privacy laws in the world — see our guide to Swiss privacy laws. It'south one of the reasons why companies such as ProtonMail, which tops our list of the nearly secure email providers, choose Switzerland every bit their dwelling house.
pCloud Tracking?
The pCloud privacy policy does country that the visitor will collect data from you, such as your IP address, device data, operating system and browser type. Information technology will also use tracking services to collect information such as how long you visit, the pages you view and your usage patterns, although this information is anonymous and cannot be linked direct to you.
Your personal data may also exist shared with third parties in society to comply with the law, or if pCloud is compelled to practise so by law enforcement or other government officials. If your data is stored in the U.S., it means that pCloud may be required to grant authorities admission to your data under legislation such as the Patriot Act.
Any data stored in pCloud Crypto remains encrypted, though, so the regime would not be able to access its contents. It'south important to note that pCloud states that it has never sold data to third parties and has no plans to do then in the time to come. As a Swiss visitor that offers zero-knowledge encryption, pCloud doesn't requite us much to worry nearly on the privacy front.
Customer Service
We've praised pCloud a lot in this review, but one surface area where the visitor lets downward its users is with client service. Dissimilar many of its rivals, pCloud offers no live conversation support and, in our feel, response times to queries were hit or miss.
There is quite an extensive help page that covers many of the features the service offers, just if you tin't find the answer you lot're looking for, things get trickier.
pCloud'south customer service lets it downwards, but there's an extensive FAQ department to assist resolve your queries.
If you want to contact pCloud direct to chat with a support agent, your only option is to telephone call the company. However, the number is a Swiss number, and information technology operates on Swiss business hours, making this tricky for U.S. customers. Switzerland is nine hours ahead of California, so if you're based in San Francisco, you lot're going to demand to phone call before 8 a.m. Not ideal.
This is 1 area that could be fixed with a alive conversation option but, as we've stated, this isn't something pCloud offers. Other top-tier providers similar Dropbox and Google Bulldoze offering this, as you'll see in our Google Bulldoze review.
Without readily attainable chat or phone support, your side by side best option is to arrive touch via electronic mail or past using the contact class. We sent an email with a general query and received a response within 12 hours. The back up amanuensis answered our question in particular and nosotros felt confident that they were knowledgeable well-nigh the product.
The Verdict
Every bit this pCloud review has explained, pCloud dominates with an easy-to-utilise service for an affordable cost that makes information technology a go-to option for online storage in about every situation.
The virtual bulldoze system is a great way to admission all your files and folders without filling up your precious hard drive space, while the Crypto folder allows you to make up one's mind which files and folders you want to protect with nada-knowledge encryption. Although this is a paid add together-on, it does give you the security you need for your files.
If you've spent years building upward a finely curated collection of music files, pCloud'due south born media player makes streaming your music like shooting fish in a barrel, whether that's on desktop or on your smartphone. At that place are some other nice multimedia features as well, which permit you to resize your photos and compress your videos.
pCloud's pricing is good, too, with plans that offer similar or better storage for lower prices than many of its competitors. While the pCloud lifetime plans remain heavily discounted, now is the all-time fourth dimension to brand the investment, if you tin can. The generous free version is a cracking identify to commencement, at to the lowest degree once you've followed the steps to unlock more free storage.
Overall, there'southward a lot to love about pCloud, which is why it continues to be one of our height recommendations for deject storage beyond multiple categories. Do yous think pCloud is 1 of the best deject storage services available? Is at that place something you think the service could do to improve? Let united states know in the comments below. Thanks for reading.
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Source: https://www.cloudwards.net/review/pcloud/
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