Cloud Storage comparison
pCloud vs Sync.com
Both sell per account at similar money — pCloud $49.99 a year for 500 GB, Sync $72 a year for 1 TB — but they differ on encryption. Sync encrypts end-to-end by default. pCloud's base plans are encrypted in transit and at rest with the provider holding the keys; client-side, zero-knowledge encryption is a separate layer whose price is not published on the page.
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pCloud
500 GB for $49.99 a year with a choice of European or US data region and an optional zero-knowledge layer.
7.4
Fair
Choose it for
- Data region is a customer choice between Europe and the USA
- Cheapest published annual price here at $49.99 for 500 GB
- Publishes an encryption challenge with a stated result
- 30 days of file restoration
7.3
Fair
Choose it for
- End-to-end encryption on every personal plan at no extra cost
- Twice the storage for the money (1 TB against 500 GB)
- 90-day file history rather than 30
- 30-day money-back guarantee against pCloud's 14
Our verdict
Choose Sync.com if you want encryption you do not have to buy or configure. Choose pCloud if choosing your data region (Europe or USA) matters and you are content with server-side encryption, or willing to price the Encryption add-on in the store.
Specifications
Side by Side
A trophy marks the product that is better on a criterion. Ties and non-comparable rows are left neutral.
| Criteria | pCloud Better on 1 of 5 | Sync.com Better on 4 of 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49.99/year | $3.50/month |
| Money-back guarantee | 14 days | 30 days |
| End-to-end encryption | ||
| Storage at the compared tier | 500 GB | 1,000 GB |
| Version history | 30 days | 90 days |
| Independently audited or certified | ||
| Data region stated | Europe or USA | — |
| Jurisdiction | Switzerland | Canada |
| Money-back window | 14 days | 30 days |
| Pricing unit | per account | per account |
| Platforms | — | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web |
| Our score | 7.4 · Fair | 7.3 · Fair |
| Best for | Swiss provider with a user-chosen data region | End-to-end encryption as the default, not an add-on |
pCloud: Strengths and Weaknesses
What we liked
- The data region is a customer choice between Europe and the USA, stated up front
- $49.99 a year for 500 GB is the cheapest published per-account annual price of the consumer plans here
- Client-side, zero-knowledge encryption is available as an explicit add-on
- A public encryption challenge with a published result is unusual transparency
What we did not
- Zero-knowledge encryption is not part of the base plans and its price is not published on the page
- Download-link traffic is capped, and the 10 TB plan still only carries 2 TB of it
- The 14-day refund window is the shortest here
- The security page names no certification or third-party audit of the service itself
Sync.com: Strengths and Weaknesses
What we liked
- End-to-end encryption applies to every personal plan rather than being sold as an add-on
- File history runs to 90 days on the 1 TB plan and 180 days on 5 TB
- Annual totals are printed alongside the monthly figure ($42, $72, $168)
- 30-day money-back guarantee
What we did not
- Neither the pricing page nor the privacy policy names the country where files are stored
- The word "zero-knowledge" is not used, only that the customer alone can decrypt content
- Sync can still see IP address and access-time metadata
- No free tier is advertised on the individual pricing page
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