Comparing Google Photos, Amazon Photos, and local storage as cheaper alternatives to iCloud for storing your photo library.

Cloud storage comparison

If you've looked at your iCloud storage bill recently and wondered whether you're overpaying, you probably are. iCloud is convenient, but it's not cheap — and there are alternatives that cost less, offer more storage, or both.

Here's an honest comparison of the main options in 2026.

What iCloud Actually Costs

Apple charges for iCloud storage on a monthly basis:

Plan	Monthly	Annual
5GB	Free	Free
50GB	A$1.49	A$17.88
200GB	A$4.49	A$53.88
2TB	A$14.99	A$179.88

For most people who've been taking iPhone photos for more than a few years, 200GB or 2TB is what they're actually using — and that's where the cost adds up.

Alternative 1: Google Photos

Google Photos interface

Google Photos is the most direct competitor to iCloud Photos. It works on iPhone, Android, Mac, PC, and any browser.

Storage costs:

Plan	Monthly
15GB	Free
100GB	A$2.49
200GB	A$3.99
2TB	A$12.99

For 200GB, Google is cheaper: A$3.99 vs A$4.49. For 2TB, the saving is larger: A$12.99 vs A$14.99 per month — about A$24/year.

What Google Photos does well:

Search is exceptional — find photos by what's in them ("beach 2019", "birthday cake", "my dog")
Shared libraries work well for families
Available on every platform, not just Apple
Google Lens integration for identifying objects in photos

What it doesn't do as well as iCloud:

Integration with Apple devices is less seamless — no lock screen widgets pulling from Google Photos, no Apple Watch integration
HEIC files are supported but conversion can sometimes happen
No equivalent of iCloud's "Memories" that integrates with Apple's AI features

Best for: People who use both iPhone and Android, or who want to leave Apple's ecosystem eventually.

Alternative 2: Amazon Photos

Amazon Prime subscribers get unlimited photo storage (not video) as part of their Prime membership.

Storage costs:

Unlimited photos + 5GB video: Included with Prime (A$9.99/month or A$79/year)
Additional storage: A$2.99/month for 100GB

What Amazon Photos does well:

Unlimited photo storage if you already pay for Prime
Facial recognition and automatic organisation
Desktop app for Mac

What it doesn't do as well:

Video storage is limited to 5GB unless you pay extra
The app and web interface aren't as polished as Google Photos or iCloud
Search is less sophisticated than Google Photos

Best for: Amazon Prime subscribers who primarily take photos (not videos) and want a free storage option.

Alternative 3: External SSD

A one-time purchase of an external SSD gives you permanent local storage with no ongoing fees.

Typical costs:

1TB SSD: A$80–120
2TB SSD: A$150–200
4TB SSD: A$250–350

At iCloud 200GB pricing (A$53.88/year), a 2TB SSD pays for itself in under 3 years. At 2TB iCloud pricing (A$179.88/year), it pays for itself in about a year.

What external SSD does well:

No ongoing fees
Your data isn't dependent on a company's servers
Fast local access — no download wait times
Works offline

What it doesn't do as well:

Not accessible from anywhere — you need the physical drive
No search by content
You have to manage backups yourself (if the drive fails, data is gone)
Not practical for accessing photos on your phone

Best for: People who want a permanent archive backup and don't need cloud access.

The Hybrid Approach

External drive next to laptop

Many people find the best solution is a combination:

Keep the last 2–3 years in iCloud for seamless iPhone integration and easy access to recent photos
Archive everything older to Google Photos for searchable cloud access, and to an external drive for a physical backup

This lets you downgrade your iCloud plan significantly. If you've been paying for 2TB but move 5+ years of photos out, you might find 50GB is enough for your recent camera roll — dropping from A$179.88/year to A$17.88/year.

Migrate Moments for Mac is built exactly for this workflow. It exports photos older than a date you choose, sending them to Google Photos and/or your external drive, and after verifying the transfer, lets you safely delete them from iCloud.

Which Should You Choose?

Staying in Apple ecosystem: Stay with iCloud, but archive old photos to Google Photos or external SSD to reduce the storage tier you need
Switching to Android: Move everything to Google Photos now
Want no ongoing fees: External SSD for archive, small iCloud plan for recent photos
Already have Amazon Prime: Amazon Photos for photos, external SSD for videos

The least efficient option is doing nothing — paying for maximum iCloud storage when a small amount of organisation could cut your bill significantly.

Download Migrate Moments for Mac →

iCloud Photos Is Too Expensive: The Best Alternatives in 2026