pCloud
pCloud is a Swiss-headquartered cloud storage and file synchronization provider offering lifetime and subscription plans, zero-knowledge encryption, and cross-platform clients to 22M+ consumers, families, SMBs, and academic institutions across 130+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersBaar, Switzerland
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What pCloud does
pCloud is a Swiss-headquartered cloud storage and file synchronization provider operated by pCloud International AG, a privately held corporation registered in Baar, Zug, since its founding in 2013/2014. Its platform delivers secure file storage, sharing, synchronization, and backup across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android clients, with user data held in two redundant data center regions (United States and European Union) at a publicly stated 99.98% uptime SLA. The technology stack centers on client-side AES-256 zero-knowledge encryption, a virtual desktop drive (pCloud Drive), two-way folder synchronization (pCloud Sync), automatic mobile photo/video backup, and a public API supporting HTTP/JSON and Binary protocols with OAuth 2.0 and SDKs in C, Java, JavaScript, PHP, and Swift.
The business model is product-led and freemium, monetized primarily through one-time "lifetime" plans (500GB to 10TB+ priced $199 to $1,099 per user) alongside annual subscriptions, family plans (up to 5 users), business plans, and an encryption add-on. Distribution is largely self-serve via pcloud.com and app stores, augmented by an affiliate program, a reseller program, and an exclusive distribution partnership with Tokyo-based Yusako Co., Ltd. for the Japanese academic and research market, plus active promotional expansion into Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. pCloud reports 22M+ users across 130+ countries and 989B+ files uploaded, and has scaled to 51–100 employees on a single disclosed $3M funding round from 2015, consistent with a largely bootstrapped operating model. The product portfolio has been extended beyond core storage into adjacent utilities including pCloud Pass (password manager), pCloud Transfer (large file transfer), and pCloud Save (bookmark saver).
pCloud firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- pCloud
- Legal name
- pCloud International AG
- Website
- https://pcloud.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- pCloud is a Swiss-headquartered cloud storage and file synchronization provider offering lifetime and subscription plans, zero-knowledge encryption, and cross-platform clients to 22M+ consumers, families, SMBs, and academic institutions across 130+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
pCloud industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cloud Storage
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cloud Storage Core Services (Object/Block/File Storage as a Service) (HDABAAAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- File Storage, Sync & Sharing (BPAMAMAE)
Keywords
Where pCloud is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Baar
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
pCloud business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Lifetime Plans (One-time Payment): One-time payment for lifetime access to storage plans, offering significant long-term value compared to subscription models. Plans range from 500GB to 10TB+ with lifetime access.
- Annual Subscriptions: Yearly subscription plans providing recurring revenue with annual billing cadence.
- Family Plans: Multi-user plans covering up to 5 family members with individual accounts and shared storage, available as lifetime or subscription options.
- Business Plans: Enterprise-focused storage plans with additional features for business users, teams, and organizations.
- Encryption Add-on: pCloud Encryption (zero-knowledge encryption) offered as an add-on, sometimes bundled free with lifetime plans during promotions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 500GB Lifetime Plan |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 1TB Lifetime Plan |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 2TB Lifetime Plan |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 2TB Family Lifetime Plan |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 5TB Lifetime Plan |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 10TB Lifetime Plan |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 10TB Family Lifetime Plan |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 3-in-1 Ultimate Bundle |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Academic/Research Plans (Japan) |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Plan |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
pCloud product offering
Product offeringCore offering
pCloud provides cloud-based file storage and synchronization through a virtual drive, web interface and mobile apps, allowing individuals and teams to store, share and access files across devices. It monetizes primarily via tiered subscriptions (monthly, annual and one-time lifetime plans) and sells add-ons such as pCloud Encryption for client-side encrypted folders, pCloud Pass for password management, and pCloud Transfer for large file sharing.
Product overview
pCloud is a Swiss-based cloud storage service offering a comprehensive suite of products centered around secure file storage and synchronization. The core offering is pCloud cloud storage with lifetime and subscription pricing models. The product portfolio includes pCloud Encryption (zero-knowledge client-side encryption add-on), pCloud Pass (password manager), pCloud Transfer (file sharing tool), and pCloud Drive (virtual desktop application). The platform is accessible across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android with a public API supporting HTTP/JSON and Binary protocols. Data can be stored in European or US data centers, with services emphasizing Swiss privacy standards and lifetime payment options as key differentiators.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- pCloud Pass: Password management service
- pCloud Drive
- pCloud Transfer
- pCloud Save
- pCloud for Devs
Products and services
- pCloud (Cloud Storage / pCloud Drive) Cross-platform cloud storage service with virtual drive integration, file sync, sharing and backup. Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and Web. Targeted at individuals and teams who need centralized personal or collaborative file storage with broad device coverage.
- pCloud Encryption (Crypto) Add-on product providing client-side, zero-knowledge encryption for files stored in a dedicated Crypto folder, so pCloud itself cannot access the contents. Targeted at privacy-conscious individual and business users who need encrypted cloud storage.
- pCloud Pass Password manager application that stores credentials, payment details and notes in an encrypted vault, accessible across devices. Targeted at consumers and small businesses wanting a single-vendor solution for storage plus password management.
- pCloud Transfer Web-based service for sending and receiving large files via secure links, without requiring the recipient to have a pCloud account. Targeted at individuals and businesses that need to share files larger than typical email attachment limits.
Quantifiable outcome
- Fastest cloud storage provider in 2026 speed tests
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use pCloud
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
pCloud technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
pCloud partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Yusako Co., Ltd.coreTokyo-based academic information services provider acting as exclusive distributor for pCloud in Japan, targeting university faculty, researchers, and corporate R&D departments. Offers 5TB to 17TB capacity packages priced between 99,000 and 294,000 yen, purchasable with research funds. Represents pCloud's strategic expansion into Japanese academic market.
- Payment ProcessorsminorThird-party payment providers facilitating transactions on the pCloud platform, collecting information such as IP address, country, email, postal code, name, and last four digits of card for payment processing.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
pCloud competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dropbox: Dropbox is the category-leading cloud storage and file sync platform for consumers and SMBs, offering the same core file storage, sync, sharing, and collaboration functionality that pCloud targets directly. Multiple G2 reviews explicitly cite pCloud as a 'better alternative to Dropbox'.
- MEGA: MEGA is a New Zealand-based end-to-end encrypted cloud storage and file sharing service offering generous free tiers and paid plans. It competes with pCloud in privacy-focused cloud storage and was benchmarked alongside pCloud in the same Gizmodo 2026 speed comparison.
- Internxt: Internxt is a privacy-focused decentralized cloud storage service competing head-to-head with pCloud on zero-knowledge encryption, European jurisdiction, and consumer pricing. The two were directly compared in Gizmodo's 2026 speed review with Internxt positioned as a direct rival.
- Sync.com: Sync.com is a Canada-based zero-knowledge encrypted cloud storage service targeting privacy-conscious consumers and businesses, directly overlapping with pCloud's encryption and Swiss-privacy positioning. Both compete in the secure-storage niche and were compared head-to-head in Gizmodo's 2026 speed rankings.
- Icedrive: Icedrive is a UK-based cloud storage service offering lifetime plans and zero-knowledge encryption, directly mirroring pCloud's core differentiation (lifetime pricing + private encryption) and competing for the same cost-conscious, privacy-aware consumer segment.
Broad incumbents
- Microsoft OneDrive: OneDrive is Microsoft's bundled cloud storage service within Microsoft 365, distributed to a billion+ Office users. It serves as the canonical bundling-style incumbent against which pCloud's standalone proposition must differentiate.
- Box: Box is a large established enterprise content management and cloud storage platform. While primarily business-focused, it overlaps with pCloud's Business plans and serves as the upper bound of where pCloud's business-tier roadmap could extend.
- Google Drive: Google Drive is bundled with Google Workspace and offers free consumer storage deeply integrated with Google's productivity ecosystem. It defines the hyperscaler competitive floor against which pCloud positions itself on privacy, lifetime pricing, and speed.
Emerging players
- NordLocker: NordLocker is part of the Nord Security ecosystem offering encrypted cloud storage, leveraging the broader NordVPN brand. It competes in the same privacy-cloud-storage benchmark set as pCloud (per Gizmodo 2026 speed tests) and targets overlapping consumer segments.
- Tresorit: Tresorit is a Swiss-Hungarian end-to-end encrypted cloud storage service with strong enterprise positioning. It overlaps directly with pCloud on Swiss jurisdiction and zero-knowledge encryption, particularly for privacy-conscious business customers in Europe.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
pCloud social profiles
Digital presencepCloud compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
pCloud financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
pCloud leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
pCloud funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
pCloud M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about pCloud
What does pCloud do?
pCloud provides cloud-based file storage and synchronization through a virtual drive, web interface and mobile apps, allowing individuals and teams to store, share and access files across devices. It monetizes primarily via tiered subscriptions (monthly, annual and one-time lifetime plans) and sells add-ons such as pCloud Encryption for client-side encrypted folders, pCloud Pass for password management, and pCloud Transfer for large file sharing.
Is pCloud a public or private company?
pCloud is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was pCloud founded?
pCloud was founded in 2014. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is pCloud based?
pCloud is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does pCloud make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Lifetime Plans (One-time Payment) is the primary driver. The others are annual Subscriptions, family Plans, business Plans and encryption Add-on.
Who are pCloud's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dropbox, MEGA, Internxt, Sync.com and Icedrive. Broad incumbents are Microsoft OneDrive, Box and Google Drive. Emerging players are NordLocker and Tresorit.
Does pCloud have an API?
Yes. pCloud provides a public API accessible via two protocols: HTTP/JSON protocol (useful for most web and mobile applications) and Binary protocol (for performance-critical applications). The API is available at api.pcloud.com for United States users and eapi.pcloud.com for European users. pCloud supports OAuth 2.0 authentication for all API requests, with access tokens that do not expire. The API provides methods for file operations (upload, download, copy, delete, rename), folder management, user authentication, streaming media links, archiving (ZIP operations), public links, thumbnails, upload links, sharing/collaboration, collections (playlists/galleries), trash management, revisions, newsletter management, and OAuth 2.0 authorization. No rate limits, sandbox, or versioning information is specified in the documentation. Developer documentation is at docs.pcloud.com.
What industry is pCloud in?
pCloud's product category is Cloud Storage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDABAAAK, Cloud Storage Core Services (Object/Block/File Storage as a Service), with a secondary code of BPAMAMAE, File Storage, Sync & Sharing. Its NAICS code is 518 and its SIC code is 7372.