I quit cloud storage, and I’ve never felt more free

For years, I thought cloud storage was digital freedom. I turned on auto-sync and all of my files became available no matter where I was, my phone had more free space, and my precious photos and videos felt safe “up there”. It was so effortless and convenient, almost magical.

But the illusion cracked once I actually started using those files. My memories, my work, my life’s archive were all rented out to a service that could vanish, lock me out or raise prices at any time. There had to be a better solution.

The illusion of convenience

Cloud storage services are designed to make you forget that you’re dependent on them. They are just cheap enough so that you don’t feel weighed down, and they appear to solve a common modern problem — storage.

However, you start seeing cracks the moment you start actually using the stored files.

Over the past year, I’ve been shooting more photos and videos with my phone than ever. I own a mirrorless camera and an action camera, but my phone is what’s always on me, so it is the “weapon” I reach for most often.

And, like so many others, I tend to overshoot. My fix is simple: create a single home-video after every trip, and delete everything else. Problem is that by the time I get around to doing it, my phone’s already offloaded everything I’ve shot onto the cloud. Now, I have to download each file before I can even start editing.

Editing on my laptop isn’t any better. I’ve spent hours transferring footage — last time it took me two hours.

Even something as simple as showing a friend an old video turns into an awkward moment…

The myth of “access anywhere”

When Apple and Google brag about accessing your files “anywhere,” they never mention what “anywhere” really means — as long as you have signal, good upload speed, enough battery, and infinite patience.

Try uploading 50GB of 4K video from a hotel Wi-Fi connection. You’ll be waiting long enough to notice new wrinkles (or maybe it is the frustration that did that?). Even at home, those same files can take hours to transfer. Meanwhile, transferring them to a portable SSD over USB-C takes less than a minute.

Cloud storage might sound great, but the illusion only lasts until you bump into the syncing and transferring. We gave up ownership for a little wireless magic trick that’s actually worse at the basics.

Paying rent on your own memories

Let’s talk about the scam part. iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive — take your pick — all share a similar game plan. They hook you with a few free gigabytes, but then hit you with the inevitable “You’re almost out of storage.”

The fix? Just a few extra dollars a month. At first, you might pay for the lowest tier, which costs only $0.99/month for 50GB. If you are like me, you realize that’s not enough, and go for the 200GB and pay $2.99/month — pocket change, really. But once you reach 2TB, you are paying $9.99/month, so you end up shelling out over $100 a year just access your memories.

The problem isn’t just the price, it’s the principle Stop paying, and you’re evicted. Your data and your memories now belong to a subscription plan, and if you cut the cord, you lose your access to them.

Here’s some raw math

Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield (2TB, USB 3.2 Gen 2):

• Price: $249.99 one-time purchase (often discounted)
• Storage: 2TB (2,000 GB)
• Cost per GB: $0.12
• Lifespan: Easily 5+ years with normal use

iCloud+ / Google One (2TB plan):

• Price: $9.99 per month ($119.88 per year)
• 5 years of use: $599.40 total
• Cost per GB (after 5 years): $599.40 ÷ 2,000 = $0.30 per GB — and you still don’t own it.

So after just 2 years, the SSD already pays for itself. By year five, you’ve spent over twice as much on cloud storage — and if you stop paying, you lose access to your files.

Dependency disguised as progress

Tech is supposed to make our lives easier. In the case of cloud storage, it’s meant to get rid of the cables and the clutter, while making information instantly accessible from anywhere.

What the companies don’t tell you, however, is that every file you save is another piece of leverage they can monetize through storage plans, locking you in their ecosystem, and, now, “AI-powered” features that are mostly gimmicks.

It’s a brilliant trap, really. We thought we were freeing ourselves from physical limits, but all we only traded one dependency for another.

My breakup with the cloud (kind of)

I haven’t gone fully off-grid. I still use iCloud for contacts, notes, and passwords. But everything else — especially the large files I actually use, stay on physical drives.

I bought a small SSD that’s faster than any upload and download speed my Internet can offer. I paid for it once and never have to pay for it again. In fact, it’s already paid for itself, as I would have spent a lot more per gigabyte for the time I’ve used it. I offload my footage after trips, make a second copy for backup, and that’s it. My memories are mine again, and I’ve essentially eliminated all the downsides that come with cloud storage.

The cloud may be convenient, but it’s also fragile, expensive, and built on the illusion of freedom. I haven’t regretted making this transition, and I don’t think I will ever go back.

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