--- source_url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCloud?utm_source=openai" title: pCloud - Wikipedia mirrored_at: 2026-08-27T03:33:06.035Z host: en.wikipedia.org cited_in_42a: true mirror_canonical: "https://index.42a.ai/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCloud__q__utm_source_openai" --- > **Original source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCloud?utm_source=openai From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia pCloud International AG Founded 2013; 13 years ago Founders Tunio Zafer and Anton Titov Headquarters [Baar, Switzerland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baar,_Switzerland "Baar, Switzerland") , Switzerland Area served Worldwide Services [File-hosting service](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File-hosting_service "File-hosting service") Website [www.pcloud.com](https://www.pcloud.com/) **pCloud** is a Swiss-based[\[1\]](#cite_note-steiger-1) [cloud storage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_storage "Cloud storage") provider founded in 2013. It offers [encrypted](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encryption "Encryption") file storage, lifetime and subscription payment options, and support across multiple operating systems. pCloud operates from two data centers, located in the [United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States "United States") ([Texas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas "Texas")) and [Luxembourg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxembourg "Luxembourg"). pCloud was founded in Switzerland by Tunio Zafer and Anton Titov in 2013. While it operates out of [Sofia, Bulgaria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofia,_Bulgaria "Sofia, Bulgaria"), the legal entity pCloud AG is based in [Baar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baar,_Switzerland "Baar, Switzerland").[\[1\]](#cite_note-steiger-1)[\[2\]](#cite_note-2) By 2019, it had more than 9 million users.[\[3\]](#cite_note-3) In 2025, it counted over 22 million users.[\[4\]](#cite_note-:0-4) pCloud is compatible with [Windows](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Windows "Microsoft Windows"), [macOS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacOS "MacOS"), [Linux](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux "Linux") (via [AppImage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AppImage "AppImage")), [Android](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_\(operating_system\) "Android (operating system)"), and [iOS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS "IOS"). A web-based interface and [browser extensions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browser_extension "Browser extension") are also available.[\[5\]](#cite_note-:2-5) pCloud uses [TLS/SSL](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Layer_Security "Transport Layer Security") [encryption](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encryption "Encryption") for data in transit. Files are protected with server-side 256-bit AES encryption. It supports file versioning, enabling access to previous versions of stored files. The platform specializes in providing offline access, allowing users to retrieve and manage their files without an active internet connection. pCloud imposes no file-size restrictions on uploads.[\[5\]](#cite_note-:2-5) A distinctive feature of pCloud is the creation of a [virtual drive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_disk_and_virtual_drive "Virtual disk and virtual drive") on a user's device, typically assigned the drive letter "P:" on Windows systems. This virtual drive mirrors the user's cloud account and enables [file synchronization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_synchronization "File synchronization") without consuming local storage space.[\[6\]](#cite_note-:03-6)[\[7\]](#cite_note-7) The service supports integration with social media platforms such as [Facebook](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook "Facebook") and [Instagram](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram "Instagram"), allowing users to back up media directly. It also supports migration from other cloud services, including [OneDrive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OneDrive "OneDrive"), [Dropbox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dropbox "Dropbox"), and [Google Drive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Drive "Google Drive").[\[5\]](#cite_note-:2-5) pCloud includes built-in multimedia players, such as an [audio player](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_player_software "Media player software") capable of organizing music by artist, album, or folder, and a video player supporting playback speed adjustments and file format conversions.[\[8\]](#cite_note-8) pCloud provides 10 GB of free storage to users, with options for additional storage through paid plans.[\[5\]](#cite_note-:2-5) It offers both [subscription](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subscription_business_model "Subscription business model") and lifetime payment models.[\[6\]](#cite_note-:03-6) As of April 2025, the Premium plan was available for a one-time payment of $199 for lifetime access or $50 per year. The Premium Plus plan (2TB) cost $399 for a lifetime subscription or $100 annually. Additional options include business accounts.[\[9\]](#cite_note-9) pCloud holds [ISO 9001:2008](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_9000_family "ISO 9000 family") certification for Quality Management Systems and [ISO 27001:2013](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO/IEC_27001 "ISO/IEC 27001") certification for Information Security Management Systems.[\[10\]](#cite_note-10) It is certified for [GDPR](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation "General Data Protection Regulation") compliance and holds SSAE 18 SOC 2 Type II and SSAE 16 SOC 2 Type II compliance certifications. pCloud uses user authentication and two-step verification for account security.[\[11\]](#cite_note-11) [Zero-knowledge encryption](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-knowledge_encryption "Zero-knowledge encryption"), where files placed in a Crypto folder remain inaccessible even to pCloud, is an optional paid add-on.[\[6\]](#cite_note-:03-6) In October 2024, researchers from [ETH Zürich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETH_Zurich "ETH Zurich") reported multiple attacks on the optional encryption, breaking the confidentiality of files, injecting new files, and tampering with file names and file locations. pCloud did not respond to the [coordinated disclosure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_vulnerability_disclosure "Coordinated vulnerability disclosure") of the researchers (as of October 2024), despite being contacted in April 2024. [\[4\]](#cite_note-:0-4)[\[12\]](#cite_note-12) In a 2019 review for _[PCMag](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCMag "PCMag")_, Michael Muchmore rated pCloud 3.5 out of 5 stars, calling it a "very reasonable service" with competitive pricing, wide device support, and a secure local encryption option. He noted, however, that it lacked the deep OS integration and feature richness of competitors like [Google Drive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Drive "Google Drive") and [OneDrive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OneDrive "OneDrive").[\[13\]](#cite_note-13) _[TechRadar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TechRadar "TechRadar")_ rated pCloud a 4 out of 5 stars, praising its value, multimedia handling, and secure features, though noting a dated interface and lack of integrated document editing.[\[14\]](#cite_note-14) _[ZDNet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZDNET "ZDNET")_ has highlighted pCloud's strong security features, cross-platform compatibility, and adherence to Swiss data privacy laws, describing its lifetime plan as a notable offering. However, it has cautioned that the service may be costly unless users are confident in pCloud's long-term support.[\[15\]](#cite_note-15) - [Remote backup service](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_backup_service "Remote backup service") - [Comparison of file hosting services](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_file_hosting_services "Comparison of file hosting services") - [Comparison of online backup services](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_online_backup_services "Comparison of online backup services") - [List of online backup services](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_online_backup_services "List of online backup services") 1. [1](#cite_ref-steiger_1-0) [2](#cite_ref-steiger_1-1) Dimitrov, Dobrin (2026-01-27). ["About us?"](https://www.pcloud.com/company/about.html/). _cloudgratuit.fr_. Retrieved 2026-01-21. 2. [↑](#cite_ref-2) ["UID-Register@FSO - pCloud AG"](https://www.uid.admin.ch/Detail.aspx?uid_id=CHE291350765). _www.uid.admin.ch_. Retrieved 2026-01-21. 3. [↑](#cite_ref-3) Dillet, Romain (2019-04-16). ["Dropbox challenger pCloud just became profitable"](https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/16/dropbox-challenger-pcloud-just-became-profitable/). _TechCrunch_. Retrieved 2025-05-06. 4. [1](#cite_ref-:0_4-0) [2](#cite_ref-:0_4-1) Hofmann, Jonas; Truong, Kien Tuong (2024-12-09). ["End-to-End Encrypted Cloud Storage in the Wild: A Broken Ecosystem"](https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3658644.3690309). _Proceedings of the 2024 on ACM SIGSAC Conference on Computer and Communications Security_. CCS '24. New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery. pp. 3988–4001\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_\(identifier\) "Doi (identifier)"):[10.1145/3658644.3690309](https://doi.org/10.1145%2F3658644.3690309). [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [979-8-4007-0636-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/979-8-4007-0636-3 "Special:BookSources/979-8-4007-0636-3"). 5. [1](#cite_ref-:2_5-0) [2](#cite_ref-:2_5-1) [3](#cite_ref-:2_5-2) [4](#cite_ref-:2_5-3) Ahmed, Abdulghani Ali; Farhan, Khalid; Ninggal, Mohd Izuan Hafez; Alselwi, Ghadir (2024-12-27). ["Retrieving and Identifying Remnants of Artefacts on Local Devices Using Sync.com Cloud"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11722756). _Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)_. **25** (1): 106. [Bibcode](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibcode_\(identifier\) "Bibcode (identifier)"):[2024Senso..25..106A](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024Senso..25..106A). [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_\(identifier\) "Doi (identifier)"):[10.3390/s25010106](https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fs25010106). [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_\(identifier\) "ISSN (identifier)") [1424-8220](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1424-8220). [PMC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMC_\(identifier\) "PMC (identifier)") [11722756](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11722756). [PMID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMID_\(identifier\) "PMID (identifier)") [39796896](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39796896). 6. [1](#cite_ref-:03_6-0) [2](#cite_ref-:03_6-1) [3](#cite_ref-:03_6-2) Wolfe, Bryan M. (2025-04-06). ["One week with pCloud: 5 things I learned about this secure Google Drive alternative"](https://www.techradar.com/pro/one-week-with-pcloud-5-things-i-learned-about-this-secure-google-drive-alternative). _TechRadar_. Retrieved 2025-05-05. 7. [↑](#cite_ref-7) Gamnis, Steven; VanderLinden, Matthew; Mailewa, Akalanka (2022-05-07). ["Analyzing Data Encryption Efficiencies for Secure Cloud Storages: A Case Study of Pcloud vs OneDrive vs Dropbox"](http://journals.sjp.ac.lk/index.php/ait/article/view/5526). _Advances in Technology_. **2** (1): 79–98\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_\(identifier\) "Doi (identifier)"):[10.31357/ait.v2i1.5526](https://doi.org/10.31357%2Fait.v2i1.5526). [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_\(identifier\) "ISSN (identifier)") [2773-7098](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/2773-7098). 8. [↑](#cite_ref-8) ["Automation of Data Management Processes in Cloud Storage"](https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3654/short8.pdf) (PDF). _CEUR Workshop Proceedings_. 9. [↑](#cite_ref-9) ["Best Cloud Storage Options for All Your Data in 2025"](https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-cloud-storage-software-options/). _CNET_. 2025-04-16. Retrieved 2025-05-06. 10. [↑](#cite_ref-10) Dargahi, Tooska; Dehghantanha, Ali; Conti, Mauro (2017). ["Investigating Storage as a Service Cloud Platform: pCloud as a Case Study"](https://arxiv.org/abs/1709.04417). _Contemporary Digital Forensic Investigations of Cloud and Mobile Applications_. [arXiv](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArXiv_\(identifier\) "ArXiv (identifier)"):[1709.04417](https://arxiv.org/abs/1709.04417). [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_\(identifier\) "Doi (identifier)"):[10.1016/B978-0-12-805303-4.00012-5](https://doi.org/10.1016%2FB978-0-12-805303-4.00012-5). 11. [↑](#cite_ref-11) Mollakuqe, Elissa; Hamdiu, Ersan; Fishekqiu, Nida Santuri; Jakupi, Samir; Qarkaxhija, Jusuf (June 28, 2024). ["Comparison of cloud storage in terms of privacy and personal data - Sync, pCloud, IceDrive and Egnyte"](https://open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/articles/4-128). _Open Research Europe_. **4**: 128. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_\(identifier\) "Doi (identifier)"):[10.12688/openreseurope.16631.1](https://doi.org/10.12688%2Fopenreseurope.16631.1). Retrieved 2025-05-06. 12. [↑](#cite_ref-12) ["End-to-End Encrypted Cloud Storage in the Wild: A Broken Ecosystem"](https://brokencloudstorage.info/). _brokencloudstorage.info_. Retrieved 2026-04-08. 13. [↑](#cite_ref-13) Muchmore, Michael (2019-10-02). ["pCloud Review"](https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/pcloud). _[PCMag](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCMag "PCMag")_. Retrieved 2025-05-06. 14. [↑](#cite_ref-14) Hale, Craig (2020-03-26). ["pCloud cloud storage review"](https://www.techradar.com/reviews/pcloud). _TechRadar_. Retrieved 2025-05-06. 15. [↑](#cite_ref-15) ["The best cloud storage services of 2025: Expert tested"](https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-cloud-storage/). _ZDNET_. Retrieved 2025-05-06. - [Official website](https://www.pcloud.com/)