Backing up your data is important for any iPhone user. This can be done using iTunes and iCloud. iTunes handles the local backups, and iCloud handles the cloud backups. However, not everyone wants to use iCloud, due to concerns about the privacy of data stored on Apple’s servers. It can also be easier to use the same service to back up iOS devices that you use to back up desktop computers, and iCloud doesn’t support Linux or Android.

I looked at 40 apps of different cloud storage and backup services. Here is a list of my favorite ones, which can back up your iPhone to the cloud.

Google Drive

Google’s iPhone app is quite powerful. Its “Auto Backup” setting lets you upload files automatically as they are taken. You can also upload at a reduced quality setting, so they take up less space in your account. Uploads can be done over WiFi only, or WiFi and cellular – with separate settings for photos and videos.

Space: 15 GB free, 100 GB for $1.99/month

What it backs up: Photos and videos

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

Dropbox

Although Dropbox’s Carousel app is gone, you can still back up photos and videos taken on your iPhone to this popular cloud service. Dropbox has an option to not use cellular data, and it will not upload videos using the data plan. There’s also a setting to enable background uploading.

Space: 2 GB free, 1 TB for $10/month

What it backs up: Photos and videos

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

OneDrive

Microsoft’s OneDrive app has options to use the mobile network, include videos, and upload in the background. Prices are a bit higher than Google Drive, but you can get 1 TB for free if you use Office 365.

Space: 5 GB free (15 GB plans being downgraded in Spring 2016), 50 GB for $1.99/month

What it backs up: Photos and videos

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

MEGA

MEGA is a cloud storage service located in New Zealand. It offers a whopping 50 GB of free cloud storage. It also uses client-side encryption for security. Be sure to safeguard your password, because if you lose it you won’t be able to access your data.

Space: 50 GB free, 200 GB for $4.99/month

What it backs up: Photos and videos

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

Box

Box lets you choose which folder in the cloud to back up your camera to. It also has a “Save to Library” option that saves a copy of new photos or videos you take from the Box app to your device’s media library – pretty neat. Although Box offers 5 GB for free, automatic uploads on the iPhone are only available for paid plans.

Space: 100 GB for $10/month

What it backs up: Photos and videos

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

MediaFire

MediaFire lets you access your files on the web, desktop, and mobile apps. With the iOS app, there is a “Background Upload” setting, which will periodically start the camera backup uploads when your location changes, even when the app is closed.

MediaFire also has a “Power Upload” feature that claims to upload files as quickly as possible. The only requirement is you need to have the app open when it’s enabled; it won’t run in the background.

Space: 10 GB free, 1 TB for $4.99/month

What it backs up: Photos and videos

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

Copy

Copy’s “PhotoCopy” feature will automatically back up photos and videos taken with your iPhone. It has options to upload using WiFi only, and while charging only.

Space: 15 GB free, 250 GB for $4.99/month

What it backs up: Photos and videos

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

hubiC

hubiC is a French cloud storage service that gives users 25 GB for free. It has a paid 100 GB plan for about a dollar a month. The app can back up your iPhone’s photos, videos, contacts, calendar, and even reminders. It even has a restore option, so you can recover data directly to your device. There is no Wi-Fi only setting, so you’ll want to be careful not to exceed your mobile data plan when roaming.

Space: 25 GB free, 100 GB for €1/month

What it backs up: Photos, videos, contacts, calendar, and reminders

Wi-Fi only setting: No

SugarSync

SugarSync can sync any folder on your hard drive. It can also back up your iPhone’s photos and videos, including in the background when the app isn’t running. However there is no free plan.

Space: 100 GB for $7.49/month

What it backs up: Photos and videos

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

IDrive

IDrive can back up your iPhone’s contacts, photos, videos, and calendar. It also saves separate versions when changes are made, so you can “go back in time” when doing restores. The IDrive app has an upload quality setting (for both photos and videos). Restoring data directly to the iPhone is supported within the app.

Space: 5 GB free, 1 TB for $59.50/year (~$5/month)

What it backs up: Photos, videos, contacts, and calendar

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

ASUS WebStorage

The ASUS WebStorage free plan includes backup for 1 PC, and file version history for 30 days. The iOS app can back up photos and videos, with an option to only use Wi-Fi. The app also has a collaboration folder, a collected share links folder, and an upload queue.

Space: 5 GB free, 100 GB for $22.99/year

What it backs up: Photos and videos

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

Pogoplug

Pogoplug is a cross-platform iCloud alternative that offers unlimited storage, automatic backups, and device migration. It can “Restore all your photos, videos and contacts onto your new phone with a few clicks.” The app can also create and restore on-demand snapshots of your phone (that is: photos, videos, and contacts).

Space: Unlimited for $4.99/month

What it backs up: Photos, videos, and contacts

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

pCloud

With pCloud, all captured photos and videos on your iPhone will be automatically backed up. You can get up to 20 GB of free space by inviting friends (1 GB per friend).

Space: 10 GB free, 500 GB for $3.99/month

What it backs up: Photos and videos

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

Livedrive

Livedrive is a UK-based cloud storage service. It offers backup and sync products, as well as a “Pro Suite” that combines both of them. It has an iOS app to access files from your iPhone or iPad, as well as to back up photos and videos. You can also stream your movies and music from the Livedrive app.

Space: 2 TB for $13/month

What it backs up: Photos and videos

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

Tresorit

Tresorit is one of the most secure cloud storage services out there, and their iOS app is no different. It uses the same end-to-end encryption as their desktop clients. It’s able to back up photos and videos. It gives users 3 GB for free to start with.

Space: 3 GB free, 100 GB for $12.50/month

What it backs up: Photos and videos

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

SurDoc

SurDoc offers an almost unbelievable 100 GB of free cloud storage with auto backup for photos, videos, and contacts. The iOS app can restore contacts to your phone, but not photos or videos.

Space: 100 GB free, Unlimited for $8.33/month

What it backs up: Photos, videos, and contacts

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

CloudMe

CloudMe is a European cloud service that has desktop and mobile apps. The iOS app has a camera upload feature. You can back up pictures, videos, or both. Plus it can recover previous versions of files with the “Recover Deleted” setting.

Space: 3 GB free, 100 GB for € 8 / month

What it backs up: Photos and videos

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

SOS Online Backup

SOS can back up your phone’s photos and videos, but it must be run manually. There’s no free storage, but it can back up an unlimited number of mobile devices (with unlimited storage space, to boot).

Space: Unlimited for $7.99/month

What it backs up: Photos and videos

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

ElephantDrive

ElephantDrive has backup and sync features all in one product. With the iOS app, you can back up contacts and photos, and set it to only use Wi-Fi. You can also access files, make them available offline, and share files via links.

Space: 2 GB free, 100 GB for $9.95/month

What it backs up: Contacts and photos

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

MiMedia

MiMedia can upload all your photos and videos as you take them, or you can choose which photos and videos to upload. You can view your photos, watch videos, and listen to music stored in your account.

Space: 10 GB free, 500 GB for $7.99/month

What it backs up: Photos and videos

Wi-Fi only setting: No

Acronis True Image Cloud

True Image for iOS can back up photos, videos, contacts, calendars, and reminders on your iPhone or iPad. In addition to a Wi-Fi only setting, it can bet set to only back up when charging. It includes an “Access and Recovery” area where you can restore data directly to your phone. The app also supports recovery of individual contacts and other files.

Space: Unlimited for $99/year (includes 1 computer + 3 mobile devices)

What it backs up: Contacts, photos, videos, calendars, and reminders

Wi-Fi only setting: Yes

Other Cloud Apps

These apps let you upload files from your iPhone, but they don’t do it automatically. For this reason they were excluded from the list above. If you don’t mind manually uploading files to the cloud, you can check them out.

• 4Sync
• ADrive
• Amazon Drive

These apps only let you view files backed up on PCs and Macs; they don’t let you upload files at all from your iPhone.

• Backblaze
• Carbonite
• CrashPlan
• Memopal
• OpenDrive
• SpiderOak
• Symform

They would be good for accessing files backed up from your desktop, but won’t do anything as far as protecting your iPhone’s data.