FolderFort 2TB Plan Is Cheaper Than iCloud+ for a Year

That’s why FolderFort is touting an unusual play in cloud-storage economics, a 2TB “lifetime” plan that costs only $119.99 — undercutting what most American users pay for a single year of Apple’s iCloud+ once you factor the taxman into the cost. The hook is simple: Pay once, get decades of storage, and eliminate the drumbeat of monthly billing.

Apple’s 2TB iCloud+ tier is priced at $9.99 per month, or $119.88 plus tax per year for 12 months. The sum usually ends up being over $120 in the majority of U.S. locations where digital services are taxed, placing FolderFort’s current price point beneath a year’s worth of iCloud+ for most purchasers — and vastly cheaper thereafter due to it being a one-time asking charge.

How the Math Works on iCloud+ Versus FolderFort Pricing

2TB iCloud+ costs $9.99 per month, or $119.88 per year before taxes. Then you need to account for the common state and local taxes on digital services — generally an additional 6% to 10% — and in the first year cost hits at $127 to $132. Over two years, most people will pay about $254 to $264, and over three years cost would be around $381 to $396 without any price changes.

FolderFort, by contrast, is a one-time purchase for 2TB that currently costs $119.99. Even factoring out taxes, the break-even point versus iCloud+ is effectively a year in; from there on, the cost delta accelerates toward FolderFort. Apple also sells 6TB and 12TB tiers of iCloud+, yet for most mainstream users, this is the plan to measure against.

What FolderFort Offers in Its 2TB Lifetime Storage Plan

FolderFort pitches itself as a safe, cross-platform cloud drive with familiar sharing and organization options. The company boasts unlimited workspaces and permission-based sharing for family, friends, or colleagues, and access on phones, tablets, and desktops. Vendor materials indicate that data at rest and in transit are encrypted, and storage is backed by Backblaze infrastructure systems — a popular cloud provider used for durable object storage.

The practical upside is flexibility: you can make shared folders for a family photo archive, work on documents together, or park big video projects without committing to monthly payments. As with any cloud service, actual upload and download speeds in the real world will depend on your ISP and proximity to the provider’s data centers.

Real-World Storage Needs Are Growing with High-Res Photos and Video

Even if modern phones have made “2TB” seem less theoretical, Apple’s new iPhones take 48MP photos and high-bitrate video; Apple itself acknowledges in its support docs ProRes 4K at 30 frames per second can eat up around 6GB per minute. And even regular 4K footage shot with efficient codecs gobbles it up too, especially on things like vacation travelogues, soccer games, or long-form projects.

Industry analysts at IDC have been warning of a data deluge from consumers for some time now, referring to record levels in consumer-generated media, with the Global DataSphere work emphasizing continued growth in devices such as digital cameras and camcorders that create photos or videos. That trend makes more crucial not just offloading in the short term but long-term storage planning for households and creators.

Trade-Offs Versus iCloud+ for Apple-Focused Users

iCloud+ is tightly integrated into Apple’s ecosystem. It handles automatic iPhone and iPad backups, offering integration with the Photos app and Shared Libraries, as well as privacy extras such as Private Relay and Hide My Email, custom email domain support, and HomeKit Secure Video. For those users who live solely in Apple’s universe, that integration can be hard to top.

That’s not the pitch from FolderFort: platform-agnostic storage with straightforward sharing and a one-time payment. If you switch between Windows, Android, and iOS, or need a separate workspace to collaborate outside Apple’s walled garden, the value proposition is clear. Keep in mind that FolderFort is a storage service first and isn’t intended to copy Apple’s wider portfolio of services.

The Fine Print on So-Called Lifetime Cloud Storage Deals

“Lifetime” deals for the cloud last only as long as their provider. Terms of service, fair-use policies, or infrastructure costs can evolve, and buyers should consider what happens if a service is discontinued. Consumer advocates recommend a close reading of service terms anytime consumers are asked to purchase digital goods, and to understand data portability and refund policies, as confirmed by Consumer Reports and even the Federal Trade Commission.

As always, no cloud plan — lifetime or monthly — should be considered a single layer of any backup strategy.

Cybersecurity experts, including many at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, point to a guideline known as “the 3-2-1 rule,” which advises having three copies of your data on two different media with one off-site. Test restores at regular intervals to verify your files are there for you when disaster strikes.

Bottom Line: Choosing Between Long-Term Savings and Integration

If you’d like 2TB of cloud storage that doesn’t have a subscription fee, FolderFort’s $119.99 price is compelling — less expensive than a year’s worth of iCloud+ for most customers after taxes, and substantially cheaper over time. Cross-platform users and frugal families will be the biggest beneficiaries.

But if you depend on the perks of Apple’s ecosystem — automatic device backups, Shared Libraries in Photos, Private Relay, HomeKit Secure Video — iCloud+ is still the frictionless choice. Choose based on what mix you value most: long-term savings and flexibility, or deep integration and packaged privacy features.