Short answer: every Apple Account gets 5 GB free. iCloud+ adds 50 GB, 200 GB, 2 TB, 6 TB or 12 TB, billed monthly; in the US they cost $0.99, $2.99, $9.99, $29.99 and $59.99 a month (Apple's price list, September 2026; tax may apply). Every plan can be shared with up to five family members. Before upgrading, check what's using your space: old backups and duplicate photos are often enough to stay on a smaller plan.
Steps
- Open Settings › [your name] › iCloud and look at the bar: Photos, Backups, Messages, Drive, Mail.
- Tap Manage Account Storage to see the biggest items. Delete backups of devices you no longer use.
- Estimate what you really need: your iCloud Photos library size plus backups, plus room for a year of new photos.
- To change plan, tap Upgrade to iCloud+ or Change Storage Plan in the same place, or go to Settings › [your name] › Subscriptions › iCloud+.
- To share a plan, open Settings › Family (just below your name), tap Subscriptions › iCloud+ and turn on sharing.
iCloud+ plans (US, monthly)
| Plan | Price | Fits roughly | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 GB | free | a backup or a few hundred photos | settings, contacts, notes |
| 50 GB | $0.99 | 10,000 photos | one person, small library |
| 200 GB | $2.99 | 40,000 photos or a family's backups | most people, couples |
| 2 TB | $9.99 | 10+ years of photos and video | families, lots of 4K video |
| 6 TB | $29.99 | very large video libraries | creators |
| 12 TB | $59.99 | archives | heavy professional use |
Prices from Apple's iCloud+ price list for the United States, published September 16, 2026. Prices differ by country and can change. Photo counts are estimates for HEIC photos with some video; 4K video fills plans much faster.
What iCloud+ includes besides storage
All paid plans also include Private Relay, Hide My Email, custom email domains for iCloud Mail and HomeKit Secure Video support (number of cameras depends on the plan). Apple One bundles combine iCloud+ with other Apple services.
What happens if you go over your plan
Nothing is deleted right away. But iCloud stops backing up your iPhone, new photos stop uploading, iCloud Drive files stop updating and iCloud Mail can't send or receive. If you downgrade or cancel while using more than the new limit, the same happens until you free space.
Smaller plan, cleaner library
With iCloud Photos on, your iCloud space is mostly your photo library, so cleaning the library frees iCloud directly. Spaceclear finds duplicates, similar shots (keeping the best), bursts, screenshots and big videos, and its iCloud Space view lists your largest items, marking the ones that are only in iCloud. Deleting 10–20% of a typical library is often the difference between the 200 GB and 2 TB plans. Remember to empty Recently Deleted, which iCloud keeps for 30 days. More: iCloud storage full? and iPhone vs iCloud storage.
FAQ
Is the 50 GB iCloud plan enough?
For one person with a modest photo library and one iPhone backup, often yes. If you film a lot of video, keep many years of photos, or back up an iPad too, 200 GB is safer. Check your current usage in Settings › [your name] › iCloud before deciding.
Can I share iCloud storage with my family?
Yes. Every iCloud+ plan can be shared with up to five other people in your Family Sharing group. Each person's photos and files stay private; only the space is shared.
What happens to my photos if I stop paying for iCloud?
They aren't deleted immediately. If you use more than the free 5 GB, new photos stop uploading and backups stop. Download anything you want to keep, or reduce your library to fit the plan you keep.
Updated 2026-11-13