---
id: comparisons.external-ssd-vs-a-bigger-icloud-plan
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/external-ssd-vs-a-bigger-icloud-plan
category: "Comparisons & alternatives"
subcategory: "Cloud storage and online-only files"
question: "Should I buy more iCloud storage or an external SSD for my Mac?"
alt_questions:
  - "icloud plus vs external ssd"
  - "more icloud storage or external drive mac"
  - "is an external drive better than paying for icloud"
  - "cheapest way to get more mac storage icloud or ssd"
  - "upgrade icloud or buy ssd for macbook"
short_answer: "Choose iCloud for photos and documents you want on every device; choose an external SSD for large local things like video, VMs and apps. Storage Studio moves big folders and apps to the SSD with a link left in place."
tags: ["icloud", "external ssd", "buying advice"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/why-not-just-use-optimise-storage-in-macos", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/online-only-vs-moving-to-an-external-drive", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/external-ssd-vs-a-mac-with-more-storage"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# Should I buy more iCloud storage or an external SSD for my Mac?

It depends on what you're storing and how you work — many people end up with both.

**A bigger iCloud plan** suits photos and documents you want on every Apple device, backed by Apple and reachable anywhere with an internet connection. Files you haven't used lately can be kept online-only, so your Mac holds placeholders.

**An external SSD** suits large, local things: video projects, virtual machines, developer data, big app libraries and the apps themselves. It's a one-off purchase, works with no internet, and opens files at full speed — but only while it's plugged in.

Storage Studio is built around the second option: it moves big folders and apps to the drive and leaves a link so they still open from the same place. It also helps with the first — keeping iCloud Drive files online-only to free space. See [iCloud & iCloud Photos](https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/).