{"id":"icloud.what-is-the-difference-between-icloud-and-icloud-plus","url":"/faq/icloud/what-is-the-difference-between-icloud-and-icloud-plus","category":{"id":"icloud","title":"iCloud & iCloud Photos"},"subcategory":{"id":"icloud-storage-plan","title":"iCloud storage space and plans"},"question":"What's the difference between iCloud and iCloud+?","alt_questions":["iCloud vs iCloud plus","What do I get with iCloud+?","Is iCloud+ just more storage?","free icloud vs paid icloud"],"short_answer":"iCloud is the free service with a small amount of storage; iCloud+ is Apple's paid plan with more storage and extras like Hide My Email, custom email domains and family sharing of storage. Storage Studio works the same with either.","answer_markdown":"**iCloud** is the free service every Apple Account gets, with a small amount of storage. **iCloud+** is Apple's paid subscription: more storage, plus extra features such as Hide My Email, custom email domains and HomeKit Secure Video support, and the option to share your storage with family. Apple's own pages list the current plans and features.\n\nStorage Studio doesn't depend on which you have — it frees space on your Mac either way. See [whether to choose iCloud or an external drive](/faq/icloud/should-i-use-icloud-or-an-external-drive).","answer_html":"

iCloud is the free service every Apple Account gets, with a small amount of storage. iCloud+ is Apple's paid subscription: more storage, plus extra features such as Hide My Email, custom email domains and HomeKit Secure Video support, and the option to share your storage with family. Apple's own pages list the current plans and features.

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Storage Studio doesn't depend on which you have — it frees space on your Mac either way. See whether to choose iCloud or an external drive.

","answer_text":"iCloud is the free service every Apple Account gets, with a small amount of storage. iCloud+ is Apple's paid subscription: more storage, plus extra features such as Hide My Email, custom email domains and HomeKit Secure Video support, and the option to share your storage with family. Apple's own pages list the current plans and features.\n\nStorage Studio doesn't depend on which you have — it frees space on your Mac either way. See whether to choose iCloud or an external drive.","tags":["icloud plus","plans","apple account"],"related":[{"id":"icloud.how-do-i-change-my-icloud-plan-on-a-mac","question":"How do I upgrade or downgrade my iCloud+ storage plan on a Mac?","url":"/faq/icloud/how-do-i-change-my-icloud-plan-on-a-mac"},{"id":"icloud.can-i-share-my-icloud-storage-with-family","question":"Can I share my iCloud storage with my family?","url":"/faq/icloud/can-i-share-my-icloud-storage-with-family"},{"id":"icloud.should-i-use-icloud-or-an-external-drive","question":"Should I keep my files in iCloud or on an external drive?","url":"/faq/icloud/should-i-use-icloud-or-an-external-drive"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"What's the difference between iCloud and iCloud+? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"iCloud is the free service with a small amount of storage; iCloud+ is Apple's paid plan with more storage and extras like Hide My Email, custom email domains and family sharing of storage. Storage Studio works the same with either.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"iCloud & iCloud Photos","path":"/faq/icloud/"},{"name":"What's the difference between iCloud and iCloud+?","path":"/faq/icloud/what-is-the-difference-between-icloud-and-icloud-plus"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/what-is-the-difference-between-icloud-and-icloud-plus","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What's the difference between iCloud and iCloud+?","alternateName":["iCloud vs iCloud plus","What do I get with iCloud+?","Is iCloud+ just more storage?","free icloud vs paid icloud"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"iCloud is the free service every Apple Account gets, with a small amount of storage. iCloud+ is Apple's paid subscription: more storage, plus extra features such as Hide My Email, custom email domains and HomeKit Secure Video support, and the option to share your storage with family. Apple's own pages list the current plans and features.\n\nStorage Studio doesn't depend on which you have — it frees space on your Mac either way. See whether to choose iCloud or an external drive.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/what-is-the-difference-between-icloud-and-icloud-plus"}}]},"fragment":"
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iCloud & iCloud Photos · iCloud storage space and plans

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What's the difference between iCloud and iCloud+?

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Short answer: iCloud is the free service with a small amount of storage; iCloud+ is Apple's paid plan with more storage and extras like Hide My Email, custom email domains and family sharing of storage. Storage Studio works the same with either.

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iCloud is the free service every Apple Account gets, with a small amount of storage. iCloud+ is Apple's paid subscription: more storage, plus extra features such as Hide My Email, custom email domains and HomeKit Secure Video support, and the option to share your storage with family. Apple's own pages list the current plans and features.

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Storage Studio doesn't depend on which you have — it frees space on your Mac either way. See whether to choose iCloud or an external drive.

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