Pogoplug offers unlimited cloud storage for $5 a month
In what may be an industry first, a cloud services firm is offering unlimited storage for less than $5 a month.
Cloud Engines, a San Francisco-based company, has begun offering a new plan through its Pogoplug cloud service that lets users store unlimited files, and any type, on the company’s servers for $4.95 a month.
The new Pogoplug plan went live last week and lets users save files to the cloud that they can then access from any device. Cloud Engines CEO Dan Putterman said there is no limit to the devices on which you can access or save files.
Pogoplug’s plan is unique in that no other service offers so much space for so little without some sort of limitation.
Other companies offer unlimited cloud storage but tend to have restrictions. Some limit the number of computers you can back up, restrict how many files you can store or ask to use the excess space on your hard drive for their network of cloud storage. Pogoplug will simply bill you once a month and let you have at it.
Putterman said the company’s proprietary technology, which was developed over the last five years, and declining cost of hosted storage have made the lower price possible.
“We’re passing on the economic benefits to our customers,” he said.
On Mac or PC computers, users can access their files through Pogoplug’s website or a client that will continuously sync up files to the cloud similar to what Dropbox does. There are also apps that can be used for the iPhone, iPad and Android devices.
Notable competitors offer similar-priced plans but not nearly as much storage.
Cloud company Dropbox, for example, will give you 100 gigabytes of storage for $9.99 a month or $99 a year. Box, meanwhile, will give individual users 25 GB for $9.99 a month.
Apple’s iCloud offers 25 GB of total storage for $40 a year, Microsoft’s SkyDrive will give you 107 GB for $50 a year, Amazon will give you 100 GB for $50 a year, and with Google Drive you can get 100 GB for $4.99 a month.
If you’re thinking of getting Pogoplug and sharing the service among your family or college friends, Putterman said he has no problem with that. He said users can do that, but they probably won’t want to share all their files, which may lead them to get their own account.
And for those concerned with security and reliability, Putterman points to Cloud Engines’ half-decade of experience and the fact that it has offered consumers cloud storage services since 2009.
If you’re interested in trying out Pogoplug but don’t want to pay right away, the company offers 5 GB of storage that you can use free.
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