In this article, you’ll learn:
Short answer: Not really.
Long answer: It depends on what “unlimited” really means.
Unlimited cloud storage sounds like a dream—but is it real or just a marketing trick? In this article, we’ll break down the myths and facts about unlimited cloud storage, how “effectively unlimited storage” works, and how Pics.io’s cloud storage solutions compare.
What Is “Unlimited” Cloud Storage?
In theory, unlimited cloud storage means you can upload as much data as you want, forever. In practice? Not so much.
Even tech giants like Google and Microsoft who once offered unlimited storage have since imposed hard limits or shifted to fair use policies. Why? Because:
- Storage infrastructure is expensive
- Server performance must be balanced across all users
- Abusers can jeopardize performance for others
What Is “Effectively Unlimited” Storage?
Definition: Storage that’s not infinite, but more than most users will ever need.
You know, like these Italian restaurants that offer unlimited breadsticks? I mean, yes, they don’t have a black hole dimension to grab ∞ breadsticks from there. It’s just most people will end up having their fill long before they actually end.
Let’s look at average usage statistics:
- Acronis reports most users only use up to 30% of their storage.
- 100 GB is more than enough for most individual users.
- Most businesses use cloud storage for office files, documents, and light media.
So while you’re not technically getting unlimited space, you're unlikely to ever hit your limit unless you're intentionally pushing the boundaries.
Example:
Pics.io's internal use:
- 1831 images × 6MB = ~11 GB
- 1400 videos × 150MB = ~210 GB
- Total = ~250 GB, which is just ¼ of 1 TB
Even with images and videos used daily across marketing, development, and sales, we haven’t touched 1 TB—let alone 10 TB.
Cloud Storage for Videos: Realistic Expectations
Now, video files are different:
- 1 video (HD, internal use) ≈ 150 MB
- 1400 internal training or marketing videos ≈ 210 GB
- RAW footage or 4K video? That can go over 100 GB per file.
Most companies don’t use cloud storage for raw footage—it’s inefficient and expensive.
Cloud storage is best used for:
- Sharing low-res proofs
- Delivering final compressed files
- Archiving post-production assets
What’s up with cloud storage providers that offer unlimited storage?
A lot of cloud providers—Google, Microsoft, and others—once offered “unlimited” storage. But over time, most quietly walked that back. It’s a classic bait-and-switch: attract users with an unbeatable deal, then hike prices or reduce features once they’re locked in.
And it’s not just cloud storage. Subscription services like Netflix have followed the same playbook—slowly raising prices, then adding ads to their “premium” tier.
Is it shady? Kind of. But also understandable. Maintaining massive cloud infrastructure is insanely expensive. That’s partly why no real YouTube rival exists—it’s just too costly, and even the tech giants who could compete (Amazon, Microsoft, Apple) don’t seem interested.
Back to storage: Imagine your cloud provider’s system as one big server. It has finite capacity. If one user hogs too much, others suffer. So providers add limits—maybe file size caps, maybe restrictions on certain formats. Some even throttle your speeds, which means “unlimited” really isn’t.
In the end, most serious providers either avoid claiming “unlimited” altogether or tuck it behind a fair use policy.
What Is a Fair Use Policy for Cloud Storage?
A fair use policy is a hidden caveat. It usually means:
“Upload as much as you want…unless we think you’re abusing it.”
It allows providers to:
- Set internal thresholds
- Limit file types or sizes
- Throttle your bandwidth
Analogy: Remember Steve Rothstein—the man who bought an unlimited airline ticket and used it to fly around the world daily? The airline eventually canceled it because he overused his privilege.
The lesson is: don’t try to abuse the system, because it won’t…fly
That’s how we approach things at Pics.io, by the way. One of the things that you get when you sign up for our digital asset management is websites. Websites are what we call online branded portals that you create out of any folder (collection) in Pics.io. So, you can simply load up as many videos, images, and documents to one folder and publish them to the web with one click. Doing so means that anyone (even someone who is not your team member in Pics.io) can view, comment on, and download assets straight from your media library as long as you let them.
You can see the video demonstration of how websites in the video below:
Because we’re hosting them on our end, it’s an infrastructure cost that we are paying but we don’t pass it on to our users (meaning, that you won’t have to pay twice for the same assets if you decide to host them with Websites). The only thing we ask is that you don’t just upload the entire Internet there. I think it’s only fair ;)
Why Pics.io Offers Effectively Unlimited Cloud Storage
At Pics.io, we offer Digital Asset Management (DAM) that integrates with your choice of storage:
- Google Drive
- Amazon S3
- Our internal storage
Here’s why it’s effectively unlimited:
- Clients process hundreds of image and video assets per day without hitting storage ceilings
- DAM acts as a lightweight interface on top of robust storage
- We host media portals (Websites) for free, without double-charging you
- All this, with Google-style search, filters, permissions, and shareability
Try Pics.io: Cloud Storage with Superpowers
- Manage thousands of assets
- Create branded portals
- Tag, filter, and search your contentWork from Google Drive, Amazon S3, or our own infrastructure
Try Pics.io FREE for 7 days – no credit card required.
If you would prefer a more curated experience, you can also book a demo with us, and we’ll answer all questions that you have. Hope to see you there ;)
Conclusion
Unlimited cloud storage is mostly a marketing myth. Most companies will:
- Eventually limit file size or types
- Throttle upload/download speeds
- Hide conditions under fair use policies
Effectively unlimited storage, however, is real—and more than enough for most users.
With Pics.io DAM, you get seamless access to media-rich storage with a smart, collaborative interface, whether you prefer Google Drive, Amazon S3, or our in-house solution.
Don’t fight with your files. Store smart, manage better.
