How many people use cloud storage in the UK? Which services dominate, and what do people use them for? We analyzed the latest Ofcom data to answer the questions about cloud storage in Britain.
Reach & Usage
How Many People Use Cloud Storage in the UK? (2024)
77% of UK internet users aged 16 and over used a cloud storage service in the past year. 57% used one in the past week.
Cloud storage is mainstream in the UK, with more than three quarters of internet users actively using it.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
Who Uses Cloud Storage Most? (2024)
95% of 16-24 year olds used cloud storage in the past year. 90% of 25-34 year olds and 84% of 35-44 year olds used it.
61% of those aged 55 and over used cloud storage in the past year, the lowest among age groups.
81% of 16-24 year olds used cloud storage in the past week, compared to 36% of those aged 55 and over.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
Service Popularity
What Are the Top Cloud Storage Services in the UK? (2024)
Google Drive is the most popular cloud storage service, used by 50% of UK internet users aged 16 and over.
Microsoft OneDrive is used by 47%. Apple iCloud is used by 38%. Dropbox is used by 20%.
Amazon Photos is used by 15%. WeTransfer is used by 12%. Smaller services like Mega, BT Cloud, and Box each reach 5-6%.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
Usage Purposes
What Do People Use Cloud Storage For? (2024)
92% of Apple iCloud users use it for personal reasons. Only 8% use it for work and 5% for study.
78% of Google Drive users use it for personal reasons. 27% use it for work and 14% for study. Among 16-24 year olds, 43% use Google Drive for study.
51% of Microsoft OneDrive users use it for work. 51% also use it for study. OneDrive is the most work and study focused service.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
How Do People Use Cloud Features? (2024)
88% of Apple iCloud users use cloud file storage. 77% of Google Drive users and 75% of Microsoft OneDrive users use file storage.
37% of Microsoft OneDrive users collaborate on shared files, the highest of all services. 30% of Google Drive users collaborate.
64% of WeTransfer users use it for sharing content and weblinks, making sharing its primary use rather than storage.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
Paid Subscriptions
How Many People Pay for Cloud Storage? (2024)
26% of UK internet users aged 16 and over have household access to a paid Apple iCloud subscription.
15% subscribe to Apple iCloud+ 50GB tier, the most popular paid tier. 8% subscribe to the 200GB tier and 3% to the 2TB tier. 9% use the free 5GB tier.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
What Cloud Storage Tiers Are Most Popular? (2024)
22% use Google's free 15GB cloud storage tier, the most popular Google tier. 9% subscribe to Google's basic 100GB tier.
12% use Microsoft OneDrive's free 5GB version. 14% have Microsoft OneDrive access provided by work or educational institution, the highest institutional access.
5% subscribe to Microsoft 365 Basic (100GB) and 5% to Microsoft 365 Personal (1TB).
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
- [Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/online-research/online-nation/2024/online-nation-2024-report.pdf)