Google Photos Storage Cost: Every Plan, Price per GB, and Which to Pick
Google Photos Storage Cost: Every Plan, Price per GB, and Which to Pick
Google Photos storage costs nothing for the first 15 GB. After that you pay for a Google One plan, which in the US starts at $1.99 a month for 100 GB and goes up to $19.99 a month for 5 TB. Google Photos has no storage plan of its own. You are buying Google account storage, and Photos shares it with Gmail and Drive.
This guide covers the cost of Google Photos storage. It lists every current US tier, works out the price per gigabyte, compares it with iCloud+ and Dropbox, and shows which tier fits how many photos and videos you have. If your storage is already full and you want space back today, how to compress photos for Google Photos covers that process.
Google Photos Storage Plans and Prices (US, October 2026)
Google reorganized its plans in 2026. The 2 TB tier, once called Premium, is now sold as Google AI Plus. A cheaper 400 GB version of AI Plus arrived in June 2026, and Google AI Pro went up to 5 TB in April. The storage-only tiers below 2 TB are still available.
| Plan | Storage | Monthly (US) | Annual (US) | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 15 GB | $0 | $0 | None |
| Basic | 100 GB | $1.99 | $19.99 | Family sharing |
| Standard | 200 GB | $2.99 | Check plans page | Family sharing |
| Google AI Plus | 400 GB | $4.99 | Check plans page | Gemini at 2x free limits, Gemini in Gmail |
| Google AI Plus | 2 TB | $9.99 | $99.99 | Same AI Plus benefits |
| Google AI Pro | 5 TB | $19.99 | $199.99 | Gemini Pro model, Deep Research, YouTube Premium Lite |
| Google AI Ultra | 20 TB+ | Check plans page | Check plans page | Highest AI limits; priced for heavy AI use, not storage |
These are US prices and they vary by region. In July 2026 Google raised prices in several countries, and promotions such as discounted first months appear often. Check the official Google One plans page for the current price in your country before you subscribe.
Three points from the table:
- Every paid tier can be shared with up to 5 other people. That includes the $1.99 Basic plan.
- The AI tiers are storage plans with extras. If you only want room for photos, the AI features do not change how much your library can hold. They only change what else you get for the money.
- Annual billing saves up to 16%, according to Google's plans page.
Price per GB: Google One vs iCloud+ vs Dropbox
The cost of Google Photos storage looks cheapest at the bottom tier. Per gigabyte, it is the most expensive tier.
| Service and plan | Storage | Monthly price (US) | Cost per GB per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google One Basic | 100 GB | $1.99 | ~2.0¢ |
| Google One Standard | 200 GB | $2.99 | ~1.5¢ |
| Google AI Plus | 400 GB | $4.99 | ~1.25¢ |
| Google AI Plus | 2 TB | $9.99 | ~0.5¢ |
| Google AI Pro | 5 TB | $19.99 | ~0.4¢ |
| iCloud+ | 50 GB | $0.99 | ~2.0¢ |
| iCloud+ | 200 GB | $2.99 | ~1.5¢ |
| iCloud+ | 2 TB | $9.99 | ~0.5¢ |
| iCloud+ | 6 TB | $29.99 | ~0.5¢ |
| Dropbox Plus | 2 TB | $11.99 ($9.99/mo billed yearly) | ~0.5–0.6¢ |
Sources: Google One plans, Apple iCloud+ pricing, Dropbox plans. US prices, before tax.
Google and Apple charge the same at 200 GB and 2 TB. The differences are at the edges. Google's entry tier is twice the size of Apple's, Google has a 400 GB step that Apple lacks, and Google's 5 TB AI Pro tier costs less per gigabyte than anything Apple sells. Dropbox Plus costs about the same as 2 TB from either company. Dropbox does not offer a photo-library experience like Google Photos, though. Dropbox file size limits explains how its plans work.
In practice, the cheapest cloud is usually the one your phone already uses. If you are on iPhone and already paying for iCloud+, see how to free up iCloud storage before adding a second subscription.
What Counts Against Your Free 15 GB
The 15 GB is one pool, and Google Photos is often not the largest thing in it. According to Google's storage help page, these items count:
- Google Photos backups in Original quality and Storage saver. Express quality, offered in some regions, counts as well.
- Gmail messages and attachments, including the Spam and Trash folders.
- Google Drive files: PDFs, images, videos and backups.
- Docs, Sheets and Slides files created or edited after June 1, 2021.
- Android device backups and WhatsApp backups on Android.
- Google Meet recordings.
Two exceptions: photos and videos backed up in High quality (now Storage saver) or Express before June 1, 2021 do not count. Files in "Shared with me" count against the owner's storage, not yours.
The difference between Original quality and Storage saver is how much space each file uses, not whether it counts. Storage saver resizes photos above 16 MP down to 16 MP and videos above 1080p down to 1080p. Both settings count against the 15 GB. Storage saver files are just smaller.
So before you pay, check where the space is going. Open one.google.com/storage. If Gmail or Drive is taking most of it, an upgrade sized for your photos will be too big. For Drive, compressing video for Google Drive frees the most space.
How Long Will Your Free 15 GB Last?
To estimate, you need two numbers: how many photos you take and how many minutes of video you record. The figures below are illustrative. Real sizes depend on your phone, format and scene.
| Item | Approximate size | How many fit in 15 GB |
|---|---|---|
| 12 MP phone photo (HEIC) | ~2 MB | ~7,500 |
| 12 MP phone photo (JPEG) | ~3.5 MB | ~4,300 |
| 48 MP photo (full resolution) | ~10 MB+ | ~1,500 |
| 1 minute 1080p video (HEVC, 30 fps) | ~60 MB | ~250 minutes |
| 1 minute 4K video (HEVC, 30 fps) | ~170 MB | ~90 minutes |
| 1 minute 4K video (60 fps) | ~400 MB | ~37 minutes |
Video dominates. An hour and a half of 4K at 30 fps fills the whole free quota, and that same 15 GB holds several thousand photos. For most phone libraries, video is the largest share of the storage bill.
A rough way to size your plan:
- Mostly photos, little video, one person: 15 GB lasts a year or two. Then 100 GB covers several more years.
- Regular 4K video, one person: 100 GB fills in a year or two. 400 GB or 2 TB is the realistic long-term tier.
- A family sharing one plan: start at 2 TB. Several phones uploading video add up fast.
Google Photos shows its own projection. Open Manage storage from the Photos settings (under Backup); it estimates how long your remaining space will last at your current upload rate. Menu labels shift between app versions, so look for "Manage storage" if the path differs.
How to Stretch the Free 15 GB Before Paying
Paying is not the only option. These steps delay the upgrade, and none of them deletes anything you care about.
1. Switch backups to Storage saver. In the Google Photos app, go to Profile → Photos settings → Backup → Backup quality. Photos over 16 MP and videos over 1080p are reduced on upload. For most phone shots the difference is hard to see. The trade-offs, and when it is a bad idea, are covered in our Google Photos compression guide.
2. Shoot in HEIC instead of JPEG. At similar quality, HEIC files are much smaller. That alone can nearly double the number of photos that fit. See HEIC vs JPEG for the compatibility trade-off. Related: how to compress photos on iPhone.
3. Compress videos before they back up. This step has the biggest effect, because video takes up most of the space. A 4K clip re-encoded to 1080p, or to HEVC at a sensible bitrate, often shrinks to a fraction of its original size and still looks fine on a phone or TV. You choose the quality, instead of letting Storage saver apply one fixed setting.
4. Clean up Gmail and Drive. Large attachments and old Drive videos use the same 15 GB. Sorting Drive by size often turns up a few files that make up most of the usage.
5. Keep full-resolution originals locally. A local or external drive holds your masters, and the cloud holds compressed copies. Cloud vs local storage explains how to split them.
When Paying for Google Photos Storage Is the Right Call
Compression delays the upgrade. It does not replace it forever. Paying makes sense when:
- You want true original-quality backups. If you shoot with a 48 MP camera, crop heavily, or print large, Storage saver throws away detail you need. Original quality at 2 TB costs about 0.5¢ per GB per month, and that is cheap for irreplaceable files.
- Several people need backup. One shared 2 TB plan at $99.99/year covers up to six people. That works out to under $17 per person per year.
- You would use the AI features anyway. If you would pay for Gemini separately, the AI Plus or AI Pro tiers make the storage close to free. If you would not, buy the plan for its storage and ignore the AI features.
- Your time is worth more than the cost. At $1.99 a month, Basic costs less than an hour spent sorting screenshots.
Avoid paying when the free 15 GB is full mostly because of Gmail attachments or a few huge videos. Fix those first. Otherwise you will be paying every month for files you would never have kept.
Choose annual billing once you are sure. On the 2 TB plan, annual billing saves about $20 a year compared with monthly. On AI Pro it saves about $40.
What Happens If You Stop Paying
If you cancel and you are over 15 GB, Google does not delete anything right away. According to Google's help page:
- New photos and videos stop backing up.
- You cannot upload to Drive or create new Docs, Sheets and Slides.
- Gmail may stop sending and receiving email.
- If you stay over quota for two years, Google may delete content, with at least three months' notice.
So canceling a plan while over quota mostly breaks Gmail. Before you downgrade, bring your usage under the new limit by compressing or moving files.
Shrink Videos Before They Reach Google Photos
Video takes up most of a typical Google Photos library. That makes it the cheapest place to cut your storage cost.
Compresto compresses video, images, GIFs and PDFs in batch on your Mac. Drop in a folder of 4K clips from your phone, choose a quality level or a target size, and Compresto re-encodes them with hardware acceleration while your originals stay where they are. Upload the compressed copies, keep the masters on a local drive, and the free 15 GB or your 100 GB plan lasts much longer before you need the next tier.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Google Photos storage cost?
The first 15 GB is free, shared with Gmail and Drive. In the US, Google One costs $1.99/month for 100 GB, $2.99 for 200 GB, $4.99 for 400 GB (AI Plus), $9.99 for 2 TB (AI Plus) and $19.99 for 5 TB (AI Pro). Prices vary by region.
Is there a Google Photos-only storage plan?
No. All paid storage is a Google One plan, shared across Photos, Drive and Gmail.
Does Storage saver still give free unlimited storage?
No. Since June 1, 2021, Storage saver uploads count against your quota. They just use less of it.
Which Google One plan is best for Google Photos?
100 GB fits one person who mostly takes photos. 2 TB fits families and anyone who shoots a lot of 4K video. Per gigabyte, 2 TB is about four times cheaper than 100 GB.
Is Google One cheaper than iCloud+?
They cost the same at 200 GB ($2.99) and 2 TB ($9.99) in the US. Google offers a larger entry tier and a 5 TB option. Apple offers 6 TB and 12 TB.
How much do I save paying annually?
Up to 16%, according to Google. Basic is $19.99/year instead of $23.88, and 2 TB is $99.99/year instead of $119.88.
Can I share Google Photos storage with family?
Yes, with up to five other people on any paid plan. Everyone shares the storage pool, and each person's content stays private.
What happens if I stop paying and I am over 15 GB?
Backups and Drive uploads stop and Gmail may stop working. After two years over quota, Google may delete content, with at least three months' notice.