Apple iCloud vs. IBM Cloud Object Storage

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Apple iCloud
Score 8.5 out of 10
N/A
Apple iCloud is a document management software offering from Apple. It includes features such as access to music, photos, calendars, contacts, and documents, and it is built into every new iOS device.
$0.99
per month
IBM Cloud Object Storage
Score 7.1 out of 10
N/A
IBM Cloud Object Storage is an IBM Cloud product in the endpoint backup and IaaS categories. It is commonly used for data archiving and backup, for web and mobile applications, and as scalable, persistent storage for analytics.
$5,000,000,000
per month
Pricing
Apple iCloudIBM Cloud Object Storage
Editions & Modules
50GB
$0.99
per month
200GB
$2.99
per month
2TB
$9.99
per month
One-Rate Plan
As low as USD $12/TB a month
per month
Standard Plan
Free up to 5GB—no minimum fee, pay only for what you use
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Apple iCloudIBM Cloud Object Storage
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
Additional DetailsThe One-Rate and Standard service plans for Cloud Object Storage include resiliency options, flexible data classes and built-in security. Pricing is based on the choice of location, storage class and resiliency choice.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Apple iCloudIBM Cloud Object Storage
Considered Both Products
Apple iCloud
Chose Apple iCloud
Apple iCloud allows to track devices when lost and uses end-to-end encryption for data such as iMessages of Health data. It also includes features of shared albums to optimize storage and can access these items through any Apple device in a quick and efficient way.
Chose Apple iCloud
Egnyte was a good system, but there were two things that I didn't like. One, once your data was in their server, it was in their server. It came across as you did not have control or even ownership of it anymore - plus you had to maintain the payments to them, or it was all …
Chose Apple iCloud
Dropbox is more universal but has a higher price point that Apple iCloud and google while mid price point offers more options in software that allows for file editing and sharing directly in the document. Apple iCloud does not have that on offer. Apple iCloud is the lowest …
Chose Apple iCloud
Nowadays local storage are having a lot of bottleneck and upgrading process require time and money, iCloud are one of the safest and most secure platforms, its End User License Policy is in favor of customer and reliability. Apple iCloud collaboratively works with iOS and macOS …
Chose Apple iCloud
Google Drive is similar to Apple iCloud, but since I prefer Apple products and have operated within the Apple ecosystem for many years, I use iCloud. Some clients who don't use Apple share documents with me in Google Drive so I have experience with the product, but I prefer …
Chose Apple iCloud
Dropbox is the king of cloud environments, and where Apple iCloud should go to. I have tried others but don't even remember their names now. We have our own personal cloud as well. I have used cloud environments since 2007 and would love to see Apple iCloud step up to a full …
Chose Apple iCloud
While I have to use Dropbox on occasion, I greatly prefer to use iCloud for file sharing. I also have used Google's Apps, and because I'm a Mac/iPhone user, iCloud has more easily fit into the normal routine of what I'm already doing and using. Dropbox has some minor features …
Chose Apple iCloud
Apple iCloud is specially made for iOS devices. Nothing and no one will ever be able to service an Apple product's needs better than Apple themselves. The Apple iCloud software is designed specifically for iOS devices, ease of use, and mindless security for automatic backups. …
Chose Apple iCloud
The basic premise among these is the same. Where Apple iCloud stands apart for our team is that there is not a separate app to be downloaded to access these features on most phones or tablets (most of our staff has iPhones, and we provide iPads). This allows everyone to obtain …
Chose Apple iCloud
The security and functionality of iCloud beats out any other products I've tried. While two-factor authentication is available elsewhere, Apple seems to take security a step further with notifications across all devices. In addition, the pricing is right - the low cost of 1TB …
Chose Apple iCloud
We have found that Google Backup & Sync and Apple iCloud between them have all the bases covered. While Google is excellent for many things, as an Apple-centric environment, we utilize both systems. Between them, we have been able to reduce our expensive on-prem file storage …
Chose Apple iCloud
Overall, iCloud performs quite well against some of its larger competitors. In my opinion, iCloud may be better suited for personal and social sharing compared to business cloud platforms like OneDrive and Google Drive. iCloud is incredibly strong if your organization is fully …
Chose Apple iCloud
Did not evaluate other products like Apple iCloud....
Chose Apple iCloud
Amazon AWS interface is clunky and too unintuitive for me. It's like going from a Mac to a Windows machine. YUCK. I realize that Apple iCloud is really just relying on Amazon AWS servers for data storage but it's so much nicer to work with the Apple interface for my daily data …
Chose Apple iCloud
They are different platforms but both reliable and easily used by those who need to access and use it. I am a happy customer for both Apple iCloud and Boomr and would highly recommend them to anyone who is looking to use and purchase something to give them the reassurance and …
Chose Apple iCloud
One Drive can allow users to collaborate in realtime and rare crashes on documents. The storage is very generous, and pricing for business, especially non-profits, is fair. One Drive also allows for better photo storage for us as a school. We can keep yearbook items and also …
Chose Apple iCloud
Already a part of the Apple ecosystem, so if it suits our needs, we will use it. We have a Department shared Dropbox account specifically for sharing large projects with vendors, so Apple iCloud is for lighter internal projects such as shared spreadsheets for project …
Chose Apple iCloud
Apple iCloud is extremely similar to Google Drive. You’re able to access files from anywhere, even a PC, without needing to be on the device where the file was originally created.
Chose Apple iCloud
iCloud is probably the best option for someone who uses primarily Apple devices and services. If you are multi-platform in your technology use I would make sure you test out the free version of iCloud before you make the switch, Apple likes to play nice with Apple, which means …
Chose Apple iCloud
Google Drive is still my primary repository - I use iCloud as a secondary. This is primarily due to the issues noted with iCloud.com.
Chose Apple iCloud
While the others are superior for file sharing with other people or teams, they aren't part of the Apple ecosystem and as such don't provide the core functionally that iCloud provides of in-app integration.
Chose Apple iCloud
Unlike other solutions, iCloud automatically backs up data without the user needing to download an additional application. Additionally, iCloud is the only application to keep and manage iPhone backups. Lastly, iCloud's pricing options are much more favorable than the other …
Chose Apple iCloud
I selected Apple icloud mainly because it is the best for using with pesky apple file types, but overall it does a pretty poor job against competitors. It is more expensive, offers less storage, and is much more difficult to use. I'd stick to an alternative program if it were …
Chose Apple iCloud
A major dislike is the limited free space. I love how Google Drive allows photos at a certain size to be free.
Chose Apple iCloud
Initially, I was using Google Drive and I was completely satisfied with its services. But after sometimes when I upgraded my mobile device and computer system to Mac OS and iOS, I shifted to iCloud because iCloud works flawlessly in the Apple ecosystem and It also provides a …
IBM Cloud Object Storage
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
In my opinion, IBM are much more professional and are more buisness oriented than Google.
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
As Google Cloud Storage is our main product for this kind of thing, it remains the standard but in terms of overall performance, flexibility, stability, durability, and scalability, IBM Cloud Object Storage has put it through its paces. I think having a product put Google …
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
Amazon S3 has a more complex pricing model. It charges as per the requests, which will be more costly for us compared to IBM cloud object storage. The safety of our data is the main focus, and this is guaranteed with IBM.
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
Along with IBM Watson for AI and machine learning, IBM Aspera for fast data transport, and IBM Cloud SQL Query for data analysis, IBM Cloud Object Storage works seamlessly with other IBM Cloud services. For research initiatives that call for a variety of tools and services, …
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
IBM Cloud Object Storage compares favorably with other storage solutions due to its:

Scalability: IBM Cloud Object Storage can easily handle growing data volumes, making it suitable for businesses with evolving storage needs.
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
We've evaluated both (and use both), but we've found IBM Cloud Object Storage to be easier to use and manage overall.
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
We selected IBM Cloud Object Storage against S3 for following reasons:1.
1. We already use a lot of IBM's cloud services, IBM Cloud Object Storage would have been easier to manage.
2. It is really cost effective with the features it brings in.
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
IB cloud storage offers more options than what is offered by AWS cloud storage
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
Amazon S3 is a great service to safely back up your data where redundancy is guaranteed, and the cost is fair. In the past I have used Amazon S3 for data that we backup and hope we never need to access, but in the case of a catastrophic or even small slip of the finger with the …
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
As far as the other cloud storage services are concerned, I have limited experience. I used pleased by IBM cloud storage because it provided a smooth, running environment for my data science projects. I used IBM Watson Studio and the experience was smooth. I used IBM Db2, and …
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
IBM Cloud Object Storage is a product that gives us greater scalability, and important security features such as WORM, in addition to Simplicity and Enhanced file access
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
At the end of the day it is an IBM product that gives us a guarantee of being very robust, it is very safe, and reliable, and it also allows flexibility.
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
The previous cloud OSS platform that we used was provided by Google. Functionality in OSS is restricted in several ways. The setup and configuration steps are complicated, making the software difficult to operate. We had no problems at all during our time at IBM. Buckets may be …
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
Every vendor provides the storage capability. Just IBM Cloud Object Storage suits our needs from the cost perspective and usage perspective.
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
I use these services for covering my technological demand and each of them is highly recommended.
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
Previously, we were a user of alibaba cloud OSS. There are some limitations on OSS features. Also, not easy to use due to some complex configurations and setup processes. We didn't face any difficulties here in IBM. Easy configuration and management of buckets can be done with …
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
IBM Cloud Bare Metal Servers, IBM Cloud Virtual Servers and IBM Cloud File Storage
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
It helps to scale performance greatly. Also, it is easy to learn and is developer-friendly, has high data handling capacity, and is easy to administer.
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
Azure App Service
Chose IBM Cloud Object Storage
Amazon S3 service is also a good option, but based on features it provides compared with IBM Cloud Object Storage, it is less suitable. IBM Cloud Object Storage [is] also integrated with more services, like IBM Cloud SQL and IBM Aspera, which AWS does not provide to transfer …
Features
Apple iCloudIBM Cloud Object Storage
File Sharing & Management
Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Product A and Product B
Apple iCloud
8.4
Ratings
0% below category average
IBM Cloud Object Storage
-
Ratings
Versioning8.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Video files9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Audio files9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Document collaboration7.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Access control7.70 Ratings00 Ratings
File search8.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Device sync8.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Cloud Storage Security & Administration
Comparison of Cloud Storage Security & Administration features of Product A and Product B
Apple iCloud
7.5
Ratings
15% below category average
IBM Cloud Object Storage
-
Ratings
User and role management6.90 Ratings00 Ratings
File organization8.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Device management7.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Cloud Storage Platform
Comparison of Cloud Storage Platform features of Product A and Product B
Apple iCloud
7.1
Ratings
18% below category average
IBM Cloud Object Storage
-
Ratings
Performance7.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Reliability8.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Storage Reports6.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
Comparison of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) features of Product A and Product B
Apple iCloud
-
Ratings
IBM Cloud Object Storage
7.9
Ratings
2% below category average
Service-level Agreement (SLA) uptime00 Ratings8.10 Ratings
Dynamic scaling00 Ratings7.50 Ratings
Elastic load balancing00 Ratings8.40 Ratings
Monitoring tools00 Ratings7.30 Ratings
Security controls00 Ratings8.20 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Apple iCloudIBM Cloud Object Storage
Small Businesses
SugarSync
SugarSync
Score 5.8 out of 10
DigitalOcean Droplets
DigitalOcean Droplets
Score 8.7 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Druva Security Cloud
Druva Security Cloud
Score 9.7 out of 10
SAP on IBM Cloud
SAP on IBM Cloud
Score 9.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Druva Security Cloud
Druva Security Cloud
Score 9.7 out of 10
SAP on IBM Cloud
SAP on IBM Cloud
Score 9.5 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Apple iCloudIBM Cloud Object Storage
Likelihood to Recommend
9.1
(0 ratings)
8.2
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.5
(0 ratings)
7.3
(0 ratings)
Performance
8.2
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
7.5
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
5.8
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Apple iCloudIBM Cloud Object Storage
Likelihood to Recommend
iCloud is also great to keep access to photos synced across devices. Ex: I can snap a photo at a job site and have access to that photo on my desktop when I return to my office. I can then drop the photo into a document that is stored in iCloud and have instant access to that document on my iPad at a client's office later in the day. Seamless transitions make life much easier.
Read full review
IBM Cloud Object Storage is well suited for businesses that require scalable and cost-effective data storage solutions. It excels in scenarios involving massive unstructured data, like multimedia content, backups, and archives. However, it may be less appropriate for organizations with minimal storage needs or those requiring high-performance, low-latency access to data, as it's optimized for durability and data integrity rather than real-time data retrieval.
Read full review
Pros
  • Syncing files, appointments, Notes and contacts. If I'm away from home, and set an appointment using my phone, that appointment automatically updates real time to my home laptop and vice-versa.
  • It stores files (e.g photos) nicely
  • Once it's set up, it's fairly easy to use.
Read full review
  • Cloud storage allows you to save data and files in an off-site location that you access either through the public internet or a dedicated private network connection.
  • Cloud storage delivers a cost-effective, scalable alternative to storing files on on-premise hard drives or storage networks.
  • Cloud storage services provide elasticity, which means you can scale capacity as your data volumes increase or dial down capacity if necessary.
  • Business continuity of Storing data offsite supports business continuity in the event that a natural disaster or terrorist attack cuts access to your premises.
Read full review
Cons
  • Customization - iCloud is great at the stuff it does well. But it lacks features that some competitors (in Google Drive or Dropbox) do really well. API support for third-party apps is really great for some other people.
  • Remote use - Managing or accessing information from iCloud while not on one of your logged-in apple devices can sometimes be an issue. From a work computer for example. It doable, but the experience is much less user-friendly.
  • Ability to edit documents on the cloud similar to google docs or some other competitors
Read full review
  • Unexpected errors are known to occur when downloading/uploading files.
  • Not easy to get started. In order to take full advantage of the platform and its features, additional training and reading documentation is needed.
  • The UI of the platform can get a bit confusing and it's easy to get lost.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
It's so seamless that I can't imagine another product doing a better job synchronizing all of my devices. I simply do not think about it at all. Everything happens behind the scenes and I'm confident that Apple keeps my data safe and secure. I'm a happy customer as far as this is concerned. I have not had a bad experience with this service.
Read full review
because it is a robust, safe and flexible product
Read full review
Usability
While it may be great to use with other Apple products, I find it's an absolutist-style workflow to be debilitating and to lead to many problems. When you sign into the cloud, it completely takes over your device in many ways that you don't notice at first until there is a problem.
Read full review
For my use cases, it has been a very smooth experience. Even my new colleagues have been able to get on top of things very quickly. This shows how easy it is to work with
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
No answers on this topic
We rarely face downtime or access issues with IBM Cloud Object Storage. It’s mostly available when we need it, even during peak hours or heavy data loads.
Read full review
Performance
Occasionally, large files that haven't yet been synced require a few minutes to pull down but I've rarely noticed delays. It does a good job of keeping data cached on my local machines while updating them with changes from other machines transparently.
Read full review
I would give it a 9 because it works smooth with our AI and analytics tools, no major slowdown. Pages and dashboards load fine most of the time, and reports finish in decent time even when data is heavy.
Read full review
Support Rating
I never used Apple iCloud support, but have never needed to do so. It has become more of a personal issue with computers in my organization, where the business solution has been with Dropbox. I do have to admit when my Mac went down, having things on Apple iCloud did help to get things restored. However, since I had more than one photo file for my Business and Personal data, I was not able to recover my Business Photos. Apple iCloud should have been able to do this.
Read full review
I have been working in IT sector for more than 15 years. I have worked with various vendors. IBM's sales team, support team have been really helpful. After we start to use their product, their UX design team also contacted us to get feedback from us. They are really interested about our experience.
Read full review
Online Training
No answers on this topic
I just researching and applying the tools on their platforms to ensure a good learning path, based on my needs. Reading the documentation related with resources, tools. Is too big, but I am trying to know more about it every day. It is a good way to know more about their resources. A new way to attract new customers. At the end of the day, we are all involved in improvement and automation of our tasks and resources for customers and end-users.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
No answers on this topic
IBM's professional service for migrating data and implementing new cloud environment was perfect. They started to help us before we begin to bring together all data such as how can it could be best to transfer all data without problems. During the migration they watched all the process closely to prevent any failure. Lastly, after the migration, they gave us trainings on implementation.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
As I have mentioned, the seamless integration across Apple's ecosystem is what keeps us using this product. However, the robust value of the Microsoft 365 Business Premium suite and functionality of their AI companion - Copilot - makes it superior at an organization level. The same could be said for Google AI (Gemini) as well as their cloud services like Drive.
Read full review
As Google Cloud Storage is our main product for this kind of thing, it remains the standard but in terms of overall performance, flexibility, stability, durability, and scalability, IBM Cloud Object Storage has put it through its paces. I think having a product put Google through its paces is always a good thing, both for businesses and for the industry overall.
Read full review
Scalability
No answers on this topic
Scaling up the number of users can lead to significant increases in licensing costs, which, while not a technical limitation, can be a practical constraint for some organizations
Read full review
Return on Investment
  • The ability to access saved content across devices no matter where I am located reduces missed opportunities to share and collaborate.
  • The version history has allowed my team to re-visit previous renditions when errors occur - saving valuable time determining the root cause.
  • The cloud reduces the number of physical documents one must remember when traveling for work.
Read full review
  • In our company, we moved from on-premise to IBM cloud, our ElasticSearch Solution storage in block storage to an ICD elastic search solution with Object storage, and we reduced our cost by more than 45%.
  • Object Storage is a managed service, so you can have savings in your storage-managed team.
  • We have improved our data availability because the Regional solution of COS is distributed in three different Availability Zones.
Read full review
ScreenShots

IBM Cloud Object Storage Screenshots

Screenshot of Cloud Object Storage set upScreenshot of storage bucket creationScreenshot of the Access Management interfaceScreenshot of the interface to create, add and management of Storage BucketsScreenshot of data uploadingScreenshot of usage details