Cloud backup for photos and videos has gone from a novelty to downright essential in the smartphone era. Limited local device storage combined with growing desire to access images across multiple screens means offloading to the cloud is a necessity.
The two dominant consumer solutions are Apple‘s iCloud and Amazon Photos. Both effortlessly sync photos while providing organization tools, sharing options and privacy safeguards. However, key differences emerge when you compare availability, supported formats, key features, pricing tiers and ideal use cases.
My comprehensive guide will arm you with everything required to decide if iCloud or Amazon Photos (or neither) is the best cloud photo management platform for your needs. I‘ve been using both services personally and professionally for years, so speaking from experience.
Let‘s dive in!
A Tale of Two Cloud Photo Services
We‘ll kick things off by briefing explaining the history and purpose behind iCloud and Amazon Photos:
iCloud – Apple‘s Cloud Sync Engine
- Launched in 2011 as successor to Apple‘s MobileMe service
- Designed to seamlessly sync photos, documents, contacts and more across Apple devices
- Tightly integrated into Apple hardware and software ecosystem
- Over 600 million active users as of 2018 relies on iCloud services
Amazon Photos – Cloud Storage with Prime Perks
- Originally launched in 2011 under name Amazon Cloud Drive
- Recently rebranded as Amazon Photos to better compete as dedicated photo storage solution
- Subscription includes unlimited full-resolution photo storage for Amazon Prime members
- Part of Amazon‘s wider array of over 50 different cloud computing services
So in summary – iCloud is tailored specifically for Apple users, while Amazon Photos aims to serve everyone regardless of ecosystem.
Comparing Availability and Compatibility
The first key consideration – what devices and platforms can actually access these services?
While both offer some form of web access for uploading and downloading files from any browser, native platform integration does vary:
| Platform | iCloud | Amazon Photos |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone/iPad | Native app | Native app |
| Mac | Built-in | Via web |
| Windows | Windows app | Windows app + web |
| Android | Via web | Native app + web |
| Linux | Via web | Via web |
Based on StatCounter‘s November 2022 stats, Windows still leads desktop at 75% market share globally. However on mobile, Android and iOS combine for nearly 100% share.
This demonstrates the much wider reach of Amazon Photos across mobile, desktop and web. However, iCloud prioritizes Apple native environments (unsurprisingly).
The Verdict: Amazon Photos wins for broader platform support, especially reaching Android, Windows and web users. But iCloud feels more seamless on Apple hardware given deep OS integration.
Comparing Photo and Video Format Support
Once you get photos or videos into the cloud, the service must support storing and displaying such formats without issue:
Image Formats
| Format | iCloud | Amazon Photos |
|---|---|---|
| JPEG | Yes | Yes |
| PNG | Yes | Yes |
| GIF | Yes | Yes |
| HEIF | Yes | Yes |
| RAW | Limited | More Variants |
| WebP | No | Yes |
| Bitmap | No | Yes |
Video Formats
| Format | iCloud | Amazon Photos |
|---|---|---|
| H.264 | Yes | Yes |
| H.265 | Yes | Yes |
| ProRes | Yes | No |
| AVI | No | Yes |
| AVCHD | No | Yes |
| Flash | No | Yes |
For photographers, Amazon Photos supports more RAW variants from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus and other popular brands.
Amazon also accepts more legacy formats like AVI, AVCHD and Flash video files compared to iCloud.
The Verdict: Another win for Amazon Photos providing extensive format support for both modern and aging video/image types.
Comparing Key Features
Beyond storage itself, cloud services provide extra features for productivity and convenience:
| Feature | iCloud | Amazon Photos |
|---|---|---|
| Auto Upload from Cameras | Yes | Yes |
| Facial Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Object/Scene Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Public Sharing | No | Yes |
| Collaborative Albums | No | Yes |
| Hide Personal Photos | Yes | No |
| Search by Text, Location, Objects | Limited | Yes |
Both automatically sync new photos quickly whether from iPhone, Android or actual standalone cameras.
And leveraging machine learning, they can detect faces as well as objects and scenes to auto-categorize images.
However Amazon makes sharing outside your family easier with public guest access links. Collaborative group management of albums also helps teams collectively organize photos.
That said, iCloud offers the ability to hide personal images from shared album streams for extra privacy.
For finding specific photos quickly, Amazon provides more powerful search based on text, geo-location, detected items and beyond.
The Verdict: Amazon Photos has more extensive search/discovery capabilities. But iCloud offers finer controls around sharing personal photos while keeping some private.
Storage Pricing and Subscription Plans Compared
Let‘s move onto the money part – how much does unlimited or generous cloud photo storage actually cost?
iCloud Pricing Tiers
Apple keeps iCloud pricing straightforward with just three main tiers:
| Plan | Storage | Price (Month) | Price (Year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 5GB | $0 | $0 |
| 50 GB | 50GB | $0.99 | $9.99 |
| 200 GB | 200GB | $2.99 | $29.99 |
| 2 TB | 2TB | $9.99 | $99.99 |
So the free tier awards 5GB, enough to test driving iCloud. From there 50GB, 200GB and maxing out at 2TB options based on your budget.
iCloud storage can be shared with family members through Family Sharing without needing to pay for multiple subscriptions.
Amazon Photos Pricing
Amazon offers Prime members free unlimited full-resolution photo storage as a bundled subscription perk:
| Plan | Details | Price (Month) | Price (Year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Photos | Unlimited Photos Storage 5GB Other File Storage |
Included | $139/year for overall Prime access |
| 100GB | 100GB Total Storage | $1.99 | $19.99 |
| 1TB | 1TB Total Storage | $6.99 | $69.99 |
| 30TB | 30TB Total Storage (Largest Plan Available) |
N/A | $1799/year |
The PrimePhotos unlimited photo storage perk is a great bonus for the nearly 200 million Amazon Prime subscribers already paying for free shipping and entertainment.
Paid plans scale up to a mammoth 30TB plan if you have huge storage demands.
The Verdict: Amazon Photos Unlimited photo storage is highly compelling as a Prime member. But iCloud cheaper if you mainly need cloud backups for video.
Ideal Use Cases
With all features and pricing fully explored, who wins between iCloud and Amazon Photos? Well, it depends!
When to Pick iCloud
(without hesitation):
- You exclusively use Apple devices: iPhone, iPad, Mac
- Having continuity/sync across Apple gadgets is important
- You enjoy and regularly utilize tight Apple ecosystem integration
- You need to store less than 200GB of photos and videos
- You take privacy and security very seriously
When to Prefer Amazon Photos
(makes most sense):
- You regularly use Windows laptops or Android phones
- You want essentially unlimited photo backup as a Prime member
- You share albums publicly or collaborate with others frequently
- You have over 1TB of photos and videos requiring storage
- You use multiple cloud providers and don‘t want ecosystem lock-in
Bottom Line – Both great options based on your budget, platform preferences and use case priorities like sharing or privacy.
Recent Updates and Announcements
I‘d be remiss without briefly touching on the latest developments relevant to each service:
iCloud – Doubling Down on Privacy Protections
At 2022‘s Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple introduced iCloud Shared Photo Library – a way for up to six family members to collaboratively manage photos while maintaining personal privacy.
And later in the year, enhanced Advanced Data Protection for iCloud brought end-to-end encryption for backups meaning not even Apple can access your data.
So privacy continues to be a key differentiator for iCloud.
Amazon Photos – Focusing On Photos Over General File Storage
This January, Amazon announced the sunsetting of their general purpose Amazon Drive cloud storage in 2023.
The reason? So the company can focus specifically on photos and video backup with Amazon Photos instead.
This proves Amazon‘s long term commitment to investing in robust consumer photo management capabilities that even rival iCloud. Exciting times ahead.
Both platforms clearly satisfy core cloud photo needs but innovate based on very different philosophies.
FAQs and Lingering Questions
Let‘s wrap up by addressing some common questions that often come up:
Can someone view my private iCloud photos without permission?
No. Authentication requiring your Apple ID and password is necessary for any iCloud data access. Two-factor authentication adds another layer of login security as well.
Do all Amazon Prime members truly get unlimited photo storage?
Yes. unlimited full-resolution photo storage is included if you already pay for an Amazon Prime subscription. If not a prime member, you pay monthly fees based on how much space you use.
What happens when I delete an iCloud photo?
Deleted photos and videos stay in the "Recently Deleted" folder for up to 40 days in before being permanently erased. This provides some leeway to recover accidentally deleted items.
Can I use iCloud effectively with non-Apple Windows and Android devices?
iCloud has web access that works across platforms, but lacks deep integration and specialized apps beyond Windows, unlike Amazon Photos‘ broader platform support.
I sincerely this comprehensive yet friendly iCloud vs Amazon Photos comparison helps you determine the best home for your precious photo memories and videos in the cloud. Let me know if any other questions come up!
