Free business cloud storage: what to expect and what to check
The limits to check on any free business storage plan, from storage and file size to team seats and recovery.
If you are looking for free business cloud storage, know where it stops: how much it holds, how big one file can be, who can log in, and what happens when you pass a limit. This guide gives you the questions to ask any free plan, then shows where a free plan stops and when a paid plan fits better.
What free cloud storage for business really means
Cloud storage keeps your files in one place you can reach from anywhere. File sharing sends those files to someone else, with a link, a password or an expiry date. Many tools do both, but they are different jobs, and a free plan can be strong at one and thin at the other. Our guide on file sharing vs cloud storage explains the split in more detail.
For a business, the second job often matters more than it first looks. Storing a brand kit is easy. Sending a large video to a client, collecting signed documents from them, or showing a logo pack under your own name is where free plans start to push you toward a paid one.
The limits to check on any free plan
Plans differ, but the same five limits decide whether any free plan works for your team. Check each before you move files in.
Total storage. How many GB you get, and whether that space is shared with other products on the same account.
Largest single file. Total storage can be generous while one upload is capped at a size smaller than a video or a design export.
Who can log in. Some free plans are for one person. A team of three on one login is a risk, not a plan.
Sharing. Can you send a link to someone without an account, protect it with a password, and set it to expire?
Support and recovery. Where do you ask for help, and how long can you get back a file you deleted by mistake?
Test the single-file cap with your real biggest file before you move anything in. Check the total storage and the upload limit on the pricing page first.
What Tarkle Free includes
The Free plan costs $0 forever, with no credit card required. It covers one workspace for one person. Here is what the plan includes:
5 GB of cloud storage
uploads up to 1 GB
sharing and requesting files
passwords on shared files
client feedback and approval
custom branding and a custom domain
sharing logos and brand assets, and importing files from Dropbox or Google Drive
events and ticketing, and connecting ChatGPT and Claude
a recovery bin that keeps deleted items for 30 days
You can use cloud storage with folders, and share files by link that people open without an account. For a solo consultant with small deliverables, that is a place to start.
Where Tarkle Free stops
Free is for one person. Pro and Agency include unlimited team members.
These are the other points where you will feel the edge:
Storage. 5 GB fills quickly with video, raw photos or design files. When storage is full, uploads may stop. Tarkle then shows a message that says to delete files or upgrade to Pro. Reaching a limit does not delete existing files, according to the Terms of Service.
File size. Free allows uploads up to 1 GB. Pro and Agency allow uploads up to 200 GB.
File versioning. Pro keeps the earlier copy when you replace a file.
Client portal. Pro and Agency include a fully branded client portal. It is a branded place for recipients to receive and manage the files you share with them.
Recovery. Free keeps deleted items for 30 days. Pro and Agency keep them for 90 days.
Support. Priority support is included on Pro and Agency.
When a paid plan ends, the workspace moves to Free at the end of the paid period. If its content is over the Free limits, new uploads stop. You can still download your files for 30 days. After that, Tarkle may delete content above the Free limits, newest uploads first. Tarkle emails you before any deletion. A Free account with no sign-in or workspace activity for 6 consecutive months may be deleted, and Tarkle sends at least one notice first.
When a small team outgrows Free
Three things tend to push a team off the free plan. A second person needs access, single files go past 1 GB, or clients need a sign-in to collect their files.
Plan | Price | Storage | Largest file | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Free | $0, no credit card required | 5 GB cloud storage | Up to 1 GB | One person, 1 workspace |
Pro | $29 per month, or $19 per month billed yearly ($228 per year) | 3 TB cloud storage | Up to 200 GB | Unlimited team members, 2 workspaces |
Agency | $59 per month, or $49 per month billed yearly ($588 per year) | 6 TB cloud storage | Up to 200 GB | Unlimited team members, 20 client workspaces |
Pro adds file versioning. Pro adds team folders and team storage. Pro adds a fully branded client portal. Pro keeps deleted items for 90 days. Pro adds priority support.
Agency includes everything in Pro. Agency adds 20 client workspaces. Agency adds 6 TB of storage. Agency includes a 100% white-label platform. Your clients log in and manage their files and team on your own domain. Storage is shared by your organization's workspaces. Your organization's plan sets how many workspaces you can have.
If you only store files for yourself and send the odd small one, a free plan may be enough. If you have a team, or you send work to clients every week, check the one-person limit first. If you run client work for several brands, compare the Agency row.
A short checklist before you pick
Run through this list for any free business cloud storage plan:
How many people will log in, and does the free plan allow that many?
What is the largest file you send, and is it under the per-file cap?
How many GB will you hold in six months?
Do you need a link that works without an account, with a password or expiry?
Do clients need to send files back to you?
How long can you recover a deleted file, and who answers support?
Do the terms allow business use?
Our related guides go deeper on two of these: the free file sharing for business checklist and cloud storage for agencies: five checks.
Check your storage use every month. Deciding to upgrade before uploads stop is easier than deciding in the middle of a project.
Start with Free, then price the paid plan
Test the plan you pick with a real project and one transfer, so you see whether the limits fit your work before you pay. When one of them gets in the way, compare the paid plans on the pricing page.
What to remember about Tarkle
Tarkle's Free plan is for one person. It includes 5 GB of cloud storage. It includes uploads up to 1 GB. You can share and request files. The Free plan costs $0 forever, with no credit card required. Pro adds 3 TB of storage. Pro adds unlimited team members. Agency adds 20 client workspaces. Agency includes a 100% white-label platform. Start for free, then compare plans on the pricing page.