Best Cloud Storage for UK Small Businesses 2026
The best cloud storage for UK small businesses is Microsoft 365 Business Basic, which bundles OneDrive with 1TB per user alongside Teams, SharePoint, and business email for £4.60 per user per month. If your team already runs on Gmail, Google Workspace is the natural fit at a similar price. And if you handle sensitive client data and want storage that even your provider cannot read, Proton Drive Professional is the only option on this list that delivers genuine end-to-end encryption throughout.
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Microsoft 365 Business Basic: best all-round cloud storage for UK small businesses
Microsoft 365 Business Basic is the strongest choice for most UK small businesses because it does not ask you to choose between cloud storage and the other tools your team actually needs. At £4.60 per user per month on an annual plan, you get 1TB of OneDrive storage per user, SharePoint for shared team files, Microsoft Teams for video calls and chat, and a business email address on your own domain. That is a full working infrastructure at a price that is hard to argue with.
OneDrive integrates directly with Windows and works well across Mac, iOS, and Android too. Files sync automatically to your devices, so the same documents are available whether you are in the office, at a client site, or working from your phone. Version history is included, which means you can roll back to earlier versions of a file if something goes wrong.
The honest limitation is that Business Basic only gives you web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, not the full desktop apps. If your team lives in Excel on a desktop, you will need Business Standard at £9.90 per user per month instead. For most small businesses doing day-to-day file storage and sharing rather than heavy document editing, Basic covers the ground. One more thing to be aware of: Microsoft is increasing prices from 1 July 2026, so check the current figure at sign-up.
Google Workspace Business Starter: best for Gmail-first businesses
If your business already runs on Gmail, Google Drive is the obvious choice. Google Workspace Business Starter costs £5.90 per user per month on an annual plan and gives you 30GB of pooled storage per user alongside Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, and a business Gmail address. The collaboration features are genuinely excellent: multiple people can edit the same document at the same time without any of the version conflict problems you get with emailed attachments.
The storage on the Starter plan is its most obvious weakness. 30GB per user sounds reasonable until you factor in Gmail, Google Photos, and any files your team shares. Businesses that deal with larger files, design assets, or video will hit the limit quickly. Upgrading to Business Standard at £11.80 per user per month raises that to 2TB per user, which is a more comfortable allowance for most teams.
Google Drive link sharing is straightforward and works well for external collaboration. You can share a file or folder with anyone via a link and set it to view-only, comment, or edit. Recipients do not need a Google account to view or even edit, which makes it easy to work with clients and suppliers. At time of writing, Google is also offering 50% off your first three months, so it is worth checking the current promotional pricing at sign-up.
Proton Drive Professional: best for privacy and sensitive data
Proton Drive Professional is built for businesses where data confidentiality is not optional. At €7.99 per user per month on an annual plan (billed in EUR; verify the GBP equivalent at checkout), it gives you 1TB of end-to-end encrypted storage per user, a collaborative document and spreadsheet editor, and admin controls for managing your team. The key difference from every other option on this list: even Proton itself cannot read your files. Everything is encrypted on your device before it is uploaded, and the encryption keys never leave your control.
That matters if you work in law, finance, healthcare, or any sector where client confidentiality is a professional obligation, not a preference. Proton operates under Swiss law, stores data on servers in Switzerland and Germany, and is certified to ISO 27001. It is outside the reach of UK and US surveillance frameworks, which is a meaningful distinction for businesses that handle regulated or sensitive data.
The trade-off is a narrower feature set compared to Microsoft and Google. There is no equivalent to Teams or a full suite of productivity apps at this tier. You get Drive, Docs, Sheets, and a basic VPN connection, which is enough for teams who primarily need secure storage and document collaboration rather than a complete workspace platform. Proton offers a 14-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee, so testing it before committing costs nothing.
Comparison table
| Platform | Price | Storage per user | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic Top pick | £4.60/user/month | 1TB | Most UK small businesses |
| Google Workspace Business Starter | £5.90/user/month | 30GB pooled | Gmail-first businesses |
| Proton Drive Professional | €7.99/user/month | 1TB | Privacy-sensitive businesses |
How the platforms compare
On pure storage value, Microsoft and Proton are the clear leaders at this price point. Both give you 1TB per user, which is enough for the vast majority of small business file libraries. Google Workspace Starter’s 30GB pooled allowance is the standout weakness of an otherwise strong platform: it is a meaningful constraint for any team handling large files, and the upgrade to 2TB on Business Standard doubles the monthly cost per user.
Microsoft versus Google comes down largely to which ecosystem your team already lives in. If your staff use Windows computers and are comfortable with Word, Excel, and Outlook, Microsoft 365 is the natural choice. The OneDrive integration with Windows Explorer makes file access feel seamless, and SharePoint gives you a proper shared file structure for the whole business. Google Workspace suits teams that are already in the habit of working in a browser, prefer Google Docs over Word, and want the strongest real-time co-editing experience available.
Proton versus the other two is a different kind of comparison. Microsoft and Google are both advertising-funded businesses at their core, and while their business plans do not serve you ads, their infrastructure is designed around data access. Proton’s architecture is designed around data you cannot access, built by scientists whose starting point was that even the storage provider should be unable to read your files. For most small businesses, Microsoft or Google will be perfectly adequate. For a solicitor, a financial adviser, or a healthcare provider, the distinction matters and Proton is the only one on this list that can genuinely make the privacy argument.
On price, all three are reasonable. Microsoft edges ahead on overall value when you factor in the included Teams and email. Proton’s pricing is in EUR rather than GBP, which introduces a small exchange rate variable, and the feature set at the Drive Professional tier is narrower than either Microsoft or Google. If you want the full Proton Workspace with email and VPN included, that steps up to €12.99 per user per month.
Other options worth considering
The three platforms reviewed above cover most UK small businesses, but a couple of alternatives are worth knowing about. Dropbox Business Standard has long been popular for its reliable sync and clean interface, particularly with creative teams handling large files. It requires a minimum of three users and is priced at $15/user/month on an annual plan, with no confirmed GBP equivalent available from Dropbox directly. Dropbox also has no active public affiliate programme, which is why it is not a main recommendation here, but if your team has existing Dropbox habits it remains a capable option.
Google Workspace Business Standard is worth considering if you want the Google ecosystem with substantially more breathing room on storage. At £11.80 per user per month it gives you 2TB pooled per user, larger video meetings, and meeting recordings, which makes it a better fit for growing teams than the Starter plan. If you are already planning to upgrade from Starter within a year, it may be worth starting at Standard to avoid the disruption of switching plans mid-stride.
Verdict
For most UK small businesses, Microsoft 365 Business Basic is the right answer. At £4.60 per user per month you get 1TB of OneDrive storage alongside Teams, SharePoint, and business email, which is more complete than anything else at this price. If your business runs on Gmail and Google Docs, Google Workspace Business Starter is the natural fit, though the 30GB storage limit is worth keeping in mind as your team grows. And if your work involves sensitive client data where confidentiality is a professional obligation, Proton Drive Professional is the only option here that delivers true end-to-end encryption throughout.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use cloud storage to share files with clients who don’t have the same platform?
Yes, all three platforms let you share files with external people via a link, with no account needed on their end. Google Drive and OneDrive both allow link-based sharing with view or edit permissions. Proton Drive does the same with optional password protection and expiry dates.
Is my data stored in the UK with these providers?
Microsoft and Google store data across global data centres but offer UK and EU data residency options on certain plans. Proton stores data exclusively on servers in Switzerland and Germany, which sits outside UK and US surveillance jurisdiction. That is a meaningful difference if you handle sensitive client files.
What happens to my files if I cancel my subscription?
You typically get a window to download your data before access is removed. Microsoft gives you 90 days via a limited-function account, and Google gives you a grace period to export before storage is reduced. Proton provides a 30-day money-back guarantee but does not specify a long data retention window after cancellation, so exporting before you cancel is advisable.
Do I need to pay per user, or can one account cover my whole team?
All three platforms use per-user pricing for business plans. If you are a sole trader working alone, a single-user plan covers you. For teams, each person needs their own licence, and there is no shared-seat option on any of the three.
Can I access my files offline?
Yes on all three, but setup varies. OneDrive and Google Drive sync files to your device via a desktop app for offline access. Proton Drive also supports offline access through its desktop app, with changes syncing automatically when you reconnect.
Whichever platform you go with, all three offer free trials, so it is worth testing your preferred option before committing to an annual plan.
