Ideally you would have both, but if you can only choose one, a cloud storage subscription protects against your house burning down or a drive failing, while a physical backup drive protects against losing internet access or a cloud account being locked — each covers a risk the other does not.
Cloud or a backup drive: who suits which
- Cloud storage suits you if: you want automatic, ongoing backup that happens without you remembering to do anything, and protection if something happens to your home or devices.
- A backup drive suits you if: you want a one-off cost rather than an ongoing subscription, and full control over your photos without relying on an internet connection or a company’s ongoing service.
What each option actually costs you
- Cloud storage is an ongoing subscription cost that continues for as long as you want the backup to exist, while a backup drive is a one-off purchase that keeps working once bought, though it can physically fail or be lost.
- Cloud storage protects your photos even if your house, computer and phone were all lost or damaged at once, since the copy lives elsewhere — a backup drive kept in the same house does not protect against that specific risk.
- A backup drive gives you a copy that works without an internet connection and is not dependent on a company staying in business or you remembering to keep paying — its risk is physical damage, loss, or theft.
- The safest real-world approach many people use is both: an external drive for a local, no-subscription copy, plus cloud storage for offsite protection — see Keep a second, independent copy of your most irreplaceable photos.
Questions to ask about your habits
- Could you realistically lose your phone, computer and any local backup drive all at the same time — for example, in a house fire, flood or burglary?
- Are you comfortable with an ongoing monthly or annual cost, or would you prefer to pay once for a physical drive?
- How many copies of your most important photos do you currently have, and where are they actually stored?
A way to cover both bases
If cost is the deciding factor and you can only manage one, a backup drive is the cheaper one-off option, but be aware it does not protect against loss of the physical location it is stored in.
Next step
Keep a second, independent copy of your most irreplaceable photos walks through combining both approaches for your most precious photos specifically.
Sources and date checked
General backup best-practice guidance. Checked 22 September 2026.