Jottacloud

What Is Jottacloud?

No mainstream cloud storage provider offers genuine unlimited storage for under EUR 12 per month. Dropbox caps its Plus plan at 2 TB. Google One maxes out at 2 TB for consumers. iCloud tops out at 12 TB at a premium price. Jottacloud's Personal plan costs EUR 11.90/month and has no storage ceiling.

That claim comes with an asterisk — upload speeds are throttled after 5 TB — but the storage itself is unlimited. For photographers accumulating terabytes of RAW files, videographers archiving project footage, or families drowning in phone backups, Jottacloud solves a problem that most providers refuse to address. And it does so from data centres buried deep in the Norwegian mountains, powered entirely by renewable hydroelectric energy, under some of Europe's strictest privacy legislation.

Jottacloud is operated by Jotta AS, a company founded in Oslo, Norway, in 2008 by Roland Rabben. With nearly two million users and a focus on Scandinavian simplicity, Jottacloud positions itself as the opposite of enterprise complexity: straightforward backup, sync, and storage that does exactly what it promises. The product runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, with a web interface for browser access. Family plans cover five members from EUR 6.90/month. Business plans start at EUR 18/month for teams of ten.

Key Features

Unlimited Personal Storage

Jottacloud's Personal plan at EUR 11.90/month provides unlimited cloud storage for a single user. Upload any file type in any quantity. The practical limit is speed: after 5 TB of total stored data, Jottacloud throttles upload bandwidth to discourage abuse. Existing files remain accessible at full speed. Downloads are not throttled.

For context, 5 TB at full speed accommodates roughly 500,000 high-resolution photos or 2,500 hours of HD video. Most individual users will never hit the throttle threshold. Those who do — professional photographers, video producers, data archivists — still get unlimited storage, just with slower uploads for new files beyond the 5 TB mark.

No other European cloud provider matches this. Tresorit caps at 4 TB. pCloud's largest plan is 10 TB. Google One stops at 2 TB for consumers. Jottacloud occupies a unique niche for storage-heavy users who refuse to delete files.

Automatic Photo and Video Backup

Jottacloud's mobile apps on iOS and Android automatically back up every photo and video from your camera roll. The photo timeline view organises images chronologically, functioning as a cloud photo library. For families, the shared family plan means five members can each back up their entire phone libraries into a shared Jottacloud account.

The backup process is genuinely automatic — grant camera roll access once, and new photos upload in the background. Combined with unlimited storage on the Personal plan, this eliminates the "storage full" notifications that plague iPhone and Android users.

Green Energy Data Centres

Every byte stored on Jottacloud sits in data centres located in Norway, powered by 100% renewable energy. Norway generates approximately 98% of its electricity from hydropower. Jottacloud's mountain-based facilities benefit from natural cooling, reducing energy consumption further.

This is not a carbon offset scheme or renewable energy credit — the electricity physically powering Jottacloud's servers comes from Norwegian hydroelectric dams. For users and businesses evaluating the environmental impact of cloud storage, Jottacloud offers a verifiable green credential that most competitors cannot match.

Family Plans

Jottacloud's family plans cover up to five family members under a single subscription. The 1 TB Family plan at EUR 6.90/month provides shared storage across all members. The 5 TB Family plan at EUR 14.90/month gives more room for families with heavy photo and video libraries.

Each family member gets their own private storage space within the shared plan. Parents can manage accounts for children. The family pricing is aggressive — EUR 6.90/month for five people works out to EUR 1.38 per person, which is cheaper than any comparable European cloud storage service.

Desktop Sync and Backup

The Jottacloud desktop application for Windows and macOS provides both backup and sync functionality. Backup folders are one-directional: local changes upload to Jottacloud automatically. The sync folder is bidirectional: changes made on any device appear everywhere. Selective sync lets users choose which cloud folders to keep locally, conserving disk space.

Pricing

Jottacloud's pricing is structured around use cases: individuals, families, professionals, and businesses.

Free gives 5 GB of storage with email and chat support. This is a minimal free tier — useful for testing the service but not for serious use.

Family 1 TB at EUR 6.90/month (EUR 69/year) covers five family members with 1 TB of shared storage. At EUR 1.38 per person per month, this is the cheapest family cloud storage plan available from a European provider.

Personal Unlimited at EUR 11.90/month (EUR 119/year) provides unlimited storage for a single user with full-speed uploads up to 5 TB and phone support. This is Jottacloud's signature plan and its strongest value proposition.

Pro 10 TB at EUR 29.90/month (EUR 299/year) targets professionals who need guaranteed high-speed access to large amounts of storage with a commercial use licence. Pro plans scale up to 50 TB at EUR 149/month.

Business at EUR 18/month (EUR 216/year) provides 1 TB for up to 10 users with priority support and maximum speed. Larger teams can upgrade to the unlimited users plan at EUR 49/month.

EU Compliance & Privacy

Jotta AS is a Norwegian company operating under Norwegian law. Norway is an EEA member state, and GDPR applies directly through the Norwegian Personal Data Act (Personopplysningsloven). All data stored on Jottacloud resides exclusively in Norwegian data centres. No data is transferred outside the EEA.

Jottacloud encrypts data in transit with TLS and at rest with AES-256. However, Jottacloud does not offer end-to-end or zero-knowledge encryption. The company holds encryption keys and can, in principle, access stored data if compelled by Norwegian courts. For users who need zero-knowledge encryption, a client-side tool like Cryptomator can be layered on top of Jottacloud.

Norway's privacy framework is robust. The Norwegian Data Protection Authority (Datatilsynet) actively enforces GDPR and has fined companies including Grindr for privacy violations. Norwegian law does not permit mass surveillance of domestic communications. For European users evaluating jurisdiction, Norway offers privacy protections comparable to or exceeding most EU member states.

Who It's Best For

Storage-heavy individuals — photographers, videographers, archivists — who need unlimited cloud storage without artificial caps or premium pricing tiers.

Families looking for shared cloud storage and automatic phone backup at the lowest per-person cost available from a European provider.

Environmentally conscious users who want verifiable green energy credentials, not carbon offset marketing, powering their cloud storage.

Norwegian and Scandinavian businesses that prefer a local provider with data stored under Nordic privacy law and EEA jurisdiction.

The Verdict

Jottacloud is built on a simple promise: store everything, powered by green energy, under Norwegian law. It delivers on that promise. The unlimited Personal plan is genuinely unlimited, the family pricing is the most affordable in Europe, and the green energy credentials are verifiable rather than aspirational. The trade-offs are equally clear. Jottacloud has no end-to-end encryption, no document collaboration, no office suite, and a limited integration ecosystem. Measured against Proton Drive's encryption or Google Drive's productivity features, Jottacloud is narrower. But for users whose primary need is abundant, affordable, environmentally responsible cloud storage in a strong European jurisdiction, Jottacloud fills a gap that no competitor addresses as directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Jottacloud's unlimited storage really unlimited?

Yes, the Personal plan at EUR 11.90/month has no storage cap. However, upload speeds are throttled after 5 TB of total stored data. Downloads and access to existing files remain at full speed. Most individual users will not reach the 5 TB threshold.

Does Jottacloud offer end-to-end encryption?

No. Jottacloud encrypts data in transit (TLS) and at rest (AES-256), but does not provide end-to-end or zero-knowledge encryption. Jottacloud holds encryption keys. Users needing zero-knowledge encryption can add Cryptomator or a similar client-side tool.

Is Jottacloud GDPR compliant?

Yes. Jotta AS is a Norwegian company, and Norway applies GDPR through the EEA agreement and the Norwegian Personal Data Act. All data is stored in Norwegian data centres within the EEA. No data is transferred outside European jurisdiction.

How does Jottacloud compare to Dropbox?

Dropbox offers stronger collaboration, real-time editing, and a larger app ecosystem. Jottacloud offers unlimited storage, Norwegian data residency, green energy data centres, and cheaper family plans. Jottacloud is simpler and storage-focused; Dropbox is collaboration-focused.

Is Jottacloud powered by green energy?

Yes. All Jottacloud data centres in Norway run on 100% renewable hydroelectric energy. This is physical energy sourcing, not carbon offset credits. Norway generates approximately 98% of its electricity from hydropower.