Amazon Photos review

Our Verdict

Amazon Photos is a nice benefit for users who are already Amazon Prime members, simply less appealing for everyone else.

For

Unlimited photo storage
Automatically sync photos

Against

Vague privacy policy
Expensive for non-Prime members

Tom'south Guide Verdict

Amazon Photos is a prissy benefit for users who are already Amazon Prime number members, simply less appealing for anybody else.

Pros

+
Unlimited photo storage
+
Automatically sync photos

Cons

-
Vague privacy policy
-
Expensive for non-Prime members

Cloud storage is a service whereby users upload data and documents to a massive computer server, rather than salvage them on their computer's local hard drive. Using one of the best cloud storage providers has many benefits: it can free upwards valuable space on your estimator, enable you to admission your files from whatever device, and brand sharing large documents a cakewalk.

Amazon Photos is a competitor to the best cloud storage for photos, and is 1 of the all-time Google Photos alternatives as well. In this Amazon Photos review, we'll look at the plans offered, equally well as their ease of utilise, features, support, and more.

Amazon Photos: Plans and pricing

Amazon Photos' pricing plans — Users tin purchase cloud storage from Amazon separately, or admission Amazon Photos with an Amazon Prime membership (Epitome credit: Amazon Photos)

Amazon Photos is included for gratuitous with Amazon Prime. Amazon Prime itself, withal, will toll users $12.99 a calendar month or $119 a year. With an Amazon Prime number subscription, users tin store unlimited full-resolution photos with Amazon Photos. Users can also store upwardly to 5GB of videos.

If you're non an Amazon Prime number user, or you want more space for videos and other documents, yous tin can however buy cloud storage from Amazon. 100GB of storage will cost $1.99 a calendar month or $nineteen.99 a twelvemonth, or you can upgrade to a hefty 1TB of storage for $6.99 a calendar month or $59.99 a year.

Later on that, the pricing on Amazon cloud storage becomes comparable with Amazon Prime, so if you are but looking to store photos, it'due south worth information technology to subscribe to Amazon Prime instead, so that you lot receive the other benefits of a Prime membership, such as expedited shipping and admission to Amazon Prime Video.

Features

Perhaps the all-time feature of Amazon Photos is the ability to upload unlimited total-resolution photos. With unlimited storage, you don't need to worry about constantly needing to upgrade. Users can set up an automated sync from their desktop or mobile device, pregnant photos volition exist automatically backed up.

Amazon Photos enables users to sort photos into albums, or view uploaded photos past date or location. You lot tin even search photos by keyword, or see all photos with a detail person or pet.

If yous've ever tried to e-mail a big file of photos, y'all'll know it's frustrating and often incommunicable. With Amazon Photos, you can share a link to an album over text or electronic mail instead. The mobile app also features a messenger tab, so yous can share photos with other Amazon Photos users in a text message-like interface.

Interface and in use

Amazon Photos' app demonstrated on iPhones — The Amazon Photos app is a straightforward, intuitive experience (Paradigm credit: Amazon Photos)

Amazon Photos is easy to use for users of all levels. The interface is intuitive, and both the mobile app and the desktop version have been pared down. If you're already an Amazon user, setup is specially easy. All you need to do is log in to your Amazon account and navigate to Amazon Photos (or download the Amazon Photos app for iOS or Android devices.)

Syncing photos from your device tin be a bit of a headache at first, especially for users with a big number of images to upload. The initial upload to Amazon'southward cloud can take a while, and the app must be open for the upload to occur, significant you can't navigate to other apps on your phone.

However, there is a screen dimming feature that will enable users to keep the app open overnight while photos are syncing.

Support

The level of support for Amazon Photos is largely automated, which is to be expected with such a big company. Within its larger Amazon Help & Client Service database, Amazon has a searchable FAQ just for Amazon Photos and Amazon Drive.

At that place'due south also a forum where you can pose questions to exist answered by the Amazon customs or Amazon staff. Or, you lot tin can get through Amazon support to chat with a representative or speak to someone on the phone.

It'due south non the most personalized or responsive back up arrangement, especially when compared to smaller or more niche deject storage companies.

Security

When uploading photos to a remote server, you desire to be sure your photos are secure and won't be accessed by nefarious individuals. Amazon'south privacy policy says it uses "encryption protocols" and "procedural safeguards" to guard your data.

Unfortunately, the policy does not go into much particular on what those protocols and safeguards are, making it difficult to approximate how effective they might exist.

The contest

If you're non already an Amazon Prime user, it may make more sense to check out the deject storage options provided past services you lot do utilize. For example, Google Drive has Google Photos, which has 15GB of complimentary storage for all users and paid storage if yous need more infinite. Read our Google Bulldoze review to learn more, and our features focusing on Google Photos archive too as using Google Photos.

Apple users may already exist familiar with iCloud, Apple's cloud storage selection for Apple tree devices. If you're looking for an easy way to sync photos between an iPad and an iPhone, iCloud's integration with these devices makes it an piece of cake choice. It comes with only 5GB of storage, but paid plans are available if you lot demand more. Our iCloud review gives more details on the service.

Final verdict

Overall, Amazon Photos is a solid cloud storage option. Information technology offers all the basics of a deject storage service, and is easy to fix upwards and use. While the vague privacy policy may be troubling, the unlimited storage of full-resolution photos is a huge plus. If you lot're already an Amazon Prime member for other reasons, it'south definitely worth looking into Amazon Photos to encounter if the service might work for you.

However, there'south nada particularly special about Amazon Photos to make it a must-have for users who don't already have Amazon Prime number.

Sarah James is a freelance writer in Los Angeles. She has written about creativity, culture, and technology for brands like TechRadar, Submittable Content For Creatives, The Billfold, Pittsburgh City Newspaper, The Toast, and more.