You can manage your storage options from this page. Here are the current plans for upgrade:
* 6 GB ($20.00 per year)
* 25 GB ($75.00 per year)
* 100 GB ($250.00 per year)
* 250 GB ($500.00 per year)
(Note: Initially, the price for the 6 GB option was $1, but Google quickly changed it to $20.)
In February, Sergey Brin announced that Google "will start selling additional storage capacity to e-mail users with extraordinary needs". While not many people need more than 2.8 GB for storing mail, the unified storage could be more useful because you can manage it dynamically, like a virtual hard drive.
So the good news is that you have more storage options: Picasa Web costs much less, you can upgrade your Gmail storage in case you run out of space and GDrive is closer. The bad news is that others offer better prices: Yahoo Mail offers unlimited storage for free, Flickr gives you unlimited storage for $25 a year and Microsoft's SkyDrive is already here.
{ Via Google Blogoscoped. Screenshot from Keith. }
For me 6GB is now 20 dollars...
ReplyDelete6GB is $20 not $1 from what I can tell
ReplyDeleteThat was Google's mistake, not mine. I edited the post.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping that this is the beginnings of the rumored Google Drive.
ReplyDeleteThe prices are more than competitive with Amazon S3, although the 6GB offer is a little pricey.
ReplyDeleteYes, Yahoo offers "unlimited" email for free, but they do not have the flexible POP3 access or any number of other things. Yahoo also is betting on people never actually taking them up on the offer of using "unlimited" space, because you know the first joker that does will have his account canceled. Google is at least is up front with it - you want storage; this is what it costs.
well ... i dont think Picasa can get even little bit close from FLickr.
ReplyDeleteGoogle's price is absurd.
I'll never pay for that .. if it was "unlimited" per year... was another story..
My, my, how the mighty has fallen.
ReplyDeletebrock, you are forgetting that Yahoo offers POP3 access (among other features Google does not offer at all) on their $20 "plus" service. This is some terrible pricing and is not competitive on any level.
While we are talking about flickr, don't forget that it's also $20 per year for unlimited space and bandwidth and Picasa is nowhere near it as a service on top of that.
I suppose it's time they remove the counter on the front page now.
I think that Google is totally missing the point. I moved to Flickr because I thought that the pricing for Picasa was garbage. I won't move to another mail provider, but if they're going to charge me for additional storage, the least they could do is throw in IMAP access. People are looking for IMAP rather than additional space.
ReplyDeleteGoogle's not listening to what the users want. They won't get a penny out of me until I see the features people have been requesting for the past two years.
It is competitive when you consider that I cannot stand Yahoo Mail. I don't have time to continue to chase down their graphical ads with Ad Block. The interface is MUCH slower than Gmail.
ReplyDeleteAs for Flickr, it doesn't suit me either. Picasa is much more suitable for my needs. Is Google short some features compared to Yahoo? Sure they are.
For the features that I want and the way that I want things to work I'll stick with Google.
Google is a business. With the amount of people established with Gmail that don't want to bother changing services, I would think this is a smart move on their part.
ReplyDeleteGoogle has been good to me. When my ex-wife accused me of hacking into her account (as if I would know how), Gmail didn't take her seriously. Good enough for me.
Yes! 20 dollars is fine by me. Finally! I'm willing to pay a little for something I use almost 24/7.
ReplyDeleteI think $20 is fine, I mean it's less than $2/month. The space then increases rapidly after that.
ReplyDeleteThe interface, performance and reliability are much better than Yahoo.
$2/month isn't much if you want a serious web based email provider that just works! Saying that, I am a little shocked at the high price rather than google's standard low/no cost. They give a lot away for free so you can't expect everything.
As someone else said it's ad free, quick and reliable - thats good enough for me (like i'm gonna use 2.8gb anyway)
Google is a business. With the amount of people established with Gmail that don't want to bother changing services, I would think this is a smart move on their part.
ReplyDeleteThis is precisely what google plans much ahead in time. They know to give service in terms of quantity & quality initially for free for a long time and when they've managed to get a large customer base, they monetize on it by offering more. Others like Y! & MSN tried doing the same just too soon. Maybem this will replace the The Hare and the Tortoise in a 1000 yrs !
@justelise - Google's stock price has just plummeted, citing the fact they won't get a penny out of you. This is a travesty of mass proportions, and markets worldwide are suffering.
ReplyDeleteIt was only a matter of time, give it free then start charging.
ReplyDeleteGoogle is run by ex Gestapo.
I had my addwords account canceled cause a vistor to my website cliked on too many adds apparently, or was it just a coincidence as i was close to my first $500 cheque, $496 to be exact, Google will soon start fleecing all of us. Even Paypal is at it this last couple of years (freezing accounts because of 1 alleged usage by a customer of a fraudulent credit card, the rest of the customers cards were ok, but you loose all the money in your account, some are loosing thousands.
The internet is just a scam shop, these big business's are even better at scamming us all. Watch out! you time will come..
I don't see the big change. You can still use your 2.8+ GB account for free and in the unlikely case you need more storage, you now have the opportunity to buy it.
ReplyDeletebollocks to google
ReplyDeleteHmmm.... lycos has 3GB with Unlimited file size attachment, Yahoo has Unlimited storage space, and Gmail??
ReplyDeleteyahoo is free email storage and unlimited flickr storage 25$, google, dont say you have to shut down your services because yahoo is much better, i wont pay for 6gbs, and if gdrive comes to the shared 6gbs ill switch to yahoo7msn7skype etc...., sick and tired of waiting for nothing, google tech is slowly, ZZZZzzzzzzZZzzzZZzzzZZZzZzzzz
ReplyDeleteI think the real question is how many people need 3GB of storage for mail and if Google couldn't subsidize the small number of accounts that use more than 3GB.
ReplyDeleteAlso don't forget that you're not paying only for Gmail. You're paying for other apps: Picasa Web Albums and probably Google Docs, JotSpot, Google Pages etc. In the end, Google could just offer an interface for all the stored files and call it GDrive.
I agree with ionut.
ReplyDeleteYes, while other companies do offer better deals in terms of storage or email specific features, Google has the opportunity to combine all of its services into one big package.
Think, if you were a web master, like me, who uses Gmail, has a Blogger account, and use many other tools. Now have them all accessible in one location, and presto!, a online hit.
Now, only if they added ftp/web hosting into their packages...
All of you people singing the praises of Yahoo's unlimited storage would do well to search the Wall Street Journal for the last 6 weeks or so.
ReplyDeleteA Yahoo person (don't remember whom) admitted that "unlimited" doesn't mean "unlimited" at all. They are counting on the overwhelming majority of people never, ever using much space at all. He said in the article that Yahoo would cancel an account if it got to be too large.
As for Lycos? What about Google? 2.8 GB for free and growing, 20 MB file size, threaded messages, ZERO spam and free POP access. That right there is good enough for me. If I have a file much over 5MB to send to someone I find a better way. I may have a 20MB limit, but most users on other systems don't have anywhere near that.
I am presently only at about 1.5GB used in Gmail and only 300 or so MB used in Picasa web. I will gladly plunk down my $20 when the time comes.
Both work the way that I want them to and the text ads in Gmail don't bother me in the least.
From the WSJ article mentioned by A:
ReplyDelete<<
So how exactly can Yahoo, or anyone else, provide an infinity of something? Because they know that most people will never use it. Mail providers say that the vast majority of users come nowhere near their limits. One Yahoo executive conceded that a main reason for the move to "no limits" was to eliminate the perception that Gmail still offered more storage, even though Yahoo had long since caught up. (...)
Yahoo says it is removing the limits so normal mail users don't have to worry about running out of room. It also adds that it won't allow people to abuse the privilege, though it's slightly vague on what would constitute "abuse." Would that include using software to cut up your computer's hard drive into small files, and then backing it up via email? Probably. How about mailing a CD's worth of MP3s to a friend? Probably not.
>>
Certainly google is a business and needs to make money, however, it may be losing it's "it" factor. Yahoo has unlimited *free* email storage. Microsoft has its SkyDrive, and facebook is giving google a run for its money as the new internet darling.
ReplyDeleteMy advice to google. Be Careful. Those of us who are loyal users of all things google are loyal to the way google does things, not the name. Users like myself are under the impression that the storage would continue to increase (the ol' "infinity +1" propaganda).
Gmail had better get a lot better, quicker, and more integrated if Google wants me to spend any more money on more storage (which yes, I need) instead of just using another account.
As far as I can tell the only things that make any other web mail better would be how yahoo and the calendar so well integrated into the mail program. Other then that from any other web mail I have used gmail is fast, faster then yahoo faster then msn's mail just fast.
ReplyDeleteNext, I personally have not used many websites for image hosting but do find it nice that picasa and google web albums so well at playing with each other, and second many free photo sites do not allow much security to your images. Sometimes I would like to invite people ( family or something ) to view my images, not the world. Google web albums lets me do this.
So with all the complaints how many people really need more then the space google offers? I say if you are using that much space and would like it safe and secure then you should not be throwing a fit for paying for it, $1.67 a month for 6GB $6.25 a month for 25GB and 41.67 a month for 250GB. Come on people they are saying you can have more space then most peoples hard drives online to access anytime for 41.67 a month. Its not that much really. And you do not think in time Yahoo will find that "Unlimited" space was not so hot of a idea? I am sure in time many other many other web services will offer free until a limit amount.
If the others do stay free I am willing to pay for my usage over 2.8GB for gmail speed, clean interface and features.
Gmail is fast, google web albums is fast. They are clean, easy to use. I think all google services could use more integration but it seems they keep busy making things better. Often they offer new things that with in days I do not know how I lived with out them.
Google is still rocking.... it is just others are beginning to catch up. Do not get scared, google has built its empire by thinking of the end users, by using there services and figuring out what is wrong with them, by finding ways to make things better that you may not even have thought of. As long as they keep this trend going and offer free usage to people ( even if there is a very reasonable limit to it ) I say they are winning.
Plus I would prefer Google to tell me o.k. You have 2.8GB to use after that you have to pay, rather then yahoo tell me that I have no limit ..... only to tell me that there actually is a limit afterI hit it. Google is being honest, thanks for telling the truth Google.
Kids, if you go to gmail.com you will notice that the storage ticker is still moving up. A lot of people here have made the assumption that this means that Gmail storage will freeze where it is. That doesn't appear to be the case.
ReplyDeleteThe growth rate is around 4 bytes a second (~0.35 MB every day, 123 MB every year).
ReplyDeleteI would be happy to pay for gmail... not for the extra storage.. but for
ReplyDeletea) IMAP access
b) stronger filtering control (look at fastmail.fm for what I'm talking about)
c) better identity control (again, look at fastmail.fm)... no sent from me@test.com on behalf of me@gmail.com crap (this makes it difficult to unsubscribe from some mailers, and difficult to truly manage everything from one address.
Do you really think Google isn't using the same shared system that is based on the fact that 99% of the people will go nowhere near the limits? Google also has the same abuse policy (read numerous stories of people's accounts getting disabled). This extra storage on top of that is no different.
ReplyDeleteSimply put, Google is just like all the other companies after all and we are reliving history.
This does seem a bit too soon. And perhaps this will dissuade people from trying Google products. But perhaps Google needs the revenue.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think people need to realize that Google takes it's time so that there are very few bugs in Google applications, and there is time for developers to learn and use Google APIs.
Google:
I want one Google application that integrates with Google Gears and all browsers and acts as a personal Gdrive browser, like a Picasa for all Google applications that is really well integrated with the browser. Make a similar application and platform for mobiles. Let me use my GrandCentral number on my mobile with a nice interface. Let me use my GrandCentral number on VoIP phones. Integrate mobile phones with all Google applications. Make everything location-based.
Unify everything, including your APIs, so that developers can actually feel like they "learn" your APIs.
Then I won't feel apprehensive about paying for storage.
I have never heard a single story of people having their accounts disabled for too much storage use. I know several people that have had to clean out their mail because they were near the limit, but never have I read what is proposed.
ReplyDeleteIf you go to the Gmail Google group you will see stories there, but every one that I have ever read end with the person admitting that their account was shut off because of something that they had done.
And the bit about Google needing the revenue. Are you kidding me? Yeah, every company loves to make money but "need" the revenue? Please.
Well, I don't know exactly if the price is too high.
ReplyDeletePeople need to understand that they already get 2 GB mail space FOR FREE. (Being a Google Apps customer, I am talking about Google Apps)
NO NORMAL person needs more than 2 GIGABYTES mail space. I mean, come on people... what did you do 4 years ago as Hotmail was having less than 5 MB mail space...
Sure, Google is not perfect. I get more than 50 spam messages every day, so their spam filter is not as good as they say.
People need to understand that a FREE MAIL provider will NEVER GUARANTEE that user accounts will not be deleted.
Look at the TOS of EVERY single free mail provider... HOTMAIL, YAHOO, LYCOS, MAIL.com, ...
Being a paying customer gives you more rights!
So you gotta ask yourself...
Want exactly do I want? Am I willing to pay some bucks for a guarantee...
The 2.8GB limit wouldn't be as much of a problem if Gmail allowed you to search for mail by size. That way you could easily delete some of your largest emails. If you apply the 80/20 rule to email then 80% of your storage is consumed by 20% of your emails. I would guesstimate, however, that in most cases, more than 90% of storage is consumed by less than 10% of files/emails. I am currently near the limit. Out of over 10,000 messages in my inbox, if I were to delete the largest 100 (1% of my messages), and assuming they're about 10mb each, then I would clear up about 1gb of space!! Google, when are you going to allow searching by size??!!
ReplyDeleteWhat will happen if I pay $20 and use 6GB and do not pay next time? Will the account be reduced to free user with 6GB space?
ReplyDeleteIf you don't renew the subscription, some of your messages will be deleted to get back into the normal quota. Google doesn't explain what messages will be deleted (those that have the biggest size, the oldest messages etc.)
ReplyDeleteI think that some of you users that are complaining about sort features better look again at the google howto. Not to mention, what other email providers give you half of the abilities that google does?
ReplyDeleteYou can check up to 5 pop mail accounts.
Add virtually an unlimited number of email accounts that will forward mail to you so you can check it in gmail and yet appear to come from the other. All without needing to have yet another website to goto with another user name and password.
If you are worried about spam, try deleting your cookies every once in a while or using the built in filtering system.
Your complaints seem to be coming from a lack of understanding about how to use the gmail interface.
Anonymous, are you really a microsoft or yahoo marketer? Come on.
Many respondents seem to be missing the point. I will pay 20 bucks in a hurry, in order to avoid visiting one more website. If its on google, I will take it even if it isn't 100%.
ReplyDeleteDullards... all of you...
ReplyDeleteGoogle GIVES you 5 GB of email space FOR FREE (who else GIVES you that much space?)
10 GB upgrade for $20/yr
Maybe you all are a little slow, or to lazy to actually check or still believe what you were told 2 yrs ago, but according to their site its not at all what you're thinking... and if you need more then 5gb of email space then you should maybe reconsider what you use gmail for or delete some emails!!
A professional review of the best business online storage / online backup services can be found at:
ReplyDeletehttp://backupreview.googlepages.com/
very expensive
ReplyDeleteWhen I first got Gmail it said that I would never ever have to delete any messages. That's why I never deleted them. Now everybody I know is getting their accounts full. That is wrong. I am really uspet fealing they betraield me
ReplyDeleteTheir prices are about 90% lower now, thanks in large part to the plummeting cost of storage.
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous on September 17: You think Google went out of its way to BETRAY you? You can't read and are gullible enough to take corporate "promises" to heart. Moron.
ReplyDeleteI Thing Google Now allowing Very Flexible mail Storage :)
ReplyDeletegoogle.......Skynet anyone?
ReplyDeleteI like it the way it is.
ReplyDelete