The short answer (checked 1 November 2026): pCloud has not announced its Black Friday 2026 sale yet, and its lifetime prices are the usual ones: 500 GB €219, 2 TB €499, 10 TB €1,499. None of them encrypts your files end to end unless you add pCloud Encryption (€150) for one folder. Last year's headline deal was a 5 TB bundle with Encryption for $599. If what you want is a large encrypted archive for one payment, the ShieldFive Founding Lifetime is 5 TB for €199 once, every file encrypted on your device, with no sale to wait for. If you want pCloud's sync apps, wait for 27 November.
pCloud lifetime prices today, before the sale
Read on pCloud's pricing page and Encryption page on 1 November 2026:
| Plan | pCloud price (shown down from) | With pCloud Encryption | Files pCloud cannot read |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 GB lifetime | €219 (€279) | €369 | Only the Crypto folder |
| 2 TB lifetime | €499 (€709) | €649 | Only the Crypto folder |
| 10 TB lifetime | €1,499 (€2,799) | €1,649 | Only the Crypto folder |
| ShieldFive Founding Lifetime | 5 TB for €199 | Included | Every file and file name |
pCloud shows its lifetime prices as discounts all year, so the struck-through figure is not a Black Friday signal. Compare euros, not percentages.
What pCloud did on Black Friday 2025
Deal roundups reported a 5 TB lifetime bundle (storage, pCloud Encryption and pCloud Pass) for $599 (Cloudwards, TechRadar). That is the best pCloud deal on record for a 5 TB encrypted archive. We could not find an archived pCloud page for it, so treat it as a guide, not a quote. Outside sales, pCloud also runs short regional offers: until 16 October 2026, a German landing page sold 2 TB with Encryption for €379.
The comparison that matters: price per terabyte, encryption included
| Option | Storage | One-time price | Per TB | Encrypted by default |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pCloud 2 TB + Encryption, today | 2 TB | €649 | €325 | Crypto folder only |
| pCloud 10 TB + Encryption, today | 10 TB | €1,649 | €165 | Crypto folder only |
| pCloud 5 TB bundle, Black Friday 2025 | 5 TB | $599 | about $120 | Crypto folder only |
| ShieldFive Founding Lifetime | 5 TB | €199 | €40 | Every file |
To match €40 per terabyte with Encryption included, pCloud would have to cut last year's record 5 TB bundle by more than half. If it does, this page will say so on 27 November.
Why the encryption detail decides it
pCloud encrypts files on its servers with keys it holds. That protects against a stolen disk; it does not stop pCloud, a breach of pCloud or a legal demand from reaching your files. The client-side part, where pCloud never sees the key, covers only files you move into the Crypto folder. Camera uploads, synced folders and anything you forget to move stay outside it.
On ShieldFive there is no folder to remember: every file and file name is encrypted in your browser or app before upload. We store only ciphertext and never hold your keys. Web uploads use post-quantum hybrid encryption (ML-KEM-1024 with XChaCha20-Poly1305) by default.
Where pCloud is better
Stated plainly, so you can decide:
- Apps. pCloud has desktop sync, a virtual drive and iOS today. ShieldFive has web, Android, Windows and Mac apps but no sync client, and its iOS app is still in testing.
- Media. pCloud streams music and video, and has Photos and Docs editors. ShieldFive previews PDFs, images, spreadsheets and Word files, encrypted.
- Downloads. The ShieldFive Founding Lifetime includes 200 GB of downloads every 30 days. That suits an archive you open from time to time, not a library you stream daily.
- Track record. pCloud has run for over a decade. No external security audit of ShieldFive has been completed.
If you need those, wait for pCloud's sale and buy Encryption with it.
Who should buy ShieldFive instead of waiting
- You want photos, scans, documents and backups stored where the provider cannot read them, without managing a special folder.
- You want 5 TB without paying for 10 TB.
- You want a refund window you can actually use: 30 days, against pCloud's 14.
- You would rather not watch prices for four weeks. Our price is fixed through Black Friday; we announced it on 23 October and will not cut it four weeks later.
What "lifetime" means here: 99 years or the account holder's lifetime, whichever is shorter. If ShieldFive ever stops, you get at least 12 months' notice and a full export (what Lifetime means), and the file format is open, so reading your files never depends on us. €199 until 31 October 2026, then €249.
Try it first
The free plan is 10 GB, encrypted the same way, with no card. Upload a few files, preview one and share one with an expiry before you pay.
Other providers' Black Friday plans are in Black Friday 2026 lifetime deals. For the regular comparison see pCloud lifetime alternative and is pCloud lifetime worth it.
pCloud 2026 prices were read on pCloud's own site on 1 November 2026 and will be re-checked on 24 November and daily from 27 to 30 November 2026. Black Friday 2025 figures come from the roundups linked above.