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authority April 18, 2014 at 04:51 pm

Free 189 GB: an overview of cloud storage

Cloud technologies are very tightly integrated into our everyday life. But what if you want to acquire the largest possible volume of these storages, but with the most minimal cost(or rather, completely free).

So everything is on the shelves.

Volume (free)

Everyone is interested in volume. And that's probably the most important thing. And I want to consider first of all the free possibilities of cloud services.
In the first place Cloud Mail.Ru - 100 GB (free)
2nd Place New Zealand Service MEGA - 50 GB (Free)
In third place is Google - Google Disk allows you to place 15 GB for free
Next come: Yandex.Disk - 10 GB, OneDrive - 7 GB, ASUS WebStorage - 5 GB, Dropbox - 2 GB.
Attention! Free volume on some services like Dropbox, Yandex.Disk, OneDrive can be increased by sending invitations to your friends. But at the same time, they are limited - about an additional 5 GB for OneDrive or 8 GB for Yandex.Disk.
Yandex.Disk also has temporary partner promotions. This is when you can get an additional 30 to 50 GB when buying branded electronics that has an agreement with Yandex.

Expandability

Those. The ability to increase the amount of cloud storage.
All services, except Mail.Ru Cloud, have the ability to expand the volume through the purchase of tariff plans.
Google and Yandex are in the same price category.

OneDrive is measured in other volume/price ratios:

The most expensive was ASUS WebStorage. The 50 GB plan for a year costs $59 (it's still discounted).

Cost of 100 GB

If we take tariff plans for a cloud volume of 100 GB, then the cost of Yandex.Disk, Google Disk and OneDrive is almost the same in the area $44 per year. At the same time, the popular Dropbox offers the same 100 GB for $120/year.

Convenience

Of course, comfort is subjective. So I express my feelings. I'll list them from most convenient to least convenient.
My favorite is Dropbox. Has the necessary applications for various devices. Further, no less convenient Yandex.Disk. Then, probably due to a lower percentage of use, these are Google Disk and OneDrive. The MEGA service seemed to me very slow to download. Although MEGA positions itself as the most secure service, because uses file encryption with a unique user key, even on the server. At the same time, the MEGA Service has the option of switching the language, including Russian.

ASUS WebStorage turned out to be the most inconvenient to use via the web interface.

Tags: cloud services, free online, free

Important data can be stored on external media - hard drives, USB flash drives, even floppy disks. However, the safety of information in this case will be constantly under threat, because the physical object is easy to lose. If the USB stick contains confidential information about the activities of the organization, the USB stick can be stolen by competitors - which will cause enormous damage to the company.

For these reasons, USB-drives are becoming a thing of the past - like disks and floppy disks in their time. They are being replaced by cloud data storage, allowing you to access files at any time and from any computer. In this article, we will rank cloud storage and talk about the benefits and weaknesses various services.

Cloud storage is an online storage within which user data is distributed across multiple servers. The user does not know the structure and location of the servers; from his point of view, the "cloud" is a large virtual flash card, the information on which is protected by a password.

Using cloud storage is quite simple: a person needs to register on one of the sites offering data storage services, remember the login / password, then upload valuable information “to the Internet”. When the information is necessary for him, he visits the same site from any PC or mobile gadget, logs in and gets access to the information.

Cloud services have many advantages over other data storage methods:

The user does not risk losing information irrevocably in the event of a computer or gadget failure.
Information from the "cloud" is convenient to share - you can send links to individual files via mail or social networks.
The user has to pay only for large amounts of memory. If his needs are small, he has the right to limit himself to a free quota, which is provided by almost all storage facilities.
The user can set up file sharing and, as a result, organize joint work with data online.

When it comes to the shortcomings of cloud storage, users first of all express doubts about whether such services are able to guarantee the confidentiality of the information entrusted to them. As an example, a well-known incident that happened to dropbox in 2011 - when, after the update, anyone could log into any account using a random password. Undoubtedly, you cannot vouch for the reliability of all cloud storage- that is why it is so important to approach the choice of a service for storing information carefully and scrupulously.

Top cloud storage: which service to choose?

Some of the best cloud storage services include:

Google Drive

Free seat: 15 GB.
: 5 TB.
: 30 TB.
: Supported on Android above 4.4 and iOS above 8.0.

The service is quite young - its launch took place only in 2012. However, despite this Google Drive(aka Google Drive) has already managed to achieve well-deserved global popularity and the laurels of one of the most convenient cloud storages.

Convenience Google Drive lies in the fact that this "cloud" is integrated with all other services from Google- of which there are a huge number. The user, for example, can send to the repository a letter received on mailbox gmail, save the photo uploaded to the "cloud" in the application Google Photos. Besides, Google Drive allows the user to open and edit documents Google Docs.

The application boasts a curious feature Google Drive for Android - it is capable scan documents. Just click the "Scan" button and take a photo of the document - the PDF file will be in the "My Disk" section.

In favor Google Drive they say a large number of supported file formats (over 30), the ability to configure offline access to documents, support for the SSL protocol, which guarantees the security of stored information. Active users of ecosystem services Google you don’t even need to think about looking for another cloud storage - Google Drive make them 100% satisfied!

Premium subscription cost:


139 rub. / month	699 rub. / month	RUB 6,990 / month	RUB 13,990 / month	20 990 rub. / month

Yandex.Disk

Free seat: 3 GB expandable up to 10 GB.
Maximum size of one file: 10 GB (when using the program) / 2 GB (when downloading via browser).
Maximum amount of space: 1 TB.
Mobile OS Compatibility: Supported on Android above 4.0.3, iOS above 8.0, Windows Phone 7 / 8 and Symbian 9.3.

In terms of disk space limitations, the Russian service Yandex.Disk looks completely uncompetitive compared to cloud storage Google Drive. In particular, instead of 15 "free" gigabytes, only 3 gigabytes are provided to the user. Another 7 GB can be obtained for participating in the referral program, but not every user wants to spam their friends. The maximum amount of disk space for one account is also small - only 1 TB (for Google 30 TB). However, exactly Yandex.Disk is considered among domestic users the most popular "cloud". For what reasons?

At Yandex.Disk other benefits than the service from Google, and for a Russian they are important. In the "cloud" from Yandex, for example, it is possible to upload photos and videos from social networks " In contact with" and " Classmates» directly without the use of additional software. Cloud storage is integrated with all kinds of services from Yandex, can be integrated with the office suite Microsoft Office 2013, as well as connect to TVs equipped with the function SmartTV.

Besides, Yandex.Disk has the right to boast of its cross-platform - there are web clients and mobile applications not only under iOS, Android, Windows, but also under linux and Symbian.

At the same time, Google experts linux- they are only working on a version of their cloud storage, and apparently they do not intend to release applications for Windows Phone and Symbian at all. Among domestic users of mobile technology, there are a lot of fans of the company Nokia and its smartphones running exactly on the two operating systems named earlier - these users have a mobile Google Drive not available.

As a result, we can say that the popularity Yandex.Disk in Russia is due not only to the desire of users to support the domestic brand, but also to the presence of quite tangible advantages over foreign services.

Premium subscription cost:

	100 GB
300 rub. / year	800 rub. / year	2000 rub. / year

One Drive

Free seat: 5 GB
Maximum size of one file: 10 GB.
Maximum amount of space: 5 TB.
Mobile OS Compatibility: Supported on Android above 4.0, iOS above 9.0, Windows Phone 7 / 8, Symbian Belle and MeeGo 1.2.

Among cloud storage OneDrive from Microsoft- a real dinosaur. This service has been operating since 2007, but until 2014, users were familiar with it under the name skydrive. I had to go for renaming because judicial trial with a television company BSkyB who accused Microsoft in plagiarism.

Unfortunately, in recent times"cloud" OneDrive became more and more rapidly losing ground and yielding to similar services from Google and other developers. The fact that in 2016 Microsoft reduced the amount of free space in its cloud storage from 15 GB to 5 GB, obviously did not add OneDrive popularity. "Cloud" Microsoft does not have any outstanding advantages over analogues - the main advantages of this service are integration with the package Office 365 and the ability to organize simultaneous work on documents online. Alas, other services also give access to documents, but in addition they offer a lot of other "goodies".

Continue to store information in OneDrive it is advisable only for those users who applied to the services of this service before the reforms of 2016. Owners of old accounts 15 free gigabytes are still available.

Premium subscription cost:

Mega

Free seat: 50 GB.
Maximum size of one file: unlimited (when downloading from a browser - 2 GB).
Maximum amount of space: 4 TB.
Mobile OS Compatibility: Supported on Android above 4.0, iOS above 7.0, Windows Phone 7/8, BlackBerry 10.

Just think - 50 free gigabytes! Whereas competitors offer only 10-15 GB! About cloud storage Mega- the brainchild of the New Zealand company of the same name - I want to tell so much that it would be enough for several articles.

"Cloud" Mega remarkable not only for the large volume free space. Safety has always been considered its main advantage. Actually, to create Mega developer Kim Dotcom was prompted by the scandalous revelations of Edward Snowden, who said that American citizens can only dream of confidentiality of information. Mega uses end-to-end encryption: data is encrypted in the browser - as a result, the program Mega does not know what information the user has loaded onto the disk.

However, Kim Dotcom himself undermined the credibility of his offspring, saying in 2015 that personal information is in danger and users should urgently make backups.

According to the creator of the service, the company experienced significant pressure from the US government, and this pressure was expressed mainly in the refusal to cooperate with Mega all payment systems, including PayPal. In fact, the start-up was doomed to exist without cash receipts at all. In the end, Kim Dotcom announced an unfriendly takeover of the company by Chinese investors and left - according to own words, develop a competitor program for Mega.

History since Mega like a conspiracy thriller. Each user must decide for himself whether to trust the personal data of a company with such an ambiguous reputation. It is worth noting that in addition to Dotcom itself, the safety of information in Mega so far no one has complained.

Premium subscription cost:

200 GB	500 GB
4.99 euro / month	9.99 euro / month	19.99 euro / month	29.99 euro / month

Mail.ru cloud

Free seat: 25 GB.
Maximum size of one file: 2 GB (with the purchase of a place - 32 GB).
Maximum amount of space: 4 TB.
Mobile OS Compatibility: Supported on Android above 4.0, iOS above 7.0, Windows Phone above version 8.

Service Cloud Mail.ru, having appeared in 2013, immediately pleased users with an attraction of unprecedented generosity - each was provided with 100 free gigabytes. Later, the amount of free space was reduced to 16 GB, then increased to 25 GB - this limit is still relevant.

Among the advantages Mail.ru cloud” includes not only a large amount of free space. The service boasts a high download and upload speed for domestic users, as well as cross-platform - " Mail.ru cloud”, for example, is available to advanced users, on whose computers it is “worth” linux.

It is worth mentioning the shortcomings of the service. According to user reviews, " Cloud Mail.ru" is very "buggy" and often crashes when launched on older versions of Windows.

Users also complain that Mail.ru Group in addition to its cloud storage produces hidden installation various toolbars and agents - but this is already a familiar story.

Premium subscription cost:

	128 GB	256 GB	512 GB
690 rub. / year	1 490 rub. / year	2 290 rub. / year	3 790 rub. / year	RUB 6,990 / year	13 900 rub. / year	27 900 rub. / year

Conclusion

The choice of users who are not afraid that their data will be stolen by foreign intelligence agencies is obvious - Google Drive is the most convenient cloud storage, giving an impressive amount of free space for free. Users who wish to support domestic manufacturer, attention should be paid to Yandex.Disk and Mail.ru cloud. Both services, however, have very significant shortcomings: cloud off Yandex provides little disk space, and the product from Mail and it's still quite "raw".

I would like to note that there is no dropbox one of the pioneers of cloud computing. Flaw dropbox in that it offers only 2 GB of free space - a trifle in today's times. Besides, cloud service does not show flexibility in matters of purchase extra space; individuals Only 1 rate is offered. Otherwise, as disrespect for users, it is difficult to regard it.

Cloud storage remains a type of service that has taken root in our lives. They experienced rapid growth, experienced a market glut when new "clouds" opened almost every week, experienced a recession when the same "clouds" began to close one by one. And now we have before us just a type of service that has become established and has already become commonplace, has passed the test of time, given the features and speed of the modern industry.

There are a lot of cloud storages. Each has its own characteristics and its own audience. Someone chooses only one “cloud”, someone uses several at once. We have chosen ten, the most interesting of them. One of the criteria for this top is a free plan with free space in the cloud so that each user can try it out for himself. No trial, just a free plan with free space.

10.pCloud

Quite an interesting and rapidly developing cloud. The cloud blog is updated almost every week, and it is clear that the developers are actively working on it. They give 10 GB for free, but by following a few simple steps. You can get a few more GB. There is a referral system that will also allow you to increase your free space. It is also interesting that pCloud, in addition to the monthly and annual subscription fee for advanced features, also has a one-time purchase plan, you just pay a certain amount and increase the volume of your cloud, forever, it's hard to remember which cloud still does this.

9. MEGA

Encrypted Vault by Kim Dotcom. There were rumors that the cloud was taken away from him, about other unpleasant ups and downs in the management of MEGA, but this does not prevent the cloud storage from developing and existing further. The cloud is built on enough high level encryption, for more comfortable work with the web version, it is better to install a special browser extension so that the decoding process goes much faster. There are applications for all popular operating systems. The main thing that attracts many is that MEGA gives 50 GB on a free plan. This volume was at the start, it remains so to this day.

8.MediaFire

One of the oldest services in this top, works well, but develops rather slowly. There is no desktop version, so you have to use the web version, but mobile apps are fine.

I started MediaFire as a file hosting service, but I realized the sunset in time similar services and converted to cloud storage. Old users and those who managed to get under the action have 50 GB of free space, the rest are given 10 GB, but sometimes it becomes possible to increase the volume for free available space.

7. Box

Another cloud storage that has stood the test of time. Box was originally focused on business and this has allowed it to survive to this day and have a dedicated user base. They give 10 GB for free, and sometimes there are promotions to get 50 GB of free space. That's just the free plan has many limitations. All these restrictions will be removed if you switch to a subscription.

6. Cloud Mail.Ru

The Mail.Ru Cloud was launched with 100 GB of free space, then there was a promotion where you could get 1 TB for free, then the volume was significantly reduced, and on new accounts they give a meager amount of space. The cloud has received a built-in audio player, integration with Office Online and continues to receive new features and support for new formats, but instability with free volume does not allow it to rise higher in the rankings.

5. Yandex.Disk

Surprisingly stable, in terms of volume, cloud storage from Yandex. At launch, they gave 10 GB of free space. Several years have passed, and 10 GB is still there, but there are constant promotions when you can either temporarily get free volume or increase the cloud on a permanent basis. Let's add support for a large number of formats, integration with Office Online and continuous development of applications.

At the end of 2017, the Disk also stood out and. Everything that you upload to Yandex.Disk from your phone will not be taken into account when calculating the total volume. Apparently this is not an action, since no deadlines are called. There are also no size limits, which makes this feature even better than Google Photos.

4.iCloud

If you love Apple technology, then you must have come across this cloud storage. Many applications work through it, backup and synchronization take place. You can also use iCloud as our usual cloud storage. Throw in Apple's screwed-up office suite, a Windows app, and you've got a pretty decent cloud storage with a dedicated fan base.

That's only if you do not use Apple products, for you more the best option any other cloud storage in this top will be, as it will give you more options.

3. Dropbox

It is Dropbox that is considered the service that started the "explosive" growth of cloud storage. Dropbox was one of the first to popularize this type of service, and although now it does not have better times, the service continues to develop and receive new opportunities. Free Dropbox gives only 2 GB. Promotions that increase the free volume have not been held for a long time, and the limitations of the free tariff do not allow you to fully use the cloud. Unfortunately, Dropbox is no longer up to the ideal cloud storage.

2.OneDrive

Cloud storage from Microsoft. There is tight integration with the Office Online office suite, which is also integrated into other cloud storages, with the consent of Microsoft. By default, it is integrated into Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. Format support is also quite extensive. Working in this cloud, many users can safely refuse the full suite of Microsoft Office or Microsoft Office 365, which only provide enhanced capabilities for more professional tasks.

When you purchase a Microsoft Office 365 subscription, you also get 1 TB of OneDrive space as a bonus. So many simply do not expand the volume of the cloud on a paid basis, but simply purchase an Office subscription, and at the same time increase the cloud space.

1. Google Drive

Cloud storage from Google has the most more quantity supported file formats, which can be extended with optional cloud extensions. Small office documents, as well as photos and videos with a small extension, are not taken into account when calculating the available space in the cloud. And this space is 15 GB.

The cloud is integrated with the Google Docs cloud office suite, which has a simple and user-friendly interface for which many people prefer to use it as their main office suite. More recently, the Google Drive and Google Photos apps have been merged into one app dubbed "Google Autoload and Sync." There were rumors about an application for Linux, but so far many continue to use unofficial clients, and this is almost the only serious drawback of the leader of the current top.

Hi all!

Perhaps most of us have at least once faced such a problem as a lack of free space on a PC hard drive or an urgent need to access the necessary files, documents and photos.

Of course, a standard flash drive can save in such a situation. But how often have you forgotten your flash drive at work, at home, with friends, or even lost it? Yes, and flash drives do not rarely break.

It is much more convenient and safer to store your information in the so-called cloud storage. About what it is, I will tell you today.

What is cloud storage?

Cloud file storage is a special remote server.

Many Internet resources allow users to store personal information on their server.

This service is provided both for a fee and for free. Of course, services with paid services provide the most opportunities, but free ones can also be very comfortable.

Cloud storage is a place where you can store your data, which you will have access to anywhere and anytime. Naturally, subject to the availability of the Internet in this place.

The "cloud" can be used after installing special programs or directly from. Applications for accessing files on the server in our time can be installed not only on a computer, but also on a tablet or smartphone.

Advantages and disadvantages

Everything is clear with what cloud storage means, but what are its advantages? Main advantages this method data storage is:

Ease of access to any files and documents;
In the event of a complete collapse of the operating system, the content uploaded to the "cloud" will remain safe and sound;
All data can be stored forever;
Most Internet services provide these services for free.

Of course, in addition to the advantages, such a storage system also has certain disadvantages.

Some services are unable to provide encryption of information during transmission. This affects the security of the transmission of your data.

The speed of operations depends on your Internet provider or operator mobile communications which provides Internet communication services.

But despite all this, one cannot but agree that the advantages of cloud storage are much greater than the disadvantages.

Google Drive

Cloud storage Google Drive gives the user as much as 15 gigabytes of space. If you need more, you can additionally buy up to 30 TB.

Those who have repeatedly used services from Google, for example, google doc, will be comfortable here. Besides, google app Drive is available not only for windows, but also Mac OS, Android, iOS.

Mega

Mega is a young, but very promising cloud file sharing service created by Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom.

The advantage of this service over similar ones is complete confidentiality and data protection. Important Features service:

encryption in the browser of all data using the AES algorithm;
the ability to exchange encrypted files between users;
keys to files are not published, but are transferred only in Friend-to-Friend mode.

For data storage, Mega provides you with up to 50 GB for free. Also, if necessary, you can additionally purchase:

500 GB for $10 per month
2TB for $19/month
4 TB ($30 per month).

In terms of disk space, Mega is the most profitable among cloud services.

But due to certain shortcomings, this service is still losing, for example, in terms of synchronization with other devices.

Cloud mail.ru

A promising "cloud" from Russian developers from the Mail.Ru Group. Here you can store any information, share it with other users and synchronize it on all devices.

The cloud can be used both through the web interface and through mobile applications for iOS and Android. In applications for mobile devices, the function of auto-uploading photos from an iPad or iPhone is available. By activating this function, you will automatically transfer photos created using the device to the Cloud.

You are immediately given up to 25 GB of free disk space.

Yandex.Disk

A wonderful free service from the good old Yandex, which allows you to save your files and share them with other users on the World Wide Web.

From the very beginning, Yandex.Disk gives the user 10 GB, which is much less than in other services. Additionally you can buy:

10 GB for 30 rubles. per month,
100 GB for 150 rubles per month,
1 TB for 900 rubles per month.

Also, as a bonus, you can additionally give:

50 GB for promotions with partners
512 megabytes for each referred friend (in this way, you can increase the amount to a maximum of 10 gigabytes).

It is important that Yandex.Disk can be integrated into Microsoft Office 2013, that is, you can immediately save documents to the "cloud" of this service.

There is also a business version of Yandex.Disk, which differs from the standard one by the presence of an API and certain functions to improve security.

dropbox

This cloud file storage allows users to store their own data and transfer it to each other with a password. That is, in order for your friends to be able to view the files that you have prepared for them, you will need to tell them the password for the document.

The main account gives 2 Giga for free. Additionally, you can purchase 1 Terabyte for 10 euros per month. By signing up for a Business account (12 euros per month) you can get as much space as you need.

Dropbox works great on both PC and mobile devices. Unlike other similar products, this application does not copy the edited files to the server, but transfers only the modified, pre-compressed part. This makes Dropbox much faster than its competitors.

Where to store files online?

Below I will give you a list of services that I myself have ever used and that inspire the most confidence. This list will be useful for both ordinary Internet users and site owners who are looking for where to upload files of various sizes.

1. Yandex.Disk. Today, one of the most popular and convenient services for storing files on the Internet. Yandex Cloud has a very user-friendly interface both from a computer and from a mobile application. Most documents (office, pdf, images and videos) can be viewed in a browser right inside the disk interface without downloading them to a computer for this. Links to files from Yandex.Disk are easy to share with other people (in a couple of clicks), and they can also be attached to emails while writing a letter. To upload files, you must have your Yandex account. Upon registration, you get 10 GB of free space on Yandex.Disk for your files. Also, by registering using my link and installing the program, you will receive another 1 GB on Yandex.Disk for free. The storage period for files on Yandex.Disk is unlimited. Cloud storage from Yandex is perfect for storing large files for a long time.

2. [email protected]. simple and convenient service to store your files online. Gives each new user 25 GB of space in their cloud. The storage period of files is not limited. The interface of this storage is not so convenient and has its limitations compared to the previous competitor. You can increase the amount of available space for a fee, from 499 rubles. For more detailed conditions, see the help section of the service.

3. Google Drive. An excellent service for storing multimedia files (photos, videos), as well as for text documents, presentations and spreadsheets. Initially, this service was positioned as a service for storing office documents and was called Google Docs. Later it was transformed into a full-fledged Google Drive cloud service for storing files of any type and large volumes. Google Drive has tools for creating and editing text documents, excel spreadsheets, presentations - a great alternative to Microsoft Office that allows you to work with your documents from any computer connected to the Internet. Google Drive gives you 15 GB of free disk space. It is possible to set sharing access to your files or restrict them from everyone. A very convenient, safe and reliable service for storing your files online. It is possible to increase the amount of disk space for your files up to 1 TB (1000 GB) for $1.99 per month.

4. Picasa Web Album (Closing May 1, 2016). Another Google product. Designed to store your photos online. In addition, you can download and install the Picasa program on your computer, which will clean up your computer. In the Picasa program, you will see all the photos that are stored on your computer, even those that you have long forgotten about. With Picasa, it will be very convenient for you to upload your photos to the Internet, directly from the program. I uploaded my first photos to the Picasa web album, back in 2008, and they lie quietly there to this day. In 2015, Google launched the Google Photos service, which became an analogue of the Picasa service. In 2016, the decision was made to close Picasa and focus all efforts on one product - Google Photos.

5. Drop box. If you don't have a flash drive at hand to which you need to quickly transfer files, upload your files to the DropBox virtual flash drive. On this service, you will be offered to download a program, after downloading and installing which, a synchronized DropBox folder will be created in the "My Documents" folder of your computer. You can drop any files into this folder, after which they are automatically saved on the Internet. You can access these files from any computer by logging into your DropBox account or a synced folder on your computer. With DropBox, you get 2 GB free of charge for your files. You can increase the amount of space for free if your friends register in DropBox using your link, for each of which you will receive 500 MB additional space until your account has 16 GB.

6.QIP files. Allows you to store any type of files on the Internet. The service provides 2 GB of free space. The storage period of files is not limited. You can increase the amount of available space in this service by inviting new members.

7. Evernote- an amazing service with the motto "Remember everything". Evernote allows you to quickly save any information on the Internet, organize it and synchronize it between all devices from which you access the Internet. The service is designed to store on the Internet small text, handwritten, audio notes and photos taken by your phone, which are immediately uploaded to your Evernote account on the Internet. Incredibly convenient service that allows you to save all important information online and have access to it wherever you are. In one of the following articles I will describe this service in more detail.

Below you can see a table in which I have described the most important characteristics each of the above services. With the help of this table it will be easier for you to choose where to store your files online.

Internet storage services

Service	Price	Free Volume	Shelf life	Maximum file size	Price for extra place
Yandex.Disk	free	up to 20 GB	not limited	10 GB	from 30 rub./m.