18:24Machine-translated from Azerbaijani by AIRead in Azerbaijani
Microsoft 365 Family and Premium Storage Cut From 6 TB to 2 TB
Microsoft has changed the cloud storage policy for Microsoft 365 Family and Premium plans. Until now, each of 6 users received 1 TB of storage in their OneDrive account, for a total of 6 TB. Under the new policy, all members will use a shared 2 TB of storage. This reduces the total capacity by 66.6%, leaving approximately 330 GB per person on an account with 6 users.
The change has already taken effect for new Microsoft 365 Family and Premium subscribers. Existing subscribers will move to the new policy on May 2, 2027, or at their first renewal after that date. Accounts that change their plan before then may be moved to the pooled storage model sooner. Some subscribers will receive additional storage, but the terms have not yet been disclosed. According to Microsoft, the pooled system will allow family members to share unused storage with one another. Any additional storage purchased by the primary subscriber will also be available to all members. This model is mainly beneficial for accounts where only 1 person stores a large number of files. For example, if each of 4 users fills 500 GB, the entire 2 TB of storage will be used up, making it necessary to purchase additional space. Plan prices have not changed. Microsoft 365 Family remains $129.99 per year (approximately AZN 220), while Microsoft 365 Personal remains $99.99 per year (approximately AZN 170). To increase storage on the Personal plan to 2 TB, users must pay an additional $9.99 per month (approximately AZN 17). This amounts to $119.88 per year (approximately AZN 200). The monthly price for an additional 200 GB of storage starts at $1.99 (approximately AZN 3). Information about Microsoft 365 Pro is inconsistent. One report states that the plan is included in the pooled storage policy, while another says that it provides 5 TB of storage. The plan is sold for $99 per month (approximately AZN 170) or £95 (approximately AZN 210). No change has yet been announced regarding the 1 TB limit on the Microsoft 365 Personal plan.
The decision comes amid a serious shortage in the storage market. Hard drive prices rose by 46% from September 2025 to January 2026. Enterprise-grade SSDs with a capacity of 30 TB now cost as much as $22,600 (approximately AZN 38,420). It is reported that supplies of these products through 2027 have already been sold. Constraints in the cloud market have also affected other services. Google has reduced free storage from 15 GB to 5 GB until additional security measures are implemented. Backblaze has also added terms allowing it to throttle or close an account in cases of excessive use. Those who do not want to make monthly payments can set up a NAS, or personal file storage at home. However, the initial cost of such a system is high.
The change has already taken effect for new Microsoft 365 Family and Premium subscribers. Existing subscribers will move to the new policy on May 2, 2027, or at their first renewal after that date. Accounts that change their plan before then may be moved to the pooled storage model sooner. Some subscribers will receive additional storage, but the terms have not yet been disclosed. According to Microsoft, the pooled system will allow family members to share unused storage with one another. Any additional storage purchased by the primary subscriber will also be available to all members. This model is mainly beneficial for accounts where only 1 person stores a large number of files. For example, if each of 4 users fills 500 GB, the entire 2 TB of storage will be used up, making it necessary to purchase additional space. Plan prices have not changed. Microsoft 365 Family remains $129.99 per year (approximately AZN 220), while Microsoft 365 Personal remains $99.99 per year (approximately AZN 170). To increase storage on the Personal plan to 2 TB, users must pay an additional $9.99 per month (approximately AZN 17). This amounts to $119.88 per year (approximately AZN 200). The monthly price for an additional 200 GB of storage starts at $1.99 (approximately AZN 3). Information about Microsoft 365 Pro is inconsistent. One report states that the plan is included in the pooled storage policy, while another says that it provides 5 TB of storage. The plan is sold for $99 per month (approximately AZN 170) or £95 (approximately AZN 210). No change has yet been announced regarding the 1 TB limit on the Microsoft 365 Personal plan. The decision comes amid a serious shortage in the storage market. Hard drive prices rose by 46% from September 2025 to January 2026. Enterprise-grade SSDs with a capacity of 30 TB now cost as much as $22,600 (approximately AZN 38,420). It is reported that supplies of these products through 2027 have already been sold. Constraints in the cloud market have also affected other services. Google has reduced free storage from 15 GB to 5 GB until additional security measures are implemented. Backblaze has also added terms allowing it to throttle or close an account in cases of excessive use. Those who do not want to make monthly payments can set up a NAS, or personal file storage at home. However, the initial cost of such a system is high.