What you get free
5 GB (shared across OneDrive files/photos, Outlook.com email attachments, and Microsoft 365 app files; the Outlook.com mailbox itself has a separate 15 GB)
Taken from Microsoft OneDrive's own pricing page on 2026-07-29. Free tiers move, so check the source before you plan around the number.
How it changed
9Every entry below is dated and linked to the announcement it came from. This is the part worth reading before you commit: a free tier that has been cut once can be cut again.
| Date | Change | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| February 1, 2023 | Policy | Microsoft changed what consumes the free 5 GB allowance: from 1 February 2023, storage used by Outlook.com email attachments counts against the OneDrive/Microsoft cloud storage quota rather than against the separate 15 GB Outlook.com mailbox quota. The headline number stayed 5 GB, but effective usable OneDrive space shrank for anyone with a busy Outlook.com inbox — and hitting the 5 GB cap disrupts the ability to send and receive Outlook.com email. Outlook attachments count toward OneDrive capacity — The Register |
| July 27, 2016 | Cut | The reduction announced in November 2015 actually took effect on 27 July 2016: free OneDrive accounts that had not opted in by 31 January 2016 dropped from 15 GB (plus any 15 GB camera roll bonus) to 5 GB total. Free users who were over the new limit were offered one free year of Office 365 Personal (1 TB) as compensation. OneDrive's free storage will officially go down to just 5GB on July 27 — Windows Central |
| December 11, 2015 | Policy | After the backlash, OneDrive group program manager Douglas Pearce apologized ("we are all genuinely sorry for the frustration this decision has caused") and announced an opt-in page letting existing free users keep their 15 GB of free storage plus the 15 GB camera roll bonus. Users had to actively click through by 31 January 2016; Microsoft explicitly did not reverse the underlying plan changes. Microsoft Partially Takes Back Changes To OneDrive's Storage Caps — TechCrunch |
| November 2, 2015 | Cut | In the post "OneDrive storage plans change in pursuit of productivity and collaboration," Microsoft announced it would cut the free tier from 15 GB to 5 GB, discontinue the 15 GB camera roll bonus, end unlimited storage for Office 365 Home/Personal/University (capping at 1 TB), and replace the 100 GB and 200 GB plans with a single 50 GB plan at $1.99/mo. Microsoft blamed a small number of users storing 75+ TB each. The announcement triggered a large user backlash (tens of thousands of UserVoice votes). Microsoft apologizes for riling OneDrive users, restores some free storage space on request — Computerworld |
| September 2014 | Feature | Microsoft offered an extra 15 GB of free OneDrive storage to users who enabled automatic camera-roll backup, bringing a standard free account to 30 GB total. It was pitched as a limited-time offer ending that month, but storage claimed under it was permanent. This bonus is the same one later withdrawn in the 2015/2016 changes. Microsoft offers up to 30 GB of free OneDrive cloud storage — Notebookcheck |
| June 23, 2014 | Increase | Microsoft raised the free OneDrive allowance from 7 GB to 15 GB for everyone, gave Office 365 subscribers 1 TB (up from 20 GB), and cut paid plan prices to $1.99/mo for 100 GB and $3.99/mo for 200 GB. Microsoft's stated rationale: "3 out of 4 people have less than 15 GB of files stored on their PC." Massive increase to OneDrive storage plans: 15 GB free for everyone, 1 TB for Office 365 subscribers — Microsoft 365 Blog |
| April 23, 2012 | Cut | Alongside the release of SkyDrive desktop apps for Windows/OS X and new paid storage tiers, Microsoft cut the free allowance for new users from 25 GB to 7 GB. A limited-time "loyalty offer" let any registered user who had already uploaded files to SkyDrive (as of 22 April 2012) opt in to keep 25 GB free permanently. SkyDrive app for Windows Phone gets 2.0 update, reduces free storage capacity — Engadget |
| November 13, 2008 | Increase | Microsoft boosted every SkyDrive user's free storage fivefold, from 5 GB to 25 GB, as part of the Windows Live "Wave 3" wave of updates. 25GB of Free Online Storage with Windows Live SkyDrive — Windows Experience Blog |
| August 9, 2007 | Launch | Microsoft launched Windows Live SkyDrive (formerly Windows Live Folders), the service later renamed OneDrive, offering 500 MB of free web storage for storing and sharing files. Store your files in "the cloud" with Windows Live SkyDrive — Windows Experience Blog |
What happens if you stop using it
Inactive for 2 years (OneDrive support docs and deletion emails); 1 year per Microsoft Services Agreement §4.a.ii: Microsoft's OneDrive support documentation states files may be erased if "You haven't used your OneDrive account in two years," and affected users receive an email/app notification reading "Your files will be erased on [date]" (reportedly up to ~8 months…
This is the policy as written by Microsoft OneDrive, checked on 2026-07-29. It is the clause people discover too late, which is why it gets its own section.
Can a backup tool reach it?
| rclone | Supported via the onedrive backend docs |
|---|---|
| WebDAV | Not publicly specified — being verified |
| API on the free tier | Not publicly specified — being verified |
Own client ID is offered but worded more softly than Google Drive's: "rclone uses a default Client ID when talking to…
Should you rely on it?
Not on its own. A free tier is a reasonable third copy under the 3-2-1 rule and a poor only copy, for the reason this page documents: the allowance is a business decision the provider can revise, and several on the tracker already have.
If the data matters, pair it with something you control. The offsite backup guide covers the pattern, and cloud backup options compares paid tiers that come with a retention promise instead of a marketing page.
5 GB (shared across OneDrive files/photos, Outlook.com email attachments, and Microsoft 365 app files; the Outlook.com mailbox itself has a separate 15 GB) Last verified 2026-07-29.
The tracked history holds 9 dated changes, the most recent being Policy on February 1, 2023. Each entry links the announcement it came from.
After 2 years (OneDrive support docs and deletion emails); 1 year per Microsoft Services Agreement §4.a.ii. Microsoft's OneDrive support documentation states files may be erased if "You haven't used your OneDrive account in two years," and affected users receive an email/app notification reading "Your files will be erased on [date]" (reportedly up to ~8 months…
Yes, via the onedrive backend. WebDAV: Not publicly specified — being verified. Free-tier API access: Not publicly specified — being verified.
No. One copy in one place is not a backup, whoever hosts it. A free tier is a useful third copy inside the 3-2-1 rule, never the only one — free tiers change, and this page exists because they have.