iCloud Photos Storage Calculator
Work out how much iCloud storage your photo and video habits need per month and per year, and how long a storage plan will last.
- HEIC, RAW, Live Photos and video
- Monthly and yearly growth
- GB and GiB
Calculated in your browser. The numbers you type are not sent to A2Z Tools.
Photos Storage Calculator workspace
Before you start
- Per-item sizes are typical values you can overwrite; your own camera settings decide the real size.
- Video size is estimated from bitrate and duration, not measured from files.
- Estimates only - they are not read from your iCloud account.
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What the Photos Storage Calculator does
Photos and videos are usually the fastest-growing part of an iCloud account. This calculator turns your shooting habits into a storage forecast: how much a typical month adds, what that means over a year, how much storage you will need after a number of years, and how long a chosen capacity will last given what you already use.
How the estimate works
- Photos per month = count × average size in MB × 1,000,000 bytes, for each of HEIC, JPEG, RAW or ProRAW, and Live Photos.
- Video per month = minutes × 60 × bitrate in Mbps × 1,000,000 ÷ 8 bytes, for 1080p, 4K and slow-motion video.
- Yearly growth = monthly growth × 12.
- Needed after N years = storage used today + monthly growth × 12 × N.
- How long a capacity lasts = (capacity − storage used today) ÷ monthly growth.
Typical sizes used as defaults
The defaults are common values, not measurements from your device, and every one can be changed:
- HEIC photo at 12 megapixels: about 2.5 MB. At 48 megapixels expect roughly 4 to 5 MB.
- JPEG photo at 12 megapixels: about 4 MB.
- ProRAW photo: about 25 MB at 12 megapixels and around 75 MB at 48 megapixels.
- Live Photo: about 4.5 MB, because it stores a still image and a short video clip.
- 1080p video at 30 frames per second: about 8 Mbps, roughly 60 MB per minute.
- 4K video at 30 frames per second: about 22.7 Mbps, roughly 170 MB per minute.
- Slow-motion 1080p at 240 frames per second: about 64 Mbps, roughly 480 MB per minute.
Finding your real numbers
On an iPhone, Settings, your name, iCloud shows how much the Photos library uses. In the Camera section of Settings, Formats shows whether you shoot High Efficiency (HEIC and HEVC) or Most Compatible (JPEG and H.264), and Record Video shows the resolution and frame rate, which decide the bitrate. The Photos app lists the number of photos and videos at the bottom of the library view, which helps you work out a monthly average.
Tips
- Video dominates: ten minutes of 4K a month can add more than a hundred photos.
- ProRAW files are large; switch it on only for shots you plan to edit.
- High Efficiency formats usually take roughly half the space of Most Compatible ones.
- Plan with a margin: aim for a capacity that lasts longer than the horizon you pick.
Limitations
Real file sizes vary with scene detail, lighting and settings, and habits change over time. Edited copies, shared libraries and items waiting in Recently Deleted also use space. Use the result as a planning estimate and check Settings on your device for the exact figure.
Privacy
The calculator only does arithmetic on the numbers you type, in your browser. It does not access your photos or your account.
A2Z Tools is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc. iCloud, iPhone and Apple are trademarks of Apple Inc.
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Key facts
- Photo growth per month = photos per month x average size.
- Video growth per month = minutes x 60 x Mbps x 1,000,000 / 8 bytes.
- 8 Mbps is about 60 MB per minute of video; 64 Mbps is about 480 MB per minute.
- Storage needed after N years = storage used now + monthly growth x 12 x N.
- Typical sizes are starting points you can overwrite, listed under Assumptions.
- Results show decimal GB and binary GiB.
How to use it
- Enter how many HEIC, JPEG, RAW and Live Photos you take in a typical month.
- Enter how many minutes of 1080p, 4K and slow-motion video you record each month.
- Adjust any average size or bitrate to match your camera settings.
- Enter the storage you already use, pick a capacity and choose how many years to plan for.
- Read monthly and yearly growth, the storage needed and how long the capacity lasts, then download the CSV.
Frequently asked questions
How much storage does one iPhone photo use?
It depends on format and resolution. A 12 megapixel HEIC photo is often around 2 to 3 MB, a JPEG around 3 to 5 MB, and a ProRAW file 25 MB or more. The calculator lets you enter your own average.
How much storage does a minute of 4K video use?
At 30 frames per second in the High Efficiency format it is commonly around 170 MB per minute, which is about 23 Mbps. At 60 frames per second it can be more than twice that.
How do I convert a bitrate to MB per minute?
Multiply the Mbps figure by 60 and divide by 8. For example 8 Mbps × 60 ÷ 8 = 60 MB per minute.
Why are Live Photos bigger than normal photos?
A Live Photo stores a still image plus a short video clip of the moments around it, so it uses the space of both.
What is the difference between GB and GiB in the results?
GB is decimal (1,000,000,000 bytes), the way storage plans are labelled. GiB is binary (1,073,741,824 bytes), the way Windows counts. The same amount of data is a slightly smaller number in GiB.
Does the calculator look at my photo library?
No. It never reads files or connects to any account. It only uses the counts and sizes you type.
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