In the digital age, losing a smartphone is often equated with losing memory, as it stores thousands of photos, important documents and correspondence. Cloud storage is becoming more than just a convenient option, but a vital necessity for any gadget owner. Users of the Xiaomi ecosystem often wonder about the cost of the company’s cloud services, especially given the frequent changes in tariff policy and geopolitical nuances.
The relevance of the question of how much a subscription costs in 2026 is due to the fact that the free space of 5 GB, which is provided by default, is sorely lacking for modern users. High-quality images taken on flagship cameras with a resolution of tens of megapixels, and videos in 4K or 8K take up gigabytes of memory in a matter of days. In this article, we will discuss in detail current rates, ways to renew subscriptions and real alternatives that will help you not overpay for unnecessary functions.
It’s worth noting that prices can vary depending on the region of your Mi Account and the currency you choose. However, there is a basic pricing structure that remains relatively stable in the global market, and understanding how data synchronization works and what you buy will avoid unpleasant surprises when debiting your credit card.
What is included in the basic package and why you need an extension
Every user who registers a Mi Account automatically accesses a 5GB cloud storage. This space is used for contact backups, SMS, call history, notes, voice recorder and, of course, gallery. This volume can be enough for text data for years to come, but multimedia content quickly exhausts the limit. When free space runs out, synchronizing new files stops, and you risk losing fresh pictures in the event of a device breakdown.
Xiaomi Cloud’s paid subscription removes these restrictions and opens up additional features, including increasing disk space to 50GB, 200GB or even 2TB depending on the tariff you choose, and premium accounts often receive priority support and enhanced capabilities to find lost devices, which is critical in situations of theft or loss of a gadget.
⚠️ Note: If your cloud is crowded, new photos will not load even if you have Wi-Fi. The system will alert you to this with a notification, but it is better not to bring to the critical mark of 100%.
It is important to distinguish between local and cloud backups: Local backups are stored on the device itself or on the connected computer, while cloud services store data on remote servers of the company, which ensures the safety of information even in the event of physical destruction of a smartphone, fire or natural disaster. For many users, this aspect of security is a decisive factor in making a decision to purchase a subscription.
Current rates and subscription cost in 2026
Xiaomi currently offers several subscription levels that allow you to flexibly select the storage volume for your needs. Prices may vary slightly depending on the country of registration of the account and the exchange rate, but the basic tariff grid is as follows.
| Tariff plan | Storage volume | Approximate price (mo) | Approximate price (year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 5GB | 0 rub. | 0 rub. |
| Standard | 50GB | ~99 rubles ($1) | ~990 rubles. ($10) |
| Optimal. | 200GB | ~199 rubles ($2) | ~1990 rubles. ($20) |
| Maximum | 2 TB | ~699 rubles ($7) | ~6990 rubles ($70) |
The most popular option among users is a 200GB tariff, which allows you to store tens of thousands of high-resolution photos and hundreds of hours of video, which completely covers the needs of the average family. The 2TB tariff is aimed more at professional photographers or users who use the cloud as the main place to store work projects and heavy video files.
Payment for subscriptions is usually automatically made from a linked bank card; payment frequency can be adjusted both monthly and annual; when choosing a payment for the year ahead, users often receive a small discount, which in terms of monthly subscriptions makes it much cheaper.
How have prices changed in the last 3 years?
How to subscribe and choose a payment method
Subscription is as simple as possible, and takes no more than a couple of minutes, so you need to go to your smartphone settings, find the Mi Account section, and select the Cloud, where the system will offer to update the tariff if the current space is full, or allow you to choose a new plan manually.
To activate the paid tariff, you will need to link the payment method, depending on the region, it can be a bank card (Visa, MasterCard, MIR), a mobile phone balance or payment system accounts. It is important to make sure that there is enough money on the card, since the first charge is often checked with a small amount frozen, which is then returned.
The algorithm for connecting a subscription is as follows:
- 📱 Open Settings on your Xiaomi or Redmi device.
- 👤 Click on the top plaque with the name of your Mi Account.
- ☁️ Choose the Cloud or Xiaomi Cloud section.
- 💳 Click Change the Storage Plan or Buy a Place.
- ✅ Confirm payment by the chosen method through a secure gateway.
⚠️ Note: When paying through third-party apps (for example, through the Google Play interface on some global firmware), the store commission can be included in the final cost. MIUI/HyperOS more often.
Once you have a successful payment, the amount of available space increases instantly. If you have already had files waiting to download due to space shortage, sync will resume automatically when you connect to Wi-Fi. In case of payment errors, the system will prompt you to try again or choose another method of calculation.
☑️ Pre-payment checks
Problems with payment from Russia and CIS countries
For Russian users, the issue of paying for Xiaomi Cloud subscriptions in 2026 remains difficult due to sanctions: Visa and MasterCard cards issued by Russian banks do not pay in foreign services, which technically include cloud infrastructure, which creates a situation where the service is formally available, but it is impossible to pay for it using standard methods.
There are several workarounds that smartphone owners use, one of which is using foreign bank cards (Kazakhstan, Belarus, Turkey) if you have the opportunity to issue and replenish them, another option is paying through mobile carrier balance sheets, if this option is supported by your account region and the carrier.
If you have specified Russia when registering, the interface may offer rates in rubles, but the payment gateway may not accept Russian cards. Changing the account region (for example, to Kazakhstan or Turkey) may change the account currency and available payment methods, but will require confirmation via SMS to the number of the selected country or a complete data reset.
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Try linking a Russian bank’s UnionPay card, although support for this payment system is limited in foreign services, in some cases transactions are successful, especially if the issuing bank has gateways for international transactions.
Alternatives to Xiaomi Cloud Storage
If you are not able to pay for Xiaomi Cloud, or