Xiaomi Cloud Subscription: How Much Is It Worth?

Owners of Mi and Redmi smartphones often face a shortage of space for photos and backups. the built-in 5GB storage that Xiaomi Cloud provides is not long enough. Sooner or later, the system notifies you of an overflow and offers a paid subscription to expand the volume.

Many users are lost in the variety of plans, as prices may vary depending on the region of the account and currency.In addition, in recent years, the company’s policy on cloud services has changed, especially for users from Russia.

In this article, we will take a closer look at how much it costs to expand storage in the Xiaomi ecosystem, and you will learn about current international prices, payment methods, and possible alternatives if standard methods do not work, which will help you not overpay for unnecessary gigabytes.

Basic conditions and free storage limit

Each new Mi Account initially gets access to a basic amount of storage. The standard limit is 5 GB. At first glance, it seems that this is not enough, but the system is designed to save space.

Gallery photos, contacts, notes, voice recordings and app data are the bulk of the volume. Video files and large documents often stay on the device or require manual downloading; understanding what exactly takes up space helps to delay subscription purchases for a longer time.

⚠️ Note: If you exceed the 5GB limit, syncing of new data will automatically stop.

For those who are actively using the Xiaomi ecosystem, having a backup of contacts and settings is critical. When a smartphone is lost or broken, recovery from the Mi Cloud occurs instantly after entering the username and password, which is the main value of the service, even at a free rate.

Current tariff plans and prices in 2026-2026

Xiaomi offers multiple levels of storage expansion, with a monthly or annual payment cycle, and prices vary depending on the country in the account settings, but international standards remain fairly stable.

The most popular option is an intermediate tariff that suits most users: It provides enough space for thousands of high-resolution photos and multiple device backups; and the more expensive rates target those who store 4K video or full system images in the cloud.

Below is a table with an estimated subscription cost.Please note that prices are quoted in US dollars, as this is the base currency for international billing Xiaomi Cloud.

It's important to note that buying an annual plan is often more profitable than paying monthly, a difference of up to one free month of use, and for family accounts or users with multiple Redmi and POCO smartphones, this is a significant savings.

Features of payment for users from Russia

The situation with payment services Xiaomi for users from Russia has its nuances. Due to sanctions and the departure of international payment systems, direct payment from the cards of Russian banks (Visa, MasterCard, MIR) in the global version of the account often does not pass.

If your account is registered in the region "Russia", the interface may offer local payment methods, but the functionality of Xiaomi Cloud in the Russian segment may be limited or redirected to partners.

The alternative is to use virtual cards from foreign banks or intermediary services, but this risks being blocked by Xiaomi security for suspicious activity, and it is safe to use official methods available in your registration area.

Even if the payment is made, the final amount in rubles may differ significantly from the dollar amount declared due to the conversion of the card issuing bank. When planning your budget, always lay a reserve of 10-15%.

How to subscribe through smartphone settings

The process of buying additional space takes only a couple of minutes, and you don't have to go to the site, all the control takes place inside the smartphone interface, and make sure that the device is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network.

The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. Open the "Security" or "Settings" app.

2. Go to the "Mi Account" section.

3. Select the "Cloud" option.

4. Click on the "Store Management" or "Change Plan" button.

The system will offer affordable rates. Once you have selected the desired amount, you will need to confirm payment through the linked payment method. If the card is not tied, the system will redirect you to the data entry screen or to the Google Play / App Store for confirmation of subscription.

After a successful transaction, the limit is updated instantly. Sync that has been suspended resumes automatically. You will receive a notification to the mail and in the curtain of the smartphone notifications about successful activation.

Family access and shared storage

One of the benefits of the ecosystem is the ability to share storage. 200GB and 2TB tariffs often allow for Family Sharing, which means you can invite up to 5 family members and use one paid amount of storage for all.

This is a very profitable solution for families where everyone has a Xiaomi smartphone. Instead of paying for 5 separate accounts for 50 GB, it is cheaper to issue one tariff for 2 TB. Each user’s data remains private, no one sees other people’s photos without special permission.

⚠️ Attention: The organizer of the family group is responsible for the payment, and if the organizer's card is blocked or there are not enough funds, access to the extended storage will be lost to all members of the group.

To set up family access, you need to go to Mi Account settings, select Family, and send invitations to your family members' email or phone number, and once you accept the invitation, they will have access to a shared pool of gigabytes.

Xiaomi Cloud Alternatives for Backup

If Xiaomi Cloud subscriptions seem high or there are payment issues, it’s worth considering alternatives, with the cloud storage market oversaturated with competitors offering similar functionality and sometimes more free space.

Among the main competitors can be distinguished:

• 📸 Google Photos: Provides 15GB for free (along with Gmail) and integrates perfectly with Android, but photo compression may be different from the original.
• ☁️ Yandex.Disk: popular in Russia, often gives unlimited storage of photos from mobile devices, has convenient rates.
• 💾 Telegram (Favorites): Many use the messenger cloud as free unlimited storage, sending files to the chat "Favorites" without compression.

Using third-party services requires setting up automatic unloading. In the standard Xiaomi gallery, you can configure synchronization with multiple clouds at once, but this can consume battery faster. Google Photos often goes as a system application, which simplifies the process.

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Expert advice: Don't store all important data in just one cloud. Use the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of data, on two different media, one of which is elsewhere (for example, on a PC and in the cloud).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Main conclusion: Subscription Xiaomi Cloud is convenient for deep integration with MIUI, but for simple storage of photos is often more profitable and reliable to use a bundle of Google Photos + local backup on the PC.