Overview

The Upload API accepts direct, multipart, and URL uploads, then makes files available through Uploadcare’s CDN. That joins intake and delivery in one workflow, a practical fit for apps handling user-submitted files. Uploadcare has been around since 2011.

Maximum file size depends on the plan: Free allows 500 MB, Pro 1 GB, Business 10 GB, and Enterprise up to 5 TB. The largest-file capability is therefore an Enterprise consideration, not a reason to assume standard plans can handle very large uploads.

Key features

Uploads and image handling

Upload sources include local files, webcam, URLs, Facebook, Google Drive, Google Photos, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Box. The range can accommodate products whose users bring content from different places. URL-based image transformations, automatic optimization, responsive images, and automatic format selection cover common image-delivery tasks; teams seeking an all-in-one media workflow may value that breadth more than a dedicated image-only tool.

Video, documents, and security

Paid plans add asynchronous video processing and document conversion, extending the service beyond image workflows. Uploadcare says files are continually scanned for malicious content with ClamAV, and that data is encrypted in transit with TLS 1.2+ and at rest with Amazon S3 server-side AES-256 encryption. HIPAA and SOC2 compliance are Enterprise features, so organizations that require those controls need to consider the custom tier.

Development and integrations

Uploader support spans JavaScript, React, Angular, Vue, Webflow, Framer, and WordPress, with Zapier and Make integrations for automation. Swift and Kotlin SDKs and iOS and Android upload widgets support mobile implementation. This is useful for teams working across common web stacks and native mobile apps, though the value depends on whether their chosen platform and workflow match these integrations.

Pricing

Uploadcare offers a Free plan, a 14-day trial, and paid plans starting at $66/mo (annual). Free costs 0.00 USD per free and includes 1,000 operations/month, 5 GB traffic/month, 1 GB storage, a 500 MB maximum file size, and personal use only. It is suitable for experiments or personal projects, but reaching its usage limits temporarily suspends service until the next month.

Pro costs 66.00 USD per month, billed $66 / mo. It includes 5,000 operations/month, 25 GB traffic, 10 GB storage, a 1 GB maximum file size, and 3 team members. This is the entry paid tier for a small team moving beyond personal use, but the traffic and storage allowances may constrain a growing media workload.

Business costs 166.00 USD per month, billed $166 / mo. It raises the allowances to 50,000 operations/month, 125 GB traffic, 50 GB storage, and a 10 GB maximum file size, with 4 team members. That is a substantial quota increase over Pro for a team with more activity or larger files, though it adds only one seat.

Enterprise has custom pricing and custom plan limits, supports files up to 5 TB, and includes an AWS S3 storage connection, Project Management API, and Enterprise security and support. It is the relevant option for unusually large files or Enterprise compliance and support needs; teams wanting predictable self-serve pricing should compare the capped Pro and Business tiers instead.

Platforms

Uploadcare supports Android, iOS, web, and API use. Its mobile SDKs and upload widgets make the mobile support concrete, while the API and web integrations serve product teams building their own file intake experiences.

Who it's for

Choose Uploadcare when a web or mobile product needs managed file intake, image transformations, and CDN delivery together, particularly if varied upload sources or multiple development stacks matter. It is less compelling for a personal project that may hit the Free suspension threshold, or for teams whose traffic, storage, file size, or seat needs exceed the self-serve allowances.

Pros and cons

Pro: Direct, multipart, and URL uploads plus many source options accommodate varied file-intake flows.
Pro: Image transformations, optimization, responsive delivery, and CDN availability combine key media steps in one service.
Pro: Web integrations, mobile SDKs, and automation connections cover a broad set of implementation paths.
Con: Free usage-limit breaches suspend service until the next month, which makes it risky for a live workload near its caps.
Con: Pro limits file size to 1 GB and includes only 3 team members; Business raises the file ceiling to 10 GB but still provides 4 seats.
Con: The 5 TB maximum, HIPAA and SOC2 compliance, and Enterprise support sit behind custom pricing.

Alternatives

For broader CDN comparisons, see CDN Software. Consider ImageKit instead if its Forever free plan’s 20 GB monthly bandwidth better fits a low-traffic site, app, side project, or test. Choose Medianova Streaming Content Delivery if you need a paid CDN plan with a stated domain allowance, daily purge and prefetch quotas, origins, WAF rules, and analytics. Azion Content Delivery is another freemium option with a free Hobby tier for personal projects and experimentation, including 10 workloads and 1 TB/month data transfer.

Fastly Image Optimizer may suit teams focused specifically on image requests, with a free allowance of 100,000 requests per month. Amazon CloudFront is worth considering if its Free plan’s 1M requests and 100GB data transfer align with your delivery needs. CacheFly offers a free developer account with 100 GB and one domain, while its Adoption plan includes 10 TB/month and multiple domains and origins. Choose Cloudinary if its Free plan’s 3 users, one account, and 25 monthly credits suit your team. Gcore CDN may be a fit for teams seeking a CDN plan with 1 TB monthly traffic and image optimization.

Verdict

Uploadcare is a strong fit for development teams that want one service to handle file intake, image processing, and CDN delivery across web and mobile. Its integrations and upload options are persuasive strengths, but limited self-serve quotas and plan-specific file ceilings deserve close attention; look elsewhere if your needs favor a larger stated delivery allowance or image optimization alone.

	Google Media CDN	Uploadcare
Free plan	No	Yes
Free trial	No	Yes
Paid from	—	$66/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	api, Web	Android, api, iOS, Web
Free plan	No	Yes
Edge locations	59 locations	—
Origin shield	Yes	—
Paid from	—	66 /mo

Google Media CDN vs Uploadcare

Google Media CDN

Uploadcare