Jan 25, 2024 • 4 min read

Alipan Targets Overquota Storage Users, Pushing for Paid Services

***This article was translated from Chinese and originally written for users in Mainland China. Please note that Alipan is not accessible outside of China and requires a Chinese phone number to register. If you're outside of China and need to download from Alipan, please use BAIDUDL.

For cloud computing service providers, personal cloud costs have never truly been about storage. The real expense lies in massive bandwidth consumption.

Today, cloud drives seem like a poor business, and almost every "hero" trying to change the industry's rules eventually transforms into a "dragon". Just two and a half years after launch, Alipan has begun learning from its previous competitors.

Recently, users reported that Alipan will implement a new policy from March 1, 2024, for accounts exceeding storage limits. Such users may face restrictions on online playback, uploading, transfer, downloading, sharing, and quick transfer functions. Users can only ensure normal usage by upgrading to SVIP, purchasing large capacity packages, or actively clearing excess files.

Initially during the 2021 public beta, Alipan offered 100GB basic storage and 300GB expandable capacity. Last August, they conducted a storage capacity distribution based on registration time, with longer-registered users receiving more space. However, this granted storage space was time-limited, typically valid for six months to a year.

Overquota storage accounts mainly result from users collecting large amounts of free storage during various promotions or from expired membership services. Typically, cloud drive industries restrict uploading and transfer for users exceeding free quotas, preventing new data storage without limiting existing data usage.

For cloud computing service providers, personal cloud costs are not primarily about storage but about massive bandwidth consumption and content review expenses. Alipan's core purpose in limiting users with overquota storage is simply to encourage paid upgrades.

The article further explains Alipan's strategic shift, noting how market conditions and Alibaba's internal organizational changes have influenced this decision. What was once a user-friendly platform with ambitious growth plans is now facing the need to monetize its large user base.

The strategy involves initially offering generous free storage, then implementing restrictions that effectively "lock" user data, with payment being the most straightforward way to regain full functionality. This approach is described as a nearly flawless "sunny strategy" targeting deep, committed users.