How much iPad storage do I need? is a question that's likely to come up at some point if you're shopping for an Apple tablet. Chances are you've finally whittled down your decision to a particular model, only to find that there are different options for internal storage capacity – and the one you choose can make a sizable difference to the price.
All iPads come in at least two options for storage size, and the iPad Pros offer four, going all the way up to 2TB. Apple's tablets can't be upgraded with more internal storage like some laptops can, so the decision you make before checkout will dictate whether you can store everything you need on your device or whether you'll need to use cloud storage or one of the best external hard drives.
Below, we'll consider the things that take up iPad storage and we'll look at the iPad storage options available and which users they're most suited for. By the end, you should have a clear idea of exactly how much iPad storage you need to meet your requirements. If you're in the market for a new Apple tablet, our guide to the current iPad generations may also help you make sense of the different options. We also have guides to the best iPad stylus and best iPad keyboard.
How much iPad storage do I need?
How much iPad storage you need will depend on what you'll use the tablet for. That includes what types of files you'll want to save locally on the device, and how many of them. Ideally, you'll want enough iPad storage to be able to use your device comfortably for what you want while not paying for more than what you require.
Below, we'll look at how much storage comes with each of the most popular iPad models comes with, and how much might be enough for your needs. Scroll down further for a more detailed look at what might take up space on your iPad.
How much storage do iPads have?
For pros
iPad Pro (M4, 2024)
Screen: 11 or 13in
Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB
The latest iPad Pro has the power to run professional creative apps (and a sharp OLED display to match), thus storage options provide enough space for creatives working with large files. We think 512GB is the sweet spot for most users, but 1TB could be desirable to avoid having to transfer files regularly.
For students
iPad Air (M2, 2024)
Screen: 11 or 13in
Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB
We think the latest iPad Airs are a fantastic option for students or for digital artists who don't need the power of the Pro for things like video editing. We find the drawing experience comparable to the Pro. We think 256GB or 512GB would suit most people's needs.
For general use
Apple iPad (10th Gen, 2022)
Screen: 10.9in
Storage: 64GB or 256GB
For general office tasks, browsing, email and media, there's no need for more than the standard iPad. But unless you're working mainly in the cloud and streaming media, the minimum 64GB SSD could fill up quickly. Opting for 256GB will reduce the need to delete or transfer files regularly.
The amount of storage on an iPad can vary hugely, from just 64GB on the basic configuration of the standard standard 10.2 and 10.9-inch iPads all the way up to a hefty 2TB on the iPad Pro 11 and 13. In the middle you have options of 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB.
Not all of these options are available for all iPads. The basic iPad is only available with a 64GB or 256GB SSD, while the 2024 M4 iPad Airs come with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB and the 2024 iPad mini with 128GB, 256GB or 1TB. The 2024 iPad Pros start with 256GB as a minimum.
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This variations are reflective of how Apple expects customers to use each device. The basic iPad comes with smaller SSD options since its also less powerful and is much less likely to be used for creative work like design or video editing. The Pros, on the other hand, are more powerful than many laptops, so there's more chance that some users will want to store hefty files like 4K video footage.
Just bear in mind that with all of these iPad storage options, you won't be able to use the full capacity of the SSD for your own files. That's because the operating system itself, and other system data, will take up some of the storage space. This can vary from around 7GB to as much as 20GB.
iPad storage for photos and videos
Your iCloud will need a certain amount of space (Image credit: Apple)
While many of us take heaps of photos and videos with our phones, it is less common to use the more unwieldy iPad to document our lives. That said, you may still need storage for your photos and videos even if you never take a single photograph with your iPad, provided you have enabled one setting: iCloud Photo Library.
This feature syncs everything in your Photos library to every device where it is enabled. That means if you have thousands of pictures and videos on your iPhone, iCloud Photo Library will copy them to your iPad, taking up space. Before deciding how much iPad storage space you need, check how much is being consumed by media on your iPhone. If you have tons of content that will be synced, you might need more than the base 32GB or 64GB storage options. If iCloud Photo Library is disabled, this is less of an issue.
iPad storage for games
How big is your gaming library? (Image credit: Apple)
If games are your thing – and your iPad is going to be one of your main gaming devices – then you will likely need a decent amount of storage. Games can take up a lot of space, especially if you want to play high-end, AAA games from major developers.
If you only play games occasionally, or mostly stick to short, simple games, 32GB or 64GB will be enough for you. But if you have an overflowing games library combined with photos, videos, and other content, you might want to look at 128GB models or above.
iPad storage for films, TV and other media
Do you stream or download films and series? (Image credit: Apple)
Many people use iPads as streaming devices, watching their favourite content on services like Apple TV+ or Netflix. You might find yourself in the same boat, where storage space may not be too much of a concern since streaming apps do not store their large media files directly on your device. In that case, you might be able to get by with 64GB or even 32GB of space. Just be aware that other files – like your photos or apps – will add to your storage needs, even if you mainly use your iPad for streaming (also see our guide to the best streaming services).
iPad storage for apps
Creative apps may eat into your storage (Image credit: Apple)
Most iPad apps are fairly streamlined, but there are some heavy hitters out there. Professional design and photo-editing apps, for example, can take up hundreds of megabytes each (see our favourite drawing apps for more creative options).
Don’t forget the other important consideration with apps – their files. Creative apps are especially guilty of producing enormous files that eat up space on your device. If you are frequently working with large, complex files, 512GB or even 1TB of storage might be what you need (currently, only the iPad Pro offers that much). Otherwise, you will need much less space.
How much is enough?
Is 64GB enough iPad storage?
The standard iPad (9th and 10th gen) come with a choice of 64GB or 256GB SSD. Is 64GB of iPad storage enough? The reality is that it probably isn't if you plan to use your iPad for more than streaming or working in the cloud.
If you do plan to mainly use your browser and cloud storage, then it may be enough. But remember than at least around 7GB of this will already be taken up by the operating system. The remaining 57GB could fill up quickly if you download heavy apps or video files. Take a look at your mobile phone to see how much storage you're using there to get a gauge of how much you need for your iPad. You're less likely to take lots of photos on your tablet, but you may be more likely to storage videos to watch on a journey.
Is 128GB enough iPad storage?
128GB will be a viable iPad storage option for more people and it's one that's still fairly economical since this is the minimum provided with a 2024 iPad Air or iPad mini. Unfortunately, the basic iPad doesn't come with the option of 128GB, which seems a shame since it could be the perfect amount for a lot of users. Older iPad Pros also came with the option of 128GB, but we think that these days this would be too little storage for many iPad Pro users considering the size of the files you may be working with if you use creative apps.
Is 256GB enough iPad storage?
At the time of writing in 2024, all iPads come with a 256GB option. It's the biggest storage capacity available for the basic iPad and the minimum for the M4 iPad Pros. The newest iPad Airs and iPad mini also have this as an option. For many people, it will be enough storage for the kind of work they'll be doing on an iPad, providing enough space to download a good range of apps as well as games and photos.
The exceptions are if you plan to do video editing or more complex image editing with lots of layers in apps like Photoshop (a single Photoshop PSD file can easily weigh 1GB and could weigh a lot more if you have lots of layers). In this case, we'd recommend 512GB as a minimum.
Should I buy 512GB IPad storage?
A 512GB SSD is an option with the iPad Pro and the lastest iPad Airs and iPad mini. We think it's a good option for most users who plan to do at least some creative work like image or video editing and want to avoid having to constantly think about freeing up space on their device.
If you're going for an iPad Pro, we think 512GB provides the sweet spot between storage size and price. The entry-level 256GB on the Pros won't go far if you're working with video or large image files, but 512GB provides a reasonable amount of space to work with. You might even want to step up to 1TB or 2TB if you want to save having to back things up remotely too often, but the price of the tablet starts to creep up considerably with these configurations.
Do I need 1TB iPad storage or more?
iPad Air storage options go up to 1TB and iPad Pro options go all the way up to 2TB. Considering that this is more storage capacity than many people use on a laptop, most people probably won't need this much iPad storage space. Even if you're working with large video and image files, you can probably get away with less than 1TB of internal storage if you're regularly moving things to the cloud or to an external SSD.
Nevertheless, that doesn't mean that nobody needs 1TB or 2TB of iPad storage. The iPad Pro is capable of running some powerful professional apps. If you're a professional video editor, 3D artist, designer or musician, having that extra storage space could just save your bacon if you're intending you use your iPad Pro as a laptop replacement when you're working remotely, and it will help reduce the chore of having to transfer files elsewhere (also see our guide to the best iPad for video editing).
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Alex Blake is a freelance tech journalist who writes for Creative Bloq, TechRadar, Digital Trends, and others. Before going freelance he was commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine, focusing on the world of Apple products. His interests include web design, typography, and video games.
