Hmm I would say neither. It’s a ripoff for me but I can see why people use it.
iCloud (or any cloud service) syncs files between all your devices and the cloud and it backs up iOS devices to the cloud, and does all this wherever you are. An automatic WiFi sync/backup option on the other hand (if a good one existed), would do all that between devices only, no cloud, and only when devices are on the same WiFi network.
The advantages of the non cloud option are there’s no monthly fee, you don’t have to trust a company to keep your files safe, you don’t have to have internet access to get your files, you don’t have to wait to buffer or load your files, and you use less mobile data.
The disadvantages of the non cloud option are you would sync and backup only while at home (or wherever your devices are on the same trusted network), it requires you to have another offsite backup system in place, and your devices have to have large enough capacities to hold all the files you would otherwise store in the cloud.
I already have a (free) offsite backup system for my computer, so as long as all my files and iOS backups get to my computer, they will get backed up safely somewhere else; I always get the largest capacity devices (or at least for my phone which I always have with me—although current capacities are not big enough); and I’m usually ok risking losing at most one day of file changes until I get home to sync or backup. But I should also add for my really important file changes done away from home, I upload them to a free cloud service which then automatically downloads to my home computer and gets backed up there. Periodically when my free cloud storage gets full I empty it.
So for me the advantages greatly outweigh the disadvantages. But I can see how iCloud would make sense for people who don’t already have a thorough offsite backup system (or who don’t have computers), or who have devices without enough storage capacity, or who make too much important file changes while out and about to fit on a free cloud service. And I’m probably missing other categories. Feel free to fill in.
But like I said, the non iCloud option doesn’t really exist. It’s not in Apple’s best interest.
