kDrive by Infomaniak

kDrive is a Swiss cloud storage service from Infomaniak, one of Europe's largest independent web hosting companies. Founded in 1994 and based in Geneva, Infomaniak has grown to become a leader in ethical, ecological hosting and cloud services. kDrive combines the familiar functionality of Google Drive with Swiss privacy protections and a genuine commitment to environmental sustainability, making it one of the most compelling European alternatives to mainstream cloud storage.

Swiss Privacy and Data Sovereignty

kDrive benefits from Switzerland's renowned privacy protections. Swiss data protection law is considered one of the strongest in the world, with constitutional protections for privacy and strict regulations on data processing. Switzerland is not a member of the EU but has received an adequacy decision, meaning the EU recognizes Swiss data protection as equivalent to GDPR.

Perhaps more importantly, Switzerland is not part of any intelligence-sharing alliance like Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, or Fourteen Eyes. This means Swiss companies like Infomaniak cannot be compelled to share data with foreign intelligence agencies through these agreements. Any legal request for data must go through Swiss courts, which have historically been protective of privacy rights.

All kDrive data is stored exclusively in Infomaniak's Swiss data centers located in Geneva and Winterthur. Your data never leaves Switzerland, providing a clear jurisdictional boundary for your information.

Ecological Commitment

What truly sets kDrive apart is Infomaniak's deep commitment to environmental sustainability. The company runs on 100% renewable energy and has implemented numerous ecological initiatives:

All data centers are powered by hydroelectric power, one of the cleanest energy sources available. The company has invested in energy-efficient infrastructure and cooling systems that minimize power consumption.

Infomaniak offsets 200% of its carbon emissions, meaning they remove twice as much carbon as they produce. This goes beyond carbon neutrality to actively contribute to environmental restoration.

The company does not use air conditioning in offices, instead relying on natural ventilation and smart building design. They also encourage employees to use public transportation and cycling.

For users who want their digital services to align with their environmental values, kDrive offers a guilt-free alternative to energy-hungry cloud services.

Online Office Suite

kDrive includes a full online office suite that allows you to create and edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations directly in your browser. The office suite is compatible with Microsoft Office formats and provides real-time collaboration features.

Multiple users can work on the same document simultaneously, with changes appearing in real-time. Comments, suggestions, and revision history make collaboration smooth and transparent. This makes kDrive a genuine alternative to Google Workspace for team productivity.

The office suite is powered by OnlyOffice, an open-source platform that provides familiar functionality without the privacy concerns of Google Docs. Documents are processed on Infomaniak's Swiss servers rather than being analyzed by big tech companies.

Collaboration Features

kDrive provides robust collaboration features for teams and organizations. Shared workspaces allow teams to collaborate on projects with granular access controls. You can set permissions at the folder or file level, controlling who can view, edit, or share content.

File comments enable discussions directly on files, keeping conversations in context. Activity logs track all changes, making it easy to see who did what and when. Version history allows you to restore previous versions of files if needed.

Share links let you share files with anyone, even without a kDrive account. You can add password protection and expiration dates for security. Download and upload links provide flexibility for receiving files from others.

Open Source Commitment

Infomaniak has made kDrive's desktop and mobile applications open source, available on GitHub. This transparency allows anyone to inspect the code, verify security claims, and contribute improvements. For a company handling sensitive user data, this openness builds trust.

The open-source commitment extends to Infomaniak's other products as well. The company actively supports and contributes to open-source projects, viewing it as essential to a healthy technology ecosystem.

Generous Free Tier

kDrive offers a genuinely useful free tier with 15GB of storage - the same as Google Drive. This makes it easy to try the service without commitment and provides enough space for casual users to use it as their primary cloud storage.

The free tier includes access to the online office suite, basic sharing features, and the same Swiss privacy protections as paid plans. It's a generous offering that allows users to fully evaluate the service.

Pricing and Plans

kDrive offers several paid plans for users who need more storage:

The Solo plan at CHF 5.99/month provides 2TB of storage for individual users. This includes all features and is suitable for most personal and professional needs.

The Team plan at CHF 6.99/month per user offers 3TB shared storage plus additional team features like advanced collaboration and admin controls. It's designed for small teams and organizations.

The Pro plan at CHF 12.99/month per user provides 6TB shared storage with priority support and advanced features for larger organizations.

All plans include Swiss hosting, 100% renewable energy, and the full feature set. Annual billing provides a discount compared to monthly payments.

Desktop and Mobile Apps

kDrive provides native applications for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. The apps offer seamless sync, keeping your local files synchronized with the cloud. You can choose which folders to sync, helping manage bandwidth and local storage.

The desktop apps integrate with your file manager, making kDrive files appear alongside local files. Changes sync automatically in the background. Offline access is available for files you mark as available offline.

Mobile apps include automatic camera backup, ensuring your photos are safely stored in the cloud. The interface is intuitive and provides full access to your files, sharing, and collaboration features on the go.

Vault Feature for Sensitive Files

For files requiring additional security, kDrive offers the Vault feature. Vault provides client-side encryption, meaning files are encrypted on your device before being uploaded. Only you have the keys to decrypt vault files.

This zero-knowledge encryption means that even Infomaniak cannot access your vault contents. For highly sensitive documents, this provides an additional layer of protection beyond the already strong Swiss privacy protections.

Integration with Infomaniak Ecosystem

kDrive integrates seamlessly with Infomaniak's other services. kMail provides private email, kMeet offers video conferencing, and kCalendar manages scheduling. Together, these services provide a complete alternative to Google Workspace, all under Swiss privacy protection.

For organizations using multiple Infomaniak services, the unified account management and consistent interface provide a cohesive experience. Single sign-on makes switching between services seamless.

Limitations

While kDrive is feature-rich, there are some limitations compared to Google Drive. Third-party app integrations are less extensive than Google's ecosystem. If you rely heavily on Google-specific integrations, the transition may require adjusting workflows.

The office suite, while capable, may lack some advanced features found in Microsoft Office or Google Docs. For complex documents or specialized use cases, you may occasionally need to use other tools.

Performance for very large files or extensive media libraries may not match dedicated services optimized for specific use cases. However, for typical cloud storage needs, kDrive performs well.

Customer Support

Infomaniak provides customer support via email and phone. Support is available in multiple languages including English, French, German, and Italian. Response times are generally good, and support staff are knowledgeable about the product.

The company maintains comprehensive documentation and guides for common tasks. Community forums provide peer support and feature discussions.

Who Should Use kDrive

kDrive is ideal for users who want a full-featured Google Drive alternative with strong privacy protections and ecological responsibility. It's particularly suitable for European users who want their data stored in Switzerland under strict privacy laws.

Teams and organizations needing collaboration tools without the privacy concerns of big tech will find kDrive meets their needs. The online office suite and collaboration features provide genuine productivity capabilities.

Environmentally conscious users will appreciate Infomaniak's genuine commitment to sustainability. For those who want their digital services to reflect their values, kDrive offers cloud storage without the environmental guilt.

Conclusion

kDrive represents the best of European tech: strong privacy protections, genuine ecological commitment, and user-focused features. It proves that you can have a full-featured cloud storage service without sacrificing privacy or environmental values. For anyone looking to move away from US-based cloud services, kDrive offers one of the most complete and compelling alternatives available.