Proton Drive
End-to-end encrypted storage from the company behind Proton Mail, with open-source apps
Quick Overview
| Company | Proton AG |
|---|---|
| Category | Cloud Storage |
| Headquarters | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Founded | 2014 |
| EU Presence | Switzerland (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| Data Location | Switzerland and Germany, on server hardware and network Proton owns |
| Open Source | Yes |
| Compliance | ISO 27001 (stated for Proton for Business); Drive apps audited by Securitum, report published |
| Pricing | Free 5GB / Drive Plus 200GB at €4.99/month or €47.88/year |
| Free Option | Free 5GB tier; 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans |
| Replaces | Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Drive |
Detailed Review
Proton Drive is end-to-end encrypted cloud storage from Proton AG, the Geneva company behind Proton Mail, and it encrypts file names as well as the files themselves.
The Proton Drive apps for iOS, Android, Windows and macOS are published under GPL-3.0, and Securitum has audited them with the report made public, so the encryption claim rests on code and an audit rather than on a promise. Docs and Sheets are included, which takes Proton Drive further towards a workspace than most encrypted storage in this category.
Proton AG was founded in 2014 and keeps Proton Drive data in Switzerland and Germany, on server hardware and a network Proton owns rather than rents. That makes the chain short: a Swiss company on its own machines, with no hyperscaler underneath. Switzerland is outside the EEA, and transfers from the EU rest on an adequacy decision, so the legal position matches Tresorit and kDrive rather than the EU-based providers here.
Proton Drive has a free 5GB tier, and Drive Plus costs €4.99 a month or €47.88 a year for 200GB, with a 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans. Proton states ISO 27001 certification for Proton for Business. Because the server holds only ciphertext, anything that needs the server to read a file, such as searching across contents, has to happen on the device or not at all.
What Proton Drive does well
- End-to-end encryption of file names as well as file contents
- GPL-3.0 apps for iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, with a published Securitum audit
- Servers in Switzerland and Germany on hardware and network Proton owns
- Docs and Sheets included alongside the storage
- Drive Plus: 200GB for €4.99 a month or €47.88 a year, with a 30-day money-back guarantee
Where Proton Drive falls short
- Swiss jurisdiction: covered by an adequacy decision, but outside the EEA
- ISO 27001 is stated for Proton for Business, so check its scope before relying on it for a personal plan
- The 5GB free tier is half of what Filen and Icedrive give away
- No server-side search across file contents, a direct consequence of end-to-end encryption
Standout feature. Proton Drive encrypts file names as well as contents on servers Proton owns in Switzerland and Germany, and its GPL-3.0 apps come with a published audit, so the encryption can be read and checked rather than trusted.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- End-to-end encryption of file names as well as file contents
- GPL-3.0 apps for iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, with a published Securitum audit
- Servers in Switzerland and Germany on hardware and network Proton owns
- Docs and Sheets included alongside the storage
- Drive Plus: 200GB for €4.99 a month or €47.88 a year, with a 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Swiss jurisdiction: covered by an adequacy decision, but outside the EEA
- ISO 27001 is stated for Proton for Business, so check its scope before relying on it for a personal plan
- The 5GB free tier is half of what Filen and Icedrive give away
- No server-side search across file contents, a direct consequence of end-to-end encryption
Alternatives to Proton Drive
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Proton Drive?
Proton Drive is end-to-end encrypted cloud storage from Proton AG, the Geneva company behind Proton Mail, and it encrypts file names as well as the files themselves.
The Proton Drive apps for iOS, Android, Windows and macOS are published under GPL-3.0, and Securitum has audited them with the report made public, so the encryption claim rests on code and an audit rather than on a promise. Docs and Sheets are included, which takes Proton Drive further towards a workspace than most encrypted storage in this category.
Where is Proton Drive based?
Proton Drive operates from Geneva, Switzerland, which places it under Switzerland (adequacy decision, outside the EEA). Compliance: ISO 27001 (stated for Proton for Business); Drive apps audited by Securitum, report published.
What does Proton Drive cost?
Free 5GB / Drive Plus 200GB at €4.99/month or €47.88/year. Free 5GB tier; 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans.
Who is Proton Drive best for?
People who want encrypted storage by default from a company that owns its servers. Proton Drive encrypts file names as well as contents on servers Proton owns in Switzerland and Germany, and its GPL-3.0 apps come with a published audit, so the encryption can be read and checked rather than trusted.
What are the drawbacks of Proton Drive?
Swiss jurisdiction: covered by an adequacy decision, but outside the EEA. ISO 27001 is stated for Proton for Business, so check its scope before relying on it for a personal plan. The 5GB free tier is half of what Filen and Icedrive give away. No server-side search across file contents, a direct consequence of end-to-end encryption.
Is Proton Drive a good alternative to Google Drive?
Proton Drive is built as a European alternative to Google Drive: End-to-end encrypted storage from the company behind Proton Mail, with open-source apps. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where the two genuinely differ before switching.
How does Proton Drive compare to other Cloud Storage tools?
Proton Drive is one of several European Cloud Storage tools we cover. It is most often compared with Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Drive.