~/tools/storage
Cloud Storage & Sync
last updated 2026-08-02 · 11 recommendations · what changed
Google Drive and Dropbox can read every file you give them: that's how search,
previews, and "smart" features work. The alternatives either
encrypt before upload so the provider holds ciphertext, or skip
the provider entirely and sync device-to-device.
before you pick
Sync is not backup. Sync faithfully replicates your mistakes: delete a file or
catch ransomware, and every copy follows. Whatever you choose here, keep one
versioned backup that isn't part of the sync loop (an external drive plus
something like BorgBackup or restic does fine).
what actually matters
encryption model
End-to-end means the provider stores ciphertext and can't read your files. "Encrypted at rest" without E2EE means they hold the keys.
cross-platform reality
Not the platform list on the pricing page: the actual client quality on each. A "supported" OS with a half-working client isn't supported.
sharing & access
Encrypted storage you can't share links from sends people back to Google. Check the collaboration story matches your life.
company viability
Your files should outlive the vendor's funding round. Smaller companies can be excellent, as long as you keep local copies regardless.
recommendations
Filen
the default pick
🇩🇪 germanyzero-knowledgee2eeall platformsfree tier
Filen is zero-knowledge, end-to-end encrypted, genuinely cross-platform
(Linux included), and priced more competitively than almost
everything in the category. Development moves slower than a
VC-backed product, but the core is solid and the team is unusually open:
public roadmap, active community, real responsiveness. This is what the
default cloud should look like.
good
- Zero-knowledge E2EE by design, on every plan including free
- Proper, open source clients across Windows/macOS/Linux/mobile
- Aggressive recurring pricing on the tiers still on sale
- Public roadmap and a team that answers questions like people
mind the
- Lifetime plans are gone: Pro Lifetime sold out, Starter Lifetime paused with no promised return
- Smaller company, slower release cadence
- Long-term viability is the bet, so keep local backups regardless (you should anyway)
- Collaboration features are thinner than the big suites
Tresorit
the premium pick
🇨🇭 switzerlande2eeauditedfree tier
Tresorit is polished, enterprise-grade, and thoroughly audited, with the best
cross-platform clients in the E2EE space: notably better than
Proton Drive on reliability across systems. The edge is consistency:
everything works, everywhere, all the time. You pay for that edge; if Filen's
pace or size gives you pause, this is the premium answer.
good
- Reference-quality E2EE clients on every platform
- Long audit history; Swiss jurisdiction (Swiss Post ownership)
- Granular sharing, permissions, and team features that actually work
- Free Basic plan now exists (3GB, 500MB file limit, 2 devices)
mind the
- Priciest entry on this page by a clear margin
- Enterprise focus, so personal plans feel like a side door
- Free tier is real but tight: small storage and a 500MB file-size cap
Syncthing
the no-cloud pick
peer-to-peeropen sourceno accountfree
With Syncthing, files sync directly between your devices, encrypted in
transit, and no third party ever holds a copy. There's no
account, no quota, no subscription: it just quietly keeps folders identical
across your laptop, phone, and that Raspberry Pi. It pairs beautifully with
a KeePassXC vault, an Obsidian vault, or a notes folder.
good
- No server, no provider, nothing to subpoena or breach
- Unlimited by design: your disks are the quota
- File versioning per folder if you turn it on
- Open source with a decade of stability
mind the
- Two devices must be on(line) to sync; an always-on node fixes this
- No web access or share links: it's sync, not a cloud drive
- Android app is fine; iOS support is via a third-party app (Möbius Sync)
Proton Drive
the ecosystem pick
🇨🇭 switzerlande2eefree tier
Proton Drive is a normal-feeling cloud drive where everything is end-to-end
encrypted: files, names, share links, photo backups. If you're already paying
for Proton Mail, it's effectively included
and worth using for photos and sharing. As a standalone primary it's harder
to recommend right now: feature rollout is slow and Linux support is
notably poor (there's no sync client), which rules it out as a
practical primary if you're on Linux.
good
- E2EE by default with zero configuration
- Password-protected, expiring share links
- Mobile photo backup that replaces Google Photos for storage
- Open source apps, consistent with the rest of the Proton suite
- Effectively free if you're on a Proton bundle anyway
mind the
- Still no Linux sync client (web/CLI only for now), though Proton has confirmed a native one is in active development
- Slow feature cadence compared to the rest of the Proton suite
- E2EE means no server-side search inside file contents
Cryptomator
the keep-your-cloud pick
e2eeopen sourceauditedno accountfree tier
Cryptomator isn't storage: it's a transparent encryption layer for
storage you already have. Point it at Dropbox, Google Drive, or
OneDrive and it creates a vault the provider sees only as encrypted noise.
It's the pragmatic answer when work, family, or inertia keeps you on a
big-tech cloud but the contents are nobody's business.
good
- Makes any cloud zero-knowledge after the fact
- Open source with published independent audits
- Desktop apps free; no account, no subscription
mind the
- Encrypted files can't use the provider's web preview/search/sharing
- Mobile apps are a one-time purchase (~$30, up from ~$15 before Jan 2026)
- Filename/structure metadata protection has limits; read their docs
Nextcloud
the self-hosted pick
self-hostableopen sourcee2ee optionalfree
Nextcloud isn't just storage: it's a full self-hosted cloud suite covering
files, calendar, contacts, and office docs, all on hardware you
control entirely, and it's open source from top to bottom. The
trade-off is real: you become the sysadmin, and a neglected instance is
worse than the big-tech cloud you left. It's worth it if you want full
control and don't mind the setup work; otherwise one of the turnkey options
above is the better fit.
good
- You own the server, the data, and the jurisdiction entirely
- Replaces files, calendar, contacts, and office docs in one suite
- Open source with a large plugin/app ecosystem
mind the
- You are the security team: updates, backups, exposure are on you
- More setup work than any turnkey option on this page
- E2EE is available but is opt-in and less seamless than dedicated E2EE clouds
pCloud
the lifetime-plan pick
🇨🇭 switzerlandone-time purchasee2ee optionalfree tier
pCloud is best known for its genuinely unusual lifetime
plans: pay once, keep the storage. Switzerland is the company's
legal home (Swiss FADP applies), but not where your files live: data
actually sits in Dallas (US) or Luxembourg (EU), whichever region you pick.
Client-side encryption exists, but it's a paid add-on, not the
default: out of the box, pCloud is encrypted at rest like Dropbox,
not zero-knowledge. Turn on the add-on if you want the privacy story to
match the marketing.
good
- Lifetime plans are a real, rare differentiator
- Swiss jurisdiction (FADP) for the company itself
- Client-side "Crypto" encryption available as an add-on
mind the
- No Swiss data center: storage regions are US (Dallas) or EU (Luxembourg) only
- Client-side encryption is not on by default: it's a separate paid add-on
- Without that add-on, pCloud can read your files like any standard cloud
- Lifetime plans bet on the company's longevity for a very long time
Mega NZ
the generous-free-tier pick
e2eefree tier
Mega offers a genuinely generous free tier and client-side, "zero-knowledge"
encryption claims that hold up technically. The honest caveat is the
company's history: Mega has a checkered ownership and legal
past, tracing back to Kim Dotcom and years of controversy. The
current encryption claims stand on their own merits, but the history is
worth knowing before you trust it with anything sensitive.
good
- 20GB free tier is among the most generous in the category
- Client-side encryption with reasonable technical claims
- Cross-platform clients including Linux
mind the
- Checkered ownership/legal history (Kim Dotcom era), worth knowing even if unrelated to current crypto
- Less independent audit history than Tresorit or Cryptomator
- Encryption SDK is open source for review, but the full client apps are closed source
- Sharing features can undercut the zero-knowledge story if used carelessly
Ente Photos
the photos pick
e2eeopen sourcefree tier
Ente Photos is end-to-end encrypted photo backup specifically, not general
file storage. It's from the same team as Ente Auth,
with the same open-source, audited-encryption approach applied to photo
libraries. It's the most complete answer right now to "I want to leave
Google Photos but keep automatic, encrypted backup".
good
- End-to-end encrypted photo and video backup, automatic on mobile
- Open source clients and server
- From the same team behind Ente Auth: consistent track record
mind the
- Photos and videos only, not a general file-storage replacement
- Smaller free tier than dedicated general-purpose clouds
IceDrive
verify before trusting
client-side encryption optionproprietary cryptonot independently auditedcheap
IceDrive is cheap, with a client-side encryption option on paper. The catch:
that encryption implementation is proprietary and hasn't received the
kind of independent audit that Cryptomator or Tresorit have, and it's
drawn real scrutiny and skepticism in the privacy community as a result. It
exists, it's affordable, and some people use it without issue, but verify
the crypto claims yourself before trusting it with anything sensitive.
good
- Inexpensive plans with a client-side encryption option
- Reasonably polished apps across platforms
mind the
- Proprietary crypto implementation, not independently audited like the established E2EE players
- Privacy community skepticism specifically around the encryption claims
- Treat as "exists and is cheap" rather than a strong recommendation for sensitive files
Internxt
verify before trusting
🇪🇸 spainzero-knowledgepost-quantumauditedfree tier
Internxt is Spain-based, with zero-knowledge encryption claims and marketing
around post-quantum readiness. Securitum has audited it twice, most recently
in August 2025 (web, desktop, mobile, and cloud infrastructure, with no
major flaws found), and both the client and server are open source. It also
holds GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and HIPAA certifications.
good
- Zero-knowledge encryption claims, with post-quantum cryptography marketing
- Independently audited twice by Securitum, most recently Aug 2025, no major flaws found
- Fully open source: both client and server code
- EU-based (Spain), competitive pricing; GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA certified
mind the
- Rebranded from a decentralized ICO project to a centralized cloud, though marketing still leans on "distributed nodes"
- WebDAV, CLI, and backups were stripped from lifetime plans; restoring them costs €480–500+
- 2.6/5 Trustpilot (~1,300 reviews), with widespread reports of sync failures, file loss, and slow support
- Post-quantum and zero-knowledge claims aren't independently audited yet
at a glance
"provider can read" refers to file contents inside the tool's protection.
worth knowing
Mix and match: these aren't rivals. Filen for the cloud
layer, Syncthing for working folders, Cryptomator over the Dropbox your
family insists on. Each covers a different shape of problem, and using Filen
as the sync backend for a notes app (see Notes) keeps
your vendor count down.
The 3-2-1 rule still applies. Three copies, two media, one
off-site. An E2EE cloud counts as the off-site copy; a versioned external drive
covers the ransomware case sync can't, and doubles as your hedge on any
smaller provider's longevity.
Self-hosting is a different page of trade-offs. Nextcloud
replaces a whole Google Workspace on hardware you control, but you become the
security team, and a neglected instance is worse than the cloud you left.
Worth it for some; know what you're signing up for.
Photos are the real lock-in. They're the biggest dataset and the
most personal one. Filen and Proton Drive both do mobile photo backup; Ente
Photos (E2EE, from the Ente Auth people) is the
dedicated-photos answer.