Internxt vs Proton Drive
Both are alternatives to Dropbox. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as Proton Drive vs Internxt — same comparison, one verdict.
Internxt is open source (AGPL-3.0) and Proton Drive is not (Proprietary hosted service (client apps open-source, audited)) — so the real question is whether you want to own the cloud storage & sync stack or rent it.
Internxt
Open-source, zero-knowledge encrypted storage with lifetime plans.
Internxt is an open-source, zero-knowledge cloud storage service — every file is end-to-end encrypted with AES-256 (and, since 2026, post-quantum Kyber), and the code is public on GitHub. It's a hosted service rather than something you self-host, so it sits between Nextcloud's full ownership and Dropbox's convenience: open, encrypted, EU-based storage with zero setup. There's a 10GB free tier and one-time lifetime plans if you'd rather not pay monthly.
Proton Drive
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage from the Proton privacy suite.
Proton Drive is hosted, end-to-end encrypted cloud storage and file sync from the Swiss privacy company Proton. Like the rest of Proton, its apps are open-source and audited, but the service is hosted on Proton's servers — not self-hostable. It's the easy private-cloud option for people who won't run Nextcloud or Syncthing themselves.
Side by side
6 points of comparison, every one read from a verified field. Green marks the side that wins a row outright. A dash means we do not hold that fact — never that it is zero.
| Internxt | Proton Drive | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 68 | 60 |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Local-first data | No | No |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Proprietary hosted service (client apps open-source, audited) |
| Pricing | 10GB free; 200GB ~€3.49/mo; 2TB ~€8.99/mo; lifetime plans from ~€135 one-time | Free tier (a few GB); paid from about $4/month (or bundled in Proton Unlimited) |
Internxt edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
Weighing both against staying on Dropbox? Is Dropbox free? What it actually costs →
Internxt
Strengths
- +Open-source apps; zero-knowledge AES-256 plus post-quantum encryption
- +EU-based (GDPR), privacy-first
- +Free tier and one-time lifetime options
Trade-offs
- −A hosted service — you don't self-host it
- −Newer and smaller than Dropbox; fewer integrations
- −Desktop sync less mature than the incumbents
Proton Drive
Strengths
- +End-to-end encrypted — Proton cannot read your files
- +Open-source, independently audited client apps
- +Zero setup — nothing to host or maintain
- +Swiss privacy jurisdiction
Trade-offs
- −Hosted on Proton's servers — not self-hostable
- −The service is proprietary; only the client apps are open
- −Files live in Proton's cloud, not on your own hardware
- −Less storage per dollar than raw self-hosting
Which one fits you
The trade-offs above, turned into a decision. Find the line that describes your team.
Choose Internxt
if you want the source and the option to fork it, and open-source apps; zero-knowledge AES-256 plus post-quantum encryption.
Choose Proton Drive
if end-to-end encrypted — Proton cannot read your files.
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — a hosted service — you don't self-host it, and hosted on Proton's servers — not self-hostable. If either of those is a dealbreaker for your team, the shortlist is wrong rather than the choice.
Internxt vs Proton Drive — common questions
Is Internxt a better fit than Proton Drive for cloud storage & sync?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: Internxt scores 68 to Proton Drive's 60 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. Proton Drive earns its place on a different axis — end-to-end encrypted — Proton cannot read your files. Neither is a wrong answer for every team; the table above is the actual comparison.
What happens if we want to switch later?
Neither of these is local-first by default, so plan the exit at the point you adopt rather than later. Export what matters on a schedule instead of trusting you can retrieve it on demand — that is the most common way a cloud storage & sync migration turns into a project instead of an afternoon.
Are Internxt and Proton Drive both alternatives to Dropbox?
Yes — both appear in our Dropbox comparison, which is why they are worth putting side by side. People usually arrive here already having decided to move off Dropbox and now choosing between the two replacements, which is a narrower and much easier question.
More Dropbox head-to-heads
More cloud storage & sync comparisons
Related alternative guides
Facts verified 2026-07-18. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.