Internxt vs Proton Drive
Both are free/open-source alternatives to Dropbox. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
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
| Internxt | Proton Drive | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty Score | 68 | 60 |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Local-first | 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.
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
More Dropbox head-to-heads
Facts verified 2026-07-04. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.