Proton Drive vs pCloud
Both are free/open-source alternatives to Dropbox. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
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.
pCloud
Swiss hosted storage with true lifetime plans — the commercial pick.
pCloud is a polished, proprietary cloud storage service from Switzerland, best known for genuine one-time lifetime plans — pay once, keep the storage for good. It's the honest “I just want reliable storage and hate subscriptions” pick. It's closed-source, and zero-knowledge encryption is a paid Crypto add-on rather than the default (files outside the Crypto folder use standard server-side encryption). If lifetime pricing and a slick app matter more to you than open-source, it's a strong commercial option below the open picks.
Side by side
| Proton Drive | pCloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty Score | 60 | 38 |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Local-first | No | No |
| License | Proprietary hosted service (client apps open-source, audited) | Proprietary |
| Pricing | Free tier (a few GB); paid from about $4/month (or bundled in Proton Unlimited) | 500GB & 2TB subscriptions; lifetime plans from ~€199 one-time; zero-knowledge Crypto add-on costs extra |
Proton Drive edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
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
pCloud
Strengths
- +True one-time lifetime plans (pay once)
- +Swiss jurisdiction; polished apps on every platform
- +Built-in media playback and easy file sharing
Trade-offs
- −Closed-source (proprietary)
- −Zero-knowledge encryption is a paid add-on, not the default
- −Best value locked behind a large upfront lifetime payment
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.