Alternatives to Google Drive

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Before talking about the alternatives to Google Drive, have you ever wondered what the cloud is? To put it briefly and without using difficult technical terms, the cloud is nothing more than "someone else's computer“. So if you are looking for alternatives to Google Drive you are actually looking for someone else to trust.

In addition to our usual list of alternatives, we have also prepared a summary table for you sorted by €/GB. Click here to see it immediately.

Why look for alternatives to Google Drive?

From alternatives to Google Drive there really are many, we will try to talk about the ones we trust the most. Among these, as you will notice, there will be no alternatives as emblazoned as Dropbox or Microsoft OneDrive. In addition to the ethical reasons, i.e. wanting to avoid multi-million dollar companies, most of the most famous alternatives do not go too lightly with their privacy policies. Furthermore their applications are often full of tracers for statistics and profiling ¹.

Furthermore, still speaking of Dropbox, their policy regarding employee access to your data is not entirely clear ².

Finally, your files are always potentially analyzable because the vast majority of the most famous clouds do not use it zero-knowledge encryption. As we know this last part can be bypassed using Cryptomator.

In short, in addition to keeping track of what you do on the internet for later sell your data to advertising agencies, you are also leaving free access to all your documents and photo to these companies.

Before we begin: An important distinction for Google Drive alternatives

In this article we will also propose, but not only, alternatives with Zero-knowledge encryption that is, where, even if they wanted, companies cannot physically access your data. Because we also offer you "similar" alternatives to Google Drive, that is, without the Zero-knowledge encryption? It's simple: because the companies we propose are serious and promise not to analyze the contents of your cloud, furthermore they don't live with your data (unlike Google) and have no reason to do so.

However, it is important to understand what it is Always of trust, for this reason we will reveal a secret to you. If these alternatives to Google Drive, for one reason or another, if you don't like it, there is a way to use it any cloud in total safety.

Encrypting private files is the best alternative to Google

Let's talk about Cryptomator. It's software Open source which has surpassed even some independent audits. It allows you to encrypt in real time what you upload to any cloud. If used Cryptomator, therefore, it really makes no difference the choice of cloud in terms of privacy. Your files will be always encrypted with a key chosen by you And no one will be able to know its contents. It is specifically designed to work with clouds, even the upload is designed for a sort of "real-time" encryption. It is multi-platform, you can use it on Windows, macOS And Linux. Also on Android and iOS. The latter are also Open source but I'm at payment. You can read here our practical guide!

Alternatively you can try Boxcryptor: its apps are free but the software is proprietary and Not Open source.

Then it exists VeraCrypt. Even if for daily use VeraCrypt It's not comfortable at all, it certainly is for a long-term backup. Why? Because you will not upload individual files but will upload to the chosen cloud one huge encrypted file. So if something changes in your archive you will have to reload the entire drive.

It's software open source for the encryption of data. Basically you take your files, encrypt them with VeraCrypt (This is a quick guide, it's simple!), and then upload everything to your favorite platform, even if it were Google Drive. You can also decide to encrypt an entire hard drive. The data in this case will be encrypted and you are safe at 100% That no one can look inside it!

Alternatives to Google Drive with zero-knownledge encryption

So here we are at the guide, we will try to find some valid ones alternatives to Google Drive, alternatives safe and all tested and tried by us. We have decided to divide them into two macro-sections: those with Zero-knowledge encryption and those without. In the first case there will also be some alternatives that propose the Zero-knowledge encryption for a fee, in which case it will be specified.

To make sure you are not misunderstood: the ones listed are all safe drives but in the case of Zero-knowledge encryption there is no way for anyone to see your data because you are you and only you have the key to decipher everything. In the case of normal drives the files are decrypted by the server, in this case there is a risk that in case of compromise. You can read this nice article on the Proton blog: What is the best encryption for cloud storage?

Proton Drive

Zero-knowledge encryption
green servers
independent security audits

One of the services offered by Proton, in addition to email and to VPN, it's actually the drive. The uploading of many files has improved a lot in recent times and desktop applications have also been released to synchronize folders.

For some time now they have also offered the possibility of signing up for Proton Drive without creating a Proton account. The prices are not bad if we consider the fact that we are talking about Proton, a certainty when it comes to security and privacy. Currently, by paying in advance for two years you can have 200GB for €3.49 per month while in the free version there are 5 GB.

Tresorit

servers in Europe
Zero-knowledge encryption
independent security audits

Tresorit it is a service file Hosting encrypted, Safe and based in Swiss which, being outside of all government surveillance services it is good and right as far as i am concerned own personal data. This is because we can upload anything to the cloud, from photocopies of our passports to ours medical reports and it's Well that all this absolutely remains private and inviolable. Thanks to zero-knowledge encryption no one can look at your data, not even those who physically manage the servers.

AGAINST
The free version only has 3GB and many limitations and you can find it at this address. That for a fee it costs €8.33 per month for 500GB. Unfortunately there is no middle ground. If you don't care about the price this is probably one of the best choices you can make.

Mega

Zero-knowledge encryption
Open source
possible WebDAV protocol

Perhaps many of you will remember Kim Dotcom and the service Megaupload. After its closure it produced and developed the service Mega, a service of file Hosting in the cloud. The service is good: Zero-knowledge encryption and all applications Open source. The data cannot be seen by anyone except you. You can use it in any way alternative to Google Drive, it is convenient and fast and many free GB are offered. Above 15GB however, it is paid. They report to us that MEGA currently appears give away up to 50GB. Check their site often if you are interested because they often give out gods bonuses. It is probably in fact the best alternative Open source And free to Google Drive.

It is one of the few encrypted clouds that also allow you to exploit the WebDAV protocol through them Mega CMD.

AGAINST
Kim Dotcom it was removed from the service shortly after the service's launch. After a few years always Dotcom he said not to trust the Mega service as the New Zealand government is allegedly controlling it in cahoots with China. However, there is no document on this. In general, however, it is not very clear who is responsible for the service and New Zealand is part of the "Five Eyes“. Finally, unfortunately, they don't seem at all interested in environmental policy.

Filen

green servers
Open source
Zero-knowledge encryption

Filen is undoubtedly an interesting company: its applications are Open source ³, the servers are in Europe (Germany) and the Zero-knowledge encryption. The first 10 GB are completely free and the prices in general are not too high (€90 per year for 2TB).

AGAINST
The application is perhaps a little immature even if it is updated often and therefore with continuous improvements. Image previews have been introduced and you can also listen to audio and watch streaming videos (albeit a little slowly).

Internxt

servers in Europe
Zero-knowledge encryption
independent security audits

It is a fairly new Spanish provider that offers a drive with service zero-knowledge encryption. They have a marketing policy which in our opinion is a bit invasive (too many discounts/promotions). However, the service is decent, if not terribly fast, and we encountered some issues downloading all our data. The prices, however, are excellent. A great alternative to follow closely especially now that they have passed an independent security audit ⁴. Fixed some bugs and improved speed, it is one of the most interesting zero-knowledge alternatives on the market.

Peergos

distributed thanks to IPFS
the servers ofHosting official I'm in Germany
Zero-knowledge encryption
independent security audits
Open source
you can edit documents online

Peergos it's a project Open source really very interesting independent. Leverage the decentralized protocol IPFS and anyone can run their own server to use to access the data. For who wants all included you can use the server offered by them on peergos.net at a minimum cost of €5 per month for 50GB. There are no free plans other than one demo to try it.

The cloud works well and does not cause problems although unfortunately it is clear that it is still a bit immature: the loading of the various pages is a bit slow, there is no smartphone application and the web app it's a little too mechanical and not always entirely intuitive. Graphically it's not exactly the best either.

However, once these defects have been removed, if you don't worry about them, the system is solid and safe. He received a audited by Cure53 in 2019 which confirms its Zero-knowledge encryption and safety. If you want to help a project grow this could certainly be a good opportunity.

Cryptee

server in Estonia
Zero-knowledge encryption
Open source
you can edit documents online

It's a service file Hosting that uses encryption with zero knowledge and with a text editing really interesting and well researched. As for the privacy it's great, it's located in Estonia and does not require not even an email to register. The free version offers only 100MB, the first plan available is 10GB for €3 per month.

GHOST FOLDER: THE REAL ALTERNATIVE TO GOOGLE DRIVE

One of the most interesting services is the “ghost folder“: You can create a folder and hide it from the list when you log in. The only way to access it is to do a “summon ghost folder” and enter the exact name of the folder to be exhumed. In short, if someone points a gun to your head and forces you to log in crypt.ee to get documents from you could not in any way trace the fact that this folder exists. Be careful if you use this service: do not lose your encryption key for any reason, otherwise you will never be able to access your data again!

By choice of the developers there is no app. The site is in fact designed specifically to be visited quickly by smartphone.

AGAINST
It's a little expensive but... privacy and the quality it's right that they get paid. You can't share files yet, folders and documents but we are sure time will be kind to them.

Akord

optional distributed and permanent with cryptocurrency Arweave
AWS Amazon server
server in Germany
Zero-knowledge encryption optional
Open source

Very particular cloud with different possibilities of use. There is public and private persistent storage based on blockchain and cryptocurrency Arweave. Briefly explained: Once you post a file to this section it is no longer erasable and will probably remain on the blockchain forever or for a long time ⁵. You can only purchase space without monthly subscriptions.

Alternatively they offer, to be used alongside permanent storage, a classic private (end-to-end) or public cloud with files on Amazon AWS ⁶. You can pay for monthly packages where purchasing permanent storage costs slightly less.

Sync

servers in Canada
Zero-knowledge encryption

It is a good file service Hosting with Zero-knowledge encryption and the service is safe. The servers are in Canada and there is also a free version a this address with 5GB and some limitations (even in sharing) and then one PRO version to 60$ per year.

AGAINST
There are no contrary opinions, perhaps just that the Canada it is not among the safest states in the world in terms of privacy as it is part of the "Five Eyes” but the End-to-end encryption it gives us hope.

Alternatives with zero-knownledge encryption pay extra or separate from the main drive

Koofr

green servers
WebDAV protocol
you can edit documents online with Microsoft Office
Zero-knowledge encryption separate from the rest of the drive

Another interesting drive not to be underestimated. We like it a lot their pricing policy as they offer scalar accounts. So you don't go, as often happens, from 1GB to 300GB but there are many offers in between suitable for every need. Furthermore they give away a 10GB account to everyone.

It's a very interesting suite, focused on privacy. Another interesting option is the connection with other clouds such as Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive. The files on the server are encrypted ⁷ but from what we understand not with zero-knowledge encryption. Finally, texts can also be edited online thanks to a collaboration with Microsoft Office. In this case you will be warned that your file will end up on Microsoft servers to be edited. We contacted them to find out if they used green servers and they responded to us in a very short time, reassuring us of this.

AGAINST
There are not many points against it, perhaps the fact that their applications and their services are not Open source. Despite this, however, their Android app is totally devoid of tracers ⁸.

pCloud

servers in Europe
Zero-knowledge encryption extras for a fee
WebDAV protocol

This is a good company with based in Switzerland and which has existed since 2013. Unlike other operators they also offer a premium service Lifetime (although in our opinion an annual payment is better). They offer 10GB of free space without it Zero-knowledge encryption. The peculiarity of this service is that if you want it you have to pay for the encryption with an extra subscription (around €50 a year).

AGAINST
The cloud even if you have to pay does not offer the End-to-end encryption what's going paid separately. It may become too much of an expense to take both space and encryption.

Icedrive

Zero-knowledge encryption in the paid version

Also Icedrive is a company that offers a good free cloud service (also 10GB). Unlike pCloud, however, the End-to-end encryption is included in the premium price of your subscription (it is not present in the free version). It seems like a good compromise to us because we know that quality and safety must always be paid for. Also Icedrive offers lifetime packages at more than reasonable prices, but we we recommend the annual package because things on the internet they change a little too quickly.

AGAINST
It is British (Wales) and a fairly new company about which not much is known unlike pCloud which has existed since 2013.

Seafile

green servers
Open source
WebDAV protocol
you can edit documents online
Zero-knowledge encryption separated from the rest of the drive (with some problems)

Seafile he's in an interesting project Open source ⁹ with the possibility of also being self-hosted. Alternatively there are at least two companies that offer it at affordable prices. It's both located in Germany and both use 100% green servers ¹⁰¹¹. You can try it and use it with providers luckycloud And Your Secure Cloud. Ability to read and edit documents online thanks to OnlyOffice pre-installed. Nice photo display and great speed.

There is the possibility of having a separate and encrypted part, however the libraries used have some unresolved issues ¹², if you need a zero-knowledge drive we recommend something else.

Alternatives to Google Drive without zero-knownledge encryption

Nextcloud

Open source (Nextcloud)
WebDAV protocol
you can edit documents online

It is most likely thesafer and more effective alternative to Google Drive. Born as file Hosting from self-hosting, the idea is to get a small server at home and keep the data just for you. With Nextcloud then you can share them with whoever you want and delegate everything to them. Unfortunately install and maintain a server is not simple and many problems can arise too safety if you don't know what you're doing. This can be overcome by entrusting our trust to third parties.

Nextcloud providers for Google Drive alternatives

Among the most interesting providers they offer Nextcloud as filehosting we point out Webo.Hosting which also offers a free alternative for online document and spreadsheet editing. You can also take a look at TheGood.cloud based in the Netherlands and others OopsOne based in Swiss. TO this address you can register on all your favorite domains from Nextcloud with interesting offers.
ANDROID And APPLE STORE the app to use is the Nextcloud one which exists on the Play Store that on theApp Store.

AGAINST
Managing it independently is complex but it is certainly the best alternative. Relying on third parties is fine but with Nextcloud there is no default Zero-knowledge encryption, must to trust completely that the company is serious and does not analyze your data.

kDrive Infomaniak

green servers
WebDAV protocol
Open source
you can edit documents online

An excellent one alternative to Google Drive And kDrive Of Infomaniak. Infomaniak it's a company Swiss which was born in way back in 1994. Always offering Hosting web And domain registration. For some time now it has also offered a good cloud service called precisely kDrive. In kDrive it will be possible upload all documents that we want, furthermore it is also possible to modify documents thanks to the OnlyOffice suite.

It's almost certainly a rehashed Nextcloud (or OwnCloud). although we can't say for sure. They offer online file sharing, editing and more. For a few months it has allowed you to have 15GB of space for free with the possibility of making full use of their suite.

Alternatively, about 5€ per month for 2TB or €11 for 3TB and 6 users, there is their paid plan. Excellent compromise as the files are located in Swiss, friend of privacy.

wölkli

Open source (Nextcloud)
green servers
WebDAV protocol
you can edit documents online

Other file service Hosting based in Switzerland. Let's say straight away that if you have a few euros to invest in privacy And safety this is definitely the one for you. The servers are in Switzerland and are managed by them. They use as files Hosting Nextcloud (which we'll talk about below) and then have over the file Hosting Also calendar, photo management And editing documents with Collaborate Online or with OnlyOffice.
ANDROID and APPLE STORE the app to use is that of Nextcloud which exists both on Play Store that on theApp Store.

AGAINST
The free version offers only 1GB and no ability to edit your documents (e.g. .docs). However, by paying around €80 a year you can have 10GB of space. By also paying another €200 per year you can take advantage of OnlyOffice an amazing editor for view and edit documents, spreadsheets and much more and you won't miss Google Drive at all

Cozy Cloud

server in France
Open source
WebDAV protocol

Cozy it is a very interesting alternative. First of all it is Open source ¹³ and it is also possible to host it on your own server ¹⁴. It also offers tons of options for keeping more data together. It's something we generally advise against (it's always better to diversify) but for those who want it Cozy can also be used for protect the own passwords as well as your photos and documents. You can also access your own bank accounts to track your savings.
Finally its application for Android is totally devoid of tracers ¹⁵ and it is also independent of Google Play Services.

The price is honest, free up to 5GB and then starts at €3 per month for 50GB.

Jottacloud

server in Norway
green servers
you can edit documents online with Microsoft Office

Let's talk about Jottacloud, a Norwegian service with privacy in mind. Unfortunately it isn't neither Open source nor does it use encryption zero-knowledge. It is an interesting product in its entirety however as it is also an excellent one alternative to Google Photos and also to Google Docs. For photos it is possible create albums And share them with friends and family, For Google Docs instead it is even integrated Office Online suite usable without having to create a Microsoft account. For the rest it is a good cloud service also when it comes to files. Free up to 5GB, for just €5 per month you can have 1TB and up to 5 users. In our opinion an excellent compromise for those does not want to completely detach itself from Microsoft OneDrive but he wants to have one anyway alternative more attentive to privacy.

Alternatives to Google Drive: the summary table

Thanks to the extraordinary work of Marco Bresciani which he shared on the our Telegram group his research work we propose this table sorted by €/GB. The space listed is not the largest available but what he needed, therefore closer to 250GB.

Attention: the table is updated as of September 14, 2021.

1. Exodus report on Dropbox[↩]
2. “At Dropbox, Even We Can't See Your Dat– Er, Nevermind”[↩]
3. Filen on GitHub[↩]
4. Internxt Successfully Passes Independent Security Audit[↩]
5. How can we store data for 200 years? | Archive | Arweave[↩]
6. Akord's vaults explained | Archive | Arweave[↩]
7. Is Koofr safe to use?[↩]
8. Koofr's Exodus Report[↩]
9. source code by Seafile[↩]
10. Green luckycloud certification[↩]
11. Your Secure Cloud green certification[↩]
12. Encrypted libraries leak lots of information[↩]
13. Cozy Cloud on GitHub[↩]
14. I want to self-host my Cozy. How would I go about that?[↩]
15. Cozy on Exodus[↩]

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