Proton Drive Review: Encryption, Plans, and Who the Cloud Actually Fits

What Proton Drive actually is

Proton Drive is encrypted cloud storage from the Swiss company behind Proton Mail and Proton VPN. You upload files, photos, and folders; you open them in a browser, a phone app, or a Windows/macOS desktop client. Proton's public pitch is simple: end-to-end encryption so that file contents — and, as Proton currently documents, filenames and more — are encrypted on your device before they hit Proton's servers. Proton says it cannot read those files. That is a different product from a drive that encrypts disks in the data center while the company still holds the keys.

It is still a cloud. You need a network to fetch a file you did not keep locally. A stolen session cookie, a phished password, or malware on the machine that holds the keys can still expose data. Zero-access encryption is a claim about the host, not a force field around your life. Keep a second copy of anything you cannot afford to lose, and treat account recovery as part of the product.

From the record

Encrypt before upload if you do not want the storage company in the reading room. Then spend the rest of your caution on passwords, devices, and share links.

GUIDEORA rule for private cloud reviews

How the encryption works — in plain language

On a typical consumer cloud, the provider encrypts disks so a stolen hard drive is useless, but the service can still index, scan, and (in many legal processes) produce your files. Proton describes Drive as client-side / zero-access: your device encrypts the blob, Proton stores ciphertext. Independent audits and open-source clients are how Proton asks you to verify that story. Audits are snapshots. Read the date and the scope; they are still more useful than a homepage badge with no paper.

Switzerland is outside the US/UK Five Eyes grouping. Jurisdiction changes who can compel the company and under which process. It is not immunity, and it does not stop a recipient you shared with from forwarding a file. If you enable sharing, you are extending trust to people and to whatever device they use to open the link.

Plans, storage, and how to read the price

Proton currently lists a Free plan with 5 GB for files, photos, and documents, with Docs and Sheets included and encryption on. Drive Plus is the standalone paid step Proton advertises at 200 GB, with a 30-day money-back window as shown on the Drive page, and much longer version history than Free. Proton Unlimited bundles 500 GB of Drive with Mail, Calendar, Pass, and VPN. Proton Duo is the two-person, multi-terabyte bundle Proton currently shows on the same page. Family and business SKUs exist when Proton lists them — checkout always wins if a card on this site disagrees.

The advertised monthly number is usually the annual rate. Month-to-month is higher. GUIDEORA will not invent a forever discount. Confirm renewal, currency, and whether Drive Plus or a bundle is the SKU in the cart.

Apps, Photos, Docs, and Sheets

Web, iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS are the surfaces Proton currently ships. Mobile apps can back up photos. Desktop apps sync folders and can expose a virtual drive so you are not duplicating every byte on disk. Proton Docs and Proton Sheets are encrypted editors inside Drive. They are good enough for private notes, lists, and lightweight collaboration. They are not Google Workspace. If real-time comments from a 20-person team are the job, say that out loud before you migrate.

Version history is a real feature, not a footnote. Proton's support docs currently say Free keeps up to 10 versions for up to 7 days; paid plans can keep up to 200 versions for up to 10 years, with settings under Drive. That helps after an overwrite or a bad save. It is not a full backup appliance, and versions still consume quota.

Limits you should budget for

• Free storage is 5 GB — Google Drive's 15 GB (shared with Gmail and Photos) is larger.
• Collaboration and third-party app integrations are thinner than Google or Microsoft.
• You are responsible for recovery keys and a device that can decrypt.
• Share links with the password attached in the same chat are only as private as that chat.
• Desktop sync is not Time Machine, and it is not a substitute for 3-2-1 backups.

Where it sits next to the usual clouds

Google Drive wins convenience and live collaboration; Google holds keys on ordinary consumer Drive. Dropbox wins mature sync and sharing habits. iCloud wins if you already live on Apple and you actually turn on Advanced Data Protection (where it is still offered — Apple withdrew ADP for UK iCloud accounts). Sync.com is the other consumer E2E name people put next to Proton. This review is not a global ranking of every cloud on earth.

Who should get it

Get Proton Drive if you want a cloud whose selling point is that the company does not hold readable copies, and you will confirm GB on the cart. Stay on Google or Microsoft if the work is comments, add-ons, and everyone already has an account. Either way, one encrypted cloud plus a local backup beats three overlapping subscriptions.