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Box vs Proton Drive

Box and Proton Drive are both file storage & sharing tools. Box is aimed at enterprise, while Proton Drive is aimed at freelancers and small businesses. Proton Drive costs less, from $4.99/mo versus $7/mo for Box. Both have a free plan.

Box

Enterprise content management and collaboration

Proton Drive

End-to-end encrypted cloud storage from Swiss privacy company Proton

PricingFreemium · $7Freemium · $5
Starting price$7/mo$4.99/mo
Free planYesYes
Free trial——
Built forEnterpriseFreelancers, Small businesses, Enterprise
Platformsweb, macos, windows, ios, androidweb, windows, macos, ios, android
CountryUS · 2005CH
Rating——

Choose Box if

Enterprises and regulated industries.

  • Strong security and compliance
  • Enterprise integrations
  • Unlimited storage on Business

Look elsewhere if: Individuals and small teams.

Choose Proton Drive if

Privacy-focused individuals, families and small teams who want encrypted storage that is still easy to use.

  • Zero-access encryption by default, not as an add-on
  • Swiss company with strong privacy track record
  • Bundles with Mail, VPN and Pass give good value

Look elsewhere if: Teams that depend on deep app integrations and live office editing (Google Drive, Dropbox) or need encrypted enterprise controls (Tresorit).

Box vs Proton Drive pricing

Box

  • Individual$0Official: 1 user, 10 GB storage, 250 MB upload
  • Business Starter$7/user/mo$5 billed annually; min 3 users, 100 GB storage
  • Business$20/user/mo$15 billed annually; min 3 users, unlimited storage
  • Business Plus$33/user/mo$25 billed annually; unlimited external collaborators
  • Enterprise$47/user/mo$35 billed annually; 50 GB upload, Box AI units

Proton Drive

  • Free$0Up to 5 GB after completing Drive setup steps
  • Drive Plus$4.99/mo$47.88/yr billed annually; 200 GB, 10-year version history
  • Proton Unlimited$12.99/mo$9.99/mo billed yearly; 500 GB plus Mail, VPN and Pass
  • Proton Duo$19.99/mo2 TB shared by 2 users, all Proton apps
  • Proton Family$29.99/mo3 TB shared by up to 6 users

Box · Key features

  • Secure storage and sharing
  • Workflow automation
  • Box Sign
  • Box AI
  • Governance and retention
  • 1,500+ integrations

Cons

  • Pricey
  • Sync less loved than Dropbox
  • Complexity

Proton Drive · Key features

  • End-to-end encryption of files, names, folders and photos
  • Desktop sync apps for Windows and macOS
  • Automatic photo and video backup on iOS and Android
  • Share links with passwords, expiry dates and access control
  • Encrypted Proton Docs and Sheets inside Drive
  • Version history of up to 10 years on paid plans

Cons

  • No native Linux sync client yet
  • Few third-party integrations compared with Google Drive
  • Collaborative editing far behind Google Workspace

Box vs Proton Drive: FAQ

Which is cheaper, Box or Proton Drive?

Proton Drive starts at $4.99/mo and Box at $7/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.

Do Box and Proton Drive have a free plan?

Yes, both Box and Proton Drive have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.

Which is better for small businesses, Box or Proton Drive?

Proton Drive lists small businesses as a core audience, while Box is aimed more at enterprise.

Not sure yet?