Filen vs Proton Drive
Filen and Proton Drive are both file storage & sharing tools. Filen is aimed at freelancers, while Proton Drive is aimed at freelancers and small businesses. Both have a free plan.
Zero-knowledge encrypted storage from Germany
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage from Swiss privacy company Proton
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium · $5 |
| Starting price | Not published | $4.99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Freelancers | Freelancers, Small businesses, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web, macos, windows, ios, android | web, windows, macos, ios, android |
| Country | DE · 2020 | CH |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Filen if
Budget privacy-conscious individuals.
- Cheap
- Encrypted by default
- German hosting
Look elsewhere if: 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).
Filen vs Proton Drive pricing
Filen
- Free€010 GiB storage; free data deleted after 3 months inactivity
- Starter€11.99/yr100 GiB; annual billing only
- Pro I€1.99/mo200 GiB, unlimited bandwidth, E2E encryption
- Pro II€3.99/mo500 GiB; €39.99/yr billed annually
- Pro III€8.99/mo2 TiB; €89.99/yr billed annually
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
Filen · Key features
- Zero-knowledge encryption
- Desktop sync
- Sharing links
- Lifetime plans
- Linux support
- Web drive
Cons
- Young company
- Fewer features
- Smaller support
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
Filen vs Proton Drive: FAQ
Do Filen and Proton Drive have a free plan?
Yes, both Filen and Proton Drive have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, Filen or Proton Drive?
Proton Drive lists small businesses as a core audience, while Filen is aimed more at freelancers.