IDrive vs Proton Drive
IDrive and Proton Drive are both file storage & sharing tools. IDrive is aimed at small businesses and freelancers, while Proton Drive is aimed at freelancers and small businesses. IDrive costs less, from $0.25/mo versus $4.99/mo for Proton Drive. Both have a free plan.
Cloud backup for multiple PCs, Macs, phones and servers in one account
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage from Swiss privacy company Proton
| Pricing | Freemium · $0 | Freemium · $5 |
| Starting price | $0.25/mo | $4.99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Small businesses, Freelancers, Enterprise | Freelancers, Small businesses, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web, windows, macos, linux, ios, android | web, windows, macos, ios, android |
| Country | US | CH |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose IDrive if
Households and small businesses that want to back up many computers and phones into one affordable, encrypted account.
- One account covers many devices instead of per-computer pricing
- Large storage tiers at low cost per terabyte
- Versioning and snapshots help recover from ransomware
Look elsewhere if: Users who want unlimited backup for one computer or mainly need file sync and sharing (Backblaze, Sync.com, pCloud).
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).
IDrive vs Proton Drive pricing
IDrive
- Basic$010 GB, no credit card required
- Mini$0.25/mo100 GB, one user, billed yearly; 500 GB is $0.83/mo
- Personal$11.99/mo5 TB; $9.99/mo billed yearly, $6.99 first-year promo
- Team$11.99/mo5 users, 5 computers, 5 TB; $6.99/mo first-year promo
- Business$59.99/mo1.25 TB, servers and NAS; yearly from $19.99 for 500 GB
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
IDrive · Key features
- Back up unlimited PCs, Macs, phones and tablets to one account
- Up to 30 file versions plus snapshots for point-in-time recovery
- Optional private-key 256-bit AES encryption
- Entire-machine backup for full system restores
- Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace cloud-to-cloud backup
- IDrive Express physical drive shipping for large backups and restores
Cons
- Desktop app is busy and less intuitive than Backblaze
- First-year promo prices rise noticeably on renewal
- Storage is capped per plan, unlike Backblaze's unlimited personal backup
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
IDrive vs Proton Drive: FAQ
Which is cheaper, IDrive or Proton Drive?
IDrive starts at $0.25/mo and Proton Drive at $4.99/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do IDrive and Proton Drive have a free plan?
Yes, both IDrive and Proton Drive have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.