pCloud vs Proton Drive
pCloud and Proton Drive are both file storage & sharing tools aimed at freelancers and small businesses. Both have a free plan.
pCloud
Swiss cloud storage with lifetime plans
Proton Drive
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage from Swiss privacy company Proton
| Pricing | Freemium · $5 | Freemium · $5 |
| Starting price | $4.99/mo | $4.99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Freelancers, Small businesses | Freelancers, Small businesses, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web, macos, windows, ios, android | web, windows, macos, ios, android |
| Country | CH · 2013 | CH |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose pCloud if
Individuals preferring one-time payment.
- Lifetime pricing
- Swiss privacy
- Virtual drive
Look elsewhere if: Team collaboration.
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).
pCloud vs Proton Drive pricing
pCloud
- Free$0Up to 10 GB (per help.pcloud.com plan details)
- Premium 500 GB$4.99/mo$49.99/yr; lifetime $219
- Premium Plus 2 TB$9.99/mo$99.99/yr; lifetime $499
- Ultra 10 TB$29.99/mo$299.99/yr; lifetime $1,499
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
pCloud · Key features
- Virtual drive
- Lifetime plans
- File versioning
- Media streaming
- Client-side encryption add-on
- Sharing links
Cons
- Encryption is extra
- Team features limited
- Company longevity risk for lifetime
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
pCloud vs Proton Drive: FAQ
Do pCloud and Proton Drive have a free plan?
Yes, both pCloud and Proton Drive have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.