Alternatives to Google Drive

Encrypted cloud storage from Switzerland, Spain and Germany with end-to-end encryption, open-source clients and a European legal framework. Compare pricing, storage capacity and privacy features.

13 alternatives
Self-hosting option
Updated 2026

Proton Drive

End-to-end encrypted, Switzerland

In detail

Google Drive compared to European cloud providers

Google Drive is part of Alphabet's advertising ecosystem. File contents are not directly used for personalised advertising, but metadata such as filenames, access times, device IDs and contact lists feed into the cross-service user profile Google uses for product development and ad targeting.

As a US company, Alphabet is subject to the CLOUD Act (2018). This compels providers to hand data over to US authorities regardless of the physical location of their servers. The Schrems II ruling (2020) of the Court of Justice of the European Union found that US surveillance laws conflict with the GDPR, raising fundamental questions about the legal framework, including the CLOUD Act, under which US companies operate. Public agencies, healthcare organisations and companies handling personal data therefore have a compliance requirement to review.

Google Drive does not offer zero-knowledge encryption. Files are encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest (AES-256), but Google holds the keys. Google, and under subpoena US authorities, can read file contents in plaintext. European providers such as Proton Drive, Internxt and Filen use zero-knowledge architectures, where only the user holds the key.

Google Drive is closely linked with other Google services. Gmail scans attachments, Google Docs retains version histories with metadata, Google Photos analyses image content through machine learning. European alternatives decouple cloud storage from such analytical pipelines. Proton Drive, Internxt and kDrive are embedded in separate product ecosystems whose business model relies on subscriptions rather than data analysis.

Quick Compare

Provider	Country	Open Source	Price (From)
Proton Drive	Switzerland	Yes	Free (5 GB) · Mail Plus from €3.99/mo · Unlimited from €9.99/mo
pCloud	Switzerland	No	From 4.99 €/month · Lifetime 500 GB one-time 199 € · 2 TB one-time 399 €
Internxt	Spain	Yes	Free (1 GB) · 200 GB from 4.49 €/month · 2 TB from 9.99 €/month · Lifetime plans available
kDrive	Switzerland	No	Free (15 GB via my kSuite) · From €4.99/month (3 TB)
Crypt.ee	Estonia	Yes	Free (100 MB) / from €3/mo (10 GB)
Tresorit	Hungary / Switzerland	No	Free (Basic, 3 GB) · Personal from 12 €/month · Business on request
Filen	Germany	Yes	Free (10 GB) · 200 GB from 1.99 €/month · 2 TB from 8.99 €/month (lifetime plans sold out since 12/2025)
Jottacloud	Norway	No	Free (5 GB) · Unlimited from 11.90 €/month (annual) · Home 1 TB from 5.75 €/month (annual)
Nextcloud	Germany	Yes	Free (open source, self-hosted) · Managed hosting from approx. 3 €/month via third-party providers
Koofr	Slovenia	No	Free (10 GB) · 25 GB from €0.50/month · 100 GB from €2/month · 1 TB from €10/month
Leviia	France	No	Object storage from €9.99/TB/year · Cloud drive from €5/month
Cloudu	Germany	No	From €5/month (200 GB), cancel monthly
bewCloud	European Union	Yes	Self-hosting free (AGPL) · Managed VPS €150 per year (4 GB RAM, 30 GB SSD)

European alternatives

13 alternatives in detail

Proton Drive

Switzerland

Cloud storage with zero-knowledge architecture and EU data centers

End-to-end encryption of all files
Open source and audited
Servers located in Switzerland

Open Source

Free (5 GB) · Mail Plus from €3.99/mo · Unlimited from €9.99/mo

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pCloud

Switzerland

Cloud storage with one-time payment and EU server locations

Lifetime plans: pay once, use indefinitely
Optional EU server location selectable
Client-side encryption with pCloud Crypto

From 4.99 €/month · Lifetime 500 GB one-time 199 € · 2 TB one-time 399 €

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Internxt

Spain

Decentralized cloud storage with open-source architecture

Zero-knowledge encryption, no one but the user has access
Open source and externally audited
Decentralized storage architecture

Open Source

Free (1 GB) · 200 GB from 4.49 €/month · 2 TB from 9.99 €/month · Lifetime plans available

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kDrive

Switzerland

Swiss cloud storage with GDPR-compliant privacy and collaborative features.

Data centres exclusively in Switzerland
Real-time collaborative editing of office documents
No sale of user data to third parties

Free (15 GB via my kSuite) · From €4.99/month (3 TB)

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Crypt.ee

Estonia

End-to-end encrypted cloud storage for documents and photos from Estonia

Client-side encryption, no one but the user reads their data
Even metadata (filenames, tags) is encrypted
Documents, photos and notebooks in one tool

Open Source

Free (100 MB) / from €3/mo (10 GB)

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Tresorit

Hungary / Switzerland

Enterprise cloud storage with zero-knowledge encryption

Zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption
File sharing with password protection and expiry date
GDPR-compliant, HIPAA-ready

Free (Basic, 3 GB) · Personal from 12 €/month · Business on request

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Filen

Germany

End-to-end encrypted cloud storage from Germany

End-to-end encryption, zero-knowledge
Open source, all apps available on GitHub
Integrated encrypted notes (Filen Notes)

Open Source

Free (10 GB) · 200 GB from 1.99 €/month · 2 TB from 8.99 €/month (lifetime plans sold out since 12/2025)

Visit Website → View details →

Jottacloud

Norway

Platform-independent cloud storage from Norway

Unlimited storage in the Unlimited plan
Servers exclusively in Norway
Automatic photo backup

Free (5 GB) · Unlimited from 11.90 €/month (annual) · Home 1 TB from 5.75 €/month (annual)

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Nextcloud

Germany

Self-hosted collaboration suite with complete control

100% open source & self-hosted
Full data sovereignty
Calendar, contacts, video chat included

Open Source

Free (open source, self-hosted) · Managed hosting from approx. 3 €/month via third-party providers

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Koofr

Slovenia

Cloud storage from Slovenia with connections to existing clouds

Connects Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive under one EU umbrella
Servers in Slovenia and Germany, no data transfer to the US
No advertising, no user tracking

Free (10 GB) · 25 GB from €0.50/month · 100 GB from €2/month · 1 TB from €10/month

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Leviia

France

Sovereign cloud storage and S3 object storage from France

S3-compatible object storage with no egress or API fees
Three geo-replicated data centers in France
ISO 27001 and HDS (Hébergeur de Données de Santé) certified

Object storage from €9.99/TB/year · Cloud drive from €5/month

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Cloudu

Germany

Nextcloud-based cloud storage with servers in Germany

Hosted Nextcloud instance with web, apps, and WebDAV access
Servers in Germany, 100 percent renewable energy
Two-factor authentication

From €5/month (200 GB), cancel monthly

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bewCloud

European Union

Lean open-source cloud alternative to Nextcloud from the EU

Open source under AGPL, source code on GitHub
Written in TypeScript and Deno with low resource usage
Files, notes, photos, calendar, contacts, and RSS in one application

Open Source

Self-hosting free (AGPL) · Managed VPS €150 per year (4 GB RAM, 30 GB SSD)

Visit Website → View details →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Google Drive and European alternatives?

The core difference is encryption and jurisdiction. European providers such as Proton Drive, Internxt and Filen use zero-knowledge encryption and are subject to the GDPR, not the CLOUD Act.

How much storage do I get for my money?

European cloud storage offers comparable capacity. Proton Drive starts free with 5 GB, Koofr and Filen offer 10 GB free. Filen has lifetime plans from €19.99, as do pCloud and Internxt. Jottacloud offers unlimited storage in its Unlimited plan.

Can I collaborate on documents like in Google Docs?

Several providers support collaborative editing. kDrive integrates OnlyOffice for real-time collaboration, Nextcloud ships full office suites, and Crypt.ee offers encrypted documents and notebooks.

Are the alternatives suitable for businesses?

Tresorit is specifically designed for enterprise requirements: zero-knowledge encryption, HIPAA-ready, GDPR-compliant. kDrive (Infomaniak) provides team plans with a collaborative office suite. Nextcloud enables self-hosting for full data sovereignty in organisations and public agencies.

Is the switch technically demanding?

No. Most providers offer desktop and mobile apps with automatic sync. A migration is typically done over a weekend; files can be transferred via drag-and-drop. Koofr even connects existing Google Drive accounts through its EU-based interface.

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