Proton Drive is end-to-end encrypted cloud storage from Proton, the Swiss company behind Proton Mail. It stores, syncs, and shares files and photos across desktop, mobile, and web, so nobody but you holds the keys to your data.
Proton Drive is a cloud storage service that encrypts your files on your own device before they ever reach a server, so the provider cannot read them. You upload documents, videos, and photos through the web app or the desktop and mobile clients, then organize them into folders that mirror the structure you already use on your machine. A synced folder keeps local work and cloud copies aligned automatically, and share links let you hand a file to someone outside Proton without exposing your account. Because file names, contents, and thumbnails are scrambled before upload, Proton Drive suits people who want mainstream convenience without giving a third party the ability to scan their data.
Proton Drive works best as part of a Proton account, sharing a login with Proton Mail, Calendar, VPN, and Pass, and it extends into Proton Docs and Proton Sheets for editing text and spreadsheets in the browser. Paid tiers add longer version recovery and more space for backups and photo libraries, while business plans add administrative controls and compliance tooling for teams handling regulated records. If you prefer to run storage on your own hardware instead of trusting a provider, Nextcloud covers a similar file sync and share job through self-hosting, whereas Proton Drive removes server administration entirely in exchange for depending on Proton's infrastructure.
The main benefit of Proton Drive is that privacy stops being something you configure and becomes the default state of your storage. Encryption keys are derived from your password and held on your devices, so a breach of Proton's servers would expose scrambled files rather than readable ones, which matters for scanned IDs, contracts, medical letters, and family photographs alike. Sharing stays under your control through password-protected links and expiration dates you set, and you can revoke access later without chasing recipients for a copy. Synchronization removes the manual step of moving work between a laptop and a phone, while browser-based editing covers documents and spreadsheets that would otherwise need a second suite. For anyone weighing a mainstream cloud provider, Proton Drive offers a practical swap: the same folder-and-link workflow, built on Swiss privacy law, independent security audits, and openly published code you or a researcher can inspect.
Files, file names, and folder structures are encrypted on your device before upload, so the storage servers only ever hold scrambled data. The keys stay in your possession, which means Proton's staff cannot browse your documents, and a server compromise yields unreadable material instead of open files.
You can send a file or folder to anyone, including people without a Proton account, by generating a share link. Password protection and expiry dates limit who opens it and for how long, and revoking the link cuts access instantly instead of relying on the recipient to delete their copy.
Install the desktop app and choose which folders stay synchronized between your computer and the cloud. Edits, new files, and deletions propagate in both directions, so the copy on your laptop matches the copy on your phone, and the synced folder behaves like any ordinary directory in your file manager.
Mobile apps can back up your camera roll automatically, uploading new photos and videos as you take them so a lost phone does not mean lost memories. Albums let you group images and invite other people to add their own shots to a shared collection.
Proton Docs and Proton Sheets run in the browser and store their content with the same end-to-end encryption as your files, which keeps drafts, notes, and financial tables out of a provider's reach while still supporting real-time collaboration, comments, formulas, and charts.
Proton Drive keeps earlier copies of files you change or delete, so an accidental overwrite or a malicious edit can be rolled back. Paid subscribers get considerably longer recovery windows, which helps when you notice a problem weeks after it happened rather than minutes.
Your storage is reachable from desktop apps, mobile apps, and any modern browser, with a command-line client for scripted transfers. A file saved at your desk is available on a phone minutes later, and on-demand loading keeps large folders from consuming local disk space.
Proton is headquartered in Switzerland and subject to Swiss privacy legislation rather than US or UK data-access regimes, and the client code is published for independent review. Regular third-party security audits publish their findings, giving organizations documented evidence for their own compliance reviews.
Encryption happens on your device before upload, and the keys needed to decrypt files remain with you rather than the provider. Most mainstream services encrypt data at rest on their own servers, which still leaves the operator able to read your files, run content scans, or respond to a legal request with readable data. Proton Drive is built so the operator cannot open your files even if it wanted to.
No. You can generate a link for any file or folder and send it to someone using an ordinary email address. They open it in a browser after entering the password you set, and you can apply an expiry date or revoke access at any time. Files stay encrypted in Proton Drive while the link is active.
Yes. Proton Docs and Proton Sheets open documents and spreadsheets directly in the browser, and their contents receive the same end-to-end encryption as files in storage. Several people can edit the same document at once, leave comments, and build formulas or charts in spreadsheets without exporting anything to a third-party suite.
Deleted items move to a trash area before permanent removal, and version history lets you restore an earlier copy of a file that was edited or overwritten. Recovery windows are longer on paid plans, so check your plan if you keep long-term archives in the cloud.
Yes. The Proton Drive mobile apps handle browsing, uploads, sharing, and automatic photo backup, and offline access keeps selected files available without a connection. Albums group images into collections, and you can invite other people to add their own photos to a shared album.
Business plans add shared storage, administrative controls, and compliance documentation for organizations handling sensitive records, while files stay end-to-end encrypted for members. Administrators keep control over access and sharing policy, and user management covers joining, leaving, and permission changes without disturbing stored data.
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