Proton Drive — Free Service Overview

Proton Drive is an end-to-end encrypted cloud storage service operated by Proton AG, headquartered at Route de la Galaise 32, 1228 Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland. Proton AG's primary shareholder is the non-profit Proton Foundation, a structural arrangement Proton highlights as preventing venture-capital-style pressure on the company's privacy stance. Proton Drive launched in 2022 as part of the broader Proton ecosystem alongside Proton Mail, Proton VPN, Proton Pass, Proton Calendar, and Proton Wallet. Proton Drive positions on three pillars: end-to-end encryption by default on every file (no opt-in toggle), a Switzerland jurisdiction outside the Five / Nine / Fourteen Eyes intelligence-sharing arrangements, and integration with the broader Proton suite via Proton Unlimited.

Quick facts · Jurisdiction: Switzerland (FADP; outside Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes) · Encryption: AES-256-GCM end-to-end by default · Audits: open-source clients on GitHub · Free tier: 5 GB · Paid: from a per-month rate on annual commitments · See live pricing table below.

What is Proton Drive?

Proton Drive routes file-storage data through end-to-end encrypted tunnels with a published zero-knowledge architecture: every file uploaded to Proton Drive is encrypted on the user's device before transmission, with keys derived from the user's account credentials. Proton's servers never see plaintext file content or filenames. The product launched in 2022 as the latest addition to the broader Proton family of privacy-focused services that started in 2014 with the launch of Proton Mail.

Why choose Proton Drive

Privacy by design

Proton Drive uses end-to-end encryption by default on every file — there is no opt-in toggle, no "encrypt this folder" option, no "Crypto" add-on. Every file is encrypted client-side before upload. Filenames and folder structures are also encrypted (most cloud-storage providers leave filenames in plaintext for indexing convenience; Proton Drive does not). The Switzerland jurisdiction is outside the European Union (and therefore outside the EU's mandatory data-retention frameworks) and outside the Five Eyes / Nine Eyes / Fourteen Eyes intelligence-sharing agreements. The Proton Foundation governance structure adds structural privacy mitigation beyond policy-level guarantees.

Security beyond encryption

• End-to-end encryption by default — every file, filename, and folder structure is encrypted client-side.
• AES-256-GCM authenticated encryption with PBKDF2 key derivation.
• Open-source clients — Proton Drive client source code is published on GitHub for public review.
• Secure file sharing — share files with named recipients via expiring encrypted links.
• Photo backup — automatic encrypted backup of camera roll on iOS and Android.
• Folder sync — desktop sync across Windows, macOS, and the web vault.
• Recovery files — encrypted recovery key for account recovery without compromising the encryption.
• Granular sharing controls — per-link permissions (view-only, download-allowed, password-protected, expiring).
• No tracking, no ads — Proton's no-ad business model funds the product through subscriptions only.

Bundle ecosystem

Proton Drive integrates with the broader Proton suite. Proton Unlimited at $9.99/month annual bundles Drive with Proton Mail, Proton VPN, Proton Pass, Proton Calendar, and Proton Wallet at full storage tiers — a cost-effective option for users who would otherwise pay for multiple privacy products separately. The single Proton account works across the entire suite with consolidated billing and unified 2FA settings.

Pricing in 2026

Proton Drive offers a free tier with 5 GB of storage, a Drive Plus tier on monthly and annual billing cycles, and the Proton Unlimited bundle that includes Drive alongside the rest of the Proton ecosystem.

For the live pricing in your country, the published rates from protondrive.com are the source of truth. Subger tracks the intro vs. renewal math transparently in the linked true-price tracker.

Proton Drive apps and platform support

Proton Drive accounts have no per-account device cap on paid tiers — files can be accessed from every device the user owns. Linux users access the product via the web vault or community CLI tools; native Linux desktop client is not yet shipped as of this writing.

Security audits and transparency

• End-to-end encryption by default — every file, filename, and folder structure is encrypted client-side.
• Open-source clients — Proton Drive client source code is published on GitHub for public review.
• Non-profit foundation governance — Proton AG's primary shareholder is the non-profit Proton Foundation, providing structural privacy mitigation beyond policy-level guarantees.
• Transparency report — Proton publishes a transparency report on warrant requests received. See the vendor's transparency-report page for the most recent edition.

Use cases Proton Drive fits

• Strong-jurisdiction-conscious users — Switzerland is outside the major intelligence-sharing arrangements (Five / Nine / Fourteen Eyes) and operates under FADP. Fits users who weigh corporate jurisdiction heavily.
• End-to-end-by-default users — Many cloud-storage providers offer end-to-end encryption as an opt-in toggle or paid add-on; Proton Drive encrypts every file by default with no configuration required.
• Privacy-conscious photo backup — The encrypted camera-roll backup for iOS and Android fits users who want photo backup without sharing photo content (or location metadata) with the cloud provider.
• Proton Suite users — Existing Proton Mail / Proton VPN / Proton Pass subscribers can extend their account into encrypted cloud storage with the same login + 2FA + recovery mechanism.
• Encrypted file-sharing workflows — The expiring-link sharing with per-recipient password protection fits users who occasionally need to share sensitive files with named recipients without setting up shared cloud folders.
• Switzerland-vs-EU-resident users — For users in EU member states, Proton Drive provides FADP-protected (rather than GDPR-only) cloud storage from a Swiss operating entity, which is structurally different from EU-resident cloud providers operating under GDPR alone.

Users who require native Linux desktop sync, or who specifically want flat-rate storage pricing (rather than tiered subscriptions), should evaluate Proton Drive against those specific requirements before subscribing.

Frequently asked questions

Is Proton Drive end-to-end encrypted?

Yes. Every file uploaded to Proton Drive is encrypted on the user's device before transmission. Filenames and folder structures are also encrypted (most cloud-storage providers leave filenames in plaintext for indexing convenience; Proton Drive does not). Proton's servers never see plaintext file content or filenames.

Are Proton Drive's clients open source?

Yes. Proton Drive client source code is published on GitHub for public review. Independent security researchers can audit the encryption implementation rather than rely on vendor self-attestation.

How much does Proton Drive cost?

For the live pricing in your country, see the live pricing table on this page. The published rates include a Free tier with 5 GB of storage, a Drive Plus tier with substantially more storage, and the Proton Unlimited bundle ($9.99/month annual) that includes Drive alongside Mail, VPN, Pass, Calendar, and Wallet at full storage tiers.

Does Proton Drive have a free tier?

Yes. The Free tier includes 5 GB of storage and the same end-to-end encryption as the paid tiers — there is no encryption-feature split between Free and paid.

Can I share files with people who don't have Proton Drive?

Yes. Proton Drive supports encrypted-link sharing with per-link permissions: view-only, download-allowed, password-protected, expiring after a configurable duration. The recipient does not need a Proton account to access the shared file.

Does Proton Drive have a Linux client?

Not natively as of this writing. Linux users access Proton Drive via the web vault at drive.proton.me or community CLI tools. Native Linux desktop sync is on Proton's published roadmap but has not yet shipped.

Where is Proton Drive based?

Proton Drive is operated by Proton AG, headquartered at Route de la Galaise 32, 1228 Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland. The Switzerland jurisdiction is outside the European Union and outside the Five Eyes / Nine Eyes / Fourteen Eyes intelligence-sharing arrangements. Proton AG's primary shareholder is the non-profit Proton Foundation.

Can I use Proton Drive for photo backup?

Yes. The Proton Drive iOS and Android apps include automatic encrypted camera-roll backup. Photos are encrypted on the device before upload, so photo content (and location metadata) remains private from Proton's servers.

What happens if I lose my password?

Proton Drive supports recovery files — an encrypted recovery key the user downloads at signup. Without the password and without the recovery file, encrypted file content is not recoverable (this is a deliberate consequence of the zero-knowledge architecture; if Proton could recover your files, the encryption would not be end-to-end).

Does Proton Drive integrate with the rest of Proton?

Yes. Proton Drive uses the same Proton account as Proton Mail, Proton VPN, Proton Pass, Proton Calendar, and Proton Wallet. Proton Unlimited at $9.99/month annual bundles all six products at full storage tiers with a single subscription.

Get started with Proton Drive

For the live pricing table in your country, scroll up to the pricing tiers section. The Free tier (5 GB) is also available without payment if you want to evaluate the product first.

Related Subger guides

• How to cancel Proton Drive — step-by-step cancellation walkthrough
• Proton Drive deals — current promotional offers
• Proton Drive promo codes — active discount codes
• Proton Drive true-price tracker — intro-vs-renewal math
• Cloud storage comparison hub — Subger's editorial cloud-storage pillar