Data storage in the cloud
Your photos, documents, backups—it all lives somewhere in the cloud. But who actually has access to it?
Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive: sure, they’re convenient. But they’re also products. Your data is the currency. They scan, analyze, and use whatever you upload to target ads, train algorithms, or simply predict your behavior. If you’re okay with that, fine. But if you think your privacy matters, you need to ask yourself if that’s the right deal.
European cloud storage providers offer a different model. No data mining, no profiling, just storage. Many of them use end-to-end encryption, meaning even they can’t see what you’re storing. And because they fall under European law, you can actually enforce your rights.
Of course, switching isn’t always easy. But for sensitive files—financial documents, personal photos, work-related dossiers—it’s worth considering an alternative.
Below is an overview of European cloud solutions. Click through for info on creating accounts, pricing, and how to set them up on your phone or computer.
Our proposed alternatives:
Comparison Table: Cloud Storage Providers
| Feature | Proton Drive (Switzerland) |
Sync.com (Canada/EU) |
Tresorit (Switzerland/Hungary) |
pCloud (Switzerland) |
iCloud Drive (USA/Denmark) |
Google Drive (USA) |
OneDrive (USA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Overall Rating1 General assessment based on privacy, security, GDPR compliance, and business model. | ✅ Very Good E2EE + Zero-access encryption, full GDPR compliance, no ads/data mining, open-source clients, and strong privacy focus. | ✅ Very Good E2EE + Zero-access encryption, full GDPR compliance, no ads/data mining, and strong privacy focus. | ✅ Very Good E2EE + Zero-access encryption, full GDPR compliance, no ads/data mining, and strong privacy focus. | ⚠️ Good Client-side encryption (optional), full GDPR compliance, no ads/data mining, and lifetime subscription option. | ⚠️ Moderate Server-side encryption only, partial GDPR compliance, indirect data mining via ecosystem, and bundled with Apple One. | ❌ Poor Server-side encryption only, partial GDPR compliance, indirect data mining via ecosystem, and ad-based model. | ❌ Poor Server-side encryption only, partial GDPR compliance, indirect data mining via ecosystem, and ad-based model. |
| Encryption2 End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) ensures only you can read your files. Zero-access means even the provider cannot access your data. | ✅ Very good E2EE + Zero-access. Only you can read your files. | ✅ Very good E2EE + Zero-access. Only you can read your files. | ✅ Very good E2EE + Zero-access. Only you can read your files. | ⚠️ Good Client-side (optional). Files are encrypted on your device before upload. | ❌ Poor Server-side only. Files are encrypted on the server, but the provider can access them. | ❌ Poor Server-side only. Files are encrypted on the server, but the provider can access them. | ❌ Poor Server-side only. Files are encrypted on the server, but the provider can access them. |
| Data Location3 Physical location of servers storing your data. Determines applicable laws (e.g., EU GDPR vs. US surveillance laws). | ✅ Switzerland | ✅ Canada/EU (Germany) | ✅ EU/Switzerland | ✅ Switzerland/USA | ⚠️ USA/Denmark (EU) | ❌ USA | ❌ USA |
| GDPR Compliance4 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is EU legislation protecting privacy. 'Full' means the provider fully complies. | ✅ Full | ✅ Full | ✅ Full | ✅ Full | ⚠️ Partial (depends on jurisdiction) | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| Free Tier | 5 GB | No | 3 GB | 10 GB | 5 GB | 15 GB | 5 GB |
| Paid Starting Price | ~€4/month | ~$8/month | ~€10/month | ~€4.99/month | N/A (included with Apple One) | N/A (included with Google One) | N/A (included with Microsoft 365) |
| Ads/Data Mining5 Whether the provider scans content for ads or sells data. Privacy-focused providers do not do this. | ✅ No | ✅ No | ✅ No | ✅ No | ⚠️ Indirect (via ecosystem) | ❌ Indirect (via ecosystem) | ❌ Indirect (via ecosystem) |
| Open Source6 Code is publicly available for inspection. Increases trust as independent experts can verify security. | ⚠️ Partial (clients only) | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| File Versioning | Unlimited (Paid) | Unlimited | Unlimited | 30 days (extendable to 1 year) | 30 days | 30-180 days | 30 days |
| Collaboration Tools | Docs, Sheets (E2EE) | Limited | Limited | No | iWork | Docs, Sheets, Slides | Office Online |
| Mobile App | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Desktop Sync Client | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Business Model7 How the provider makes money: via ads/data sales or subscription fees. This influences privacy level. | ✅ Subscription | ✅ Subscription | ✅ Subscription | ✅ Subscription (lifetime option) | ⚠️ Subscription (bundled) | ❌ Ad-based + Subscription | ❌ Ad-based + Subscription |
🔍 Explanation of Key Fields
1. Overall Rating
✅ Very Good: E2EE + Zero-access encryption, full GDPR compliance, no ads/data mining, open-source clients, and strong privacy focus. Example: Proton Drive, Sync.com, Tresorit.
⚠️ Good: Client-side encryption (optional), full GDPR compliance, no ads/data mining, and lifetime subscription option. Example: pCloud.
⚠️ Moderate: Server-side encryption only, partial GDPR compliance, indirect data mining via ecosystem, and bundled with other services. Example: iCloud Drive.
❌ Poor: Server-side encryption only, partial GDPR compliance, indirect data mining via ecosystem, and ad-based model. Example: Google Drive, OneDrive.
2. Encryption
✅ Very good: E2EE + Zero-access. Only you can read your files. Example: Proton Drive, Sync.com, Tresorit.
⚠️ Good: Client-side (optional). Files are encrypted on your device before upload. Example: pCloud.
❌ Poor: Server-side only. Files are encrypted on the server, but the provider can access them. Example: iCloud Drive, Google Drive, OneDrive.
3. Data Location
Physical location of servers storing your data. Determines applicable laws (e.g., EU GDPR vs. US surveillance laws).
4. GDPR Compliance
✅ Full: The provider fully complies with GDPR, ensuring strong privacy protections for users. Example: Proton Drive, Sync.com, Tresorit, pCloud.
⚠️ Partial: The provider partially complies with GDPR, often due to non-EU jurisdiction or indirect data mining. Example: iCloud Drive, Google Drive, OneDrive.
5. Ads/Data Mining
✅ No: The provider does not scan content for ads or sell data. Example: Proton Drive, Sync.com, Tresorit, pCloud.
⚠️ Indirect (via ecosystem): The provider does not directly scan content, but data may be used indirectly through the broader ecosystem (e.g., Apple, Google, Microsoft services). Example: iCloud Drive, Google Drive, OneDrive.
6. Open Source
⚠️ Partial (clients only): Only the client-side code is open source. Example: Proton Drive.
❌ No: The code is not open source. Example: Sync.com, Tresorit, pCloud, iCloud Drive, Google Drive, OneDrive.
7. Business Model
✅ Subscription: The provider makes money through subscription fees. Example: Proton Drive, Sync.com, Tresorit, pCloud.
⚠️ Subscription (bundled): The service is bundled with other subscriptions (e.g., Apple One, Microsoft 365). Example: iCloud Drive.
❌ Ad-based + Subscription: The provider makes money through ads and/or subscription fees. Example: Google Drive, OneDrive.