Google Drive vs Proton Drive: Which Cloud Storage Protects Your Privacy?

Google Drive is the world's most popular cloud storage service, but it comes with a significant privacy trade-off: Google can scan your files. If you're looking for a private alternative, Proton Drive offers end-to-end encryption that keeps your data completely private.

In this detailed comparison, we'll look at how Google Drive and Proton Drive stack up on privacy, security, features, pricing, and ease of use to help you decide which is right for you.

The Big Difference: Privacy & Data Scanning

Google Drive: Your Files, Their Data

Google Drive scans your files to improve their services, target ads, and comply with legal requests. When you upload files to Google Drive, Google can read them. They use this access to show you relevant ads across their ecosystem and to train their AI systems.

Google's Terms of Service explicitly state they analyze your content. While they encrypt files in transit and at rest, Google holds the encryption keys, meaning they can decrypt and read your files whenever they want or need to.

Proton Drive: True End-to-End Encryption

Proton Drive uses end-to-end encryption, meaning your files are encrypted on your device before they're uploaded. Only you have the decryption key. Not even Proton can read your files.

This is a fundamental difference. With Proton Drive, your data is mathematically inaccessible to anyone except you. There's no scanning, no AI analysis, and Proton can't hand over your decrypted files to authorities because they literally cannot access them.

Feature Comparison

Pricing Comparison

Google Drive offers more free storage, but Proton Drive's paid plans are competitive, especially considering the privacy benefits.

Ease of Use

Google Drive has been around longer and has a more mature ecosystem with tight integration across Google's services. The interface is familiar, and collaboration features are extensive.

Proton Drive matches Google Drive's core functionality with an equally clean interface. Upload, download, share, and organize files with the same drag-and-drop simplicity. The main difference is that sharing encrypted files requires recipients to have a Proton account or use a password-protected link.

Who Should Choose Google Drive?

Google Drive makes sense if you're already deep in the Google ecosystem and regularly use Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides for collaboration. The free 15 GB is generous, and the real-time collaboration features are unmatched.

However, understand the trade-off: Google will scan your files, use them to improve their services, and can be compelled to share them with authorities.

Who Should Choose Proton Drive?

Proton Drive is ideal for anyone who values privacy and wants to ensure their personal files stay personal. It's perfect for:

Journalists, lawyers, healthcare professionals, activists, or anyone handling sensitive information who needs true confidentiality. The end-to-end encryption means your files are mathematically secure.

If you're already using Proton Mail or want a privacy-focused ecosystem, Proton Drive integrates seamlessly and the Unlimited plan ($9.99/month) includes Mail, Drive, VPN, and Pass together.

Final Verdict

Google Drive wins on features and ecosystem integration, but Proton Drive wins decisively on privacy and security. If you need Google Workspace collaboration, stick with Google Drive. If privacy matters to you, Proton Drive is the clear choice.

The good news? You can use both. Keep collaborative work documents in Google Drive and personal files in Proton Drive. That way you get the best of both worlds.