OneDrive, iCloud and Google Drive are the heavyweights of cloud storage systems. Sure, Dropbox, Sync or iDrive are popular too, but the fact the three big choices are run by major tech platform holders has naturally raised some eyebrows. Should you be one of the people who want to step away from the Silicon Valley hegemony, Proton Drive makes a lot of sense, especially if you’re set on using a more privacy-focused alternative.
Based in Switzerland, where security is strong, Proton was born from CERN, the home of the World Wide Web back in 1989. First, it launched Proton Mail, back in 2014, followed by Proton Drive in 2019, after a crowdfunding campaign and an EU grant. Initially, the service was browser-based – it didn’t get mobile apps until the end of 2022 and a Windows app came in 2023. But now, it rivals the big American corporation in terms of features, such as version control for files, automatic photo backup, and end-to-end encryption. Beyond this, the Proton ecosystem has expanded to include a VPN, password manager and calendar.
