Alternatives to Google Drive
Encrypted cloud storage from Switzerland, Spain and Germany with end-to-end encryption, open-source clients and a European legal framework. Compare pricing, storage capacity and privacy features.
Context
Google Drive compared to European cloud providers
Google Drive is part of Alphabet's advertising ecosystem. File contents are not directly used for personalised advertising, but metadata such as filenames, access times, device IDs and contact lists feed into the cross-service user profile Google uses for product development and ad targeting.
As a US company, Alphabet is subject to the CLOUD Act (2018). This compels providers to hand data over to US authorities regardless of the physical location of their servers. The Schrems II ruling (2020) of the Court of Justice of the European Union found that US surveillance laws conflict with the GDPR, raising fundamental questions about the legal framework, including the CLOUD Act, under which US companies operate. Public agencies, healthcare organisations and companies handling personal data therefore have a compliance requirement to review.
Google Drive does not offer zero-knowledge encryption. Files are encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest (AES-256), but Google holds the keys. Google, and under subpoena US authorities, can read file contents in plaintext. European providers such as Proton Drive, Internxt and Filen use zero-knowledge architectures, where only the user holds the key.
Google Drive is closely linked with other Google services. Gmail scans attachments, Google Docs retains version histories with metadata, Google Photos analyses image content through machine learning. European alternatives decouple cloud storage from such analytical pipelines. Proton Drive, Internxt and kDrive are embedded in separate product ecosystems whose business model relies on subscriptions rather than data analysis.
European alternatives
13 alternatives in detail
Proton Drive
Switzerland
Cloud storage with zero-knowledge architecture and EU data centers
- End-to-end encryption of all files
- Open source and audited
- Servers located in Switzerland
Free (1 GB) · Mail Plus from €3.99/mo · Unlimited from €9.99/mo
pCloud
Switzerland
Cloud storage with one-time payment and EU server locations
- Lifetime plans: pay once, use indefinitely
- Optional EU server location selectable
- Client-side encryption with pCloud Crypto
From 4.99 €/month · Lifetime 500 GB one-time 199 € · 2 TB one-time 399 €
Internxt
Spain
Decentralized cloud storage with open-source architecture
- Zero-knowledge encryption, no one but the user has access
- Open source and externally audited
- Decentralized storage architecture
Free (1 GB) · 200 GB from 4.49 €/month · 2 TB from 9.99 €/month · Lifetime plans available
kDrive
Switzerland
Swiss cloud storage with GDPR-compliant privacy and collaborative features.
- Data centres exclusively in Switzerland
- Real-time collaborative editing of office documents
- No sale of user data to third parties
Free (35 GB via kSuite) · From €4.99/month (3 TB)
Crypt.ee
Estonia
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage for documents and photos from Estonia
- Client-side encryption, no one but the user reads their data
- Even metadata (filenames, tags) is encrypted
- Documents, photos and notebooks in one tool
Free (100 MB) / from €3/mo (10 GB)
Tresorit
Hungary / Switzerland
Enterprise cloud storage with zero-knowledge encryption
- Zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption
- File sharing with password protection and expiry date
- GDPR-compliant, HIPAA-ready
Personal from 12 €/month · Business on request · 14-day free trial
Filen
Germany
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage from Germany
- End-to-end encryption, zero-knowledge
- Open source, all apps available on GitHub
- Integrated encrypted notes (Filen Notes)
Free (10 GB) · 200 GB from 1.99 €/month · 2 TB from 8.99 €/month (lifetime plans sold out since 12/2025)
Jottacloud
Norway
Platform-independent cloud storage from Norway
- Unlimited storage in the Unlimited plan
- Servers exclusively in Norway
- Automatic photo backup
Free (5 GB) · Unlimited from 11.90 €/month (annual) · Home 1 TB from 5.75 €/month (annual)
Nextcloud
Germany
Self-hosted collaboration suite with complete control
- 100% open source & self-hosted
- Full data sovereignty
- Calendar, contacts, video chat included
Free (open source, self-hosted) · Managed hosting from approx. 3 €/month via third-party providers
Koofr
Slovenia
Cloud storage from Slovenia with connections to existing clouds
- Connects Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive under one EU umbrella
- Servers in Slovenia and Germany, no data transfer to the US
- No advertising, no user tracking
Free (10 GB) · 25 GB from €0.50/month · 100 GB from €2/month · 1 TB from €10/month
Leviia
France
Sovereign cloud storage and S3 object storage from France
- S3-compatible object storage with no egress or API fees
- Three geo-replicated data centers in France
- ISO 27001 and HDS (Hébergeur de Données de Santé) certified
Object storage from €9.99/TB/year · Cloud drive from €5/month
Cloudu
Germany
Nextcloud-based cloud storage with servers in Germany
- Hosted Nextcloud instance with web, apps, and WebDAV access
- Servers in Germany, 100 percent renewable energy
- Two-factor authentication
From €5/month (200 GB), cancel monthly
bewCloud
European Union
Lean open-source cloud alternative to Nextcloud from the EU
- Open source under AGPL, source code on GitHub
- Written in TypeScript and Deno with low resource usage
- Files, notes, photos, calendar, contacts, and RSS in one application
Self-hosting free (AGPL) · Managed VPS €150 per year (4 GB RAM, 30 GB SSD)
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Google Drive and European alternatives?
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Can I collaborate on documents like in Google Docs?
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