Visibility in this ranking can be paid for. Payment gives a vendor more visibility, higher up on the review pages; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review. The largest vendors in cloud storage software
cannot hold places 1 to 3. Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category,
wherever the category has them; the established names follow from place 4 in their ranked order. How it works: placement disclosure ·
editorial process.
The 13 tools, reviewed
#1 Internxt
Open-source zero-knowledge storage from Spain · Spain · internxt.com
Open source Zero-knowledge Lifetime plans
Internxt appeals to buyers who want to read the code. Its software is published on GitHub, it states an independent audit by Securitum, and it offers zero-knowledge encryption across every platform including Linux. A free 1 GB account allows a real test, and annual or lifetime payments cover 1 TB to 5 TB.
- Pricing: Annual + lifetime. Annual subscriptions and stackable lifetime plans in 1 TB, 2 TB and 5 TB tiers, plus a free 1 GB tier. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Individuals wanting encrypted storage and open code
- Strengths: Zero-knowledge encryption; Post-quantum encryption; Open-source code on GitHub.
Where it falls short
Team administration, audit logs and permission models are thin compared with Tresorit or Sync.com, and the free tier is small.
Wrong for
A business needing role-based admin, directory sign-in and detailed audit trails should look at Tresorit or Box.
Visit Internxt →
#2 Koofr
Slovenian storage that connects your other clouds · Slovenia · koofr.eu
EU data centers Cloud connector Cheap tiers
Koofr is unusual because it can show files from Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive in one interface, which helps anyone managing several accounts or migrating between them. Plans run from 10 GB to 5 TB with a bonus 10 GB on top, there is a permanent free tier, and the company states that its data centers are within the European Union.
- Pricing: Flat monthly. Free 10 GB tier, then small monthly plans from 0.50 euros for 10 GB up to 35 euros for 5 TB, prices including 22 percent VAT, with yearly billing available. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: People juggling Dropbox, Drive and OneDrive
- Strengths: Connects Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive; Koofr Vault safe box; Two-way sync.
Where it falls short
The pages we read show no business plan with admin controls or per-seat management, and encryption applies only to the Vault, not to the whole account.
Wrong for
A company that wants a managed team console or office editing should look at Google Drive or Dropbox.
Visit Koofr →
#3 Filen
German end-to-end encrypted storage with stackable plans · Germany · filen.io
Zero-knowledge Stackable plans Low price
Filen is the cheapest zero-knowledge product on this list per stored terabyte, with every plan including the same encryption, sync, network drive access, notes and chat. Because plans stack, a person can add 10 TiB blocks without a jump to a different tier, and the company is a German entity.
- Pricing: Flat monthly. Monthly euro plans from 1.99 for 200 GiB through 3.99 for 500 GiB and 8.99 for 2 TiB to 39.99 for 10 TiB, stackable on one account, plus a free tier. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Cost-conscious individuals wanting zero-knowledge
- Strengths: Client-side encryption; Unlimited bandwidth; File syncing.
Where it falls short
The pricing page we read mentions no business or enterprise plan, and the company is a small limited liability entity with a short track record, which matters for anything business-critical.
Wrong for
A company needing admin consoles, compliance attestations or vendor stability should choose Tresorit or Sync.com.
Visit Filen →
#4 Tresorit
End-to-end encrypted file sync for businesses handling sensitive files · Switzerland · tresorit.com
Zero-knowledge Swiss base Data rooms
Tresorit is the clearest answer for a business that has to share sensitive files with people outside the company and wants the provider unable to read them. Its tiers are sized for small teams: one user on Professional with 4 TB, three or more on Business with 2 TB per user, five or more on Business Pro.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Separate business and personal plans: Professional for a single user, Business from three users, Business Pro from five, plus an annual-only Enterprise tier. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Firms sharing confidential documents externally
- Strengths: End-to-end encryption; Zero-knowledge architecture; Granular permissions.
Where it falls short
Server-side search, previews and co-editing are limited by the encryption model, so it feels less fluid than a suite for everyday collaboration.
Wrong for
A team that mostly co-authors documents in real time, or a company that needs a free tier for occasional users, should look at Google Drive or OneDrive.
Visit Tresorit →
#5 Proton Drive
Swiss end-to-end encrypted storage inside the Proton account · Switzerland · proton.me
Zero-knowledge Open-source apps Free tier
Proton Drive earns fifth place by combining a real free plan with encryption the company cannot undo and apps whose code is public for audit. The 5 GB free tier is enough to test sharing with a client, and the paid ladder runs from 200 GB to multi-terabyte family plans.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Free tier with 5 GB, Drive Plus at 200 GB, bundled plans such as Unlimited at 500 GB for 12.99 euros a month, and a separate Drive Professional business plan listed at 1 TB per user. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Privacy-minded teams already using Proton
- Strengths: End-to-end encryption; Password-protected share links; Link expiry dates.
Where it falls short
Paid personal storage is bundled into account-wide plans, so a buyer who wants only storage may pay for a VPN and mail they do not use.
Wrong for
A company that needs heavy real-time co-editing, deep Microsoft Office integration or tens of terabytes of pooled storage should look at OneDrive or Dropbox.
Visit Proton Drive →
#6 Sync.com
Encrypted team folders with straightforward published pricing · Canada · sync.com
End-to-end encrypted Published prices Canadian
Sync.com does one thing: put an encrypted folder on every machine and let you share it with people outside. Its team pricing is on the page, from $6 per user monthly on annual billing for 1 TB up to $15 for 10 TB, so a ten-person budget takes two minutes to work out.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Teams plans of 1 TB, 2 TB and 10 TB per user, listed at $6, $9 and $15 per user per month on annual billing, with a three-user minimum and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Small teams wanting simple encrypted sharing
- Strengths: End-to-end encryption; Two-factor authentication; File history recovery.
Where it falls short
The team pricing page we read lists no free plan, there is a three-user minimum, and the company's pages do not say where its data centers are.
Wrong for
A solo freelancer should not pay a three-seat minimum, and a team that wants shared editing of documents should use a suite.
Visit Sync.com →
#7 Dropbox
The original sync folder, now with AI search and signing · United States · dropbox.com
Mature sync Per-seat teams Integrations
Dropbox earns a place on this list because its sync client remains the benchmark for working with large folders on Mac, Windows and Linux, and because nearly every third-party tool offers a Dropbox connector.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Free Basic at 2 GB, Plus for individuals at 9.99 euros a month for 2 TB, and team plans from 12 euros per user monthly (Standard) and 18 euros (Advanced). Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Mixed-device teams sharing large folders
- Strengths: Desktop sync; Selective and online-only files; Version history.
Where it falls short
Dropbox holds the keys on ordinary plans, so staff and AI features can read content; end-to-end encryption is reserved for the Advanced tier.
Wrong for
A firm with strict confidentiality duties, or a team that already pays for Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace storage it barely uses, should prefer an encrypted specialist or the suite they have.
Visit Dropbox →
#8 Google Drive
Storage and live co-editing inside Google Workspace · United States · workspace.google.com
Bundled storage Live co-editing Free tier
For a company that already runs email and calendars on Workspace, Drive is the lowest-friction place to keep files, since sharing a Doc inside the domain takes one click and several people can type in it at once.
- Pricing: Per user / month. 15 GB free per Google account. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Teams living in Gmail and Google Docs
- Strengths: Docs, Sheets and Slides editing; Shared drives; Link sharing controls.
Where it falls short
Content is not end-to-end encrypted by default, so Google can index it, and administrators must work to keep external sharing under control.
Wrong for
A company that must keep files unreadable to the provider, or one standardized on Office documents, should pick an encrypted specialist or OneDrive instead.
Visit Google Drive →
#9 Nextcloud
Open-source file platform you host yourself · Germany · nextcloud.com
Self-hosted AGPL German vendor
Nextcloud ranks ninth, behind the easier products, because it demands more of the buyer, yet it is the only entry that takes the vendor out of the data path. Software and hosting are your choice, and the AGPL license gives legal certainty that you can inspect and keep running it.
- Pricing: Open source + paid tiers. Open-source software under the AGPL. Free plan: open source.
- Best for: Organizations needing full control of hosting
- Strengths: File sync and sharing; Self-hosting; Open source code.
Where it falls short
Someone must patch it, monitor it and test restores, and the supported subscription starts at 100 users, so a small company either runs the free version unsupported or uses the managed service.
Wrong for
A ten-person office without anyone comfortable on a Linux server should buy a hosted service.
Visit Nextcloud →
#10 pCloud
Swiss storage sold by subscription or lifetime payment · Switzerland · pcloud.com
Lifetime plans Swiss base Region choice
pCloud takes tenth place because it solves a specific buyer's problem: a person or tiny firm that would rather pay once than renew every year. The listed lifetime tiers of 500 GB, 2 TB and 10 TB are the most concrete in the market, and users can choose European or US data centers.
- Pricing: One-time lifetime + subscription. Lifetime plans listed at 219 euros for 500 GB, 499 euros for 2 TB and 1,499 euros for 10 TB, with subscriptions also offered, a family plan for up to five users and a 14-day money-back guarantee. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Individuals and micro-teams avoiding subscriptions
- Strengths: Lifetime purchase option; European or US data centers; 30-day file version recovery.
Where it falls short
Client-side encryption is optional rather than default, so by default pCloud can read stored files. The pages we read do not list business pricing, and administration for teams is lighter than at Box or Dropbox.
Wrong for
A company that needs admin consoles, audit trails and guaranteed zero-knowledge by default should choose Tresorit or Sync.com.
Visit pCloud →
#11 Box
Content cloud with governance and 1,500 integrations · United States · box.com
Governance Integrations Enterprise-ready
Box fits a mid-sized company in finance, health or the public sector that needs retention rules, classification and an audit trail more than it needs a pretty sync folder. The page lists more than 1,500 integrations, built-in signatures and Box AI, and the Business tier removes storage worries with unlimited capacity.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Free Individual plan at 10 GB. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Regulated firms needing admin control
- Strengths: Unlimited storage on Business; 1,500+ integrations; Box Sign eSignatures.
Where it falls short
Upload caps are the constraint: 250 MB on the free plan, 2 GB on Starter and 5 GB on Business, with 15 GB only on Business Plus.
Wrong for
A creative studio moving large video files, or a five-person firm wanting a simple shared folder, will fight the caps and the complexity.
Visit Box →
#12 Microsoft OneDrive
File storage built into Microsoft 365 and Windows · United States · microsoft.com
Microsoft 365 Windows integration Office co-authoring
OneDrive is the sensible home for a company that already lives in Word, Excel and Teams: documents open in place, multiple people can edit at once, and the Windows file system integration makes it feel like another local folder.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Included with Microsoft 365 business subscriptions and also sold as a standalone plan. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Office-centric teams on Microsoft 365
- Strengths: Windows file sync; Office co-authoring; Files On-Demand.
Where it falls short
The sync client has a long record of conflicts, path-length errors and stuck files on large libraries, and the line between OneDrive and SharePoint confuses administrators.
Wrong for
A Google Workspace shop, or a team that needs end-to-end encryption, gains nothing here.
Visit Microsoft OneDrive →
#13 Icedrive
Cloud storage you mount like a local drive · Gibraltar · icedrive.net
Drive mounting Twofish encryption Lifetime plans
Icedrive suits a photographer or editor who wants cloud files to appear as a normal drive letter instead of a synced folder, which saves local disk space. It markets encryption with Twofish, offers 10 GB free to try, and sells both subscription and lifetime plans. Commenting and suggestions on shared content add light collaboration. It is a reasonable pick for personal use.
- Pricing: Subscription + lifetime. 10 GB free on signup, standard subscriptions and lifetime plans; exact tier prices were not verified from the vendor's pages this session. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Photographers wanting a mounted drive
- Strengths: Virtual drive mounting; Twofish encryption; Commenting on shared content.
Where it falls short
The company is registered in Gibraltar, a small jurisdiction with less public track record than Swiss or EU vendors, and the pages we read give few business features, no admin console details and no compliance attestations.
Wrong for
A business with audit, compliance or procurement requirements should look at Tresorit or Box.
Visit Icedrive →
Questions and answers
What is the best cloud storage software in 2026?
Internxt ranks first of 13, best for individuals wanting encrypted storage and open code. Koofr is second (people juggling Dropbox, Drive and OneDrive) and Filen third (cost-conscious individuals wanting zero-knowledge). Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands, wherever the category has them.
What does zero-knowledge encryption mean in cloud storage?
It means files are encrypted on your device before upload, and the provider never holds the key that opens them. If the provider is hacked or served with a legal order, it can hand over only scrambled data.
Is Google Drive or Dropbox better for a small team?
Google Drive is better when the team already uses Gmail and Google Docs, since storage is part of the Workspace bill and co-editing is native.
Can cloud storage replace a backup?
Not reliably. A synced folder copies deletions and overwrites to every device, so a ransomware infection or an accidental purge propagates.
Are lifetime cloud storage plans worth buying?
They can be, with limits. pCloud sells lifetime tiers (for example 500 GB at a one-time price listed on its pricing page) and Internxt advertises stackable lifetime plans, with terms that say inactive accounts may be closed after notice.
Which cloud storage is hosted in Europe?
Several vendors are European companies: Nextcloud and Filen in Germany, Internxt in Spain, Koofr in Slovenia, and Tresorit, Proton Drive and pCloud in Switzerland (not an EU member, but covered by an EU adequacy decision).
Can I host my own cloud storage?
Yes. Nextcloud is open source under the AGPL and can run on your own server or with a hosting partner, giving you files, calendars and collaboration without a third party holding the data.
How much storage does a small business need?
Documents are small: a ten-person office of mostly text, spreadsheets and PDFs often stays under a few hundred gigabytes for years. Media changes the math.
What file size limits should I check before buying?
Per-file upload caps vary sharply and bite creative teams first. Box lists 250 MB on its free plan, 2 GB on Business Starter, 5 GB on Business and 15 GB on Business Plus, and Tresorit lists 10 GB on Professional up to 20 GB on Business Pro.
Can I use cloud storage for GDPR-regulated data?
Yes, but the product is only one part. You need a data processing agreement with the provider, clarity on where files are stored and which sub-processors touch them, and access controls that fit your own obligations.
What should I do when an employee leaves with files in their account?
Use a business plan with an admin console, not individual accounts. On those plans an administrator can suspend a user, transfer ownership of their folders and keep shared links alive.
