Proton Drive desktop app launched on Windows — with free encrypted storage
Privacy-focused software company Proton has released a desktop cloud storage app for Windows, allowing users to sync files on their computers to an online drive automatically.
Unlike existing options such as Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive, Proton Drive boasts free end-to-end encrypted file storage by default.
“Files, file names, folder names, and more, are all fully encrypted at rest and in transit to the secure cloud,” Proton said.
“Regardless of whether you want to store sensitive legal and medical documents or just your vacation photos, Proton Drive can handle all your files.”
Proton said that all files were encrypted before being uploaded to its servers, so even it could not access them.
The Swiss company launched a native app for Windows first because it found over 65% of its users were on the operating system.
Proton plans to offer a native Mac app soon, although Engadget pointed out it missed its H1 2023 target to provide early access for Apple’s desktop operating system users.
Aside from Windows, Proton Drive is available on Android, iOS, iPadOS, and on the web.
The free Proton Drive tier only includes 500MB of storage, but Proton explained this could be increased to 1GB with “three simple actions”.
“Our Free plan provides the same level of privacy and security as our paid plans. Your files will still be end-to-end encrypted at all times,” Proton said.
South African users that require more capacity will have to pay in euros — €3.99 (R80) per month or €47.88 (R964) annually — to get 200GB of space.
For comparison, 200GB of Google Drive storage costs R39 per month, so Proton’s offer is on the expensive side.
Alternatively, you can pay €9.99 (R201) per month or €119.88 (R2,415) annually for 500GB of encrypted storage and access to Proton’s VPN, encrypted email service, calendar app, and recently-launched password manager.
A Family plan for up to six users is also available, providing all the aforementioned features and a combined 3TB of storage for €23.99 (R483) per month or €287.88 (R5,801) per year.
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