cloud storage service comparisons
Two services, one clear answer. We put the cloud storage and backup services people actually weigh against each other side by side on price, features and encryption.
Compare any two
Pick the two you are weighing up. Where we have written a full verdict on that pair, the tool takes you straight to it.
| Feature | Proton Drive | pCloud |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 4.4 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Price | From $9.99/mo | From $4.17/mo |
| Renews at | not stated | not stated |
| Free plan | No | |
| Plans offered | 2 | 2 |
| Best for | Privacy-first users | Long-term storage, pay once |
| Category | Encrypted & private | Cloud storage & sync |
| Provider | Proton AG | pCloud AG |
Head-to-head record
How often each one appears in a duel below, and how often it is our pick. These are our editorial verdicts, not lab results, and only products appearing in two or more duels are listed.
| Product | Duels | Our pick |
|---|---|---|
| pCloud | 5 | 4 |
| Proton Drive | 7 | 3 |
| Sync.com | 3 | 3 |
| IDrive | 2 | 2 |
| Backblaze Personal Backup | 2 | 1 |
| Dropbox | 3 | 0 |
| Google One | 2 | 0 |
| Tresorit | 2 | 0 |
What these cost to start
The cheapest paid entry is $0.99 a month and the most expensive $11.99. 13 of the 19 also have a free tier.
Every duel, and who wins it
| Comparison | Our pick |
|---|---|
| Sync.com vs Proton Drive | Sync.com |
| pCloud vs Proton Drive | pCloud |
| pCloud vs Icedrive | pCloud |
| Proton Drive vs Tresorit | Proton Drive |
| Proton Drive vs Dropbox | Proton Drive |
| Backblaze vs IDrive | IDrive |
| pCloud vs Dropbox | pCloud |
| Proton Drive vs Google One | Depends on use |
| Sync.com vs pCloud | Sync.com |
| Internxt vs pCloud | pCloud |
| MEGA vs Proton Drive | MEGA |
| Google One vs iCloud+ | Depends on use |
| OneDrive vs Dropbox | Microsoft OneDrive |
| Carbonite vs Backblaze | Backblaze Personal Backup |
| Acronis vs IDrive | IDrive |
| Tresorit vs Sync.com | Sync.com |
| NordLocker vs Proton Drive | Proton Drive |
How to read these comparisons
Open the duel for the two you are already choosing between. The verdict sits at the top of each page, because that is where the trade-off is spelled out.
We compare on price you keep paying and on real limits, not on feature lists. Most products here do the same things; what separates them is what happens at the edges.
Sync.com vs Proton Drive
Two zero knowledge clouds that cannot read your files. One sells storage, the other sells a whole privacy suite.
pCloud vs Proton Drive
The highest score on this site against the privacy suite everyone has heard of. The yearly gap is $69.89.
pCloud vs Icedrive
Two providers that both sell lifetime plans. One has the higher score, the other the bigger drive for less money.
Proton Drive vs Tresorit
Two Swiss providers built for people who cannot afford a leak. One bundles a suite, the other sells compliance.
Proton Drive vs Dropbox
Privacy against convenience, at exactly the same price. This is the rare comparison where the money tells you nothing.
Backblaze vs IDrive
The two best answers to "I just want my computer backed up": radical simplicity against maximum features per dollar.
pCloud vs Dropbox
The lifetime-deal champion against the sync pioneer: pay once versus pay forever, Swiss storage versus Silicon Valley polish.
Proton Drive vs Google One
The cleanest privacy-versus-convenience choice in tech: Swiss zero-knowledge storage against the most integrated consumer cloud on earth.
Sync.com vs pCloud
The two most-recommended independents: default encryption against lifetime pricing. You can only pick one default.
Internxt vs pCloud
The lifetime duel: the young challenger bundles encryption into its pay-once plans, the veteran has thirteen years of staying power.
MEGA vs Proton Drive
Two encrypted clouds with free tiers worth having: 20 GB of pragmatism against 5 GB of principle.
Google One vs iCloud+
The bigtech storage duel nobody really chooses: your phone usually chooses for you. Sometimes it should not.
OneDrive vs Dropbox
The office-worker question: the storage that comes with Office against the sync engine everything integrates with.
Carbonite vs Backblaze
The two unlimited one-computer backups, separated by a decade of product philosophy.
Acronis vs IDrive
The power-user duel: both do disk images and hybrid backup; one adds security, the other adds terabytes.
Tresorit vs Sync.com
The encrypted professional duel: Swiss Post pedigree against Canadian value. Both keep your keys yours.
NordLocker vs Proton Drive
Proton Drive wins: a complete private cloud, end-to-end encrypted by default, from $4.99 a month for 200 GB. NordLocker remains a strong vault for a narrower job.