Cryptomator vs Nordlocker (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Cryptomator grades higher than Nordlocker: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Cryptomator grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Nordlocker grades higher on features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Cryptomator
Open-source encryption for the files you keep in any cloud
Nordlocker
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage from the makers of NordVPN
Which one is for you
Pick Cryptomator if
- Fits if you already have a cloud drive and want your files encrypted before they reach it
- Works for people who would rather pay once than rent more storage
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want storage, as you still have to bring your own cloud account
- Pricey if you want it on both phones: full access is EUR 29.99 on Android and EUR 29.99 on iOS
- Tight if you're a business: Hub Standard is $12 a seat billed yearly with a 3-seat minimum
- Watch out: Hub Enterprise starts at EUR 10,000 a year for at least 50 seats, and desktop dark mode is a paid upgrade
Pick Nordlocker if
- Fits if you want your files encrypted on your devices before upload
- Works for a Windows or phone user who wants a free 3 GB
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac or Linux desktop, as no app is listed for either
- Pricey if you go Business: $29.99 a month with no per-user basis given
- Watch out: Premium's price wasn't readable on the vendor's pages
- Watch out: 3 GB free is small next to other free plans
How we grade them
| 2.6GPACryptomatorGood | 2.0GPANordlockerFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe desktop program is free for personal use and anyone can download it. Phones are extra at EUR 29.99 each, which is still under a year of the category's middle subscription. | DBusiness is $29.99 a month billed annually, above the category's $16.50 dearest-tenth line, with no per-user basis shown. The personal Premium price wasn't readable. |
| Free plan and trial | BIndividual use on desktop is free with unlimited vaults and community support. Phones, dark mode and Hub are paid. | C3 GB free with end-to-end encryption, and Business has a 14-day trial with no card. |
| Features | DIt encrypts and nothing else: no storage, no sync, so it is useless without a cloud account from another product. | CEncrypted storage and sharing, but no macOS or Linux app is listed, and Mac users go through the browser. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You make a vault and point it at a cloud folder before it does anything. | CNo store rating on record, and no desktop app for Mac to lean on. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android apps are listed, but only 1 integration and no web app. | BWeb, Windows, iPhone and Android apps, with no integrations listed. |
| Best for | encrypting files before they go to your own cloud | end-to-end encrypted storage with a free 3 GB |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Cryptomator and Nordlocker. How we grade
Price against what you get
Cryptomator starts at $12 a month for each person and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Nordlocker starts at $29.99 a month and scores 2.3.
Nordlocker scores higher, and starts $17.99 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other file storage and sync services on the chart, 28 score higher than Cryptomator for less, and 22 score higher than Nordlocker for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Cryptomator is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Cryptomator can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Nordlocker is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Nordlocker also covers file sync and file sharing.
At a glance
| Cryptomator | Nordlocker | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $12.00 per seat / month, billed yearly (Cryptomator Hub Standard) | $29.99 per month, billed annually (Business, 2 TB) |
| Free plan | Individual: free for personal use on desktop, unlimited vaults, community support. Hub Community is free for 5 seats, self-hosted. | Free personal cloud with 3 GB of storage and end-to-end encryption on your devices. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial of Cryptomator Hub Standard | 14-day free trial of NordLocker Business, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Skymatic | Nordvpn S.A. |
| Price read from | cryptomator.org | nordlocker.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Cryptomator
- It does not store files itself; you still need a cloud storage account.
- Full access on Android and iOS is a separate purchase of EUR 29.99 each, and the desktop dark mode is a paid upgrade.
- Hub Standard is billed per seat excluding VAT, with a 3-seat minimum.
- Hub Enterprise starts at EUR 10,000 per year for at least 50 seats.
Nordlocker
- The price of the Premium personal plan, up to 2 TB, was not readable on the vendor's pages.
- No macOS or Linux app is listed; Mac users go through the browser.
- The Business price is shown per month billed annually, without a stated per-user basis.
- The vendor describes the Premium tier as up to 2 TB with priority support, but no price.
Key features
Cryptomator
- Vaults in any cloud
- Vaults sit inside the folder of a cloud storage service you already use, and the files are encrypted before they sync.
- Desktop and mobile apps
- Apps run on Windows 10 and later, macOS 11 and later, Linux, Android 8 and later, and iOS 14 and later.
- Open-source code
- The project is published on GitHub and the pricing page calls the individual app open source and free forever.
- Team management with Hub
- Cryptomator Hub adds user and group management and audit logs, and runs as a managed service or on your own infrastructure.
Nordlocker
- Zero-knowledge encryption
- Files are encrypted before they reach the cloud with AES-256, xChaCha20-Poly1305 and Ed25519, and the vendor says it has no access to the keys.
- Encrypted cloud and sync
- Upload files to the cloud and sync them across web, Windows, Android and iOS, with backup of locked files.
- Private sharing
- Share encrypted items by email or a link protected with a security code, and stop sharing later.
- Local encryption
- On Windows and Android, files can also be encrypted locally in lockers without being uploaded.
- Business admin tools
- Business has an admin panel, groups for access control, shared lockers for team members and 24/7 priority support.
Plans
Cryptomator
Individual$0
Desktop app, unlimited vaults, any cloud storage, community support. Mobile apps are one-time purchases of EUR 29.99 each.
Hub Community$0
Free, open source and self-hosted, with 5 seats for small teams.
Hub Standard$12.00
per seat / month, billed yearly, excl. VAT
Managed or self-hosted, 3 seats and up, with user and group management, audit logs, mobile apps and email support.
Hub EnterpriseFrom EUR 10,000
per year, from 50 seats, excl. VAT
Everything in Standard plus emergency access, training, a dedicated account manager and priority email support.
Nordlocker
Free$0
3 GB of encrypted cloud storage for personal use.
Business$29.99
per month, billed annually (user basis not shown)
2 TB cloud storage, unlimited encryption, admin panel access control, private sharing and 24/7 priority support.
Ways to pay less
Cryptomator
- Annual discount
Save 20% with yearly Hub billing
The pricing page shows a 20% saving when Cryptomator Hub is billed yearly instead of monthly.
Nordlocker
- Other savings
Business plans up to 53% off
The Business page advertises up to 53% off its plans, with no end date given there.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cryptomator or Nordlocker?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Cryptomator starts at $12.00 per seat / month, billed yearly (Cryptomator Hub Standard), and Nordlocker starts at $29.99 per month, billed annually (Business, 2 TB). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Cryptomator or Nordlocker?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Cryptomator and Nordlocker have a free plan.
Which platforms do Cryptomator and Nordlocker run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Cryptomator lists macOS and Linux apps and only Nordlocker lists a web app. Both list Windows, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.