Filen vs MEGA
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Filen
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage from Germany with open source apps
MEGA
Zero-knowledge encrypted cloud storage with a 20 GB free plan
Where they differ
- Filen starts at €11.99 per year for 100 GiB, or €1.99 per month for 200 GiB. MEGA starts at €3.33 per month, charged yearly.
- Only MEGA lists a browser extension.
- Filen is open source, according to its own site.
- Filen also covers notes.
- MEGA also covers video calls.
At a glance
| Filen | MEGA | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | €11.99 per year for 100 GiB, or €1.99 per month for 200 GiB | €3.33 per month, charged yearly |
| Free plan | 10 GiB of storage with encryption and every feature included. Data on free accounts is deleted after 3 months without a login. | 20 GB of storage with a limited transfer quota. Calls are capped at 1 hour and 100 participants, and Rewind is view-only. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Filen Cloud Dienste UG (haftungsbeschränkt) | MEGA |
| Price read from | filen.io | mega.io |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Filen
- People who want every file end-to-end encrypted, on the free plan too
- Users who prefer open source clients and storage hosted in Germany
- Developers and sysadmins who want a CLI, SDKs and a documented API
- Linux users: the desktop app ships as .deb, .rpm and AppImage
MEGA
- People who want encrypted storage with a 20 GB free tier
- Linux users: official packages cover Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch and others
- Large personal archives, with individual plans of up to 20 TB
Worth knowing
Filen
- Prices are listed in euros only; Filen says taxes and transaction fees are included in them.
- Free accounts lose their data after 3 months without a login, following reminder emails.
- Lifetime plans are no longer sold: the pricing FAQ says they were removed for an indefinite period.
- WebDAV and S3 access require a server that the user hosts through the desktop app or CLI, because files are encrypted on the device.
MEGA
- Prices are set and charged in euros; amounts shown in other currencies on the site are estimates.
- Downloads count against a transfer quota, which is limited on the free plan and 1 TB a month on Pro Lite.
- Business and Pro Flexi are usage-based, starting from €15.00 per month for a 3 TB base. Business needs at least 3 users.
- The Essential plan is shown only with yearly charging on the pricing page.
Key features
Filen
- Zero-knowledge encryption by default
- Files are encrypted on the device with AES 256-bit before upload, and Filen states that it cannot access them. Encryption is part of every plan, the free one included.
- Sync and network drive
- Desktop apps for Windows, macOS and Linux sync folders in five modes, with one-way and two-way among them, and can mount the cloud as a network drive in the file explorer.
- Encrypted sharing
- Files and folders are shared with other Filen users or through public links, and the shared content stays encrypted. Earlier versions of files can be restored from version history.
- Notes and chats
- Encrypted notes support rich text, markdown, checklists and code and can be edited with other users in real time. Encrypted chats carry messages and files between Filen users.
- Open source apps and developer tools
- Filen says all of its apps are open source. Developers get a documented API, TypeScript, Rust and Go SDKs, and a CLI that can run a local WebDAV or S3 server.
- Mobile camera upload
- The iOS and Android apps upload photos and videos from selected albums automatically, with optional compression, and can keep chosen files available offline.
MEGA
- Zero-knowledge encryption
- Data is encrypted before it leaves the device, and MEGA says only the owner and the people they authorize hold the keys needed to read it.
- Sync and backup
- The desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux syncs folders and backs up a computer to MEGA, replicating changes as they happen.
- Sharing with link controls
- Files and folders can be shared with people who have no MEGA account, with read-only or full access. Links can carry a password or an expiry date.
- File versioning and Rewind
- Every plan keeps up to 100 versions of a file. Rewind goes back up to 60 days on paid plans and is view-only for up to 30 days on the free plan.
- Chat and meetings
- Private messaging and video calls are built in. Free accounts are limited to 1-hour calls with up to 100 participants; paid plans remove both limits.
- Bundled VPN, passwords and S4
- Paid plans include MEGA VPN and the MEGA Pass password manager, and plans from Pro Lite up add S3-compatible object storage.
Plans
Filen
Free€0
10 GiB with encryption and every feature included. Data is deleted after 3 months without a login.
Starter€11.99
per year, billed annually
100 GiB of storage, offered on annual billing only.
Pro I€1.99
per month, or €19.99 billed annually
200 GiB with unlimited bandwidth, syncing, network drive, file sharing, and unlimited notes and chats.
Pro II€3.99
per month, or €39.99 billed annually
500 GiB of storage with the same features as Pro I.
Pro III€8.99
per month, or €89.99 billed annually
2 TiB of storage with the same features as Pro I.
Pro X€39.99
per month, or €399.99 billed annually
10 TiB of storage. Plans stack on one account, so two Pro X plans give 20 TiB, with no upper limit.
MEGA
Free€0
20 GB of storage, a limited transfer quota, 100 file versions and view-only Rewind for up to 30 days.
Essential€3.33
per month, charged yearly
200 GB of storage and 2.4 TB of transfer over the year, with MEGA VPN, MEGA Pass and unrestricted chat and meetings.
Pro Lite€4.99
per month, or €5.00 per month charged yearly
750 GB of storage and 1 TB of transfer a month, plus object storage, MEGA VPN and MEGA Pass.
Pro I€9.99
per month, or €8.33 per month charged yearly
3 TB of storage and 3 TB of transfer a month, plus object storage, MEGA VPN and MEGA Pass.
Pro II€19.99
per month, or €16.67 per month charged yearly
10 TB of storage and 10 TB of transfer a month, with the same extras as Pro I.
Pro III€29.99
per month, or €25.00 per month charged yearly
20 TB of storage and 20 TB of transfer a month, with the same extras as Pro I.
Ways to pay less
Filen
- Annual discount
About 16% lower with annual billing
Annual prices of €19.99, €39.99, €89.99 and €399.99 compare with €23.88, €47.88, €107.88 and €479.88 for twelve monthly payments on Pro I, Pro II, Pro III and Pro X.
MEGA
- Annual discount
Save up to 17% with yearly billing
MEGA's pricing page advertises up to 17% off for yearly billing: Pro I drops from €9.99 to €8.33 a month, Pro II from €19.99 to €16.67 and Pro III from €29.99 to €25.00.
