Google Drive vs Proton Drive

Google Drive

• People who already use Gmail, Google Docs and Google Photos
• Teams that co-edit documents, spreadsheets and slides in the browser
• Organizations standardizing on Google Workspace

Proton Drive

• People who want encrypted storage under Swiss jurisdiction
• Proton Mail, VPN or Pass users who can bundle storage with Unlimited
• Private collaboration on documents and spreadsheets

Google Drive

• The free 15 GB is shared with Gmail and Google Photos, so mail and photo backups count against it.
• There is no Drive for desktop app for Linux; Google directs Linux users to Drive on the web.
• Shared drives, client-side encryption and third-party app integrations are premium features of some Workspace Business and Enterprise plans.
• Business plans are sold separately through Google Workspace, with pooled storage of 30 GB per user on Starter and 2 TB per user on Standard.

Proton Drive

• The free plan is limited to 5 GB.
• Desktop sync apps exist for Windows and macOS only; Linux users get a command-line client and the web app.
• The lowest prices require yearly billing. Drive Plus costs $4.99 a month when billed monthly.
• Individual storage above 200 GB comes only through the Unlimited, Duo and Family bundles, which include other Proton products.

Google Drive

Drive for desktop

A desktop app for Windows and macOS keeps Drive files up to date on the computer. Google's help center says there is no desktop version for Linux and points to the web app instead.

Editing Docs, Office files and PDFs

Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, Microsoft Office files and PDFs can be edited and organized in place, and Google says more than 100 other file types can be opened.

Sharing permissions

Files are shared with edit, comment or view permissions. Owners can also block certain actions and set an expiration date on access.

Shared drives

Team-owned spaces for storing and managing files together. Google marks shared drives as a premium feature of some Workspace Business and Enterprise plans.

Gemini in Drive

AI Overviews return cited answers from stored files, and Ask Gemini draws on Drive, Gmail, Calendar and Chat. On Workspace, Gemini in Drive starts at the Standard plan.

Security and admin controls

Ransomware detection in Drive for desktop, client-side encryption, Vault and data loss prevention policies are offered on some Workspace Business and Enterprise plans.

Proton Drive

End-to-end encryption

Files are encrypted before they are uploaded. Proton states that only the owner and the people they share with can open them, and that Proton itself cannot.

Sharing controls

Files, photos, documents and spreadsheets are shared by link, with password protection, expiry dates and the ability to revoke access at any time.

Proton Docs and Sheets

Encrypted document and spreadsheet editors with real-time collaboration are built into Drive, and the editor is included on the free plan.

Photo backup

The mobile apps back up photos automatically and support collaborative albums for sharing them.

Desktop sync

Desktop apps for Windows and macOS sync files between the computer and the cloud. A command-line client is offered for Linux, macOS and Windows.

Long version history

Paid plans from Drive Plus allow previous versions of a file to be recovered for up to 10 years.

Google Drive

• 15 GB$0

  Included with every Google account. The 15 GB is shared across Drive, Gmail and Google Photos.

• Basic (100 GB)$1.99

  per month (price on the US App Store listing)

  100 GB across Drive, Gmail and Google Photos, with the option to share storage with up to 5 other people.

• 200 GB$2.99

  per month (price on the US App Store listing)

  200 GB of storage, listed as an in-app purchase on the Google Drive listing in the US App Store.

• Google AI Plus (2 TB)$9.99

  per month (price on the US App Store listing)

  2 TB of storage bundled with Google AI Plus, which adds higher Gemini app limits and Gemini in Gmail.

Proton Drive

• Proton Free$0

  5 GB of storage for files, photos and documents, with the online document and spreadsheet editor.

• Drive Plus$3.99

  per month, billed yearly at $47.88 ($4.99 billed monthly)

  200 GB of storage and 10 years to recover previous file versions.

• Proton Unlimited$9.99

  per month, billed yearly at $119.88 ($12.99 billed monthly)

  500 GB of storage plus Proton VPN, Proton Mail, Proton Calendar and Proton Pass.

• Proton Duo$14.99

  per month, billed yearly at $179.88 ($19.99 billed monthly)

  2 TB of storage for up to 2 users, with everything in Unlimited and advanced account protection.

• Proton Family$23.99

  per month, billed yearly ($29.99 billed monthly)

  3 TB of storage for up to 6 users, with the Proton premium products that are included in Duo.

• Drive Professional$7.99

  per user / month, billed yearly ($9.99 billed monthly)

  Team plan with 1 TB per user, user access management, and sync across devices and users.

Google Drive

• Annual discount

  Save up to 16% with annual billing

  Google One's plans page offers a monthly or annual toggle and states a saving of up to 16% on annual billing. Workspace lists a 16% saving for a one-year commitment.

• Nonprofit

  Free Workspace edition for verified nonprofits

  Google Workspace for Nonprofits costs $0 per user with 100 TB shared across all users. Business Standard is discounted to $3.50 per user / month on a one-year commitment.

• Education

  Free Workspace edition for qualifying schools

  Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals is available at no cost to qualifying institutions and includes 100 TB of pooled storage shared by the organization.

Proton Drive

• Annual discount

  20% to 25% off with yearly billing

  Billed yearly, Drive Plus is $3.99 a month instead of $4.99 (20% off), Proton Unlimited is $9.99 instead of $12.99 (23% off) and Proton Duo is $14.99 instead of $19.99 (25% off).