iCloud vs Proton Drive

Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.

iCloud

Apple's storage and sync service for photos, files and backups

Free plan · from $0.99/mo

Proton Drive

End-to-end encrypted cloud storage from the maker of Proton Mail

Free plan · from $3.99/mo

Where they differ

iCloud starts at $0.99 per month for 50 GB. Proton Drive starts at $3.99 per month, billed yearly.
Only Proton Drive lists an Android app.
Proton Drive is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
Proton Drive also covers documents and spreadsheets.

In commonFree planiOSmacOSWindowsWebReal-time collaborationFile syncFile sharing

	iCloud	Proton Drive
Pricing	Free plan	Free plan
Starts at	$0.99 per month for 50 GB	$3.99 per month, billed yearly
Free plan	5 GB of iCloud storage, given the first time you sign in to an iPhone, iPad or Mac with an Apple Account.	Proton Free: 5 GB of end-to-end encrypted storage for files, photos and documents, including the online document and spreadsheet editor.
Free trial	None listed	None listed
Web
macOS
Windows
iOS
Android
Made by	Apple	Proton AG
Price read from	apple.com	proton.me
Checked	Oct 5, 2026	Oct 5, 2026

iCloud

Proton Drive

iCloud

The free tier is 5 GB, which has to cover device backups, photos and files together.
Apple lists access through iPhone, iPad, Mac, the iCloud for Windows app and iCloud.com; no Android app is listed.
End-to-end encryption for iCloud Drive, Photos and Backup applies only after turning on Advanced Data Protection, which is optional.
Plans are priced per month only; the page lists no annual billing option.

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.

iCloud

iCloud Drive: Files and folders are reachable from the Files app on iOS and iPadOS, the Finder on a Mac, File Explorer on Windows PCs, or iCloud.com.
iCloud Photos: Keeps high-resolution photos and videos in iCloud with space-saving versions on each device. Shared Albums accept contributions from people on Android or Windows devices.
iCloud Backup: Data on an iPhone or iPad, including apps, is backed up automatically whenever the device is connected to power and Wi-Fi.
Sharing and collaboration: Share files, folders and documents by sending a link, control who can view, edit or share the work, and see edits appear as they are made.
iCloud+ privacy features: Paid plans add Private Relay for browsing in Safari, Hide My Email for random forwarding addresses, and a custom domain for iCloud Mail.
Advanced Data Protection: An optional setting that raises the number of end-to-end encrypted data categories to 25, including iCloud Backup, Photos, Notes and iCloud Drive.

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.

iCloud

iCloud 5GB$0
5 GB to back up data and keep it in sync across devices and iCloud.com.
iCloud+ 50GB$0.99
per month
50 GB plus Private Relay, Hide My Email, Custom Email Domain and HomeKit Secure Video recordings for one camera.
iCloud+ 200GB$2.99
per month
Everything in the 50GB plan, with 200 GB and HomeKit Secure Video recordings for five cameras.
iCloud+ 2TB$9.99
per month
Everything in the 200GB plan, with 2 TB and HomeKit Secure Video recordings for unlimited cameras.
iCloud+ 6TB$29.99
per month
Everything in the 2TB plan, with 6 TB of storage.
iCloud+ 12TB$59.99
per month
Everything in the 6TB plan, with 12 TB of storage.

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.

iCloud

Other savings
Included in every Apple One bundle
iCloud+ is part of all Apple One plans, which bundle it with up to five other Apple services. Apple lists Apple One at $21.95, $27.95 or $39.95 per month depending on the plan.

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).