Internxt vs Proton Drive
We give Internxt a 3.4 GPA and Proton Drive a 3.0, out of 4.0. Internxt grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Internxt
Open source, zero-knowledge cloud storage with lifetime plans
Proton Drive
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage from the maker of Proton Mail
How we grade them
| 3.4GPAInternxtVery good | 3.0GPAProton DriveVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BList price is $11.99 a month, billed annually, for 1 TB. That's dear when the middle of this category is about $5. But Internxt's site advertised 80% off when checked, which changes the sum completely. Go by what the checkout shows. Lifetime plans list from $1,999. | BDrive Plus is $3.99 a month billed yearly for 200 GB, or $4.99 monthly. That's a dollar more than Google asks for 200 GB, and the extra buys encryption. More space only comes in bundles: Unlimited is $9.99 for 500 GB with VPN, Mail and Pass. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree for life, but it's 1 GB, when MEGA gives you 20 GB and Proton Drive 5 GB. Enough to see how it works, not enough to live on. No trial of the paid plans is listed. | B5 GB free, with the same end-to-end encryption and the document and spreadsheet editor included. It's tight once your phone's photos start backing up. No trial of the paid plans is listed. |
| Features | AFiles are encrypted on your device and split into fragments before upload, the code is on GitHub, and Securitum has audited it. Paid plans add computer backup, password-protected sharing, a VPN and antivirus. File versioning starts at Premium. | AEnd-to-end encryption on everything, links with passwords and expiry dates, automatic photo backup, and encrypted Docs and Sheets you edit together in real time. Paid plans keep old versions of a file for up to 10 years. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, so a B is our ceiling. You install the desktop or phone app and sign in, and there's nothing to host yourself. | C4.1 from about 1,200 App Store ratings. That's a fair way behind Dropbox, Box and MEGA, which all score 4.6 or more. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, so every desktop is covered. There's a command-line client, WebDAV, and NAS and Rclone support too, though only on Ultimate. | BWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android. Linux gets a command-line client and the web app, not a sync app. It ties into Proton's own Mail, VPN, Pass and Calendar, but no outside integrations or API are listed. |
| Best for | private cloud storage you can pay for once | private files and documents nobody else can read |
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: Internxt and Proton Drive. How we grade
Where they differ
- Internxt starts at $11.99 per month, billed annually (list price). Proton Drive starts at $3.99 per month, billed yearly.
- Only Internxt lists a Linux app.
- Internxt can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Proton Drive also covers documents, spreadsheets and file sync.
At a glance
| Internxt | Proton Drive | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $11.99 per month, billed annually (list price) | $3.99 per month, billed yearly |
| Free plan | 1 GB of encrypted cloud storage for life, usable across Internxt's services. | 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 | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Internxt Universal Technologies SL | Proton AG |
| Price read from | gateway.internxt.com | proton.me |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Internxt
- People who want open source, zero-knowledge storage
- Buyers who prefer a one-time lifetime payment
- Linux users: desktop apps cover Linux, Windows and macOS
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
Worth knowing
Internxt
- The free plan is limited to 1 GB.
- The prices here are list prices. Internxt's site advertised 80% off when checked, so the amount charged is usually lower and changes with the promotion.
- File versioning and collaboration invites start at Premium; Photos, WebDAV and NAS support are limited to Ultimate.
- Maximum file size is 10 GB on Essential, 50 GB on Premium and 100 GB on Ultimate.
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.
Key features
Internxt
- Zero-knowledge encryption
- Files are end-to-end encrypted before leaving the device and split into fragments, so a server holds only encrypted shards. Plans also list post-quantum encryption.
- Open source and audited
- Internxt publishes its code on GitHub and states that the platform was independently audited by the penetration testing company Securitum.
- Backup and sharing
- Paid plans back up a computer and share files with password protection. Premium and Ultimate add invitations to collaborate and file versioning.
- Bundled privacy tools
- Paid plans include an encrypted VPN and antivirus. Premium adds Cleaner and Meet, and Ultimate adds Photos and Mail.
- CLI, WebDAV, NAS and Rclone
- The Ultimate plan adds access through a command-line client and WebDAV, along with support for NAS devices and Rclone.
- Lifetime plans
- Each paid plan can be bought with a single payment for lifetime access. Lifetime storage is stackable up to 100 TB, and payments can be split through Klarna.
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.
Plans
Internxt
Free$0
1 GB of encrypted cloud storage with a free account.
Essential$11.99
per month, billed annually (list price before promotions)
1 TB of encrypted storage, files up to 10 GB, computer backup, password-protected sharing, VPN and antivirus.
Premium$21.99
per month, billed annually (list price before promotions)
2 TB of storage and files up to 50 GB, plus invitations to collaborate, file versioning, Cleaner and Meet.
Ultimate$31.99
per month, billed annually (list price before promotions)
5 TB of storage and files up to 100 GB, plus Photos, CLI and WebDAV access, NAS and Rclone support, and Mail.
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.
Ways to pay less
Internxt
- Lifetime license
Lifetime plans for a one-time payment
Essential, Premium and Ultimate are also sold as lifetime plans, with list prices of $1,999, $2,999 and $3,999 before promotions.
- Other savings
80% off advertised on the pricing page
When checked, the pricing page advertised 80% off its annual and lifetime plans, and a separate special-offer page advertised 85% off. The discount level changes.
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).
