kDrive vs Proton Drive (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, kDrive grades higher than Proton Drive: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
kDrive grades higher on the free plan, ease of use and platforms. Proton Drive grades higher on value for money and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
kDrive
Swiss-hosted cloud storage and file sharing from Infomaniak
Proton Drive
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage from the maker of Proton Mail
Which one is for you
Pick kDrive if
- Fits if you want data kept in Switzerland and a free 15 GB to start
- Works for one person who wants 3 TB at a flat rate
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need US dollar prices: only Swiss francs excluding VAT are shown
- Tight if you're sharing: Solo is limited to one user and its 3 TB can't be increased
- Watch out: Team covers 6 users at most, and Pro needs at least 3 users
- Watch out: the 1-year term is cheaper, and the 1-month term is CHF 5.54 for Solo
Pick Proton Drive if
- Fits if you want storage that even the company running it can't read
- Works for people who already pay for Proton Mail, VPN or Pass and can bundle storage with Unlimited
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free, because 5 GB fills up fast with photos
- Skip it if you're on Linux and want a folder that syncs, as you get a command-line client instead
- Pricey if you want lots of space and nothing else, since past 200 GB it's bundles only, from $9.99 for 500 GB
- Watch out: the low prices need yearly billing, and Drive Plus is $4.99 a month paid monthly
- Not for you if you want it to plug into other apps, as only Proton's own products are listed and no API
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAkDriveGood | 2.6GPAProton DriveGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CSolo is CHF 4.99 a month excluding VAT, a little above the category's $3.99 cheaper-quarter line, though it comes with 3 TB. | BDrive Plus is $3.99 a month billed yearly for 200 GB, which puts it just inside this category's cheapest quarter, and $4.99 if you pay monthly. Google wants $2.99 for the same 200 GB unencrypted. More room only comes bundled: Unlimited is $9.99 for 500 GB with VPN, Mail and Pass. |
| Free plan and trial | Bmy kSuite gives 15 GB of kDrive storage free, expandable, plus 20 GB of email and OnlyOffice editing. | C5 GB free, with the same end-to-end encryption and the Docs and Sheets editors included. It's still 5 GB, though, and a phone backing up photos will hit it inside a month. No trial of the paid plans is listed. |
| Features | CSync, sharing and online editing, but Solo is one user, Team stops at 6 users and extra storage costs CHF 36 a month per 5 TB. | BIt covers the job: encryption on everything, links with passwords and expiry you can revoke, automatic photo backup, desktop sync and old versions recoverable for up to 10 years, plus encrypted Docs and Sheets two people can edit at once. Nothing core is absent on the platforms it supports. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but the apps install and sync with nothing to set up. | C4.11 from about 1,200 App Store ratings, the weakest score of any storage app here with a rating worth counting, where Dropbox, Box and OneDrive all sit at 4.6 or better. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android apps, and 6 integrations. | BWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android covers most people, but Linux gets a command-line client and the website instead of a sync app. The things it joins up with are all Proton's own, Mail, VPN, Pass and Calendar, with no outside integrations or API listed. |
| Best for | Swiss-hosted storage with a free 15 GB | 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: kDrive and Proton Drive. How we grade
Where they differ
- Proton Drive is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- kDrive also covers AI search.
- Proton Drive also covers documents and spreadsheets.
At a glance
| kDrive | Proton Drive | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | CHF 4.99 per month, excl. VAT (kDrive Solo, 3 TB) | $3.99 per month, billed yearly |
| Free plan | My kSuite: 15 GB of free kDrive storage (expandable to 6 TB), 20 GB of email storage and OnlyOffice document editing. | 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 | Infomaniak | Proton AG |
| Price read from | infomaniak.com | proton.me |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
kDrive
- Prices are in Swiss francs and exclude VAT; no US dollar prices are shown.
- Solo is limited to one user and its 3 TB cannot be increased.
- Team includes at most 6 users, and Pro needs a minimum of 3 users.
- Extra storage is sold in 5 TB steps, from CHF 36.00 a month.
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
kDrive
- Swiss data hosting
- Files are replicated across three storage devices in two Swiss data centers, and the vendor says it complies with GDPR and the Swiss nFADP.
- Sync apps
- Desktop sync for Windows, Mac and Linux with selective folders, mobile apps for iOS and Android with offline files, and WebDAV support.
- Online editing
- OnlyOffice editing is included with paid plans. Pro adds Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint through Microsoft Office Online.
- Sharing and drop boxes
- Share links can have passwords and expiry dates, and recipients need no Infomaniak account. Drop boxes receive files from others.
- Version history
- Solo and Team keep 60 days or 100 versions; Pro keeps 120 days or 200 versions. Recycle bin retention runs 3 months to 1 year.
- AI content search
- Search looks inside images, work documents and PDFs. The vendor attributes this to its own sovereign AI.
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
kDrive
my kSuiteCHF 0
Free for life: 15 GB kDrive storage, 20 GB email storage and online document editing.
kDrive SoloCHF 4.99
per month, 1-year term (CHF 5.54 on a 1-month term), excl. VAT
1 user, 3 TB of storage that cannot be increased, OnlyOffice editing.
kDrive TeamCHF 10.00
per month, 1-year term (CHF 11.11 on a 1-month term), excl. VAT
6 users included, from 3 TB (up to 18 TB), shared company files and advanced user management.
kDrive ProCHF 6.66
per user / month, 1-year term (CHF 7.40 monthly), excl. VAT
From 3 users, from 6 TB (up to 106 TB), Microsoft Office Online editing and 120-day version history.
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
kDrive
- Annual discount
10% off a 1-year term
The prices page shows 10% off for a 1-year term, 15% off for 2 years and 20% off for 3 years against monthly billing.
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).
Common questions
Which is cheaper, kDrive or Proton Drive?
As of Nov 12, 2026, kDrive starts at CHF 4.99 per month, excl. VAT (kDrive Solo, 3 TB), and Proton Drive starts at $3.99 per month, billed yearly.
Which has a free plan, kDrive or Proton Drive?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both kDrive and Proton Drive have a free plan.
Which platforms do kDrive and Proton Drive run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only kDrive lists a Linux app. Both list a web app and macOS, 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.