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It's a split decision.
Choose pCloud if you want more storage tiers, a choice of Europe or US storage, or business plans with per-user pricing. Its annual plans start at $4.17 per month, and the free plan can reach 10 GB. Choose Proton Drive if end-to-end encryption is the priority: its free plan includes up to 5 GB, while paid storage comes through Proton bundles, not a standalone Drive plan. Proton’s listed annual price starts lower, at $3.99 monthly.
01Side by side
| pCloud | Proton Drive | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $4.17/month annually; $4.99 monthly | From $3.99/month annually, bundled; no standalone Drive price |
| Free plan | Up to 10 GB; starts at 2 GB | Up to 5 GB Drive storage |
| Best for | Flexible storage tiers, file sharing, and business plans | People prioritizing encrypted file and photo storage |
| Core strength | Storage choice, syncing, backups, and link sharing | End-to-end encrypted file and photo storage |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Data and integrations | Choose Europe or US; integrations not published | End-to-end encryption; integrations not published |
| Team and seat costs | Business: $7.99/user/month annually; minimum 3 users | Team pricing not published; listed plans are personal |
| Support | Review support score: 5.5/10 | Review support score: 5/10 |
pCloud Choose pCloud if
- Choose pCloud if you need multiple storage tiers, up to 10 TB.
- Choose pCloud if Europe-or-US storage selection matters.
- Choose pCloud if you need published business pricing and a three-user minimum.
Proton Drive Choose Proton Drive if
- Choose Proton Drive if end-to-end encryption is your priority.
- Choose Proton Drive if a free plan with up to 5 GB is enough.
- Choose Proton Drive if you want encrypted storage bundled with Proton services.
02Pricing compared
pCloud’s annual plans start at $4.17 per month, billed yearly, for 500 GB; the month-to-month price is $4.99. Its free plan starts at 2 GB and can reach 10 GB through tasks and referrals. Higher individual tiers offer 2 TB for $8.33 monthly annually, or 10 TB for $25 monthly annually. Family plans are one-time lifetime purchases: $749 for 2 TB or $1,499 for 10 TB.
Proton’s listed annual pricing starts lower, at $3.99 per month for Mail Plus, which includes 15 GB of Drive storage. The $9.99-per-month annual Unlimited plan includes 500 GB. Those are Proton bundles, not standalone Drive subscriptions; the pricing page does not list a Drive-only price. Proton Free includes up to 5 GB.
03Features and depth
pCloud offers more storage tiers, including 500 GB, 2 TB and 10 TB individual plans, plus shared family storage and a business plan. Its homepage says users can choose Europe or the USA for storage, store files of any size, and upload and download at unlimited speed. Paid plans have monthly shared-link traffic limits: 500 GB on Premium, 2 TB on Premium Plus and 20 TB total on Ultra. Business includes access controls and pCloud Encryption/Crypto.
Proton Drive’s main distinction is end-to-end encryption: Proton says this prevents access to your data without your permission. Its listed plans include encrypted Drive storage, and the Free and paid plans also include an online document editor and spreadsheets. Proton’s storage allotments are smaller on the listed personal plans: up to 5 GB free, 15 GB with Mail Plus, and 500 GB with Unlimited. Both services support file sharing and access across devices, according to their product descriptions.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Both services describe access across devices and file sharing as core features. pCloud also lists automatic backup for images and videos and syncing across devices; Proton includes an online document editor and spreadsheets in the plans shown. Our review scores rate pCloud’s ease of use at 7 out of 10 and Proton Drive’s at 5.5, but those scores do not explain which tasks caused friction.
For a practical choice, consider what you need to manage: pCloud has more storage tiers and family or business options, while Proton’s storage is bundled with other Proton services. The available product descriptions do not publish setup steps or learning-time estimates.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, pCloud or Proton Drive?
The lowest listed annual price is Proton Mail Plus at $3.99 per month, including 15 GB of Drive storage. pCloud’s annual 500 GB plan is $4.17 per month. Proton does not list a standalone Drive subscription, so these prices cover different bundles and storage amounts.
Which service gives you more free storage?
pCloud Free starts at 2 GB and can expand to 10 GB through tasks and referrals. Proton Free includes up to 5 GB of Drive storage. So pCloud can offer more free space, but reaching its maximum requires completing those tasks or referrals.
Is Proton Drive end-to-end encrypted?
Yes. Proton describes Drive as end-to-end encrypted and says its encryption prevents access to your data without your permission. Its listed Free and paid plans include encrypted Drive storage. pCloud’s published product details do not describe end-to-end encryption for individual plans.
Does either service have a business plan?
pCloud lists a Business plan at $7.99 per user per month when billed annually, with a three-user minimum, 1 TB per user, access controls and pCloud Encryption/Crypto. The published Proton pricing details list personal bundles, not a business Drive plan.