privacyguides.org/docs/cloud.md

---
meta_title: "The Best Private and Secure Cloud Storage Providers - Privacy Guides"
title: "Cloud Storage"
icon: material/file-cloud
description: Many cloud storage providers require your trust that they will not look at your files. These are private alternatives!
cover: cloud.webp
---
<small>Protects against the following threat(s):</small>

- [:material-bug-outline: Passive Attacks](basics/common-threats.md#security-and-privacy){ .pg-orange }
- [:material-server-network: Service Providers](basics/common-threats.md#privacy-from-service-providers){ .pg-teal }

Many **cloud storage providers** require your full trust that they will not look at your files. The alternatives listed below eliminate the need for trust by implementing secure E2EE.

If these alternatives do not fit your needs, we suggest you look into using encryption software like [Cryptomator](encryption.md#cryptomator-cloud) with another cloud provider. Using Cryptomator in conjunction with **any** cloud provider (including these) may be a good idea to reduce the risk of encryption flaws in a provider's native clients.

<details class="admonition info" markdown>
<summary>Looking for Nextcloud?</summary>

Nextcloud is [still a recommended tool](document-collaboration.md#nextcloud) for self-hosting a file management suite, however we do not recommend third-party Nextcloud storage providers at the moment, because we do [not recommend](https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/dont-recommend-nextcloud-e2ee/10352/29) Nextcloud's built-in E2EE functionality for home users.

</details>

## Proton Drive

<div class="admonition recommendation" markdown>

![Proton Drive logo](assets/img/cloud/protondrive.svg){ align=right }

**Proton Drive** is an encrypted cloud storage provider from the popular encrypted email provider [Proton Mail](email.md#proton-mail). The initial free storage is limited to 2GB, but with the completion of certain steps, additional storage can be obtained up to 5GB.

[:octicons-home-16: Homepage](https://proton.me/drive){ class="md-button md-button--primary" }
[:octicons-eye-16:](https://proton.me/legal/privacy){ .card-link title="Privacy Policy" }
[:octicons-info-16:](https://proton.me/support/drive){ .card-link title=Documentation}
[:octicons-code-16:](https://github.com/ProtonMail/WebClients){ .card-link title="Source Code" }

<details class="downloads" markdown>
<summary>Downloads</summary>

- [:simple-googleplay: Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.proton.android.drive)
- [:simple-appstore: App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id1509667851)
- [:fontawesome-brands-windows: Windows](https://proton.me/drive/download)
- [:simple-apple: macOS](https://proton.me/drive/download)

</details>

</div>

The Proton Drive web application has been independently audited by Securitum in [2021](https://proton.me/community/open-source).

Proton Drive's brand new mobile clients have not yet been publicly audited by a third party.

## Tresorit

<div class="admonition recommendation" markdown>

![Tresorit logo](assets/img/cloud/tresorit.svg){ align=right }

**Tresorit** is a Swiss-Hungarian encrypted cloud storage provider founded in 2011. Tresorit is owned by the Swiss Post, the national postal service of Switzerland.

[:octicons-home-16: Homepage](https://tresorit.com){ class="md-button md-button--primary" }
[:octicons-eye-16:](https://tresorit.com/legal/privacy-policy){ .card-link title="Privacy Policy" }
[:octicons-info-16:](https://support.tresorit.com){ .card-link title=Documentation}

<details class="downloads" markdown>
<summary>Downloads</summary>

- [:simple-googleplay: Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tresorit.mobile)
- [:simple-appstore: App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id722163232)
- [:fontawesome-brands-windows: Windows](https://tresorit.com/download)
- [:simple-apple: macOS](https://tresorit.com/download)
- [:simple-linux: Linux](https://tresorit.com/download)

</details>

</div>

Tresorit has received a number of independent security audits:

- [2022](https://tresorit.com/blog/tresorit-receives-iso-27001-certification): ISO/IEC 27001:2013[^1] Compliance [Certification](https://certipedia.com/quality_marks/9108644476) by TÜV Rheinland InterCert Kft
- [2021](https://tresorit.com/blog/fresh-penetration-testing-confirms-tresorit-security): Penetration Testing by Computest
    - This review assessed the security of the Tresorit web client, Android app, Windows app, and associated infrastructure.
    - Computest discovered two vulnerabilities which have been resolved.
- [2019](https://tresorit.com/blog/ernst-young-review-verifies-tresorits-security-architecture): Penetration Testing by Ernst & Young.
    - This review analyzed the full source code of Tresorit and validated that the implementation matches the concepts described in Tresorit's [white paper](https://prodfrontendcdn.azureedge.net/202208011608/tresorit-encryption-whitepaper.pdf).
    - Ernst & Young additionally tested the web, mobile, and desktop clients: "Test results found no deviation from Tresorit’s data confidentiality claims."

[^1]: [ISO/IEC 27001](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO/IEC_27001):2013 compliance relates to the company's [information security management system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_security_management) and covers the sales, development, maintenance and support of their cloud services.

They have also received the Digital Trust Label, a certification from the [Swiss Digital Initiative](https://efd.admin.ch/en/swiss-digital-initiative-en) which requires passing [35 criteria](https://swiss-digital-initiative.org/criteria) related to security, privacy, and reliability.

## Peergos

<div class="admonition recommendation" markdown>

![Peergos logo](assets/img/cloud/peergos.svg){ align=right }

**Peergos** is a decentralized protocol and open-source platform for storage, social media, and applications. It provides a secure and private space where users can store, share, and view their photos, videos, documents, etc. Peergos secures your files with quantum-resistant end-to-end encryption and ensures all data about your files remains private. It is built on top of [IPFS (InterPlanetary File System)](https://ipfs.tech), a peer-to-peer architecture that protects against [:material-close-outline: Censorship](basics/common-threats.md#avoiding-censorship){ .pg-blue-gray }.

[:octicons-home-16: Homepage](https://peergos.org){ .md-button .md-button--primary }
[:octicons-eye-16:](https://peergos.net/privacy.html){ .card-link title="Privacy Policy" }
[:octicons-info-16:](https://book.peergos.org){ .card-link title="Documentation" }
[:octicons-code-16:](https://github.com/Peergos/Peergos){ .card-link title="Source Code" }

<details class="downloads" markdown>
<summary>Downloads</summary>

- [:octicons-globe-16: Web](https://peergos.net)
- [:fontawesome-brands-windows: Windows](https://github.com/Peergos/web-ui/releases)
- [:simple-apple: macOS](https://github.com/Peergos/web-ui/releases)
- [:simple-linux: Linux](https://github.com/Peergos/web-ui/releases)

</details>

</div>

Peergos is primarily a web app, but you can self-host the server either as a local cache for your remote Peergos account, or as a standalone storage server which negates the need to register for a remote account and subscription. The Peergos server is a `.jar` file, which means the Java 17+ Runtime Environment ([OpenJDK download](https://azul.com/downloads)) should be installed on your machine to get it working.

Running a local version of Peergos alongside a registered account on their paid, hosted service allows you to access your Peergos storage without any reliance on DNS or TLS certificate authorities, and keep a copy of your data backed up to their cloud. The user experience should be the same whether you run their desktop server or just use their hosted web interface.

Peergos was [audited](https://cure53.de/pentest-report_peergos.pdf) by Cure53 in September 2019, and all found issues were subsequently fixed.

Also, the Android app is not available but it is [in the works](https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/peergos-private-storage-sharing-social-media-and-application-platform/11825/25). The current workaround is to use the mobile [PWA](https://peergos.net) instead.

## Criteria

**Please note we are not affiliated with any of the projects we recommend.** In addition to [our standard criteria](about/criteria.md), we have developed a clear set of requirements to allow us to provide objective recommendations. We suggest you familiarize yourself with this list before choosing to use a project, and conduct your own research to ensure it's the right choice for you.

### Minimum Requirements

- Must enforce end-to-end encryption.
- Must offer a free plan or trial period for testing.
- Must support TOTP or FIDO2 multi-factor authentication, or passkey logins.
- Must offer a web interface which supports basic file management functionality.
- Must allow for easy exports of all files/documents.

### Best-Case

Our best-case criteria represents what we would like to see from the perfect project in this category. Our recommendations may not include any or all of this functionality, but those which do may rank higher than others on this page.

- Clients should be open source.
- Clients should be audited in their entirety by an independent third-party.
- Should offer native clients for Linux, Android, Windows, macOS, and iOS.
    - These clients should integrate with native OS tools for cloud storage providers, such as Files app integration on iOS, or DocumentsProvider functionality on Android.
- Should support easy file-sharing with other users.
- Should offer at least basic file preview and editing functionality on the web interface.