I don’t use OneDrive on Windows, I use this privacy-focused alternative instead

Microsoft’s relentless push to utilize OneDrive feels less like convenience and more like a forced integration on Windows. Coupled with slow download and upload speeds, as well as privacy concerns, I knew it was time to break free from Microsoft’s cloud storage solution. While there is no shortage of OneDrive alternatives, Proton Drive caught my attention for several reasons.

Unlike OneDrive, which seems to prioritize integration over user choice and performance, Proton Drive is built from the ground up with privacy and security at its core. It goes beyond just storage space and acts as a feature-rich, end-to-end encrypted vault to give me complete control over my files.

5

Feature-packed solution

Seamless File Explorer integration

Proton Drive gets the basics right. It offers a neat File Explorer integration where you can find all your files and folders. Unsurprisingly, it supports file on-demand, where you can mirror the entire cloud library on your desktop and download relevant files whenever required. It works as expected, and the download and upload speeds are consistently high.

If your workflow relies on Proton Drive, you can configure it to launch at startup so that your recent changes and updates are always in sync whenever you turn on the PC. Proton Drive also lets you back up local folders to the cloud. This means you can protect important documents, photos, or any other critical data stored on your hard drive and ensure that they will be safe from accidental deletion or hardware failure.

4

Private and secure sharing

Keep prying eyes away while sharing

When sharing files, Proton Drive goes head-to-head with OneDrive. For example, you can password-protect your shared links and make sure that only authorized recipients have access to your files. Even if a link falls into the wrong hands, without the password, the files remain inaccessible.

Another neat add-on is the ability to set expiration dates for your sharing links. This ensures that access to your files is only for a time-limited period, and it reduces the risk of unauthorized access long after the intended recipient has downloaded them. I tried several OneDrive alternatives, but many of them failed to deliver such crucial security features. Overall, when moving from OneDrive to Proton Drive, you won’t miss a beat in terms of sharing functionality.

3

Advantage of a secure Proton ecosystem

Enjoy a secure ecosystem of apps and services

The Proton ecosystem isn’t limited to Proton Drive only. The company offers a range of apps like Calendar, Contacts, Docs, Proton Pass, Proton VPN, and Proton Mail. Like Microsoft 365, these apps are neatly integrated. For example, you can create a new document right from Proton Drive and even check your contacts and calendar events from the sidebar.

Proton has made it easy to transfer your existing data from Gmail and Outlook accounts via a built-in Easy Switch tool. As expected, all these services have native apps on both the mobile and desktop platforms.

2

Flexible paid plans

Subscription tiers that make a lot of sense

OneDrive comes with 5GB of free space. You can purchase 100GB of extra space for $2 per month, and after that, you must subscribe to a Microsoft 365 plan to unlock 1TB of space with your account. Proton hits the sweet spot for me as the Proton Unlimited plan offers 500GB of space for $10.50 per month. Since my cloud storage mostly hovers in the range of 200GB-300GB, this is more than sufficient for me.

Proton Unlimited includes all the secure apps and services like Proton Mail, Calendar, Docs, up to 15 email addresses, Proton Pass password manager, and Proton VPN with up to 10 high-speed connections. Proton’s asking price starts making sense when you consider all the included apps.

For just a few bucks more, you can upgrade to Proton Duo, unlock 1TB of Drive space, and share the entire Proton ecosystem with your friend or loved one. It also offers a Proton Scribe writing assistant to help you fly through your drafts in Proton Docs.

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1

End-to-end encryption and open-source

Gives you peace of mind

Now, let’s come to the biggest USP of Proton Drive over OneDrive – privacy. Firstly, it supports end-to-end encryption, which means that your files are encrypted on your device before they are uploaded to Proton’s servers. Neither Proton nor anyone else can access the content of your files. You don’t need to think twice before storing confidential data in the cloud.

Proton Drive’s open-source nature also adds a layer of trust and transparency. Any researcher or security expert can review the source code and verify its high privacy claims.

The cloud storage revolution

While Proton Drive scores high in several areas, it’s not entirely perfect. I would love to see better media management and powerful editing tools in order to get the job done without leaving the app. Overall, if you are looking for a reliable, secure, and privacy-focused OneDrive alternative that doesn’t irritate you with endless pop-ups on Windows, I highly recommend giving Proton Drive a try.

Once you transfer all the data from OneDrive to Proton Drive, make sure to disable Microsoft’s cloud storage service on Windows.