# CryptPad vs Proton Drive (2026)

By Noah — last updated & pricing verified October 23, 2026.

> **Verdict:** Choose CryptPad if you need an end-to-end encrypted office suite for real-time work on documents, spreadsheets, presentations, kanban boards, forms, and whiteboards, and want to self-host it free under AGPL-3.0. Choose Proton Drive if you mainly need encrypted file storage and sync with native Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android apps, 5 GB free, and 200 GB for $4.99/month. The deciding factor is the job: CryptPad is a browser-based collaboration suite you can run yourself, while Proton Drive is Swiss-hosted cloud storage that adds Proton Docs and Sheets.

**Choose CryptPad if:** You need more than documents and spreadsheets: CryptPad adds encrypted presentations, kanban boards, forms, whiteboards, diagrams, and a code editor; You want to self-host the whole suite on your own servers at no license cost under AGPL-3.0; You want people to collaborate anonymously, without creating an account; Your school or nonprofit wants a managed instance with SSO, starting around €1,500/year after the 50% education and nonprofit discount

**Choose Proton Drive if:** You mainly need encrypted file storage and sync, with desktop clients for Windows and macOS and apps for iOS and Android; You want 5 GB free and 200 GB for $4.99/month (Drive Plus) with 10-year file version history; You want automatic phone photo and video backup with collaborative albums; You want GPL-3.0 client apps that have been independently audited, from a provider under Swiss jurisdiction; You also want Proton Mail, VPN, Calendar, and Pass, bundled with 500 GB in Proton Unlimited at $12.99/month

## At a glance

|  | CryptPad | Proton Drive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pricing | Free | Free tier · paid from $4.99/mo |
| License | Open source | Open source |
| Best for | privacy-conscious teams, schools, and nonprofits that want real-time collaborative document editing without a provider that can read their content, and who are willing to trade some polish for end-to-end encryption | privacy-focused individuals and small teams who want end-to-end encrypted cloud storage with a genuinely usable free tier and open-source, independently-audited clients |
| Ratings | — | — |

## Feature comparison

| Feature | CryptPad | Proton Drive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starting price | Yes (free (self-hosted or CryptPad.fr account)) | Yes (free plan) |
| Free storage | Yes (1GB on CryptPad.fr, no credit card) | Yes (5 GB, includes Proton Docs and Proton Sheets) |
| Cheapest paid plan | Yes (roughly €5/month (CryptPad.fr, more storage and priority support)) | Yes ($4.99/mo for 200 GB (Drive Plus)) |
| Platforms | Partial (web only (browser-based)) | Yes (web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android) |
| License | Yes (AGPL-3.0, 7,800 GitHub stars) | Yes (GPL-3.0 client apps on GitHub) |
| Self-hosting | Yes (free on your own infrastructure) | No (encrypted files stored on Proton's servers) |
| End-to-end encryption | Yes (client-side across every document type) | Yes (files encrypted on-device before upload) |
| Collaborative document types | Yes (docs, sheets, slides, kanban, forms, whiteboards, diagrams, code) | Partial (Proton Docs and Proton Sheets) |
| Desktop sync client | No (browser-based only) | Yes (Windows and macOS) |
| Mobile photo backup | No (web only, no mobile app) | Yes (automatic photo and video backup, collaborative albums) |
| Sharing links | Yes (encrypted links) | Yes (password protection and expiration dates) |
| Independent security audit | Unknown | Yes (client apps audited by third-party firms) |
| Where data lives | Yes (your own servers when self-hosted, or the CryptPad.fr instance) | Yes (Proton's servers, under Swiss privacy law) |
| SSO | Yes (Enterprise managed instance (from around €1,500/year for nonprofits and education)) | Unknown |
| Server-side search and AI | No (ruled out by end-to-end encryption) | Unknown |
| Bundled privacy apps | No (office suite only) | Yes (Mail, VPN, Calendar, Pass in Proton Unlimited ($12.99/mo)) |
| Learning curve | Partial (moderate) | Yes (low) |

## What is the difference between CryptPad and Proton Drive?

CryptPad is an end-to-end encrypted office suite for real-time collaboration, while Proton Drive is end-to-end encrypted cloud storage that includes Proton Docs and Proton Sheets for editing.

CryptPad runs in the browser and covers rich-text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, kanban boards, forms, whiteboards, diagrams, and code files, with CryptDrive organizing them into folders. Proton Drive centers on storing and syncing files: desktop sync for Windows and macOS, automatic mobile photo backup, collaborative albums, and password-protected sharing links with expiration dates, plus encrypted Proton Docs and Proton Sheets. The two overlap on encrypted collaborative documents and spreadsheets, but CryptPad covers more document types and Proton Drive covers more devices.

## CryptPad vs Proton Drive pricing: which costs less?

CryptPad costs less if you self-host, since the AGPL-3.0 software has no license fee; on hosted plans, Proton Drive gives more free storage (5 GB vs 1GB) and 200 GB for $4.99/month, while CryptPad.fr paid plans start at roughly €5/month.

CryptPad.fr paid plans range from roughly €5 to €100/month depending on storage tier and include priority support. CryptPad Enterprise, a managed instance with SSO and guaranteed response times, lists at roughly €3,000/year for the smallest tier, around €1,500/year for nonprofits and education, and about €25,000/year for 1,000 users and 1TB. Proton Drive Plus is $4.99/month for 200 GB, Proton Unlimited is $12.99/month for 500 GB plus Mail, VPN, Calendar, and Pass, and Proton Duo is $16.99/month for 2 TB shared by 2 users, each with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

## Is CryptPad more private than Proton Drive?

CryptPad and Proton Drive both encrypt content on the device so neither provider can read it, but CryptPad can be self-hosted on your own servers while Proton Drive keeps encrypted files on Proton's servers in Switzerland.

CryptPad encrypts every document type client-side, so even an instance's administrators cannot read stored content as long as the code is unmodified, and CryptPad can run on your own infrastructure or be used anonymously without an account. Proton Drive encrypts files before upload, publishes its GPL-3.0 client code on GitHub, has had the clients independently audited, and operates under Swiss privacy law. Both models carry trade-offs: CryptPad's encryption rules out server-side search and AI features, and Proton cannot recover a lost password for encrypted files without a saved recovery kit.

## Which is easier to use, CryptPad or Proton Drive?

Proton Drive is easier to use, with a low learning curve and native apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, against CryptPad's moderate learning curve and browser-only access.

Proton Drive works like familiar cloud storage: install the Windows or macOS sync client or the iOS or Android app, and phone photos and videos back up automatically. CryptPad runs entirely in the browser, which avoids installs, but its real-time collaboration and UI responsiveness feel less polished than Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Teams that self-host CryptPad also take on running and maintaining their own server infrastructure to get the zero-trust guarantee.

## Strengths and weaknesses

### CryptPad

- Pro: End-to-end, client-side encryption across every included document type, not just file storage.
- Pro: Free to self-host under AGPL-3.0 with no per-seat licensing cost.
- Pro: Anonymous use is possible without creating an account.
- Pro: Covers documents, spreadsheets, presentations, kanban boards, forms, whiteboards, and code editing in one suite.
- Con: UI responsiveness and real-time collaboration feel less polished than Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
- Con: End-to-end encryption rules out server-side search, AI assistance, and integrations that need to read document content.
- Con: Free CryptPad.fr accounts are capped at 1GB of storage.
- Con: Self-hosting requires a team to run and maintain its own server infrastructure to get the zero-trust guarantee.

### Proton Drive

- Pro: Files are end-to-end encrypted client-side, so Proton cannot read stored content.
- Pro: Client source code is open source (GPL-3.0) and independently audited.
- Pro: 5 GB free tier is more generous than most end-to-end encrypted competitors.
- Pro: Based in Switzerland, subject to strict Swiss privacy law rather than US or EU data requests.
- Con: Lost passwords can't be recovered by Proton for end-to-end encrypted content without a saved recovery kit.
- Con: Free tier storage (5 GB) is modest compared to Google Drive's 15 GB free tier.
- Con: Best value per dollar requires the pricier Proton Unlimited bundle rather than a Drive-only plan.

## Which fits your use case?

| Use case | Pick | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| School or nonprofit replacing Google Workspace for collaborative documents | CryptPad | CryptPad covers documents, spreadsheets, presentations, forms, and whiteboards with end-to-end encryption, and its managed Enterprise instance starts around €1,500/year for education and nonprofits. |
| Individual backing up phone photos and personal files privately | Proton Drive | Proton Drive offers automatic mobile photo and video backup on iOS and Android, 5 GB free, and 200 GB for $4.99/month. |
| IT team that wants an encrypted suite on its own servers | CryptPad | CryptPad is free to self-host under AGPL-3.0 with no per-seat licensing cost, while Proton Drive stores encrypted files on Proton's servers. |
| Couple sharing a large encrypted storage pool | Proton Drive | Proton Duo gives 2 users 2 TB plus VPN and the rest of the Proton suite for $16.99/month. |
| Journalist sharing drafts with contributors who should not need an account | CryptPad | CryptPad can be used anonymously without creating an account, and documents are shared through encrypted links. |
| Person who wants encrypted email, VPN, and storage from one provider | Proton Drive | Proton Unlimited bundles 500 GB of Proton Drive storage with Proton Mail, VPN, Calendar, and Pass for $12.99/month. |

## Migration FAQ

### Should I use CryptPad or Proton Drive?

Use CryptPad if you need an end-to-end encrypted office suite with presentations, kanban boards, forms, and whiteboards that you can self-host; use Proton Drive if you need encrypted file storage and sync with native desktop and mobile apps and 5 GB free.

### Is CryptPad cheaper than Proton Drive?

CryptPad is cheaper if you self-host, since the AGPL-3.0 software has no license cost. On hosted plans the two are close, with CryptPad.fr paid plans from roughly €5/month and Proton Drive Plus at $4.99/month for 200 GB, and Proton Drive's free plan gives 5 GB against 1GB on a free CryptPad.fr account.

### Can Proton Drive replace CryptPad?

Partly: Proton Drive includes encrypted Proton Docs and Proton Sheets for collaborative editing, but CryptPad also covers presentations, kanban boards, forms, whiteboards, diagrams, and code files. CryptPad can also be self-hosted on your own servers.

### Does CryptPad have desktop or mobile apps?

No, CryptPad is browser-based and runs on the web only. Proton Drive offers apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android in addition to the web.

### Is Proton Drive open source?

Yes for the client apps: Proton Drive's clients are published on GitHub under GPL-3.0 and have been independently audited. CryptPad publishes its software under AGPL-3.0, and it can be self-hosted on your own servers.

## Neither a match?

- 5 alternatives to CryptPad: https://findalternative.to/cryptpad
- 5 alternatives to Proton Drive: https://findalternative.to/proton-drive

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