Google Drive alternatives compared

Google Drive has been a permanent fixture in the ranks of cloud storage for years, which is due to two factors in particular. On the one hand, the Google service convinces with its inexpensive rates for private and business users: If the generous free storage space of 15 gigabytes is not enough for you, you can increase the capacity of your account to 100 gigabytes for around £1 a month. For around £7.99 a month, you can even get two terabytes, or around 2,000 gigabytes of storage. On the other hand, one of Google Drive’s greatest strengths is its seamless integration into the Google account and the associated direct linking with various other Google apps, such as the Office applications from Google Workspace, formerly G Suite, Gmail, or Google Photos.

The Google Drive alternative Sync is, according to the provider, the 'most private and secure cloud storage service on the planet'. To this end, the Sync team relies, among other things, on end-to-end encryption, which, together with native apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, ensures end-to-end encryption of the stored data. Regardless of the location of the user or company, compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is always guaranteed. Optionally, users can also set up two-factor authentication to provide additional protection for accessing storage.

Of course, the cloud storage veteran should not be missing in our list of top Google Drive alternatives. Since 2008, Dropbox has been offering its users the option of storing files online to access them anytime and anywhere and to take the strain off their own device. Since its early years, the service has been tailored to synchronising files between different users – the Dropbox software, for example, makes collaborating on folders a breeze. With ‘Dropbox Paper’, the classic storage solution now also offers additional features for the digital workplace, such as scheduled meetings and a chat function.

If data security and data protection are more important to you in a Google Drive alternative, then Your Secure Cloud is an interesting option. The cloud service from the German-based Your Secure Cloud GmbH promises maximum protection for your data. For this, the company not only relies on the server location in Germany (ISO-27001 certified), but also on intelligent end-to-end encryption based on a SSL/TLS certificate from Switzerland. Your data is encrypted on the client side (AES-256) as well as on the server at all times. For access, you can either use the simple web interface or the practical desktop clients for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Mobile apps for iOS and Android are also available.

IONOS offers an interesting alternative to Google Drive with HiDrive, which, among other things, is defined by its server location in Germany. AES-256 encryption, two-factor authentication, and fully automatic backup round off the comprehensive security package offered by the online storage. As is typical for the industry, users can access their data via a cross-platform web application or via a client app. The latter is available for the Windows and Linux desktop systems and for Android and iOS mobile operating systems. If you want to access the storage in a team, you can use the user administration to individually control which user should have which rights.

Back in 2007, software giant Microsoft released its in-house version of a file hosting service – at that time still called SkyDrive. The service, now known as OneDrive, has been one of the most important cloud storage options for years and is one of the most popular Google Drive alternatives worldwide. As with its Google counterpart, the direct link to Office applications also distributed by Microsoft – in this case Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. – plays an important role. So, anyone who works with the Microsoft suite for private or business purposes also has a perfectly integrated storage solution at hand with OneDrive.

According to a statement, pCloud is 'Europe’s most secure cloud storage'. Users who choose the Swiss company’s services store their files in an EU-compliant approach on servers in Luxembourg (Texas is also available as an optional server location). During and after transfer to pCloud storage, all data is secured by 256-bit AES encryption. Optionally, an additional client-side protection can be activated with pCloud Encryption, which encrypts files that are already on your local device. Access is available via the industry-standard web app in the browser or using native clients for Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as the Android and iOS mobile operating systems.

The Google Drive alternative luckycloud puts the focus on security and flexibility. For example, the security package relies on 256-bit AES encryption, two-factor authentication, and features such as Remote Wipe, which lets you remotely delete files on lost mobile devices locally. ISO-27001-certified, fail-safe data centres in Germany ensure comprehensive data protection (GDPR-compliance). Flexibility on the user side is ensured by the option of determining or scaling the size of the leased storage individually: The capacity can be increased or decreased in smaller or larger steps at any time, so that in the best-case scenario you do not have to use and pay for superfluous services.