💾 cloud storage

Proton Drive costs $25/mo.
These cost $0.

9 free alternatives to Proton Drive, checked for license, recent activity and real adoption. Each one tells you the catch, so you can switch with your eyes open.

⚡ Quick Verdict · 2027 Guide

The top-rated free, open-source replacement for Proton Drive is Nextcloud (AGPL-3.0+ Open Source). Across this category, 7 self-hostable tools are available (including Nextcloud and Seafile). Switching a 5-person team saves up to $1,500/year compared to Proton Drive's $25/mo subscription.

The catch: It can sync the folder, but it is not Obsidian-aware, does not provide the same conflict handling and version recovery by default, and makes you operate the cloud service.

See the 9 picks ↓

Proton Drive vs Free Alternatives

Quick side-by-side comparison · $0/mo vs $25/mo

Alternative	Type	License	Where It Runs	Stars	Head-to-Head
Nextcloud	open source	AGPL-3.0+	Self-host	★ 37.4k	Proton Drive vs Nextcloud →
Seafile	open source	Open Source	Self-host	★ 15.4k	Proton Drive vs Seafile →
OpenCloud	open source	Apache-2.0	Self-host	★ 6.3k	Proton Drive vs OpenCloud →
Sync-in	open source	Open Source	Self-host	★ 2k	Proton Drive vs Sync-in →
Peergos	open source	Open Source	Local	★ 2.6k	Proton Drive vs Peergos →
ownCloud	open source	AGPL-3.0	Self-host	★ 2.2k	Proton Drive vs ownCloud →
Hoodik	open source	Open Source	Self-host	★ 1.5k	Proton Drive vs Hoodik →
Cozy	open source	Open Source	Self-host	★ 1.3k	Proton Drive vs Cozy →
Twake Drive	open source	Open Source	Local	★ 991	Proton Drive vs Twake Drive →

The picks

9 open source · ranked by fit

01
Nextcloud
open sourceAGPL-3.0+Self-host
37.4knov 2026
Nextcloud offers on-premises file sync, sharing and collaboration platform with advanced security and privacy features.
The catch vs Proton Drive
It can sync the folder, but it is not Obsidian-aware, does not provide the same conflict handling and version recovery by default, and makes you operate the cloud service.
Install, platforms & data +
platforms
desktopmobilewebself-hostedself-host, real ops
install
Nextcloud All-in-One Docker stack or a supported web-server/PHP/database installation, plus sync clients
setup
A practical deployment needs an always-on host, Docker or a full PHP/database stack, domain and TLS, storage planning, backups, and upgrades
your data
User files in a server data directory or object store; accounts, shares, file cache, versions, and other metadata in the database, with optional local synced copies
checked
2026-11-07
Visit nextcloud.com ↗Source Compare vs Proton Drive →also replaces 7 other apps →
02
Seafile
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host
15.4knov 2026
Open source file sync and sharing platform with custom properties, AI automation, collaborative editing, and enterprise-grade security for teams.
The catch vs Proton Drive
Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Proton Drive.
Install, platforms & data +
platforms
webself-hosteddocker to self-host
install
Clone https://github.com/haiwen/seafile or deploy with Docker Compose
setup
Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
your data
All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
checked
2026-11-07
Visit seafile.com ↗Source Compare vs Proton Drive →also replaces 5 other apps →
03
OpenCloud
open sourceApache-2.0Self-host
6.3knov 2026
Self-hostable cloud file management and collaboration platform with an integrated office suite, zero-trust security, and GDPR compliance for teams and organizations.
The catch vs Proton Drive
Its integration ecosystem and administration are younger and thinner than Box's, while all server operations become the user's job.
Install, platforms & data +
platforms
desktopmobilewebself-hosteddocker to self-host
install
Use the documented Docker Compose and Traefik stack; a single-binary deployment is also possible
setup
Docker, a domain and open ports, reverse-proxy and TLS configuration, and operational responsibility for the storage directory
your data
The base deployment stores file data and metadata in its configured POSIX instance directory; an optional decomposed backend stores blobs in S3 and metadata on POSIX storage
checked
2026-11-07
Visit opencloud.eu ↗Source Compare vs Proton Drive →also replaces 10 other apps →
04
Sync-in
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host
2knov 2026
Secure, open-source platform for file storage, sharing, and collaboration. Host your data on your own infrastructure with full control and transparency.
The catch vs Proton Drive
Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Proton Drive.
Install, platforms & data +
platforms
webself-hosteddocker to self-host
install
Clone https://github.com/sync-in/server or deploy with Docker Compose
setup
Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
your data
All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
checked
2026-11-07
Visit sync-in.com ↗Source Compare vs Proton Drive →also replaces 5 other apps →
05
Peergos
open sourceOpen SourceLocal
2.6knov 2026
A peer-to-peer encrypted filesystem for secure file storage, sharing, and collaboration with end-to-end encryption and user-controlled data.
The catch vs Proton Drive
Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.
Install, platforms & data +
platforms
desktopcross-platformone-click install
install
Clone https://github.com/Peergos/Peergos or deploy with Docker Compose
setup
Download the native package or installer for your operating system.
your data
All application data lives locally on your own machine.
checked
2026-11-07
Visit peergos.org ↗Source Compare vs Proton Drive →also replaces 5 other apps →
06
ownCloud
open sourceAGPL-3.0Self-host
2.2knov 2026
Self-hostable file platform for enterprises needing data sovereignty, real-time document collaboration, and compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, and other regulations.
The catch vs Proton Drive
Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Google Drive.
Install, platforms & data +
platforms
webself-hosteddocker to self-host
install
Clone https://github.com/owncloud/core or deploy with Docker Compose
setup
Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
your data
All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
checked
2026-11-07
Visit owncloud.com ↗Source Compare vs Proton Drive →also replaces 8 other apps →
07
Hoodik
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host
1.5knov 2026
Lightweight, self-hosted cloud storage built with Rust and Vue.js. Features end-to-end encryption, file sharing, search capabilities, and Docker deployment.
The catch vs Proton Drive
Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Proton Drive.
Install, platforms & data +
platforms
webself-hosteddocker to self-host
install
Clone https://github.com/hudikhq/hoodik or deploy with Docker Compose
setup
Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
your data
All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
checked
2026-11-07
Visit hoodik.io ↗Source Compare vs Proton Drive →also replaces 3 other apps →
08
Cozy
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host
1.3knov 2026
Open-source personal cloud that automatically gathers all your data from third-party services. French-hosted with privacy-first design, no ads, and seamless device sync.
The catch vs Proton Drive
Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Proton Drive.
Install, platforms & data +
platforms
webself-hosteddocker to self-host
install
Clone https://github.com/cozy/cozy-stack or deploy with Docker Compose
setup
Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
your data
All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
checked
2026-11-07
Visit cozy.io ↗Source Compare vs Proton Drive →also replaces 3 other apps →
09
Twake Drive
open sourceOpen SourceLocal
991nov 2026
Open source encrypted data storage solution offering secure file sharing, collaboration tools, and on-premises deployment for professional teams.
The catch vs Proton Drive
Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.
Install, platforms & data +
platforms
desktopcross-platformone-click install
install
Clone https://github.com/linagora/twake-drive or deploy with Docker Compose
setup
Download the native package or installer for your operating system.
your data
All application data lives locally on your own machine.
checked
2026-11-07
Visit twake-drive.com ↗Source Compare vs Proton Drive →also replaces 6 other apps →

Proton Drive Head-to-Head Comparisons (2027)

Side-by-side trade-off breakdowns · 9 free alternatives

Proton Drive vs NextcloudAGPL-3.0+ · Self-host →

Proton Drive vs SeafileOpen Source · Self-host →

Proton Drive vs OpenCloudApache-2.0 · Self-host →

Proton Drive vs Sync-inOpen Source · Self-host →

Proton Drive vs PeergosOpen Source · Local →

Proton Drive vs ownCloudAGPL-3.0 · Self-host →

Proton Drive vs HoodikOpen Source · Self-host →

Proton Drive vs CozyOpen Source · Self-host →

Proton Drive vs Twake DriveOpen Source · Local →

Frequently Asked Questions

Direct answers · Proton Drive open-source replacements

What is the best free alternative to Proton Drive?+

The top free alternative to Proton Drive is Nextcloud (open source, AGPL-3.0+). Nextcloud offers on-premises file sync, sharing and collaboration platform with advanced security and privacy features. Other popular Proton Drive replacements include Seafile, OpenCloud, Sync-in.

Can I self-host a free replacement for Proton Drive?+

Yes. Of the 9 free alternatives to Proton Drive, 7 can be self-hosted on your own server or local machine: Nextcloud (AGPL-3.0+), Seafile (Open Source), OpenCloud (Apache-2.0), Sync-in (Open Source), ownCloud (AGPL-3.0), Hoodik (Open Source), Cozy (Open Source).

How much does switching from Proton Drive to a free alternative save?+

Proton Drive starts at $25/month per seat ($300/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like Nextcloud saves $1,500 per year in software subscription fees.

Should I vibe-code or build my own Proton Drive clone from scratch?+

Our build verdict for Proton Drive is NO (use a free alternative, save the tokens). Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for Proton Drive or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 9 battle-tested open-source alternatives like Nextcloud.

What is the catch when switching from Proton Drive to Nextcloud?+

It can sync the folder, but it is not Obsidian-aware, does not provide the same conflict handling and version recovery by default, and makes you operate the cloud service.