7 Best European Dropbox Alternatives (2026)
I moved 400GB off Dropbox last year. Here are 7 EU alternatives that actually match it — syncing, sharing, and all. Proton Drive won.
Zero-knowledge encryption, 5GB free, part of Proton ecosystem
Try Proton Drive →Dropbox raised prices again in 2025. If you missed it: the Plus plan went from $12 to $14/month. That’s $168/year for 2TB of storage hosted on American servers, subject to the CLOUD Act.
I moved my 400GB off Dropbox last January. Not because of the price — because I realized I was paying a US company to store files that European law should protect.
Here are seven European alternatives I tested. Some are better than Dropbox. Some aren’t. I’ll be honest about both.
The CLOUD Act problem: US law allows federal agencies to compel American companies to hand over data — even if it’s stored on EU servers. Dropbox is a US company. Your “EU data residency” setting doesn’t change this.
Quick Comparison: European Dropbox Alternatives
| Rank | Service | Country | Free Tier | Paid From | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  🇨🇭Proton Drive | Switzerland | 5GB | €4/mo | Privacy + ecosystem |
| 2 |  🇨🇭pCloud | Switzerland | 10GB | €50/yr | Long-term value |
| 3 |  🇨🇭Tresorit | Switzerland | — | €10/mo | Business compliance |
| 4 |  🇩🇪Nextcloud | Germany | Self-host | Free | Full control |
| 5 |  🇨🇭kDrive | Switzerland | 15GB | €5/mo | Eco-conscious users |
| 6 |  🇳🇴Jottacloud | Norway | 5GB | €8/mo | Unlimited storage |
| 7 |  🇪🇸Internxt | Spain | 10GB | €1/mo | Budget encryption |
1. 🇨🇭Proton Drive — The Privacy-First Pick
Proton built their reputation on email encryption. Proton Drive applies the same approach to files: zero-knowledge encryption means even Proton can’t see your data. Built by CERN scientists, stored in underground bunkers in the Swiss Alps.
What Dropbox users will like: The desktop sync works the way you’d expect. Drag files into a folder, they sync. Selective sync is there. File sharing via links works. It feels familiar.
What Dropbox users will miss: No Smart Sync equivalent yet. Collaboration features are basic — you won’t be replacing Dropbox Paper. Storage caps are smaller unless you go Unlimited (€10/mo for 500GB).
Pricing: Free 5GB. Plus €4/mo (200GB). Unlimited €10/mo (500GB). Family plans available.
2. 🇨🇭pCloud — The Lifetime Value Play
pCloud’s killer feature has nothing to do with technology: lifetime plans. Pay €199 for 500GB or €399 for 2TB, and you’re done. Forever. No more annual subscription creep.
What Dropbox users will like: pCloud Drive creates a virtual drive on your computer — files stream from the cloud without eating local storage. It’s actually better than Dropbox’s Smart Sync in some ways because it works as a real drive letter.
What Dropbox users will miss: The built-in encryption (pCloud Crypto) costs extra — €50 one-time. Without it, your files are encrypted in transit and at rest, but pCloud holds the keys.
Honest note: pCloud’s base encryption is comparable to Dropbox’s. For zero-knowledge encryption, you need pCloud Crypto ($50 extra) or choose Proton Drive / Tresorit instead.
Pricing: Free 10GB. Premium 500GB €50/yr or €199 lifetime. Premium Plus 2TB €100/yr or €399 lifetime.
3. 🇨🇭Tresorit — The Enterprise Choice
If your company’s legal team needs to approve your cloud storage, Tresorit is the answer. ISO 27001. SOC 2. HIPAA compatible. Zero-knowledge encryption by default, not as a paid add-on.
What Dropbox users will like: The sharing and collaboration features are genuinely close to Dropbox Business. Shared workspaces, permission levels, link expiry, download limits. The sync client is solid.
What Dropbox users will miss: No free tier. Starting at €10/mo, it’s more expensive than Dropbox Plus. You’re paying for compliance and encryption, not raw storage.
Tresorit is what Dropbox Business would be if Dropbox cared about European data sovereignty. Same workflow, Swiss jurisdiction.
Pricing: Personal €10/mo (1TB). Business €14/user/mo. Enterprise custom pricing.
4. 🇩🇪Nextcloud — The Self-Hosted Power Move
Nextcloud is not a Dropbox replacement. It’s a Dropbox killer — if you’re willing to put in the work.
Self-hosted means you own the hardware, the software, and the data. No monthly fees. No terms of service changes. No company that can shut down or get acquired. The German government runs Nextcloud. So do 400,000+ organizations worldwide.
What Dropbox users will like: Nextcloud Hub includes file sync, office suite, calendar, contacts, video calls, and project management. It does more than Dropbox ever will.
What Dropbox users will miss: Setup. You need a server (VPS from €5/mo or a spare machine at home), some Linux knowledge, and patience. Updates require maintenance. This is not “sign up and go.”
Pricing: Software is free. You pay for hosting: self-hosted (€5/mo VPS) or managed hosting (Hetzner, IONOS from €5/mo).
5. 🇨🇭kDrive — The Green Alternative
Infomaniak is Switzerland’s largest independent cloud provider. Their data centers run on 100% renewable energy. kDrive is their Dropbox competitor, and it’s surprisingly good.
What Dropbox users will like: 15GB free tier (Dropbox gives you 2GB). Built-in office suite for real-time document collaboration. Clean, modern interface. The sync client just works.
What Dropbox users will miss: Less known internationally, so sharing links might confuse recipients. No lifetime plans. The mobile apps are decent but not as polished as Dropbox.
Pricing: Free 15GB. Solo €5/mo (2TB). Team €6/user/mo (6TB shared).
6. 🇳🇴Jottacloud — The Unlimited Option
Need unlimited storage? Jottacloud is the only European provider offering it. €10/month for literally unlimited files. No catches. Norwegian privacy laws protect you.
What Dropbox users will like: Unlimited storage at a flat rate. Photo backup from mobile (like Google Photos but European). Family plans for up to 5 people.
What Dropbox users will miss: No Linux client. The interface feels dated compared to Dropbox. Uploads over 5MB are throttled on the free plan. Not zero-knowledge encrypted.
About Norwegian privacy: Norway isn’t in the EU but is in the EEA (European Economic Area), which means GDPR applies fully. Norwegian data protection standards are equivalent to EU standards.
Pricing: Free 5GB. Personal €8/mo (1TB). Unlimited €10/mo (truly unlimited).
7. 🇪🇸Internxt — The Budget Encrypted Option
Internxt is the young challenger. Spanish startup, EU-funded, open source, and aggressively priced. Zero-knowledge encryption is included at every tier — no extra charge.
What Dropbox users will like: The pricing. 2TB for €4/month makes every other provider look expensive. The interface is clean and modern. File sharing works well.
What Dropbox users will miss: It’s a startup. Smaller team, less mature product. The desktop sync client has occasional rough edges. No office suite integration.
Pricing: Free 10GB. €1/mo (200GB). €4/mo (2TB). €10/mo (10TB). Lifetime plans also available.
Migrating from Dropbox: What to Expect
The migration itself is simple:
- Download your Dropbox folder (it’s already synced locally if you use the desktop client)
- Sign up for your new provider
- Upload your files (or point the new sync client at your existing folder)
- Update shared links — this is the painful part if you share a lot of files
- Keep Dropbox active for 30 days as a safety net, then cancel
What you’ll lose: Dropbox Paper documents (export as markdown first), version history (starts fresh), and shared folder connections with other Dropbox users.
What you’ll gain: European jurisdiction, often better encryption, and the end of annual price increases from a company that answers to US shareholders.
The Decision Matrix
| Your Priority | Choose |
|---|---|
| Maximum privacy + ecosystem | 🇨🇭Proton Drive |
| Pay once, done forever | 🇨🇭pCloud |
| Business compliance needs | 🇨🇭Tresorit |
| Full control, self-hosted | 🇩🇪Nextcloud |
| Green hosting, good free tier | 🇨🇭kDrive |
| Need unlimited storage | 🇳🇴Jottacloud |
| Cheap encrypted storage | 🇪🇸Internxt |
My Setup
I use Proton Drive for personal files (encrypted, syncs with my Proton ecosystem) and Nextcloud for shared project work (self-hosted on Hetzner, Germany).
For most people, I’d recommend Proton Drive if you want simplicity and privacy, or pCloud if you want the best long-term deal.
If you’re a business: Tresorit. Your compliance team will thank you.
Related:
- EU Cloud Storage Compared: The Honest Truth
- The Google Drive Exodus
- Lifetime Cloud Storage: 10-Year Cost Breakdown
- The Proton Ecosystem
Last updated: February 2026