Proton Drive and Internxt sit in the same small category: cloud storage where files are encrypted on your device, the provider holds only ciphertext, and the client code is public. If you have already decided you want that model rather than Google Drive or Dropbox, the choice between these two comes down to five practical things: the cryptography each one uses, which platforms and tools it supports, how storage is sold, what else is bundled, and where the company sits legally.
Every fact below comes from the two providers' own pages, repositories and pricing data as published on 7 October 2026. Prices change often, so treat the figures as a snapshot.
The short answer
- Pick Proton Drive if you want the larger free plan (5 GB), you already use Proton Mail, Pass or VPN, you need an online document and spreadsheet editor, or Swiss jurisdiction matters to you.
- Pick Internxt if you work on Linux and want a desktop sync app, you automate backups with rclone or WebDAV, you need 1 TB or more in a storage-only plan, or you prefer a one-time payment to a subscription.
Side by side
| Proton Drive | Internxt | |
|---|---|---|
| Company base | Switzerland | Valencia, Spain (EU) |
| Encryption model | End-to-end, on device | Zero-knowledge, on device |
| Published cryptography | OpenPGP standard, ECC Curve25519 | AES-256 plus Kyber 512 post-quantum |
| Client source code | Public on GitHub (GPL-3.0 apps) | Public on GitHub (AGPL-3.0 web app, MIT desktop app) |
| Independent audit | Securitum | Securitum (2024) |
| Free plan | 5 GB | 1 GB |
| Paid storage tiers | 200 GB, 500 GB, 2 TB, 3 TB | 1 TB, 2 TB, 5 TB |
| Billing | Monthly, yearly, two-year subscription | Annual subscription or one-time lifetime |
| Desktop apps | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Command line | Proton Drive CLI (Linux, macOS, Windows) | Internxt CLI |
| WebDAV, rclone, NAS | Not listed on the download page | Listed in the plan comparison |
| Refund window | 30 days | 30 days |
Encryption: two different designs, same promise
Both services make the same core promise: encryption happens on your device, and the company cannot open your files. How they get there differs.
Proton Drive states that it relies on the OpenPGP standard and on elliptic-curve cryptography (ECC Curve25519). Its security page describes splitting large files into 4 MB chunks, each signed with a hash so a chunk cannot be removed or reordered unnoticed. It also says that nobody, Proton included, can see your files and folders or their names, which means file and folder names are covered by the encryption and not left as readable metadata.
Internxt describes its model as zero-knowledge with files encrypted directly on your device, and states that it combines AES-256 with Kyber 512, a post-quantum key-encapsulation algorithm. Internxt presents itself as the first cloud storage service to use that combination. That claim is the vendor's own. The practical point of a post-quantum layer is to protect data captured today against an attacker who later gains a large quantum computer, a scenario usually called "harvest now, decrypt later".
Neither design is a reason to distrust the other. OpenPGP with Curve25519 is a long-reviewed standard; a post-quantum layer addresses a longer time horizon. If your files need to stay confidential for decades, Internxt's published choice is the more direct answer to that concern. For everything else, the weak point is the same on both: your password and where you keep the recovery key. The background on that trade-off is in our guide to encrypted cloud storage for developers.
Above: a local external drive next to a laptop. An encrypted cloud account complements a copy like this one; it does not replace it.
Open source and audits
A zero-knowledge claim is only checkable when the client code is public, and both companies publish theirs.
Proton says all its apps and encryption libraries are open source, and its Drive apps for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android are published on GitHub under the GPL-3.0 license, next to an MIT-licensed SDK. Internxt publishes its web app and its Linux desktop app under AGPL-3.0 and its main desktop app under MIT.
On audits, the two share an auditor. Proton names Securitum on its Drive security page and states that it always publishes audit reports. Internxt states that Securitum audited it in 2024 and verified its zero-knowledge model, and lists an ISO 27001:2022 certification obtained in May 2024. An audit covers a given version at a given date, so neither is a permanent guarantee, but both are well ahead of a closed-source service asking for trust.
Jurisdiction and where data lives
Proton is based in Switzerland, and states that it owns and controls its server hardware and network in Switzerland and Germany. Swiss law applies to the company; Switzerland is outside the EU and outside the US.
Internxt is based in Valencia, Spain, inside the EU and under GDPR. Its Drive page mentions data centers in Europe and other locations worldwide, which is less specific than Proton's statement. If the exact storage country is a compliance requirement for you, ask Internxt for it in writing before you commit.
With content encrypted on the device, jurisdiction mostly governs metadata and account data, not file contents. The wider question of keeping data out of foreign legal reach is covered in our piece on data sovereignty.
Apps and developer tooling
This is where the two diverge most for a technical user.
Proton Drive lists desktop apps for Windows and macOS, mobile apps for iOS and Android, and a web app. For Linux, Proton offers the Proton Drive CLI, which also runs on macOS and Windows and is aimed at automating workflows. There is no Linux desktop sync app on the download page. Proton Drive also includes an online document and spreadsheet editor, even on the free plan.
Internxt lists desktop apps for Linux, Windows and macOS, mobile apps and a web app. Its plan comparison also lists CLI and WebDAV support and rclone and NAS support. For anyone with existing backup scripts, WebDAV and rclone are the meaningful part: they let you plug encrypted storage into tools you already run instead of adopting a new client.
Internxt's plans also set a maximum file size (10 GB, 50 GB or 100 GB depending on the tier) and a trash retention period (7, 14 or 30 days). Check those limits if you store disk images or video masters.
Plans and storage
The two price lists are built differently, so compare them by the amount of storage you need.
Proton Drive (list prices in euros from Proton's own plan data, 7 October 2026):
- Free: 5 GB.
- Drive Plus: 200 GB, 4.99 € per month, or 47.88 € billed yearly (3.99 € per month). It includes up to 10 years of file version history.
- Proton Unlimited: 500 GB plus Proton VPN, Mail, Calendar and Pass, 12.99 € per month, or 119.88 € billed yearly (9.99 € per month).
- Proton Duo: 2 TB for up to 2 users, 19.99 € per month, or 179.88 € billed yearly.
- Proton Family: 3 TB for up to 6 users, 29.99 € per month, or 287.88 € billed yearly.
Internxt sells three paid tiers, Essential (1 TB), Premium (2 TB) and Ultimate (5 TB), each available as an annual subscription or as a one-time lifetime purchase, plus a free 1 GB plan. Internxt runs frequent promotions and its displayed prices move with them, so the amount to compare is the one shown on its pricing page the day you buy.
Two structural points follow. Proton's storage-only plan stops at 200 GB; beyond that you are buying the whole Proton suite. Internxt starts its paid plans at 1 TB, so it is the more direct route to a lot of storage, while Proton is the better fit if you need little storage or want the bundle anyway.
Both offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans.
What comes bundled
Proton's larger plans are really suite plans: storage arrives with Proton Mail, Calendar, VPN and Pass under one account. If you would pay for a password manager and a VPN separately, that changes the arithmetic. Our Proton Pass vs Bitwarden comparison covers the password manager part.
Internxt bundles differently: its paid plans list a VPN (the countries available grow with the tier), an antivirus, file backups and password-protected sharing, and its comparison table also lists Photos, Mail and Meet.
How to choose
Start from your constraint, not from the brand.
- You are on Linux and want a sync folder: Internxt lists a Linux desktop app; Proton offers a CLI.
- You script your backups: Internxt lists rclone and WebDAV; Proton offers its CLI.
- You need less than 200 GB: Proton's free 5 GB or Drive Plus is the smaller commitment.
- You need 1 TB or more, storage only: Internxt's tiers start there.
- You already live in Proton Mail or Pass: Proton Drive adds storage to the account you have.
- You want long-horizon confidentiality: Internxt publishes a post-quantum layer.
- You refuse subscriptions: only Internxt sells a one-time plan.
Both encrypt on the device, both publish code, both have been audited by the same firm. Whichever you choose, keep a second copy of anything you cannot afford to lose, and store the recovery key offline.
Editorial comparison based on the publicly documented features, source repositories and plan data of Proton Drive and Internxt, as published on 7 October 2026. This page contains affiliate links to both services, which does not change the assessment above.
