Last updated: 21 August 2026
When choosing a cloud storage solution, the giants of the market are naturally the most visible: Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or iCloud. They have advantages (integration, established habits), but also serious limitations in privacy and often a less favourable value for money than one might think. Here’s why, and which alternatives to prioritise according to your needs.
The weight of the cloud giants
In reality, very often it is not really a choice since you are already using these services elsewhere. For example, simply having a Google account gives you access to 15 GB of storage space. This is used for storing your emails, your Google Docs documents, and other data saved with Google.
Similarly, some of you have a free 5 GB iCloud account or a Dropbox account.
These cloud storage services therefore have the advantage of often being already present in the daily lives of their potential customers. Thus, users are often already engaged with these services. Going further by entrusting all of their personal data is then the easiest solution.
This is not always the most suitable choice, especially for sensitive files or long-term use. Here are the main points to know, followed by alternatives based on your needs.
What are the best alternatives to GAFAM and Dropbox?
Before diving into a detailed analysis of the issues with the most well-known cloud storage solutions, here is a summary of the best alternatives.
pCloud: the best general cloud storage
You can easily sign up to test pCloud with 10 GB free, or subscribe with 14 days satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.
Why is it a better alternative?
- The best cloud storage according to our comparison of online storage.
- Good overall security, with optional private encryption for sensitive files.
- Data hosted in Europe (Switzerland) or the United States of your choice.
- Swiss service, which is not influenced by the “Patriot Act” and “Cloud Act” American policy.
- Optional private encryption (also known as zero-knowledge encryption; paid option).
- Satisfied or refunded within 14 days.
- Free 10 GB space to try the service without paying.
- Very economical lifetime plans (one-time payment) to purchase online storage space without a recurring subscription.
When to choose pCloud?
pCloud is the default choice to prioritise for the general public. Overall, it is the best online storage based on the main criteria: security, features, price, etc. Lifetime offers (a one-time payment) are very cost-effective in the long run.
For whom: general public, daily use, sharing and lifetime plans.
See the pCloud prices · Our review of pCloud
Internxt: private encryption included and lifetime offers
Why is it a better alternative?
- Very good security and privacy. Private encryption is included: your data can only be accessed by you.
- Lifetime offers (one-time payment) still available, often very cost-effective in the long run; check current capabilities and rates.
- Service and data hosted in Spain, with greater respect for privacy than the United States.
- Satisfied or refunded within 30 days.
When to choose Internxt?
You will prefer Internxt if your priority is privacy at a low price, even if it means accepting a little less functionality than with pCloud. Your data is protected by private encryption (zero-knowledge): even Internxt cannot read your files. As always with this type of encryption, set up and keep the proposed recovery method safe.
For whom: absolute priority on privacy, and interest in a lifetime payment.
View lifetime offers · Our review of Internxt
Proton Drive: default privacy and European suite
Proton Drive is a very credible alternative when you want to leave Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox without giving up a coherent ecosystem. Private encryption is included: your files are encrypted before they reach the servers. Proton AG is based in Switzerland; Mail, VPN and Pass complement Drive if you want to reduce your reliance on GAFAM across multiple tools at once.
This is not the cheapest cloud at To (no lifetime offer, average capacities outside of Duo/Family). Its value lies elsewhere: operational confidentiality from the moment of subscription, an already established reputation, and clear plans (Free, Drive Plus 200 Go, Unlimited, Duo, Family, Business).
View Proton Drive pricing · Our review of Proton Drive
kDrive: European cloud and competitive subscriptions against the GAFAM
Why is it a better alternative?
- Subscriptions are generally twice as cheap as competitors for the same cloud space.
- All services and data based in Europe (Switzerland), and are not influenced by the “Patriot Act” and “Cloud Act” policies of the United States.
- Well suited for professionals and businesses.
- 30 days free to try the entire service.
- Discounted prices based on a commitment of 1, 2 or 3 years.
When to choose kDrive?
You will choose kDrive if you are looking for hosted storage in Europe (Infomaniak, Switzerland) and very competitive subscriptions. kDrive’s prices are often significantly lower than those of many competitors. However, kDrive does not (yet) offer private encryption, unlike Proton Drive, Internxt, or pCloud (optional).
Moreover, kDrive is just one of the many tools offered by Infomaniak, which proves to be a true alternative to the Google tool ecosystem (Google Docs, Gmail, etc.), for example. This will particularly interest companies looking for a complete suite of tools.
For whom: tight budget, hosting in Switzerland, need a European suite of tools (my kSuite).
See kDrive pricing · Our review of kDrive
Icedrive: alternative with private encryption (no Lifetime currently)
Why is it a better alternative?
- Competitive subscription rates; private encryption is included in the paid plans.
- Very good security and privacy (private encryption included).
- Satisfied or refunded within 14 days.
- 10 GB of free cloud storage.
In which case to choose Icedrive?
Icedrive remains a good online storage solution, with 10 GB free and private encryption on paid plans. However, Lifetime plans are no longer available for purchase: consider its subscriptions, or look towards pCloud and Internxt if you are seeking a one-time payment.
It is generally a little less comprehensive than pCloud. For most readers, we prefer pCloud (versatility) or Internxt (privacy + Lifetime).
For whom: try an alternative with private encryption, outside of Lifetime.
View Icedrive pricing · Our review of Icedrive
Why avoid Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud, etc.?
Security and Privacy
The first issue to mention is that of data security and privacy protection. Even though most cloud giants incorporate satisfactory data encryption, they do not guarantee the confidentiality of your data.
This is an important point as soon as you place personal or professional files that you wish to keep confidential.
In the terms of use of Google Drive, for example, it is clearly stated that uploaded content is analysed. This analysis has several objectives: to personalise services with information extracted from your private data, or to detect prohibited content. Several other services use this type of automatic analysis.
Beyond privacy with the provider, this also has an impact in the event of a security incident: if the provider holds the keys, unauthorised access to these keys can expose your files. This is not an everyday scenario, but it is a concrete reason to prefer private encryption for sensitive documents.
The clearest answer is private encryption (also known as zero-knowledge encryption): your files are encrypted before being sent, and you remain the sole holder of the key. The provider then stores data that it cannot read, like a safe for which you have the only key.
The big names in consumer cloud generally do not offer this model. You can choose a service that includes it by default (like Internxt, Proton Drive, or Icedrive on paid plans) or that offers it as an option (like pCloud).
The problem of American companies with privacy
The other potential threat to your privacy when using American companies comes from the country’s policy. Indeed, for a few years now, the United States has changed its legislation through the “Patriot Act” and the “Cloud Act”. The result is that American authorities can more easily demand access to data stored by American companies (even if the data is hosted outside the United States).
This legal framework is less protective of privacy than what many European users expect. For sensitive personal or professional data, it is often wiser to favour a provider subject to a more protective European (or Swiss) framework.
For more explanations, feel free to consult our article dedicated to this issue.
Price and long-term savings
Many believe that because the cloud giants are “bigger”, they necessarily offer the best prices. This is not automatically the case.
In reality, alternative solutions often have lower or identical prices.
Let’s take the example of a 2 TB (2000 GB) storage account, offered by many providers.
pCloud, kDrive or Internxt are, in our opinion, excellent alternative online storage solutions. Their offers for such space are cheaper or comparable to those provided by Google, OneDrive, Dropbox or iCloud:
- kDrive is at €5.54 per month, and around €60 per year. It’s almost twice as cheap as all other cloud storage! Moreover, a commitment of 2 or 3 years can further reduce the price by up to −20 %.
- pCloud is at €9.99 per month, and around €96 per year (20% cheaper than the monthly subscription).
- Internxt is also at €9.99 per month (with frequent promotions) but mainly offers lifetime deals that make it much more economical in the long run.
- Proton Drive focuses on subscription privacy (not the cheapest per TB); especially useful with the Proton suite.
- Google Drive, iCloud or Dropbox are all around €10 per month, either the same or more expensive.
Free offers
Another misconception: the most well-known services would necessarily be more generous in free storage. In practice, this is not a rule.
pCloud, Internxt and Icedrive often offer 10 GB free. kDrive offers 15 GB of kDrive in the my kSuite plan (the advertised “35 GB” for the suite also includes email, not just Drive). This is comparable to or greater than most of the mentioned giants, with Google Drive also offering 15 GB.
Conclusion on the shortcomings of Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud
Note: moving away from GAFAM or Dropbox does not automatically guarantee a good choice. Some providers are fragile or poorly suited. On the other hand, there are also excellent services that are reliable, respectful of privacy, and often cheaper.
These are the alternatives we highlight in this article.
The advantages of Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud, etc.?
Even though we believe that data security and privacy is an essential feature of good online storage, there are not only downsides to using services like Google, Dropbox, etc.
There is one aspect where the competition will struggle to align: integration with other services.
For example, Google Drive obviously offers unparalleled compatibility with its other tools: Google Docs, Google Photos, etc. The same is true for OneDrive and the Microsoft environment or iCloud and the Apple environment.
Dropbox has also been around long enough for many software applications to have integrated it in one way or another.
What strategy to adopt for choosing online storage?
Use the right tool for the right task
The fact that cloud giants have advantages as well as disadvantages compared to their competitors does not make it easier for us to make a choice.
But we believe that their use can be complementary, at no additional cost. Why not use the services where they excel and take advantage of free offers when they are sufficient?
To have a large storage and long-term synchronisation space (a few hundred gigabytes or a few terabytes), we clearly advise you to opt for a paid plan with one of the best online storage services. This will be the safest and most effective approach in the long run.
Free or low-cost offers for occasional needs
In your personal or professional life, you are likely to use the services of the web giants.
For example, you might regularly need the power of Google Docs to write documents (especially in collaboration with others) or to manage spreadsheets in Google Sheets.
In this case, Google Drive will prove to be very useful. Fortunately, a storage space of a few gigabytes is more than sufficient for such use. Free offers are therefore generally adequate in most cases.
Moreover, you probably already have a Google account and in that case you have the necessary few gigabytes! The same remark applies if you have an icloud email.
Using multiple online storage services is not a problem. At least, as long as you know how to take advantage of them without mixing everything up. In this case, it will undoubtedly be a boost to your efficiency!
Summary of the best alternatives
| pCloud. The best general cloud storage. For whom: general public. Good balance of security, features and price; lifetime plans (one-time payment) always available. Our opinion on pCloud | |
| Internxt. Privacy and lifetime payment. For whom: privacy-focused. Private encryption included; Lifetime plans still offered (to be confirmed at the time of purchase). Our opinion on Internxt | |
| Proton Drive. Privacy by default + suite. For whom: leaving GAFAM with a Swiss private cloud and, if needed, Mail/VPN/Pass. Subscription (no Lifetime). Our opinion on Proton Drive | |
| kDrive. Very competitive European subscriptions. For whom: budget and hosting in Switzerland. Often significantly cheaper; no private encryption for now. Free offer: 15 GB kDrive in my kSuite. Our opinion on kDrive | |
| Icedrive. Alternative with private encryption. For whom: testing another private option. 10 GB free and private encryption on paid plans; Lifetime not currently available for purchase. Our opinion on Icedrive |
Where to start?
In summary: pCloud for general use and lifetime plans; Internxt for privacy with a one-time payment; Proton Drive if confidentiality needs to be included from the subscription (ideally with the Proton suite); kDrive if the subscription price and European collaboration are the most important.
Other options: Internxt (lifetime offer) · Proton Drive · kDrive.
To go further on LeCloud.info
- Comparison of the best cloud storage
- Best free clouds
- Cloud storage for photos and videos
- Secure cloud storage
- Lifetime offers (pCloud, Internxt…)
To test risk-free: free registration (10 GB), or paid offer with 14 days satisfaction or money back.
