Proton Drive vs. Syncthing
Side by side, with sources. Checked Oct 3, 2026.
Proton Drive
Free plan + paid
Syncthing
Open sourcePrice
Free plan with 5 GB. Drive Plus (200 GB) is US$4.99 a month, or US$3.99 a month billed yearly.from $3.99/monthSource: proton.me
Free open-source software with no paid plans; the project is funded by donations.Source: syncthing.net
Pricing model
Free plan + paid · Free plan available
Open source · Free plan available
License
Open core · GPL-3.0The Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and web apps are GPL-3.0; the Proton Drive service is run only by Proton, and its server code is not published.
Open source · MPL-2.0Mozilla Public License 2.0.
Works on
- ✓ Windows
- ✓ Mac
- – Linux
- ✓ iPhone & iPad
- ✓ Android
- ✓ Web browser
- ✓ Windows
- ✓ Mac
- ✓ Linux
- – iPhone & iPad
- – Android
- – Web browser
Where your data lives
On Proton’s servers, end-to-end encrypted; Proton says it owns its server hardware in Switzerland and Germany.
Only on your own devices; there is no central server.
Getting started
Difficulty: Easy Official installers, app-store apps and a free account; nothing to run yourself.
Difficulty: Medium Installers and apps exist, but you must pair every device by exchanging device IDs, and with no cloud copy, devices only sync with each other.
Hosted version
Proton Drive (free 5 GB)The free plan has 5 GB; the service runs on Proton’s servers.
NoneThere is no cloud service by design: your data is only ever stored on your own devices.