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iCloud vs Proton Drive: Which Secures Files Better?

Discover how Switzerland's Proton Drive ensures end-to-end encryption compared to iCloud's standard security. Make the secure choice today.

Last updated: February 19, 2026โ€ขReviewed by Built in EU Team

Should You Switch to Proton Drive?

What You Gain

Enhanced privacy and data protection with Proton Drive

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Loss of iCloud's extensive features and integrations

iCloud has more features
Bottom Line

Switch if privacy is priority; stay if you need iCloud's features

At a Glance

Data Location
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธUS

US data laws

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ญCH

GDPR protected

Pricing

iCloud

Contact

Proton Drive

freemium

Migration
Medium difficulty~2-4 hours

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaiCloudProton Drive
Server Location
US (Apple data centers), EU (optional)CH (Switzerland)
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Full
Open Source
E2E Encryption
OptionalAll plans
Data Portability
PartialFull export

CLOUD Act Notice

iCloud is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. Proton Drive is not subject to US jurisdiction.

Switching from
iCloud logo

iCloud

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

Apple

VS
Switching to
Proton Drive logo

Proton Drive

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ญ

US Data Storage

Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities

EU Data Protection

Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency

Certifications & Compliance

No certifications listed

EU-hosted
EU-Based
Open Source
GDPR Compliant
Swiss hosted

Reasons to Switch

  • โœ“GDPR-compliant: Ensures EU data protection standards.
  • โœ“Swiss hosting: Strong privacy laws protect user data.
  • โœ“Open Source: Transparent code for security audits.
  • โœ“E2E Encryption: All files are encrypted end-to-end.

Things to Consider

  • !No automatic photo backup: Manual uploads needed.
  • !Missing Find My iPhone: No device tracking feature.
  • !Migration pain: Transferring data can be complex.
Migration difficulty:
Medium
~2-4 hours

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Medium
Time Estimate
~2-4 hours

Depends on data size and complexity

Quick Steps

1

Create Proton Drive account and configure settings

2

Export and prepare data from iCloud

3

Import data, test integrations, and migrate users

Other alternatives to iCloud

Ready to make the switch?

Start using Proton Drive today and take control of your data privacy.