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OneDrive vs pCloud: Is European Encryption Your Safeguard?

Discover how Swiss-based pCloud's encryption compares to OneDrive in protecting your files. Choose the best for your privacy needs now.

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

Should You Switch to pCloud?

What You Gain

Gain EU-hosted data, client-side encryption, and lifetime plans

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Loss of deep Microsoft 365 integration and real-time collaboration

OneDrive has more features
Bottom Line

Switch if privacy is priority; stay if you need Microsoft 365 integration

At a Glance

Data Location
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธUS

US data laws

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ญCH

GDPR protected

Pricing

OneDrive

Contact

pCloud

freemium

Migration
Medium difficulty~Several hours to a day, depending on data size and internet speed

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaOneDrivepCloud
Server Location
US, EU (optional)EU, CH
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Full
Open Source
E2E Encryption
Enterprise onlyOptional
Data Portability
Full exportFull export

CLOUD Act Notice

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

Switching from
OneDrive logo

OneDrive

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

Microsoft

VS
Switching to
pCloud logo

pCloud

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
GDPR Compliant
Swiss hosted

Reasons to Switch

  • โœ“EU-hosted data centers ensure GDPR compliance
  • โœ“Client-side encryption enhances data security
  • โœ“Lifetime storage plans reduce long-term costs
  • โœ“Backup social media accounts for data safety

Things to Consider

  • !Migration from OneDrive may require manual effort
  • !No integration with Microsoft 365 apps
  • !Learning curve for new interface and features
Migration difficulty:
Medium
~Several hours to a day, depending on data size and internet speed

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Medium
Time Estimate
~Several hours to a day, depending on data size and internet speed

Depends on data size and complexity

Quick Steps

1

Create pCloud account and configure settings

2

Export and prepare data from OneDrive

3

Import data, test integrations, and migrate users

Other alternatives to OneDrive

Ready to make the switch?

Start using pCloud today and take control of your data privacy.