The Swiss-based firm behind one of the best secure email providers and VPN services, Proton has finally launched its encrypted cloud storage on Windows.
After a successful debut as a mobile and web application—over 1 million files were uploaded each day in the first two months—Proton Drive is now available as a standalone app for all Windows devices. This means it will be even easier for users to secure all their files and ditch popular Big Tech software like Google Drive.
The news is expected to be widely welcomed by the Proton community as, during the beta testing phase, users were reportedly uploading over five times more data compared to those utilizing just its web and mobile applications.
Secure cloud storage more accessible for everyone
"This development is a significant step towards making secure and private cloud storage more accessible [for] everyone, regardless of the platform they are using," said Anant Vijay Singh, Product Lead for Proton Drive.
"With over 1.4 billion Windows users in the world, we knew we had to choose this platform first for our desktop app. We are committed to making privacy the default for everyone, and this new application is a big step on the path to that commitment."
An important enhancement to Proton's privacy-focused file storage software, Proton Drive for Windows offers seamless synchronization across devices and strong end-to-end encryption. The files are encrypted before being uploaded—both the documents and metadata—so that not even the provider will have access to the files and its names without your permission.
Proton Drive promises to keep this level of security even when you share files, supporting end-to-end encrypted file sharing when exchanging with non-Proton accounts. You're in full control, with the possibility of further protection with the sharing link offering a password functionality and/or expiration date.
Other features include the possibility to access, edit and save files even when you're offline as well as a version history for each file to allow you to track changes and revert back when necessary.
As with all Proton's other products (ProtonVPN, ProtonMail, ProtonPass and Proton Calendar), Proton Drive comes with a free tier plan offering 1GB of storage. Users can upgrade to 200 GB, 500 GB or 3 TB with either a standalone or more comprehensive subscription.
The provider confirmed with TechRadar that a dedicated Proton Drive for MacOS is also expected to debut in beta in the next few days, while the development for the Linux version will begin later in the year.
"With regard to the timeline, our objective has been to present a Windows app that is comprehensive and robust in features," a Proton spokesperson told TechRadar. "We believe in delivering a product that's fully realized, which is why we've taken the necessary time to ensure our Windows app will meet and exceed user expectations."
