Proton Drive vs Google One: price and which to choose
Quick verdict
Proton Drive is end-to-end encrypted — Proton says not even it can access your files — with 5 GB free, Drive Plus at 200 GB, Unlimited at 500 GB with the VPN and Mail, and Duo and Family plans. Google One adds to the 15 GB every Google account gets, up to 5 TB on AI Pro, shareable with five, with Gemini on the AI plans.
Option A
$4.99/moDrive Plus
Official price before tax: $4.99
Price checked
Also has a free plan: Proton Free
Proton Drive price and plans
Option B
$1.99/moBasic (100 GB)
Official price before tax: $1.99
Price checked
Also has a free plan: Free
Google One price and plansWe compare plans with a similar purpose, whose features may differ; prices before sales tax; prices for other plans and periods are in the reviews.
Feature comparison
| Criterion | Proton Drive | Google One |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 5 GB | 15 GB |
| Encryption | End-to-end | Not listed |
| Largest plan | 3 TB (Family) | 5 TB (AI Pro) |
| Bundled | VPN, Mail, Pass (Unlimited) | Gemini (AI plans) |
| Money-back | 30 days | Non-refundable in most countries |
The choice is mostly about privacy versus convenience: encrypted storage on one side, storage woven into Gmail, Photos and Gemini on the other.
If you don’t want to read further
Privacy first, or you want a VPN and encrypted email in the same plan — Proton. Gmail, Photos, Gemini or the most storage — Google One.
What really sets them apart
In each row, the last sentence matters most — what the difference means for you.
Encryption?
Proton Drive
End-to-end; Proton says it can’t access your files.
Google One
Not described as end-to-end in the plans.
For files only you can read, Proton.
Free storage?
Proton Drive
5 GB, with a document and spreadsheet editor.
Google One
15 GB across Gmail, Drive and Photos.
Google’s free tier is larger.
Largest plan?
Proton Drive
3 TB on Family (up to 6 users).
Google One
5 TB on AI Pro.
Google goes bigger.
What’s bundled?
Proton Drive
From Unlimited: Proton VPN, Mail, Calendar and Pass.
Google One
Gemini on AI plans; YouTube Premium Lite and Google Home Premium on AI Pro.
Privacy apps versus AI and Google services.
Where they don’t differ, even though it seems they should
This part is often more useful than the list of differences — it saves money for anyone who was about to pay for an imaginary advantage.
A free tier
Both have one.
Family options
Proton Family for 6; Google plans shared with 5 others.
Monthly or yearly
Both can be paid monthly; Proton’s lowest prices are yearly.
Which one fits whom
| Your situation | What to choose | On what condition |
|---|---|---|
| You want encrypted storage | Proton Drive | End-to-end encryption. |
| You want a VPN and email in the same plan | Proton Unlimited | 500 GB plus the apps. |
| You live in Gmail and Photos | Google One | Storage shared across them. |
| You need 5 TB | Google AI Pro | With Gemini. |
- Proton’s lowest monthly prices are for yearly billing.
- Drive Plus is storage only — the VPN starts with Unlimited.
- Google One’s 2 TB tier is Google AI Plus; a 400 GB plan with the same name is sold on the Google AI plans page.
- Over your Google storage, Gmail can be affected.
Where the facts come from
Sources: Proton’s US Drive pricing page, and Google One and Google AI plan pages for the US. Prices are in the price blocks on each service’s page.
Facts in the text checked: .
FAQ: Proton Drive or Google One
Other comparisons
The same products against other competitors, and other comparisons in the “Cloud storage” category.
Where their scores differ
Only criteria we’ve checked for both services and where the scores differ. Equal criteria and criteria without data aren’t shown here, because they add nothing to the decision.
If what matters most is — encryption: Proton Drive Drive Plus
Proton Drive Drive Plus: zero-knowledge — the provider has no keys (5,0/5) · Google One Basic (100 GB): the provider manages the keys (2,0/5)
If what matters most is — version history: Proton Drive Drive Plus
Proton Drive Drive Plus: 10 years (5,0/5) · Google One Basic (100 GB): 30 days (3,0/5)
If what matters most is — number of people: Google One Basic (100 GB)
Proton Drive Drive Plus: 1 person (3,0/5) · Google One Basic (100 GB): 6 people (5,0/5)
If what matters most is — amount of storage: Proton Drive Drive Plus
Proton Drive Drive Plus: 200 GB (3,0/5) · Google One Basic (100 GB): 100 GB (2,0/5)
If what matters most is — app rating: Google One Basic (100 GB)
Proton Drive Drive Plus: 4,1 out of 5 (4,1/5) · Google One Basic (100 GB): 4,7 out of 5 (4,7/5)
The scores and their weights are the same as in the reviews of both services. How we calculate
Comparison text updated: