7 products tested & ranked

We Tested 7 Encrypted Cloud Storage — Here's What's Actually Worth It

Zero-knowledge, end-to-end encrypted storage for maximum privacy in 2026

Featuring:

Tresorit·

Sync.com·

MEGA·

NordLocker·

pCloud+2 more

Helping 12,000+ professionals choose the right tools

Quick Answer

Our Top 3 Picks at a Glance

See all reviews

Best Overall

9.3

Tresorit

Personal 1TB $11.99/mo; Professional 4TB $23.99/mo; Business from $14/user/mo

Swiss-hosted, enterprise-grade zero-knowledge encrypted cloud storage with GDPR and HIPAA compliance, trusted by regulated industries.

Try Tresorit Free

Best for Small Teams

9.2

Sync.com

Free 5GB; 2TB $8/mo; 6TB $20/mo; Teams Unlimited $15/user/mo

Canadian zero-knowledge encrypted cloud storage with excellent privacy, 5GB free, and affordable plans starting at $8/month for 2TB.

Try Sync.com Free

Best Value

8.8

MEGA

Free 20GB; Pro I 2TB $11.14/mo; Pro II 8TB $22.30/mo; Pro III 16TB $33.46/mo

New Zealand-based cloud storage with 20GB free, end-to-end encryption by default, and generous storage plans up to 16TB.

Get MEGA 20GB Free

Privacy-First Cloud Storage

Encrypted cloud storage uses zero-knowledge encryption so that only you hold the keys to your data. The storage provider cannot access, read, or share your files, even if compelled by a court order or breached by hackers.

Understanding Zero-Knowledge Encryption

Zero-knowledge encryption means your files are encrypted on your device before upload. The encryption keys never leave your device, so the provider has zero knowledge of your file contents. This is the gold standard for cloud privacy.

Who Needs Encrypted Storage

Journalists, lawyers, healthcare professionals, and anyone handling sensitive data should consider encrypted cloud storage. It is also ideal for privacy-conscious individuals who want full control over their digital files.

0Products Tested

0+Hours of Testing

0+Years Experience

0Expert Reviewers

Affiliate Disclosure: We may earn affiliate commissions when you purchase through links on this site. This never influences our ratings or recommendations. Our reviews are based on independent, hands-on testing. We believe in full transparency about how we make money. Read our full disclosure →

Our Top Picks

#1 Top Pick

Tresorit

Best Overall

9.3

Excellent

Try Tresorit Free

#2 Runner Up

Sync.com

Best Value

9.2

Excellent

Try Sync.com Free

#3 Also Great

MEGA

Best Free Encrypted

8.8

Very Good

Get MEGA 20GB Free

#1 Our Top PickPersonal 1TB $11.99/mo; Professional 4TB $23.99/mo; Business from $14/user/mo

Tresorit

Best for enterprise-grade security and compliance

Read Full Review →

Excellent

value8.5

support9.0

features9.5

security9.9

Head-to-Head Comparison

Feature	Tresorit9.3/10	Sync.com9.2/10	MEGA8.8/10	NordLocker8.5/10	pCloud8.3/10	Icedrive8.0/10	Nextcloud8.2/10
Starting Price	Personal 1TB $11.99/mo; Professional 4TB $23.99/mo; Business from $14/user/mo	Free 5GB; 2TB $8/mo; 6TB $20/mo; Teams Unlimited $15/user/mo	Free 20GB; Pro I 2TB $11.14/mo; Pro II 8TB $22.30/mo; Pro III 16TB $33.46/mo	Free 3GB; 500GB $3.99/mo; 2TB $8/mo (annual)	Free 10GB; 500GB $49.99/yr; 2TB $99.99/yr; Lifetime from $199 one-time	Free 10GB; 150GB $1.67/mo; 1TB $3.33/mo; Lifetime from $99	Free (self-hosted); Enterprise from ~$36/user/yr; Hosting from $5/mo
Encryption Type	AES-256 + RSA-4096	AES-256 client-side	AES-128 + RSA-2048	AES-256 client-side	AES-256 + optional client-side	Twofish client-side	AES-256 + optional E2E
Zero-Knowledge
Starting Price	$11.99/mo	$8/mo	$11.14/mo	$3.99/mo	$49.99/yr + $49.99/yr	$1.67/mo	Free
Open Source
Security Audited
Encrypted Sharing
Privacy Rating	9.9	9.5	9.0	9.0	8.0	8.0	9.5
	Try Tresorit Free	Try Sync.com Free	Get MEGA 20GB Free	Try NordLocker Free	Try pCloud Free	Try Icedrive Free	Download Nextcloud Free

Detailed Reviews

Excellent

Sync.com

Editor's Choice

Best ValueBest for zero-knowledge encryption by default

value9.0

support8.5

features9.0

security9.8

Pros

Zero-knowledge encryption included by default on all plans, even free
180-day file versioning on paid plans — industry-leading retention
HIPAA, GDPR, and PIPEDA compliant for regulated industries
Data stored exclusively in Canadian data centers

Cons

Sync speeds are slower than Google Drive or Dropbox
No built-in document editing or collaboration tools
Mobile app is functional but basic compared to competitors
No Linux desktop app available

Pricing: Free 5GB; 2TB $8/mo; 6TB $20/mo; Teams Unlimited $15/user/mo

Canadian zero-knowledge encrypted cloud storage with excellent privacy, 5GB free, and affordable plans starting at $8/month for 2TB.

Read Full Review →

Very Good

MEGA

Best Free EncryptedBest free encrypted cloud storage

value9.0

support7.5

features8.5

security9.5

Pros

20GB free storage with end-to-end encryption — best encrypted free tier
Zero-knowledge encryption included by default on all plans
Up to 16TB storage for power users at competitive prices
Open-source client-side code published on GitHub

Cons

Transfer quotas can limit heavy downloaders on free plans
Controversial history connected to Kim Dotcom and Megaupload
Uses AES-128 instead of the stronger AES-256
Customer support is limited and slow for free users

Pricing: Free 20GB; Pro I 2TB $11.14/mo; Pro II 8TB $22.30/mo; Pro III 16TB $33.46/mo

New Zealand-based cloud storage with 20GB free, end-to-end encryption by default, and generous storage plans up to 16TB.

Read Full Review →

Very Good

NordLocker

Easiest to UseBest for easy-to-use encrypted storage

value8.5

support8.5

features7.8

security9.2

Pros

Dead-simple interface — just drag files into an encrypted locker
Backed by Nord Security, a trusted name in cybersecurity
Local encryption works even without internet connection
Great bundle value with NordVPN and NordPass

Cons

Only 3GB free storage — enough for documents but not media
Limited file sharing and collaboration features
No file versioning or recovery features
Smaller storage plans compared to mainstream providers

Pricing: Free 3GB; 500GB $3.99/mo; 2TB $8/mo (annual)

From the makers of NordVPN, NordLocker offers end-to-end encrypted cloud storage with 3GB free and plans starting at $3.99/month.

Read Full Review →

Very Good

pCloud

Editor's Choice

Best LifetimeBest for lifetime storage value

value8.0

support8.0

features8.0

security8.5

Pros

Unique lifetime plans eliminate recurring subscription costs
Generous 10GB free storage tier
pCloud Drive provides virtual drive access without local storage use
Built-in media player for music and video streaming from cloud
Swiss-based with choice of EU or US data center

Cons

Zero-knowledge encryption (pCloud Crypto) costs extra
File versioning limited to 30 days on standard plans
No built-in document editing or collaboration tools
Download traffic limits on annual plans

Pricing: Free 10GB; 500GB $49.99/yr; 2TB $99.99/yr; Lifetime from $199 one-time

Swiss-based cloud storage with unique lifetime plans, optional client-side encryption, and a built-in media player for music and video.

Read Full Review →

Very Good

Icedrive

Budget PickBest for affordable lifetime encrypted storage

value8.5

support7.0

features7.5

security8.5

Pros

Beautiful, modern interface that is a joy to use
Affordable lifetime plans starting at just $99 for 150GB
10GB free storage with no credit card required
Virtual drive mounts cloud storage as a local drive

Cons

Relatively new company with limited track record
Slower sync speeds compared to established providers
Limited collaboration features
Free plan has 3GB daily bandwidth limit

Pricing: Free 10GB; 150GB $1.67/mo; 1TB $3.33/mo; Lifetime from $99

Modern cloud storage with a sleek interface, zero-knowledge encryption, 10GB free, and competitive lifetime plans starting at $99.

Read Full Review →

Very Good

Nextcloud

Best Self-HostedBest for self-hosted privacy and data sovereignty

value9.5

support7.0

features8.5

security9.5

Pros

Completely free and open source — no subscription fees ever
Full data sovereignty — your data stays on your server
Incredibly feature-rich with 300+ apps for every use case
Regular security audits via HackerOne bounty program

Cons

Requires server management skills or a managed hosting provider
Performance depends entirely on your server hardware
Desktop and mobile apps are less polished than commercial alternatives
Self-hosting means you are responsible for backups and security updates

Pricing: Free (self-hosted); Enterprise from ~$36/user/yr; Hosting from $5/mo

Open-source, self-hosted cloud storage platform giving you complete control over your data. Free software with optional enterprise support.

Read Full Review →

Our Testing Methodology

We verify encryption claims through technical analysis, review audit reports, and test encryption workflows. We evaluate key management, sharing with encryption, and the impact of encryption on upload/download speeds.

Our Top 3 Picks at a Glance

Privacy-First Cloud Storage

Understanding Zero-Knowledge Encryption

Who Needs Encrypted Storage

Our Top Picks

Tresorit

Head-to-Head Comparison

Detailed Reviews

Sync.com

Pros

Cons

MEGA

Pros

Cons

NordLocker

Pros

Cons

pCloud

Pros

Cons

Icedrive

Pros

Cons

Nextcloud

Pros

Cons

Our Testing Methodology

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