Alternatives to Filen
Zero-knowledge encrypted storage from Germany
Filen ranks #11 of 12 in Cloud storage, with an Alt Score of 51. It is proprietary, freemium from €1.99/month and available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and Web. 7 of 12 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
People and small businesses who need to store and sync files in the cloud but don't want the provider able to read their data — privacy-conscious individuals, developers, and teams handling sensitive documents.
Cloud storage with AES-256 client-side, zero-knowledge encryption, meaning Filen itself cannot access your files. Apps are available for web, desktop (Windows/macOS/Linux), and mobile, plus a CLI with WebDAV/S3 support and SDKs for developers. It also includes encrypted notes and chat, and the clients are open source. Paid tiers range from 200 GiB to 10 TiB, with servers based in Germany under GDPR.
You sign up, then upload files via the web app or install the desktop client to sync folders or mount your storage as a network drive; encryption and decryption happen locally on your device before data ever reaches Filen's servers.
Where Filen stands out
Verified capabilities most alternatives don't have.
Why people leave Filen
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
Sign in to add a reason — new reasons go through moderation before appearing.
Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
How Filen compares with its alternatives, feature by feature.
| Cloud storage checklist | Filen | Proton Drive | pCloud | Sync.com | Icedrive | OneDrive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Free storage amount | ||||||
| E2E encrypted storage | ||||||
| Selective sync | ||||||
| Block-level (delta) sync | ||||||
| File versioning depth | ||||||
| Sharing links with password/expiry | ||||||
| Collaborative editing of docs | ||||||
| WebDAV support | ||||||
| Max file size | ||||||
| Self-hostable | ||||||
| Photos-specific features | ||||||
| Data residency choice |
Every fact and feature listed for Filen is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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Pricing model Freemium verified 2026-07-11
Filen accounts are always free and offer 10GB of storage space
https://docs.filen.io/docs/web/ -
Starts at €1.99/month verified 2026-07-11
1.99€ monthly
https://filen.io/pricing -
License Proprietary verified 2026-07-11
the Site is our proprietary property and all source code, databases, functionality, software, website designs, audio, video, text, photographs, and graphics on the Site
https://filen.io/terms -
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web verified 2026-07-11
Filen Desktop Client for Windows, macOS and Linux
https://github.com/FilenCloudDienste/filen-desktop -
Status active verified 2026-07-11
v3.0.47
https://github.com/FilenCloudDienste/filen-desktop/releases -
E2e encrypted Yes verified 2026-07-11
Zero knowledge client side end-to-end encryption
https://filen.io/encryption -
Free storage amount Yes verified 2026-07-11
Filen accounts are always free and offer 10GB of storage space
https://docs.filen.io/docs/web/ -
E2E encrypted storage Yes verified 2026-07-11
Zero knowledge client side end-to-end encryption
https://filen.io/encryption -
Selective sync Partial verified 2026-07-11
Here you must select the local directory that you want to connect to the cloud.
https://docs.filen.io/docs/desktop/setup/ -
File versioning depth Partial verified 2026-07-11
Filen offers file versioning, which means you can revert to previous versions of your files.
https://docs.filen.io/docs/web/facts/ -
Sharing links with password/expiry Yes verified 2026-07-11
Set permissions (view-only, expire after, password) as needed
https://docs.filen.io/docs/web/sharing/ -
WebDAV support Yes verified 2026-07-11
Local WebDAV hosting
https://filen.io/products/desktop -
Data residency choice Partial verified 2026-07-11
Our headquarters and all of our servers are located in Germany and fall under all strict European & german data protection laws.
https://filen.io/encryption
FAQ
Yes. Proton Drive, pCloud and Sync.com have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
Nextcloud — every license claim links its source.
Nextcloud can be self-hosted. Cells marked ? mean we have not verified a self-host path yet.