Why people leave Google Drive
Google Drive is where a billion people keep their files, and it's genuinely convenient – 15 GB free, Docs and Sheets built right in, and it's already there the moment you sign into Google. But that convenience is the hook: Drive is wired into your whole Google account, it lives on US servers, and Google's business runs on data.
The everyday gripes
- 15 GB, shared and gone. The free storage is split across Drive, Gmail and Photos, so it fills up fast – and then you're paying for Google One.
- Happiest inside Google. Docs and Sheets are great until you need to work with someone who isn't in Google's world, and exporting cleanly is fiddlier than it should be.
- Everything or nothing. Drive is welded to your Google account – one login, one company, one very large single point of failure.
- It inspects what you store. Google's systems scan files for policy and features, and people have been locked out of entire accounts over false flags.
- The permanent upsell. 'Storage almost full' nudges toward Google One are just part of the furniture.
- AI features read your files. Free Google accounts have 'smart features' that let AI access and process your Drive content unless you turn them off in settings.
And the bigger one – where your data actually lives
- It answers to US law. Google is a US company, which puts Drive under the CLOUD Act – American authorities can compel access to your files wherever in the world they're stored.
- A growing environmental footprint. Google's 2024 environmental report showed its emissions up nearly 50% over five years, driven largely by the data-centre buildout behind services like Drive, despite a standing net-zero pledge.
- Feeds a ruled monopoly. Drive usage feeds the same Google advertising business a US federal court ruled an illegal monopoly in 2024 – the finding now driving proposed antitrust remedies.
The good news: Europe has quietly built cloud storage that’s every bit as capable – encrypted, independent, and hosted on this side of the Atlantic. Here are the five we rate highest, scored on our EuroPoints is PickEurope's scoring system. It rates each service out of 100, across legal jurisdiction, ownership, data sovereignty, and accountability. Learn more → system and ranked honestly, weaknesses and all.
1. Internxt
Internxt is our top pick, and it isn’t close on the numbers. Built in Valencia, it’s fully Open source software has publicly available code, which anyone can inspect, so claims about privacy and security can be independently checked. Learn more → , Zero-knowledge encryption means the service provider never holds the key to your data. They store it, but they cannot read it, even if compelled to. Learn more → , and ISO 27001 certified – the rare service that scores top marks on every pillar we measure. Your files are encrypted before they ever leave your device, so even Internxt can’t read them, and it drops in as a straight replacement for Drive’s storage and sync.
It’s the youngest name here, which means a smaller ecosystem than Google’s, but for private storage that’s genuinely European top to bottom, nothing else matches it.
Client-side encryption is post-quantum ready, which is unusually forward-looking for a consumer storage app, and the open-source clients mean the encryption claims can actually be verified rather than just trusted.
The ecosystem of apps beyond core storage – VPN, antivirus – is newer and less battle-tested than storage-only specialists, and the total user base is still small next to Dropbox or Google Drive.
| Service | EuroPoints | Tier | Country | From | Open source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internxt | 100 | Certified European | Spain | Free | Yes |
 Murena | 100 | Certified European | France | Free | Yes |
 Infomaniak kDrive | 95 | Certified European | Switzerland | Free | Partial |
 Proton Drive | 95 | Certified European | Switzerland | Free | Yes |
 pCloud | 93 | Certified European | Switzerland | €4.99/mo | No |
2. Murena
If what you actually want is to leave Google entirely – not just Drive – Murena is the most complete answer here. The French project behind /e/OS, a de-Googled Android, also runs Murena Cloud: files, mail, calendar and contacts, EU-hosted and open-source, built as a direct Google Workspace replacement. It was founded by Gaël Duval (of Mandrake Linux fame) on a digital-sovereignty mission and funded by its community.
It’s a smaller operation, so the polish isn’t quite Google’s, and it asks you to buy into an ecosystem rather than a single app. But if you want the whole Google experience replaced in one move, nothing here goes further.
Phones ship with zero Google services baked in from the factory, not just Google apps removed afterward, and the bundled Murena Cloud gives you mail, calendar and drive without touching a Google account at all.
App compatibility can be patchy since some Android apps expect Google Play Services to be present, and the phone hardware selection is far more limited than mainstream Android brands.
3. Infomaniak kDrive
If it’s really the Docs-and-Sheets side of Drive you’d miss, kDrive from Swiss host Infomaniak is the one to beat. It pairs your storage with a full online office suite, and Infomaniak has been employee-owned and running on 100% renewable energy since 1994, with no investors to answer to.
It isn’t zero-knowledge by default, which is the main thing keeping it a step behind the top two, but as an everyday Drive-and-Workspace replacement it’s superb.
The free tier is more generous than most cloud storage rivals, and syncing across desktop, mobile and web feels every bit as polished as Dropbox.
Third-party app integrations are much thinner than Dropbox or Google Drive, and support documentation outside French and German can feel a step behind.
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4. Proton Drive
Proton Drive is the storage arm of the Proton ecosystem – the same Geneva team behind Proton Mail and VPN. End-to-end encryption means only the sender and receiver can read a message. Not even the company running the service can access it. Learn more → , open-source, and ISO 27001 certified, with its own servers in Switzerland and Germany. If you already live in Proton’s world, the integration is hard to argue with.
Docs editing is newer and lighter than Google’s, so power users of Sheets may find it thin for now – but for private files inside a trusted ecosystem, it’s excellent.
Zero-knowledge encryption means even Proton itself can't read your files, and it slots straight into the same login as Proton Mail, VPN and Pass if you're already in that ecosystem.
It's a newer product than Proton Mail, so features like advanced sharing controls and desktop sync are still catching up to more established competitors.
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5. pCloud
pCloud’s party trick is the lifetime plan: pay once, keep the storage for good – a refreshing antidote to subscription fatigue. It’s Swiss, with an EU data region and a strong free tier.
Encryption is an optional paid add-on rather than the default, and there’s no built-in office suite, so it’s best thought of as a place to keep files rather than a full Workspace replacement. On that count, it’s hard to fault.
A one-time lifetime payment instead of a subscription is a rare option in cloud storage, and the built-in media player streams video and audio straight from your account without downloading first.
Files aren't encrypted by default – the zero-knowledge layer is a separate paid add-on – so out of the box this is convenient storage rather than a privacy tool.
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The verdict
For the most thoroughly European, most private storage, Internxt is the clear winner – open-source, zero-knowledge, and free to start. Want to leave Google altogether rather than just swap Drive? Murena. Need the Docs and Sheets side replaced too? kDrive. Already a Proton user? Proton Drive is a no-brainer. Whichever you pick, your files end up in European hands – which is the whole point.
Ditching more than Google Drive?
Our Degoogle guide maps every Google service to a European alternative.
Read the guide → Frequently asked questions
What's the best European alternative to Google Drive?
Internxt tops our EuroPoints ranking with a perfect 100 – Spanish, open-source and zero-knowledge encrypted. Murena ties it on score if what you really want is to leave Google entirely, not just Drive. The right pick depends on whether you want pure private storage, a full Workspace replacement, or an office suite alongside your files.
Are these more private than Google Drive?
Yes. Several – Internxt and Proton Drive especially – are zero-knowledge encrypted, so the provider itself can't read your files. None of them build a profile out of what you store, and all five are covered by European data law rather than the US CLOUD Act.
Can I replace Google Docs and Sheets too, not just storage?
Yes. Murena and kDrive both include a full online office suite, so you can edit documents and spreadsheets in the browser much like Workspace. Internxt, Proton Drive and pCloud are more focused on private storage and sync.
Can I get free European cloud storage?
Most of these have a free tier – Internxt, Murena, Proton Drive and kDrive (15 GB) all let you start for nothing, and pCloud gives you 10 GB free. It's an easy way to test the sync and apps before paying.
How do I move my files off Google Drive?
Use Google Takeout to export everything, then upload or sync it through your new provider's desktop app – each of these mounts a folder on your computer just like Drive does, so it's mostly drag, drop and wait.
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