Filen

Most cloud storage services like Google Drive, iCloud(without Advanced Data Protection), Dropbox, OneDrive can read every file you store with them. But with Filen your files are encrypted on your device before they leave it, and Filen never has access to the keys needed to read them.

That's not unusual for a privacy-focused product to claim. What is unusual about Filen is that it's open source, based in Germany, and priced so aggressively that the privacy argument doesn't require any sacrifice on cost.

How the encryption works

Filen uses AES-256-GCM encryption with a zero-knowledge model. Files, folders, and their metadata are all encrypted on your device before they're uploaded. The encryption key is derived from your password and never leaves your device. Filen's servers store only the encrypted data that they have no means of reading. This applies to everything: files, folder names, file names, and even shared content. When you share a file via link, you can add password protection for an additional layer. If you share directly with another Filen user, the encryption chain stays intact throughout.

What Filen does well

The free plan includes 10GB of storage and all the features of a paid plan. Paid plans are priced very competitively with 200GB for $2/month, 500GB for $4/month, and 2TB for $9/month on monthly billing, with cheaper annual options available. For comparison, Proton Drive's 200GB plan costs $4/month. You're getting equivalent privacy at roughly half the price.

The service has no bandwidth throttling and no file size limits beyond your storage quota. File versioning is included across all plans, so you can recover previous versions of files without paying extra.

The small team reality

Filen is a small, self-funded German company. The code is open source, although Filen has not yet commissioned a formal independent security audit. The infrastructure is solid and the servers are housed in Germany, but the development pace reflects a small team and feature additions come slowly. Third-party integrations don't exist, there's no document editing, or productivity layer like Proton Drive offers within their ecosystem.

There have also been recurring complaints about the Android app following a redesign in late 2025, with users reporting upload issues and crashes. The web and desktop apps are generally considered stable. But if you're primarily on Android, verify the current state of the app before committing.

Who Filen is right for

Filen is the right choice if you want genuinely private cloud storage at a low price and don't need document collaboration, third-party integrations, or a productivity suite. It's particularly well-suited to people replacing Google Drive or iCloud who want the same basic functionality to sync, share, backup without handing their files to a company that reads them.