i created my own cloud storage and it's MUCH more affordable in the long run, but i get that it can be expensive up front.
if you have an old laptop or desktop laying around collecting dust, then this is an option for you too.
this post was submitted on 30 Oct 2026
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Privacy
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the issue there is more on the backups.
Old craptop as own cloud storage ftw ! It's a good starting point ! However it's not an easy way ^^
Just separate the two, e-mail and cloud storage, and you'll be a lot more flexible.
Posteo e-mail costs 1 EUR/month.
As for cloud storage, either self-host or use a managed Nextcloud instance. IONOS' offering (500GB) comes in at 6 EUR/month.
In total, that gets you to 7 EUR/month, which is still cheaper than Proton's unlimited package (clocking in at 10 EUR/month). On the downside, you still haven't got a VPN at that pricing. But I'd keep that separate from mail and file storage anyway.
Is there anything that just does cloud storage and does it well? (With offline files)?
My attempts with nexcloud were awful.
Infomaniak, Swiss based. Email and 1TB storage for 15 Euro/year. Their ksync app handles phone photo instant backup. An AI tool is included.
this seems interesting
My attempts with nexcloud were awful.
Please elaborate. I keep hearing this take and can't make heads or tails of it. For me, Nextcloud has been rock-solid, and I've been using / running it for many years now.
I tried running the AIO container and ai think a docker compose? I was getting 6kb/s sync speed on the same network.
Filen.io has been fantastic for me for years now, but give it a test drive to see if fits your needs. E2EE & 10gb free plan.
Looks nice! I haven't gotten an email verification link yet, but if I get one from them I'll check it out.
I had issues with them, be very careful when you migrate stuff there that it is actually uploaded....
Their windows client is awful, I managed to break it so it said stuff was uploaded when it wasn't within the first day of being with them. Immediately cancelled and went elsewhere.
Works famously on Linux on android. Haven't used Windows in years. That's why always nice to be able to test drive it and see how it works for ones needs.
In any case, every one has their favorite angry anectode, thanks for sharing
Just want to add there is also the app Cryptomator that encrypts data before uploading it into a cloud
Tuta Drive is in closed beta. Could be available soon.
How long has it been in closed beta?
Since April.
Infomaniak Ksuite. Migrated a year ago and been happy so far.
Other options I looked at:
Murena
Internxt
PeerGOS
Pcloud
I've been testing k suite with one email and have had no issues, so much so that I literally added a second email yesterday. And installed their version of one drive, which is something I never do. I'm looking forward to test driving this.
I use Jottacloud. 79 nok/month (9 euro perhaps?) for 1 TB.
backups! whatever you do make sure you have automated backups. just saying.
I'm using Mega (20GB free) and Internxt (1TB lifetime plan). I have not done any particular research, nor have I read their privacy policies. I'm in the early stages of planning my transition to self-hosting, checking out hardware prices and drawing logic drafts of the interconnectivity (LAN, WAN, me, groups, others) that I want to be able to achieve.
Internxt forces you to use their app on your phone unless you enable viewing the desktop version of the website. Even then, they have made it so that uploads and downloads eat all your RAM, crashing the browser before larger files can finish processing. A workaround is to use their app or .appimage if you're on Linux.
I haven't used Mega long enough to be able to say anything about it yet.
Thunderbird? They provide mail now.
I saw someone mention pCloud and thought I'd take a moment to point out that if you can afford a heftier upfront cost, pCloud has different levels of Lifetime plan and probably will have a decent Black Friday sale for it. That said, they could probably change the terms of that retroactively, I don't know anything about the company itself, but still worth mentioning. Personally, I'd recommend something like on prem NextCloud (or similar) with backups going to pCloud. Bonus points for encrypting those backups with Cryptomator.
Really?
Being a dick is "evil"?
The majority of companies are run by dicks and assholes; Even the good ones. Almost especially the good ones.
Honestly, the term "evil" seems only ever used to give people (themselves mostly) permission to shun, without looking at what's actually wrong, and occasionally trying to do something about it. It's lazy.
Does Proton have internal management problems to fix? Absolutely! Along with virtually every other organization.
That's fair. I wasn't trying to use "evil" in that way, but I understand your perspective. Their goal for the most part of still the same, I was just thinking about Google's catchphrase "Don't be evil" and then they started not really following that. To me this feels somewhat similar, a wavering of sticking to proton's goals
I'd put Proton on "company" tier but not "providing datacenters for war crimes" tier.