Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive can read your files, scan your content, and hand your data to third parties. OnionDrive cannot — because your files are encrypted with your own PGP key before they reach our servers.
These services are convenient. But convenience and privacy are fundamentally in conflict when the business model depends on knowing what you store.
Mainstream providers scan file contents for policy compliance, copyright detection, and — in some cases — to improve their products. Your files are not private.
In 2023, Google received tens of thousands of government requests for user data and complied with the vast majority. Your files can be handed over without your knowledge.
Mainstream cloud storage requires an account linked to your phone number or email. There is no anonymous access. Every action is tied to your identity.
Even if file content is not analyzed, metadata — file names, sizes, timestamps, access patterns — is logged and retained indefinitely. This data is valuable and exploitable.
A direct comparison on the features that matter when your goal is privacy, not just storage.
| Feature | OnionDrive | Google Drive | Dropbox | OneDrive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Client-side encryption (your key) | ✓ PGP | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Provider can read your files | ✓ Impossible | ✗ Yes | ✗ Yes | ✗ Yes |
| Tor .onion hidden service | ✓ Native | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Zero activity logs | ✓ Yes | ✗ Extensive | ✗ Extensive | ✗ Extensive |
| No account required (anonymous use) | ✓ Quick Send | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Files scanned for content | ✓ Not possible | ✗ Yes | ✗ Yes | ✗ Yes |
| Complies with government data requests | ✓ Nothing to give | ✗ Routinely | ✗ Routinely | ✗ Routinely |
| Password-protected share links | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ~ Paid only | ✗ No |
| Time-limited share links | ✓ Yes | ~ Limited | ~ Paid only | ~ Limited |
| Crypto payments accepted | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| No ads or profiling | ✓ Never | ✗ Ad-supported | ~ No ads, logs data | ✗ Ad-supported |
OnionDrive covers the core functions of any cloud storage service — upload, organise, share, collaborate — without the surveillance layer.
Upload, organise, rename, move, and delete files and folders. Drag-and-drop interface. Bulk operations. Breadcrumb navigation. Everything you expect from a drive.
full file managementAdd your PGP public key and encrypt any file with one click. The encrypted version replaces the original. Only you can decrypt it with your private key.
zero-knowledge encryptionGenerate permanent, password-protected, or time-limited share links for any file. Revoke access at any time. No account required to download a shared file.
full sharing controlShare files up to 100MB instantly with no account. Auto-deletes after 24h or first download. The only cloud storage with anonymous file sharing built in.
anonymous sharingNative .onion hidden service. Access your files from anywhere without exposing your IP address. Stronger than a VPN for network-level anonymity.
.onion hidden serviceView images with zoom and rotation controls. Play videos directly in the browser. Edit text files inline. All the convenience features, without the surveillance.
built-in viewerMoving your files does not require any special tools. Here is a straightforward process to migrate from Google Drive, Dropbox, or any other cloud storage to OnionDrive.
Create Your OnionDrive Account →Yes for core file management: upload, organise folders, share files, download, rename, move, and delete. OnionDrive adds PGP encryption and Tor access on top. It does not currently integrate with office productivity tools like Google Docs.
OnionDrive offers a free tier with a storage quota. Quick Send (anonymous file sharing up to 100MB) is always free and requires no account. For larger storage needs, paid plans are available and can be purchased with cryptocurrency.
No. Files encrypted with PGP are mathematically unreadable without your private key — we could not scan them even if we wanted to. Unencrypted files are not scanned either, in line with our zero-log privacy policy.
For PGP-encrypted files, we have only ciphertext — unreadable without your private key. For activity logs and metadata, we have nothing — because we do not log it. A legal order cannot extract data that does not exist.
Yes. Anyone with a share link can download a file without an account. You control whether links are permanent, password-protected, or time-limited. The recipient does not need to be on Tor or have any OnionDrive account.
OnionDrive is primarily designed for individuals who prioritise privacy. For team workflows involving document collaboration, you may still need office tools — but OnionDrive is an excellent complement for storing and sharing sensitive files securely.
Free account. PGP encryption. Tor access. Anonymous sharing. No ads. No scanning. No surveillance.