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SafetyScorer

Ranking

Safest Cloud Storage Apps 2026

Every cloud storage and photo backup app we cover, from Google Drive, iCloud, OneDrive and Dropbox to the encrypted Proton Drive, MEGA and pCloud, the work app Box and the free TeraBox. Each score weighs who can read your files, what the app tracks for advertising, its breach and security record, the controls it gives you over sharing and deletion, abuse of public links, and its record with regulators.

Updated · Scores update with each page

The ranking

  1. Proton Drive

    Proton Drive is one of the most private cloud storage apps we score. Files, file names and thumbnails are end-to-end encrypted, the apps are open source, and Apple's label lists only diagnostics not linked to you. The gaps are an old audit, Swiss legal orders that can reach account data, and a small 5 GB free plan.

    Score 88, grade A

  2. Apple iCloud

    iCloud is a safe home for photos, files and backups. Passwords, Health data and 13 other categories are end-to-end encrypted for everyone. Photos, Drive and backups are only end-to-end encrypted with Advanced Data Protection, which Apple withdrew for new UK users in 2025.

    Score 75, grade B

  3. Box

    Box is a careful choice for work files. Its iPhone app declares no tracking and we found no fines. The weak spots are that Box holds the encryption keys unless your company pays for its own, and public shared links have exposed company files before.

    Score 73, grade B

  4. Google Drive

    Google Drive is a safe place for everyday files. Google says it does not use Drive content for ads, and files are encrypted in transit and at rest. The catches are that Google holds the keys, fake "shared file" notifications are a common phishing trick, and a policy ban can cut off access.

    Score 70, grade B

  5. pCloud

    pCloud is a reasonable choice if you want storage in the EU under Swiss terms and no ad tracking. Its end-to-end encryption is a paid add-on, ETH Zurich researchers found serious flaws in it in 2024, and pCloud runs no public bug bounty. Lifetime plans also depend on the company surviving.

    Score 68, grade C

  6. MEGA

    MEGA encrypts files on your device, so it cannot read what you store. But researchers showed in 2022 and 2023 that its own servers could recover users' keys before MEGA's fixes, the iPhone app declares data used to track you, and public links carry a lot of illegal content.

    Score 67, grade C

  7. Microsoft OneDrive

    OneDrive keeps files encrypted, scans them for malware and helps subscribers recover from ransomware. It is not end-to-end encrypted, even in Personal Vault. Windows setup can turn on folder backup without a clear choice, and a new face grouping feature can only be switched off three times a year.

    Score 66, grade C

  8. Dropbox

    Dropbox is a reliable place for everyday files, with no regulator fines and a public bug bounty. It is weaker on privacy than its rivals. The iPhone app declares data used to track you, personal plans have no end-to-end encryption, and attackers stole code in 2022 and Dropbox Sign customer data in 2024.

    Score 63, grade C

  9. Google Photos

    Google Photos keeps your pictures safe from loss and from most attackers. It is weaker on privacy. Your library is not end-to-end encrypted, face grouping led to $100 million and $1.375 billion settlements, and automated scanning has locked parents out of their accounts.

    Score 62, grade C

  10. TeraBox

    TeraBox gives away 1 TB of storage and pays for it with your data. The iPhone app declares usage data used to track you, files are not end-to-end encrypted, and the policy lets the company build interest profiles from your activity. Its referral scheme pays users to spread share links, which fuels piracy and worse.

    Score 48, grade D

Which apps are on this list

The rule is what the app does. An app is here when its main job is to keep your files or photos stored and synced in the cloud. That covers the big built-in services, Google Drive, Apple iCloud, Microsoft OneDrive and Google Photos; independent services such as Dropbox, Box and TeraBox; and services built around encryption, such as Proton Drive, MEGA and pCloud.

WeTransfer is left out, because it sends files rather than keeping them, and free transfers expire within days. So are email, office and video-call apps from the same group, such as Gmail, Outlook and Microsoft Teams.

How the order is built

Each app is scored on five factors. Privacy and security count for 30% each: what the provider can see and what it shares with advertisers, and how well its encryption and its breach record protect what you store. Transparency and control count for 15%, which includes open source apps, published audits and settings you can actually switch off. Scams and harmful content count for 15%, from phishing that copies the service to illegal files spread through public links. The regulatory record counts for 10%. Full rubrics are on how we score apps.

The list is those scores sorted from the highest down. When we update a page, its place here moves too, so this text does not quote scores.

What the apps near the top have in common

They limit who can read your files. Proton Drive encrypts files, file names and thumbnails on your device, publishes its app code, and lists only diagnostics not linked to you on Apple's privacy label. iCloud end-to-end encrypts many kinds of data for everyone and more with Advanced Data Protection. Box declares no tracking in its iPhone app and has no fines on record.

Why some score lower

Tracking, breaches and weak encryption pull apps down. Dropbox's iPhone app declares data used to track you, and attackers stole its code in 2022 and Dropbox Sign customer data in 2024. Google Photos is not End-to-end encryptionEncryption in which only the sender and the recipient can read a message. The company running the service cannot see its content.More in the glossary, and its face grouping led to settlements of $100 million and $1.375 billion. Encryption alone is not enough either: researchers showed in 2022 and 2023 that MEGA's servers could recover users' keys before MEGA fixed the flaws, and ETH Zurich researchers found serious flaws in pCloud's paid encryption add-on in 2024. TeraBox loses the most on privacy, because it pays for its free terabyte with your data.

What the score does not tell you

The biggest risk to your files is usually your own account. A reused password or a phished login gives an attacker everything, so turn on two-step login or a PasskeyA way to sign in without a password. Your device holds a key tied to one website or app and unlocks it with your fingerprint, face or PIN.More in the glossary first. Also think about losing access rather than losing privacy: a policy ban on a Google account can lock you out of Drive and Photos at once, and pCloud's lifetime plans depend on the company staying in business. Keep a second copy of irreplaceable photos and documents somewhere else.

Questions

Can Google, Microsoft or Dropbox see my files?

Technically, yes. Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox's personal plans encrypt your files but hold the keys, so the company can reach them, for example to scan for malware or banned content or to answer a court order. Google says it does not use Drive content for ads. If you need a provider that cannot open your files, choose one with End-to-end encryptionEncryption in which only the sender and the recipient can read a message. The company running the service cannot see its content.More in the glossary.

Is iCloud end-to-end encrypted?

Partly. Passwords, Health data and 13 other categories are End-to-end encryptionEncryption in which only the sender and the recipient can read a message. The company running the service cannot see its content.More in the glossary for everyone. Photos, iCloud Drive and device backups are only protected that way if you turn on Advanced Data Protection in your account settings. Apple withdrew that option for new users in the UK in 2025.

Is free cloud storage safe?

It depends on how the company pays for it. TeraBox gives away 1 TB, and in return its iPhone app declares usage data used to track you and its policy lets the company build interest profiles from your activity. Proton Drive's free plan is only 5 GB, but your files are End-to-end encryptionEncryption in which only the sender and the recipient can read a message. The company running the service cannot see its content.More in the glossary and the app does not track you.

Is cloud storage the same as a backup?

Not quite. A synced folder copies deletions and changes too, so a file you delete by mistake, or one encrypted by ransomware, can vanish everywhere. Use the app's version history and recycle bin, and keep a second copy of anything you cannot lose on another service or a drive at home. OneDrive's ransomware recovery for subscribers is one built-in safety net.

How do I share files from cloud storage safely?

Share with named people rather than "anyone with the link", and set links to expire. Public links have exposed company files on Box before, and anyone who gets the link can open the file. Be careful with emails that say someone has shared a file with you, because fake Google Drive and WeTransfer notifications are a common phishing and malware trick.