Proton Drive Launches Docs: A Secure Alternative to Google Drive?

Proton Drive With Docs is Now A Viable Alternative To Google Drive, Google Workspace, and Microsoft 365

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This new feature, launched today, offers users a secure alternative to popular services like Google Docs, combining robust document editing capabilities with Proton’s signature end-to-end encryption.

Docs in Proton Drive represents a significant step in the company’s mission to provide privacy-first alternatives to mainstream tech products. The new offering promises to deliver a user-friendly experience comparable to industry standards while prioritizing data security and user privacy.

“Docs in Proton Drive makes it effortless to stay secure and private,” says Anant Vijay Singh, Product Lead for Proton Drive. “Users don’t have to lift a finger or worry about complicated security measures—Proton’s got it all covered.”

Docs For Proton Drive: Key Features

• Rich Text Editing: Create and edit documents with advanced formatting options, allowing for professional and polished outputs.
• File Compatibility: Easily open and edit documents in multiple formats, including Microsoft .docx, ensuring seamless integration and continuous privacy protection.
• Comments and Collaboration: Add comments, reply to comments, and resolve them efficiently, fostering a collaborative environment.
• Embed Images: Enhance your documents by embedding images, providing visual context without compromising on speed.
• Collaborative Cursors and Presence: See who else is viewing the document in real-time with collaborative cursors, making teamwork more intuitive.
• Invite Collaborators: Easily invite anyone to collaborate on your documents. Participants without a Proton account will be prompted to create a free one, ensuring a secure environment for all.

Key features of the new service include rich text editing, file compatibility with popular formats like Microsoft Word, collaborative tools such as comments and presence indicators, and the ability to embed images. All of these functions are underpinned by Proton’s end-to-end encryption, ensuring that every keystroke and cursor movement is secured in real-time.

Big Tech Wants Your Data. Proton Doesn’t. Value Your Privacy? Switching To Proton Drive / Mail is a No-Brainer

The launch comes at a time when concerns about data privacy and security are at an all-time high. Unlike Google and other tech giants, Proton emphasizes its commitment to never harvesting user data for any purpose. This approach not only protects user privacy but also addresses potential security vulnerabilities and helps meet stringent data protection regulations.

And if you think I’m being overly harsh on Google, here’s exactly what it does straight from its terms of service:

When you upload, submit, store, send or receive content to or through our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide licence to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes that we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content. The rights that you grant in this licence are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting and improving our Services, and to develop new ones.

Bit creepy, right?

For businesses, particularly those in sensitive sectors such as healthcare, finance, and legal services, Docs in Proton Drive offers a compelling solution. The combination of robust collaboration tools and stringent privacy measures provides a viable alternative to traditional document editing platforms, without compromising on functionality or ease of use.

Unlike Google Docs, and other popular tools, Proton’s commitment to never harvesting user data for any purpose, means information remains strictly private. This strong focus on privacy eliminates common security vulnerabilities and meets stringent data protection regulations, making it an ideal choice for industries such as healthcare, media, finance, and legal.

Proton

Is Proton Drive with Docs Free?

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Proton Docs is available for free inside Proton Drive. But in order to access Docs, you’ll need a Proton Drive account – these start from $4.99/£4.99 per month (and that gets you 200GB of storage).

Pricing Structure

The service offers both monthly and annual subscription options, with the latter providing a cost-effective solution for long-term users.

Free Tier

For those looking to test the waters, Proton Drive offers a free plan with limited storage capacity. This allows users to experience the platform’s security features and interface without financial commitment.

Paid Proton Drive Plans:

• Basic Plan: Starting at $4.99 per month or $47.88 annually, users gain access to 200GB of encrypted cloud storage. This plan is ideal for individual users or small teams with moderate storage requirements.
• Plus Plan: For users needing additional space, the Plus plan offers 500GB of storage at $11.99 per month or $119.88 per year. This tier is suitable for professionals, small businesses, or users with larger data storage needs.
• Business Plans: Proton also offers customizable business solutions for organizations requiring enhanced features and larger storage capacities. These plans often include additional security measures and administrative tools.

All paid plans benefit from Proton’s end-to-end encryption, ensuring that data remains private and secure from unauthorized access.

Once you’re signed up you can access features like the newly launched Docs, file sharing, collaboration tools, as well as other Proton services like Proton VPN and Proton Mail.