Last updated: September 29, 2026
Looking for an alternative to Proton Drive for photos usually means the privacy is right, but the photo experience is not.
Maybe you want a real photo timeline, stronger search, face recognition, or Memories-style features. Maybe you want self-hosting. Or maybe you want storage that is built for photos first, not as a folder inside a general encrypted drive.
Why do people leave Proton Drive for photos?
- Not photo-first: Proton Drive is strong for private files, but its photo tools are more basic than dedicated photo apps.
- Feature gap: Some people want richer search, face recognition, sharing, and Memories while still keeping end-to-end encryption.
- Shared storage: Photos share space with Mail, VPN, and other Proton Drive files on the same plan.
- Control: Some people want self-hosting or a photo app that feels closer to Google Photos without giving up privacy.
There are now several Proton Drive alternatives for photos worth considering, but they’re good at very different things.
The quick answer
Alternative | Best for | End-to-end encryption | Self-hosted | Photo specific features | Why choose it ? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ente Photos | Privacy without givingup modern photo features | Yes (default) | Available | High | Open source, on- device ML, audited E2EE |
Immich | Full control on your own hardware | N/A (you host it) | Yes | High | Closest self-hosted Google Photos feel |
Apple Photos/ iCloud | People within the Apple ecosystem | Optional ( turn on Advanced Data protection) | No | High | Native sync + editing across Apple devices |
Amazon Photos | Amazon Prime members | No | No | Medium | Unlimited full- resolution photos with Prime |
pCloud | General cloud storage+ photo backup | Optional (Crypto add-on) | No | Low | Lifetime plans; files + photos together |
Ente Photos: Best for privacy and everyday convenience
Choose Ente Photos if you want a modern photo app with end-to-end encryption by default, not just encrypted file storage with a photos tab. It is designed for people who want automatic backup, search, face recognition, sharing, and Memories without making their photo library readable by the service storing it.
Why choose Ente Photos?
Like Proton Drive, Ente keeps your library end-to-end encrypted. The difference is that Ente is built as a dedicated photo app: automatic backup, on-device face recognition, photo search, sharing, and Memories, without making your photos readable by the service storing them.
It is open source and available on iPhone, Android, desktop, and web. You can also export your library if you decide to move later.
You can also self-host Ente if you want to run it on infrastructure you control, which means you will be managing your own server, storage, backups, and updates.
Trade-offs
Ente is a strong choice for private photo backup and a well-organized library. Ente also has storage-based plans after its free tier of 10GB; it doesn't offer unlimited storage.
Learn more
- Ente Features
- How Ente's on-device machine learning works
- Ente's security architecture
- Ente open-source code
Immich: Best for self-hosting
Choose Immich if you want to run your own Google Photos-style service on hardware you control. It is a self-hosted, open-source photo platform with automatic backup, a timeline, albums, sharing, face recognition, and search.
Why choose Immich?
Immich lets you run a photo library on a NAS, home server, or another machine you manage. Its iOS and Android apps can automatically back up photos from your phone. It gives you control over where your photos are stored, how much storage you buy, and how your backups are handled.
For people already comfortable with Docker, a NAS, or home-server software, it is one of the closest self-hosted alternatives to Google Photos.
Trade-offs
Immich is not a hands-off backup service. You are responsible for installation, updates, storage capacity, backups, security, and recovery when hardware fails.
Learn more
- Immich official site
- Immich documentation
- Immich Docker Compose installation guide
- Immich backup and restore guidance
Apple Photos: Best for Apple users
Choose Apple Photos if you mainly use an iPhone, iPad, and Mac and want the smoothest experience across those devices. It is deeply integrated into Apple hardware and iCloud.
Why choose Apple Photos?
Apple Photos offers automatic sync, search, face recognition, Memories, shared libraries, and strong built-in editing tools. For Apple-only households, it is often the lowest-effort option.
You can enable Advanced Data Protection to extend end-to-end encryption to iCloud Photos and other iCloud data categories.
Trade-offs
Advanced Data Protection is optional, not enabled by default. Apple Photos also makes the most sense inside Apple’s ecosystem. Shared Albums are not protected by Advanced Data Protection in the same way as your private iCloud Photos library.
Learn more
Amazon Photos: Best for Amazon Prime members
Choose Amazon Photos if you already have Amazon Prime and want simple, high-value photo backup. Eligible Prime members get unlimited full-resolution photo storage.
Why choose Amazon Photos?
Amazon Photos includes automatic backup, albums, sharing, search, and Memories. The biggest reason to choose it is value: unlimited photo storage is included with eligible Prime memberships.
Trade-offs
Amazon Photos is not end-to-end encrypted. Video storage is limited separately, and its editing and AI organisation tools are not as advanced as dedicated private photo apps. Ente or Proton is a better fit if privacy is the reason you used Proton in the first place.
Learn more
pCloud: Best for general cloud storage and photos
Choose pCloud if you want one place for photos, documents, videos, and other files and you prefer lifetime storage pricing.
Why choose pCloud?
pCloud includes automatic camera uploads and a photo gallery, while also functioning as general cloud storage. Its lifetime plans are the main differentiator for people who do not want another recurring subscription.
Trade-offs
pCloud is not as photo-focused as Ente, Apple Photos, or Immich. Its zero-knowledge encryption option, pCloud Crypto, is a paid add-on rather than the default protection for every file.
Learn more
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Proton Drive alternative for photos?
Ente Photos is the best Proton Drive alternative for photos for most people who want a dedicated photo app without giving up end-to-end encryption. It offers E2EE by default, automatic backup, search, face recognition, sharing, and Memories across iPhone, Android, desktop, and web.
Is Proton Drive good for photos?
Proton Drive can back up and store photos privately, but it is still a general encrypted drive first. Dedicated photo apps usually offer a better timeline, search, and photo-organisation experience.
Can I move photos from Proton Drive to another service?
Yes. Download your photos from Proton Drive, then upload or import them into your new service. Large libraries can take hours to days to download and re-upload.
Do not delete your Proton Drive copy until you have checked that your photos, videos, dates, albums, and metadata transferred correctly.
Do I need end-to-end encryption for my photos?
You need end-to-end encryption if you do not want the company storing your photos to be able to access them.
Choose Ente if you want encrypted photo storage by default. Apple Photos can also protect your library with end-to-end encryption when you enable Advanced Data Protection.
Want a closer look? Compare each option with Ente Photos: https://ente.com/compare/