Ente Photos vs Proton Drive: Which Is Better for Photos?
Updated
Ente and Proton Drive both encrypt your photos on your device before upload, so neither company can see them. Both can back up photos from your phone.
Ente focuses more deeply on the photo experience, with on-device face recognition, Magic Search, memories, map views, and dedicated photo-sharing tools. Proton Drive combines photo storage with general file storage and the broader Proton ecosystem.
The short answer
Ente is a dedicated photo storage and management service, while Proton Drive is a general encrypted cloud storage service that also includes photo backup and management features.
Both services provide end-to-end encryption. Ente focuses more deeply on the photo experience, with features such as on-device face recognition, Magic Search, memories, map views, and dedicated photo-sharing tools. Proton Drive combines photo storage with general file storage and the broader Proton ecosystem.
How Ente compares with Proton Drive
This table covers privacy, photo features and platforms. Prices are further down.
| Feature |  Ente Photos | Proton Drive |
|---|---|---|
| End-to-end encrypted photos | Available: Yes, on your device | Available: Yes, OpenPGP on your device |
| Independent audit | Available: Yes | Available: Yes, Securitum |
| Face recognition | Available: Yes, on your device | Not available: No, not in Proton's docs |
| Search by what's in a photo | Available: Yes, on your device | Not available: No, file name only |
| Automatic phone backup | Available: Yes, iOS and Android | Available: Yes, iOS and Android |
| Album link, no account | Available: Yes, public links | Conditions or a different workflow: Partly, public links coming soon |
| Any file type | Not available: Photos and videos; documents use the separate Ente Locker app | Available: Yes, files, Docs, and Sheets |
| Linux | Available: Yes, official app | Available: Yes, CLI today; desktop beta planned |
| Free storage | Available: Yes, 10 GB | Available: Yes, 5 GB |
| Family plan | Available: Yes, 6 people, any paid plan | Available: Yes, up to 6 people, 3 TB |
A photos app vs a cloud drive
Both services encrypt files on your device before upload, so neither company can see your photos. Proton Drive uses OpenPGP; Ente uses the encryption described in its architecture.
The main difference is what each one is built for. Ente is a photos app, designed around your library, with face recognition and search by what's in a photo, both running on your device. Proton Drive is a cloud drive for all your files, with a photo gallery that shows your photos in a month-by-month grid and lets you sort them into albums.
Ente Photos vs. Proton Drive: Which Is Better for You?
Choose Ente Photos if:
- You want a service built specifically around photos and videos.
- You want end-to-end encryption by default.
- You want on-device face recognition and Magic Search.
- You want memories, map views, and deeper photo organization.
- You want dedicated encrypted photo-sharing and collaboration features.
- You want both the client and server code to be open source.
- You use Linux and want an official desktop photo app.
- Easy photo-library export and maintaining control over your library are priorities.
Choose Proton Drive if:
- You want end-to-end encrypted general file storage as well as photo storage.
- You already use Proton Mail, VPN, Calendar, or other Proton services.
- You want photos, documents, and other files stored through the same encrypted cloud service.
- Proton's photo backup and album features cover your photo-management needs.
- You want to bundle storage with other privacy-focused services.
Storage & pricing
Current Ente Photos plans are on the pricing page.
Ente Photos
10 GB free
- Extra 10 GB with a referral code for new users.
- Earn 10 GB when a friend upgrades to a paid plan.
50 GB for $2.99/month
Billed monthly
Proton Drive
5 GB free
Drive Plus is the first paid photo plan.
200 GB for $4.99/month
or $3.99/month billed yearly
Prices are in USD unless otherwise indicated. Local prices and taxes may differ.
Move your photos from Proton Drive to Ente
The full walkthrough is in the upload guide.
- 1
Download your photos.
On the web, select the files or folders and choose Download. Proton says several items arrive as a ZIP.
- 2
Upload the folders to Ente.
In the Ente desktop app, click Upload → Folder, choose Separate albums to turn each folder into an album, review the counts and click Start upload.
- 3
Switch your phone's backup.
Turn on backup in Ente Photos, then turn off photo backup in Proton Drive so new photos don't go to both.
Try Ente alongside Proton Drive. Uploading to Ente doesn't delete anything from Proton Drive. Check your albums and dates before you clean anything up.
Frequently asked questions
Is Proton Drive end-to-end encrypted?
Yes. Proton Drive uses OpenPGP, so Proton can't read your files. Ente encrypts on your device too. Ente also has face recognition and search by what's in a photo. Proton doesn't.
Does Proton Drive have face recognition?
Proton's docs don't mention face recognition. The roadmap describes search beyond the file name, and it doesn't mention faces or what's in a photo. Ente groups faces on your device.
Can I share a Proton album with a public link?
Check Proton before you count on it. The album support guide says public link sharing is coming soon. The photo storage page describes public links for photos. File and folder links already work without a Proton account. Ente album links work without an account today.
Does Proton Drive run on Linux?
Partly. There is a command-line app for Linux, and Windows and macOS have desktop apps. A Linux desktop beta is on Proton's roadmap, with no date. Ente has an official Linux app.
Which is cheaper at 200 GB?
Proton. Drive Plus is $4.99 a month. Ente's 200 GB plan is $5.99 a month, or $4.99 a month if you pay yearly. On yearly billing, Proton is $3.99 a month and Ente is $4.99.
Start with 10 GB free
