Filen
Next-generation end-to-end encrypted cloud storage
About Filen
Filen is a zero-knowledge, client-side encrypted cloud storage platform built and hosted in Germany. It offers secure file storage, syncing, sharing, encrypted notes, and chat across desktop, mobile, and web with AES-256 encryption that ensures only you can access your data.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- True zero-knowledge, client-side AES-256 encryption
- Open-source clients allow independent security audits
- Generous 10 GB free tier
- Germany-based with GDPR compliance and EU data residency
- Includes encrypted notes and chat beyond just file storage
- WebDAV and S3 protocol support for integrations
Cons
- Smaller ecosystem than mainstream providers like Dropbox or Google Drive
- No built-in office suite or document editing
- Limited third-party app integrations
- Encrypted files mean no server-side preview for some formats
- Account recovery is limited by design due to zero-knowledge architecture
Key Features
Zero-knowledge encryption
AES-256 client-side encryption ensures that only you can decrypt your files — Filen's servers never see your data.
Cross-platform sync
Sync files across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and web with five different sync modes.
Network drive (Smart Sync)
Mount Filen as a virtual drive on your computer and access files on-demand without filling local storage.
Encrypted notes
Take rich-text notes with end-to-end encryption and real-time collaboration support.
Encrypted chat
Private, end-to-end encrypted messaging built into the platform for secure team communication.
Secure file sharing
Share files and folders with public or password-protected links while preserving encryption.
WebDAV and S3 support
Connect Filen to third-party apps and workflows via standard WebDAV and S3-compatible protocols.
Open-source apps
All client applications are open source, allowing independent audits of the encryption implementation.
Pricing
- 10 GB storage
- End-to-end encryption
- All core features
- Apps for all platforms
- 200 GiB storage
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Unlimited uploads
- Sync, share, notes, chat
- 500 GiB storage
- Unlimited bandwidth
- All Pro features
- 2 TiB storage
- Unlimited bandwidth
- All Pro features
- 10 TiB storage
- Unlimited bandwidth
- All Pro features
Best For
Private personal cloud
Store sensitive personal documents, photos, and backups with the assurance that no one — not even Filen — can read them.
Privacy-focused teams
Small businesses and freelancers needing GDPR-compliant collaboration without trusting big-tech providers.
Encrypted backup
Use as a secondary, encrypted backup target for important files via desktop sync or WebDAV.
Secure file sharing
Share confidential files with clients or partners through encrypted, password-protected links.
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