Leaving Pixeldrain? Export to Google Drive in One Metered Pass

Q: "How much will the export itself cost me?"

"Pixeldrain bills filesystem egress at roughly €1 per TB on Prepaid (€2/TB via shared directories). A one-pass export of a 1.5 TB library therefore costs on the order of €1.50–3 — the point of doing it in one planned copy rather than repeated ad-hoc downloads over months."

Q: "Does Google Drive's 750 GB daily upload cap affect the export?"

"For large libraries, yes — Google accepts up to 750 GB per account per 24 hours. An export under that finishes in one day; a bigger one pauses and resumes the next day automatically rather than failing."

Q: "Do I need enough free Google Drive space first?"

"Yes. The free tier is 15 GB shared with Gmail and Photos, so any real Pixeldrain library needs a Google One tier (100 GB at $1.99/mo up to 2 TB at $9.99/mo) in place before the transfer starts."

Q: "Is my Pixeldrain directory structure preserved in Drive?"

"Yes. The Pixeldrain filesystem is hierarchical and CloudsLinker recreates the same tree inside your chosen Drive folder rather than dumping files flat."

Q: "Can I export selectively instead of everything?"

"Yes — tick specific directories and filter by file type, size or date. Selective exports also keep the metered egress charge proportional to what you actually take."

Q: "How does CloudsLinker connect to Pixeldrain?"

"With an API key created at pixeldrain.com/user/api_keys. Keys are scoped to your account and individually revocable — delete the key after the exit and access ends immediately."

Q: "Will anything be converted on the way into Drive?"

"No. This direction has no format conversions — Pixeldrain stores files exactly as uploaded, and Drive accepts them as-is. Office documents stay Office documents unless you later convert them to Google formats yourself."

Q: "What should I do with the Pixeldrain account afterwards?"

"Verify the copy in Drive, delete the exported directories to stop the €4/TB storage meter, then remove or downgrade the plan. Delete the CloudsLinker API key last, once you're sure no follow-up pass is needed."

Every Pixeldrain filesystem download is billed — so exit to Google Drive in a single server-side copy instead of paying egress file by file.

Introduction

Google Drive gives an exiting Pixeldrain user the two things metered storage doesn't: downloads that cost nothing, and apps on every device you own. The exit itself is where Pixeldrain's pricing model bites — all filesystem egress is billed, around €1 per TB on Prepaid and €2 per TB through shared directories, with no free downloads at all. Pulling a library out file-by-file over months means paying that meter repeatedly; the rational exit is one planned pass. This guide shows two ways to do it: a manual download-and-upload, and a single server-side copy with CloudsLinker that reads the filesystem once and writes straight into Drive.

Method 1: Download and Re-upload by Hand
Method 2: Copy Pixeldrain to Google Drive in the Cloud
Quick Comparison
Practical Tips
Frequently Asked Questions

What is Pixeldrain?

Pixeldrain is a Netherlands-based storage service whose Pro filesystem meters both directions: €4 per TB per month for storage, and billed egress on every download — there are no free filesystem downloads.

Storage: €4/TB/month (Prepaid), metered
Egress: ~€1/TB Prepaid, €2/TB shared dirs
Hierarchical filesystem, API-key access
Free tier is link sharing only

What is Google Drive?

Google Drive is the default consumer cloud drive: 15 GB free shared across Google services, Google One tiers up to 2 TB at $9.99/month, apps on every platform, and no download fees.

15 GB free; 2 TB at $9.99/mo via Google One
No egress fees; 750 GB/day upload cap
5 TB max single file
OAuth access for transfer tools

Comparison: Pixeldrain vs Google Drive

Feature	Pixeldrain	Google Drive
Download cost	Metered — ~€1–2/TB, no free egress	Free
Storage pricing	€4/TB/mo metered	Fixed tiers: 2 TB — $9.99/mo
Apps and sync	Web filesystem + API only	Desktop sync, mobile, web
Inbound constraint	—	750 GB/day upload per account
Max single file	No published cap (paid filesystem)	5 TB
Connection in CloudsLinker	API key (Pro)	Google OAuth

Sources: Pixeldrain: Filesystem guide, Pixeldrain: pricing, Google: storage and upload limits, Google Drive API limits.

Preparing to Transfer from Pixeldrain to Google Drive

Size the export before anything else: the Pixeldrain filesystem shows your stored total, and that number sets both the metered egress charge (~€1/TB) and the Drive space you need on the other side. Upgrade Google One first if 15 GB won't hold it. Decide whether this is a full exit or a partial retrieval — a partial one should be filtered deliberately so you don't pay the meter twice for files you forgot. Keep the Pixeldrain plan active until the copy is verified; deleting data mid-export is the one mistake this direction doesn't forgive.

Method 1: Download and Re-upload by Hand

Step 1: Download from the Pixeldrain filesystem

Open the Pixeldrain filesystem, select the directories to retrieve and download them. The download is metered per TB, and on very large folders the browser route is fragile — interrupted downloads still count against the meter.

Pixeldrain file list with all seven files selected and highlighted, the Download button in the toolbar, and the browser download panel showing a completed Multiple files.zip archive

Step 2: Upload to Google Drive

Open drive.google.com and drag the downloaded folders into the destination. Files upload as-is — nothing needs conversion in this direction.

Google Drive web interface with a folder upload in progress into a destination folder

Acceptable for a retrieval of a few folders. As a full exit it doubles your bandwidth use and risks re-paying metered egress on any download that fails partway.

Method 2: Copy Pixeldrain to Google Drive in the Cloud

Pay the meter once, server-side

CloudsLinker reads the Pixeldrain filesystem by API key and writes directly into Google Drive over OAuth. The whole export is one continuous server-side pass — one metered egress charge, no local disk staging, and automatic pacing against Drive's 750 GB/day intake.

Step 1: Connect Pixeldrain

Click Add Cloud → Pixeldrain, enter a display name and paste an API key from pixeldrain.com/user/api_keys — the (?) icon in the dialog links to that page.

CloudsLinker Add Cloud dialog for Pixeldrain with display name and API Key fields and a tooltip linking to the Pixeldrain API keys page

Step 2: Connect Google Drive

Click Add Cloud → Google Drive and approve access on Google's consent page at accounts.google.com. The OAuth grant is revocable anytime from your Google account's security settings.

Connecting Google Drive in CloudsLinker via the Google OAuth consent screen

Step 3: Configure the Transfer

Set Pixeldrain as the source and select the directories to export — or the whole filesystem for a full exit. Choose the Google Drive destination folder (something like /Pixeldrain-Export/ keeps it tidy). Filters by type, size or date trim the export, and every gigabyte trimmed is egress you don't pay.

CloudsLinker transfer configuration with Pixeldrain filesystem directories checked as source on the left and a Google Drive Pixeldrain-Export folder selected as destination on the right

Step 4: Start and Monitor the Transfer

Start the job and track it in the Task List. If the library exceeds Drive's 750 GB/day intake, the job pauses at the cap and resumes automatically — no babysitting required.

CloudsLinker task monitoring view with an active migration in progress

Comparing the Ways to Transfer From Pixeldrain to Google Drive

Method	Ease of Use	Speed	Best For	Uses Local Bandwidth	Skill Level
Manual download / upload	Medium	Slow	Retrieving a few folders	Yes — twice	Basic
CloudsLinker	Easy	Fast (server-side)	Full exits in one metered pass	No	Basic

Practical Tips for Moving Pixeldrain to Google Drive

Export once, deliberately: the meter runs on every download. Plan a single pass covering everything you'll ever want, rather than trickling files out over months.
Provision Drive space first: 15 GB free won't hold a real library — put the Google One tier in place before starting, not when the job stalls.
Budget the egress: ~€1/TB Prepaid means even a 2 TB exit costs about €2 — trivial as a one-off, annoying as a recurring habit.
Expect the 750 GB/day rhythm: larger exports span days by design; the job resumes automatically at each reset.
Verify before deleting: match file counts in Drive against the filesystem, then delete Pixeldrain directories to stop the €4/TB storage meter.
Close out cleanly: after the exit, remove the CloudsLinker API key at pixeldrain.com/user/api_keys and downgrade or cancel the plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pixeldrain bills filesystem egress at roughly €1 per TB on Prepaid (€2/TB via shared directories). A one-pass export of a 1.5 TB library therefore costs on the order of €1.50–3 — the point of doing it in one planned copy rather than repeated ad-hoc downloads over months.

For large libraries, yes — Google accepts up to 750 GB per account per 24 hours. An export under that finishes in one day; a bigger one pauses and resumes the next day automatically rather than failing.

Yes. The free tier is 15 GB shared with Gmail and Photos, so any real Pixeldrain library needs a Google One tier (100 GB at $1.99/mo up to 2 TB at $9.99/mo) in place before the transfer starts.

Yes. The Pixeldrain filesystem is hierarchical and CloudsLinker recreates the same tree inside your chosen Drive folder rather than dumping files flat.

Yes — tick specific directories and filter by file type, size or date. Selective exports also keep the metered egress charge proportional to what you actually take.

With an API key created at pixeldrain.com/user/api_keys. Keys are scoped to your account and individually revocable — delete the key after the exit and access ends immediately.

No. This direction has no format conversions — Pixeldrain stores files exactly as uploaded, and Drive accepts them as-is. Office documents stay Office documents unless you later convert them to Google formats yourself.

Verify the copy in Drive, delete the exported directories to stop the €4/TB storage meter, then remove or downgrade the plan. Delete the CloudsLinker API key last, once you're sure no follow-up pass is needed.

Conclusion

If you're retrieving a folder or two, the manual route is fine — pay the small metered download and drag the files into Drive. For a full exit, one CloudsLinker pass is the economical shape: the filesystem is read once, the copy lands in Drive server-side, and Google's 750 GB/day upload allowance absorbs all but the largest libraries in a single day. Delete the Pixeldrain copies only after the file counts match.

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