Proton Drive to Koofr: Stay in Europe, Drop the Subscription

Q: "Does my data leave EU jurisdiction during this move?"

"No. Proton stores data in Switzerland, Koofr in ISO 27001-certified data centres in Germany, and the transfer runs server-to-server over TLS between them. That continuity is the point of this pair — it is a move within the European privacy sphere, not out of it."

Q: "What happens to Proton's end-to-end encryption?"

"It ends at the boundary, necessarily: your credentials authorize decryption on access, and Koofr stores files conventionally (encrypted in transit and at rest, but Koofr holds the keys). For folders that need zero-access encryption on the Koofr side, use Koofr Vault — a free, open-source client-side encryption layer compatible with rclone's crypt format."

Q: "How does CloudsLinker sign in to Proton Drive?"

"With your Proton account email and password, plus your 2FA code if enabled — the same credentials Proton's own apps use. Proton offers no OAuth for third-party drive tools, so credential login is the supported path; you can revoke the session from Proton's security settings afterwards."

Q: "Why would I leave Proton Drive if I keep paying for Proton anyway?"

"Most people in this migration keep Proton Mail and drop only the storage role: Unlimited's 500 GB fills, Drive Plus tops out at 200 GB, and both bill forever. Offloading bulk files to a one-time Koofr lifetime plan (commonly 1 TB) lets you keep the Proton subscription for mail while the archive stops costing monthly."

Q: "Is there a file size limit on this pair?"

"Koofr publishes no per-file size cap, and Proton Drive handles large files in chunked uploads without a hard published ceiling — in practice normal libraries cross without splitting anything."

Q: "Can I move only part of my Proton Drive?"

"Yes. Tick individual folders as the source and filter by type, size or date. The sensible split is bulk and archives to Koofr, actively shared E2E content stays in Proton."

Q: "Will my folder structure survive?"

"Yes. The transfer recreates your Proton Drive folder tree inside the Koofr destination folder — nothing arrives flattened."

Q: "How do I cut access after the migration?"

"Two independent levers: revoke the CloudsLinker session in Proton's account security settings, and delete the Koofr app password in Preferences → Password. Neither touches your main passwords."

Move Proton Drive files to Koofr's German data centres — swap a monthly Proton plan for a one-time lifetime deal while keeping data under EU jurisdiction.

Introduction

Both of these clouds exist for the same reason — keeping files in Europe, out of US jurisdiction — but they charge for it differently. Proton Drive is subscription-only: 200 GB on Drive Plus, 500 GB inside the Unlimited bundle, forever monthly. Koofr runs from a 10 GB free-for-life tier through granular paid plans to one-time lifetime deals, all stored in ISO 27001-certified German data centres. The move makes sense for one specific user: someone paying for a Proton bundle mainly for Mail, whose Drive storage is a side benefit that filled up — or a Drive Plus subscriber eyeing a 1 TB Koofr lifetime as the cheaper decade. One honest trade-off sits in the middle: Proton encrypts end-to-end by default, Koofr does not (its free Vault add-on can, per folder). This guide covers the manual export and the server-side copy, and where that trade-off bites.

Method 1: Download from Proton and Re-upload
Method 2: Transfer Proton Drive to Koofr in the Cloud
Quick Comparison
Practical Tips
Frequently Asked Questions

What is Proton Drive?

Proton Drive is the storage arm of Proton's Swiss privacy suite: end-to-end encrypted by default, keys held only by you. Free accounts start at 2 GB (5 GB after onboarding tasks); Drive Plus adds 200 GB and the Unlimited bundle 500 GB — subscription only.

End-to-end encryption by default, Swiss servers
Free 2 GB → 5 GB; Plus 200 GB; Unlimited 500 GB
No lifetime plans — always monthly/annual
Credentials + 2FA for transfer tools

What is Koofr?

Koofr is a Slovenian cloud (since 2013) with all data in ISO 27001-certified German data centres: 10 GB free for life, plans from 25 GB (€0.5/mo) to 20 TB, popular one-time lifetime deals, no per-file size limit, and a free client-side encryption add-on (Koofr Vault).

10 GB free for life; lifetime plans available
German ISO 27001 data centres, EU jurisdiction
No per-file size limit
Optional client-side encryption via Koofr Vault

Comparison: Proton Drive vs Koofr

Feature	Proton Drive	Koofr
Jurisdiction / data location	Switzerland	EU (Slovenia; data in Germany, ISO 27001)
Encryption model	End-to-end by default	At rest + in transit; E2E optional via free Vault
Free allowance	2 GB (5 GB after onboarding tasks)	10 GB, for life
Paid structure	Subscription only: Plus 200 GB, Unlimited 500 GB	25 GB–20 TB yearly, or one-time lifetime plans
Max single file	No hard published cap (chunked uploads)	No published limit
Connection in CloudsLinker	Account credentials + optional 2FA	Email + app password (Koofr API)

Sources: Proton: plans and pricing, Koofr: features and pricing.

Preparing to Transfer from Proton Drive to Koofr

Sort the library by sensitivity first — that decides each folder's destination. Bulk media, archives and finished projects go to regular Koofr storage; anything that genuinely needs zero-access encryption either stays in Proton or lands in a Koofr Vault folder afterwards. Check quota on the receiving end (a Drive Plus quota of 200 GB fits most Koofr paid tiers; size lifetime plans before, not after). Then prepare both credentials: your Proton login with the 2FA device at hand, and a fresh Koofr app password from app.koofr.net → Preferences → Password — Koofr rejects the normal login password for third-party tools.

Method 1: Download from Proton and Re-upload

Step 1: Download from drive.proton.me

Select folders at drive.proton.me and click Download. Decryption happens in the browser as data streams down — end-to-end encryption means there is no server-side ZIP to shortcut this, so large selections take noticeably longer than their size suggests.

Step 2: Upload into Koofr

Sign in at app.koofr.net, create a destination folder and drag the downloaded content in. Sensitive folders can go into a Koofr Vault instead, where encryption happens client-side before upload.

Fine for a few gigabytes. For a full 200–500 GB Proton quota, browser-side decryption plus the double pass over your connection stretches this into days of open browser tabs.

Method 2: Transfer Proton Drive to Koofr in the Cloud

Europe to Europe, server-side

CloudsLinker authenticates to Proton with your credentials and 2FA, reads the drive through Proton's own access protocol, and writes into Koofr over its API with an app password. No browser decryption session to keep alive, and the folder tree from a years-old Proton account arrives intact in the German data centre.

Step 1: Connect Proton Drive

Click Add Cloud → Proton Drive. Enter your Proton email and password, then the 2FA code from your authenticator if enabled. The session appears in Proton's security settings, where it can be revoked later.

CloudsLinker Add Cloud dialog for Proton Drive with email, password and two-factor code fields

Step 2: Connect Koofr

Click Add Cloud → Koofr. Enter your Koofr account email and the app password generated under Preferences → Password — a per-tool credential you can revoke on its own.

CloudsLinker Add Cloud dialog for Koofr titled 'Connect Your Cloud Drive', showing a yellow Koofr Connection Notice that an account email and app password are required (the regular login password will not work) with a link to Koofr → Preferences → Password, above email and password fields and an 'I got it, Authorize Now Koofr' button

Step 3: Configure the Transfer

Set Proton Drive as the source and tick the folders leaving the E2E vault; set Koofr as the destination folder. Filters by type, size or date keep the selection tight. Copy mode leaves Proton untouched until you have verified the arrival.

CloudsLinker transfer configuration with Proton Drive folders checked as source on the left and a Koofr destination folder selected on the right

Step 4: Start and Monitor the Transfer

Start the job and follow the Task List — files done, speed, anything skipped. The copy runs on CloudsLinker's servers; your machine and browser can disconnect.

CloudsLinker Task List monitoring an active Proton Drive outbound transfer

Comparing the Ways to Transfer From Proton Drive to Koofr

Method	Ease of Use	Speed	Best For	Uses Local Bandwidth	Skill Level
Web download / upload	Medium	Slow (browser decryption + double pass)	A few GB; Vault-destined sensitive folders	Yes — twice	Basic
CloudsLinker	Easy	Fast (server-side)	Full-quota moves off a Proton subscription	No	Basic

Practical Tips for Moving Proton Drive to Koofr

Split by sensitivity, not by folder age: the E2E question is the real decision. Bulk to Koofr storage, genuinely sensitive material to Koofr Vault or left in Proton — make that list before connecting anything.
Keep Proton Mail, drop the storage role: most people in this move stay Proton customers — the migration just stops Drive quota pressure from forcing the next bundle tier.
Use a dedicated Koofr app password: one per tool, revocable alone. Delete it in Preferences after the job.
Watch shared Proton links: share links die with the files that back them. Recreate sharing from Koofr (or keep shared folders in Proton) rather than assuming links survive.
Verify before downgrading the Proton plan: spot-check arrivals in Koofr first — free-tier Koofr trash holds deletions only 7 days, and a downgraded Proton account locks writes above its new quota.
Vault the subset that needs it: Koofr Vault is free, open-source and rclone-crypt compatible — client-side encryption for the folders that justified Proton in the first place.
Schedule the tail: if Proton stays active for mail, a monthly scheduled sync keeps sweeping new bulk files into Koofr so the quota problem doesn't rebuild.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Proton stores data in Switzerland, Koofr in ISO 27001-certified data centres in Germany, and the transfer runs server-to-server over TLS between them. That continuity is the point of this pair — it is a move within the European privacy sphere, not out of it.

It ends at the boundary, necessarily: your credentials authorize decryption on access, and Koofr stores files conventionally (encrypted in transit and at rest, but Koofr holds the keys). For folders that need zero-access encryption on the Koofr side, use Koofr Vault — a free, open-source client-side encryption layer compatible with rclone's crypt format.

With your Proton account email and password, plus your 2FA code if enabled — the same credentials Proton's own apps use. Proton offers no OAuth for third-party drive tools, so credential login is the supported path; you can revoke the session from Proton's security settings afterwards.

Most people in this migration keep Proton Mail and drop only the storage role: Unlimited's 500 GB fills, Drive Plus tops out at 200 GB, and both bill forever. Offloading bulk files to a one-time Koofr lifetime plan (commonly 1 TB) lets you keep the Proton subscription for mail while the archive stops costing monthly.

Koofr publishes no per-file size cap, and Proton Drive handles large files in chunked uploads without a hard published ceiling — in practice normal libraries cross without splitting anything.

Yes. Tick individual folders as the source and filter by type, size or date. The sensible split is bulk and archives to Koofr, actively shared E2E content stays in Proton.

Yes. The transfer recreates your Proton Drive folder tree inside the Koofr destination folder — nothing arrives flattened.

Two independent levers: revoke the CloudsLinker session in Proton's account security settings, and delete the Koofr app password in Preferences → Password. Neither touches your main passwords.

Conclusion

A documents folder moves in an afternoon by hand — Proton's web download decrypts in the browser, Koofr's uploader takes the rest. A full Drive Plus quota is a job for the server-side route: Proton connected with credentials plus 2FA, Koofr with an app password, folder tree preserved, no browser session to babysit. Decide the encryption question deliberately: files that genuinely need zero-access encryption should land in Koofr Vault (client-side, rclone-crypt compatible) or stay in Proton; everything else gains a lifetime home in German data centres and loses nothing that matters.

Start Your Free Trial at CloudsLinker