What you get free
5 GB (2 GB default, up to 5 GB after completing 3 setup tasks within 30 days); Proton Mail's up-to-1 GB is a separate pool
Referrals and promotional tasks can raise this to about 5 GB. That ceiling is deliberately kept out of the headline figure, because a plan you have to keep working for is not the same as one you are simply given.
Taken from Proton Drive's own pricing page on 2026-07-29. Free tiers move, so check the source before you plan around the number.
How it changed
5Every entry below is dated and linked to the announcement it came from. This is the part worth reading before you commit: a free tier that has been cut once can be cut again.
| Date | Change | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| June 9, 2026 | Feature | Proton shipped an official command-line client for Proton Drive, built on the Proton Drive SDK, aimed at scripted uploads, backups and share management without a syncing folder. Introducing Proton Drive CLI | Proton |
| July 4, 2025 | Feature | Proton published a preview of the Proton Drive SDK (C# and JavaScript) on GitHub - the shared engine behind its own clients - while explicitly stating it is not ready for third-party or production use. Proton Drive SDK preview: A first look for open-source developers | Proton |
| April 9, 2024 | Policy | Proton set a 12-month inactivity window for free accounts. Accounts created before 2024-04-09 were given an extended 24-month grace period instead. Inactive accounts | Proton |
| February 20, 2024 | Increase | Proton raised the Proton Free storage allocation for Drive from 1 GB to up to 5 GB, applying to both new and existing free users. The 5 GB is gated: accounts start at 2 GB and unlock the remaining 3 GB by completing an onboarding checklist. Upgraded 5GB Free Storage at Proton Drive (Best Backup Reviews, 21 Feb 2024) |
| September 22, 2022 | Launch | Proton Drive's web app left beta and launched to the general public. The free plan offered up to 1 GB of storage; paid tiers were Drive Plus (200 GB) and Proton Unlimited (500 GB). We're launching Proton Drive, the encrypted cloud storage for everyone | Proton |
What happens if you stop using it
Inactive for 12 months: Proton's Terms of Service state that if a free account has been inactive for 12 consecutive months or more, access to the account and all or part of its data may be suspended or deleted, with all associated data permanently removed. Proton sends reminder…
This is the policy as written by Proton Drive, checked on 2026-07-29. It is the clause people discover too late, which is why it gets its own section.
Can a backup tool reach it?
| rclone | Supported via the protondrive backend docs |
|---|---|
| WebDAV | No — No official WebDAV. Proton offers no WebDAV endpoint or setting; access is via the web app and official… |
| API on the free tier | Unofficial |
Explicit beta + reverse-engineering notice at the top of the page: "Due to the fact that Proton Drive doesn't publish its API…
Should you rely on it?
Not on its own. A free tier is a reasonable third copy under the 3-2-1 rule and a poor only copy, for the reason this page documents: the allowance is a business decision the provider can revise, and several on the tracker already have.
If the data matters, pair it with something you control. The offsite backup guide covers the pattern, and cloud backup options compares paid tiers that come with a retention promise instead of a marketing page.
5 GB (2 GB default, up to 5 GB after completing 3 setup tasks within 30 days); Proton Mail's up-to-1 GB is a separate pool Last verified 2026-07-29.
The tracked history holds 5 dated changes, the most recent being Feature on June 9, 2026. Each entry links the announcement it came from.
After 12 months. Proton's Terms of Service state that if a free account has been inactive for 12 consecutive months or more, access to the account and all or part of its data may be suspended or deleted, with all associated data permanently removed. Proton sends reminder…
Yes, via the protondrive backend. WebDAV: No. Free-tier API access: Unofficial.
No. One copy in one place is not a backup, whoever hosts it. A free tier is a useful third copy inside the 3-2-1 rule, never the only one — free tiers change, and this page exists because they have.