Cryptomator

Encrypts the files you keep in any cloud folder before they leave your device.

Instead of Trusting Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive with readable files

cryptomator.org

Screenshot from cryptomator.org, taken 2026-10-30, shown to help you recognise the tool. It belongs to its maker. Ask us to remove it.

Suppose you rent a storage unit from a company that keeps it safe but can look inside any box you leave there. You could move out, or you could keep the unit and put your belongings in a locked chest of your own before they go in. Cryptomator is the locked chest for cloud storage: it encrypts the files you keep in any cloud folder before they leave your device, inside a vault of your own, and it works with any sync service because it only sees a folder. The company behind it, Skymatic in Germany, has made the code open for anyone to inspect, and it runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS.

So you keep the storage you already pay for or already like, and the people who run it hold only scrambled files. Cryptomator scores a 5 on footprint, lock-in and longevity and a 4 on self-direction, power and delivery. The desktop apps are free with every feature, so trying it on a computer costs nothing.

Phones are where money comes in. The free mobile versions only read, and editing costs a one-time payment of about 30 euros per platform, which is how development is paid for. That choice keeps Cryptomator from the top Power score, though it is hard to call unfair for a program that does this much for nothing on the desktop.

In daily use you unlock the vault, work with your files as usual, and the cloud folder receives only the encrypted version.

What stands out

• Locks your files in an encrypted vault inside any cloud folder
• Open code from a German company, free on the desktop
• Editing on a phone costs about 30 euros per platform

For comparison, we also reviewed Google Drive (15/30) as a benchmark.