Koofr, a private alternative to Dropbox
I used Dropbox for years because it was "the default." But over time, it became harder to ignore the downsides: device limits on free accounts, constant upsell popups, and growing privacy concerns regarding how they handle personal data.
I started testing alternative cloud storage options looking for something lightweight, secure, and respectful of user data.
pCloud gets recommended a lot, but a few things turned me off. First, they have monthly download traffic cap and throttle large file transfers. Second, their zero-knowledge client-side encryption requires extra paying.
Icedrive lacks native WebDAV support and uses proprietary encryption algorithms rather than open standards. It felt too restrictive and limited for my daily workflow.
That’s when I came across Koofr https://koofr.eu/
It’s an EU-based cloud storage provider that focuses heavily on privacy, transparency, and user control. While it isn't completely open-source, it avoids the corporate bloatware and lock-in of mainstream options.
Here are a few stand-out features that make it a solid Dropbox alternative:
- Zero tracking & GDPR compliant
- Connect external accounts like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox
- WebDAV support
- No device and files size limits
- Built-in duplicate finder & cleanup tools
- Additional client-side encryption (Koofr Vault)
It runs natively on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, plus has a lightweight browser extension for saving web content directly to cloud.
If you rely heavily on real-time collaborative document editing like Google Docs or Microsoft 365 natively inside the browser, Koofr has MS Office integration. However, it feels significantly lighter and less invasive than Dropbox.
If you're looking to deGoogle or move away from Big Tech storage without hosting your own home server, Koofr is definitely worth taking for a spin.