Is pCloud Safe for your private files?
pCloud is a cloud storage service founded in 2013, providing users with cloud storage to upload, sync, access, and share files across devices, including computers and mobile phones.
The company offers free and paid plans, including lifetime storage options, file sharing tools, automatic backup features, and optional zero-knowledge encryption through its paid pCloud Crypto service.
Throughout this article, we will answer the question: Is PCloud safe, along with covering the following topics:
- pCloud features
- pCloud safety, security, and privacy
- Security concerns of pCloud
- Internxt vs pCloud comparison
Table of contents
- pCloud features
- Is pCloud safe for your private files?
- Internxt vs pCloud
- Internxt vs pCloud overview
- Related articles
- Frequently asked questions
pCloud features
pCloud offers monthly, annual, and lifetime plans with the following features:
- Up to 10TB cloud storage
- Password-protected file sharing and branded links
- File back-ups and syncing
- Music and video streaming
- File versioning
- Available on multiple platforms
Aside from cloud storage, pCloud also offers pCloud Pass, an encrypted password manager that can create and save secure passwords for your accounts to prevent them from being hacked.
With it, you can also share passwords securely, use biometrics to access accounts, and access your password manager on multiple devices and browsers.
pCloud Pass is another paid feature available for individual use for €149, or for families for €253, which you can share with up to 5 members.
Is pCloud safe for your private files?
Lack of zero-knowledge encryption
pCloud technically has zero-knowledge encryption, but it’s not the default encryption, even when you buy an account.
Some services, like Icedrive Icedrive, don’t include zero-knowledge for free plans, but if you purchase an account, you do get it. pCloud doesn’t include zero-knowledge encryption, even when you pay for a plan. Instead, it charges you an additional fee to get this kind of encryption.
The cost of this encryption depends on whether you have a monthly, annual, or lifetime plan. The costs of pCloud encryption are below.
- Monthly: €4.99 extra per month
- Annual: €49.99 extra per year
If you keep your pCloud subscription for five years, you will pay these additional costs just for zero-knowledge encryption
- Monthly: €59.88 a year, €299.40 every five years, plus monthly subscription costs.
- Annual: €49.99 a year, €249.95 every five years, plus annual subscription costs.
If you want to avoid subscription costs, pCloud does offer lifetime plans for up to 10TB, but again, you have to pay for zero-knowledge encryption, which costs an extra €150.
Is pCloud safe without this encryption? pCloud does use end-to-end encryption for all its plans, but if you want full private cloud storage with zero-knowledge encryption, there are better options where you don’t have to pay extra.
Companies like Internxt include zero-knowledge encryption for its free, annual, and lifetime plans, giving you the best privacy at no extra cost.
It also includes post-quantum encryption for all plans, the first cloud storage to do so, and the best encryption to future-proof the security of your cloud storage against hackers and advanced cyberattacks.
The risks: Without zero-knowledge encryption, the company holds the encryption keys to your data, so these companies can view all your files in the cloud.
If they can see what you store in the cloud, they can also delete your account if they suspect you are violating pCloud's terms & conditions.
pCloud can delete your accounts
Many users on Reddit have complained that pCloud has deleted their lifetime accounts, seemingly for no apparent reason. Even after contacting support, pCloud would give vague explanations or no reason at all.
While some say this was because users violated terms and conditions, others have stated that their accounts were deleted out of nowhere, with no clear reason.
The risks: unless you use zero-knowledge or a third-party encryption software, if pCloud can view your files, they can delete your account, causing you to lose all your data and your money.
Account breaches
In early February 2026, users on Reddit reported files and folders in their pCloud accounts that did not belong to them, allowing them to see sensitive information from other pCloud users, such as:
- File metadata
- Folder names
- Emails
- Directory names
Some users reported being able to access or download these files, while others can only see the file names or metadata.
It still shows a huge lack of security and privacy, and pCloud commented on this, saying:
“We are actively investigating the root cause across multiple accounts, as we have received similar reports recently. Our engineering team has been alerted, and internal logs indicate that a rare synchronization anomaly may be affecting some users. This matter is being reviewed at the highest level.”
As a GDPR compliant company, pCloud has 72 hours to notify affected users, but there has been no official notification from pCloud about it, as of yet; only information from users who contacted their support team.
The risks: Even limited visibility of file names or directory structures can reveal sensitive information about activity or content. This information can then be used for phishing attacks, targeted scams, social engineering, or profiling, causing a loss of privacy and potentially a loss of finances. Phishing emails
Phishing emails
Users of pCloud have also reported many phishing emails notifying them of suspicious login or other activities from their accounts. It’s unclear how scammers got these emails of pcloud users, but pCloud denies a data breach, so the origin of how these emails got involved in these phishing attempts is unclear.
The risks: Phishing emails increase the risk of account takeover, data theft, file deletion, or extortion, while repeated fake alerts can also cause users to ignore legitimate security warnings and erode trust in the platform.
Transparency
pCloud is not open source, so the code used to build its software, encryption, and data protection is not available to view by anybody except pCloud employees.
As a result, any potential security vulnerabilities can not be viewed or fixed by independent security experts, and there is no way of knowing how pCloud truly protects your data and the privacy of your files.
The risks: If there is a flaw in access controls or key handling, it may remain hidden until discovered through an incident or external testing. For pCloud users wondering is pCloud safe, it is impossible to be sure, as its security, encryption, and data handling are kept hidden.
Privacy laws
pCloud claims Swiss privacy, but this is not 100% true. Its company is based in Sofia, Bulgaria, and you can choose to store your data in US or European data centers, not in Switzerland. As a result, they are subject to GDPR, and Bulgarian privacy laws apply to pCloud.
The risks: Misleading or unclear claims about Swiss privacy, despite being located in Bulgaria and subject to European privacy laws, reduce the trust in whether the marketing language accurately reflects the company’s real data governance and infrastructure.
Internxt vs pCloud
Internxt is the best alternative to pCloud if you want to store your files in total privacy with zero-knowledge and post-quantum encryption for all its free, annual, and lifetime plans.
As Internxt offers zero-knowledge encryption as standard, you don’t need to pay an extra €150 to get this feature, offering your full privacy and huge savings if you choose an Internxt lifetime plan.
Internxt Drive also has many features for your security and privacy within its cloud storage plans, which include:
- Post-quantum, zero-knowledge encryption
- File backups & syncing
- Password-protected file sharing
- File versioning
- Two-Factor authentication
- Video streaming
- Available on all platforms
- WebDAV and native rclone support
Internxt plans offer up to 5TB of storage, but you can also stack these plans whenever you need, so you don’t have to worry about your cloud becoming full or migrating your files to another provider.
If your needs are centered on cloud storage only, then Internxt also offers up to 100TB of lifetime storage with its official partner, StackSocial. These plans include cloud storage only, but you do have the option to upgrade these plans to get the extra features of Internxt included.
With this in mind, if you need a large amount of lifetime storage, with award-winning and private encryption, then Internxt may be more suitable to store your files in privacy over pCloud.
Security and encryption
The biggest concern when investigating is pCloud safe is its encryption and past security concerns regarding deleted accounts and data leaks, as we mentioned previously.
As Internxt uses zero-knowledge encryption at no extra cost, files are encrypted directly on your device, meaning nobody, not even Internxt, can see them.
As a result, it is impossible for Internxt to see or delete your files, so unlike pCloud, you don’t have to worry about files going missing or your lifetime account being deleted.
Internxt uses a combination of AES-256 and Kyber 512 encryption. With this combination, Internxt keeps your files secure from hackers and against future cybersecurity threats that could break the current encryption used by pCloud and other cloud providers unless they update their encryption to the recommended post-quantum security by 2035.
Open source and audited
Internxt's privacy mission is also reflected in its values of transparency and ensuring users that all their data is stored safely in Internxt Drive.
Internxt makes all its source code available on its GitHub so anybody can review the code and ensure that all security measures are up to date, and there are no backdoors to user data.
By making its source code available, Internxt allows anybody to verify its security and functionality.
On top of this, Internxt has been independently audited by Securitum, a security company that verifies the Internxt platform as secure, private, and protected against hackers.
Therefore, with Internxt, you can be sure that your files are kept secure and private not only by encryption, which has also been verified by the top security experts in the cybersecurity industry.
Compliance
No matter what industry you work in, Internxt offers multiple compliance options to fit with your personal, business, or enterprise security needs. Aside from GDPR compliance, which ensures your personal data is handled securely, Internxt also has the following compliance certifications:
- ISO 27001: An international standard for managing and protecting information security. It defines requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving an information security management system.
- HIPAA: A U.S. law that sets standards for protecting sensitive health information and ensuring patient data privacy and security.
- SOC 2: A security framework that evaluates how companies manage customer data based on five trust principles: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.
Full privacy suite
With pCloud, you get cloud storage, pCloud Crypto, and pCloud Pass as paid additional extras.
With Internxt, all paid plans include:
- Backups
- Antivirus
- VPN
So not only do you get secure, encrypted cloud storage, you get additional security for your device to protect it from malware, ransomware protection, and secure web surfing with the Internxt VPN.
Internxt also offers Internxt Cleaner, Meet, and upcoming features such as encrypted email with Internxt Mail, and automatic photo backups with Internxt Photos.
For full details of Internxt plans, you can visit our pricing page or check out the features of our plans below.
Pricing
Internxt plans start at just €1.70/month, or lifetime plans are available starting at €323 for a single payment. With lifetime plans, you can split the cost with Klarna over 3 interest-free payments, or pay with crypto if you want to ensure maximum privacy.
Although pCloud offers more storage, it becomes more expensive if you take into account the added features of zero-knowledge encryption, which is essential for your privacy. Internxt also offers more features, giving you everything you need to protect your files online.
You can choose your perfect Internxt plan, and learn more about Internxt vs pCloud via our website.
Internxt vs pCloud overview
For peace of mind that your files are stored in European data centers with the most advanced encryption available, Internxt is the best secure cloud storage to keep your files, photos, and videos in total privacy.
Get started for 87% off from our website below!
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Frequently asked questions
Is pCloud safe?
pCloud uses end-to-end encryption for its cloud storage, but whether it is fully private depends on the encryption you purchase. Considering reports of potentially leaked emails, deleted accounts, and other users viewing other people’s files in their cloud, there are more secure, private options available, such as Internxt.
Does pCloud use zero-knowledge encryption?
No, pCloud plans do not include zero-knowledge encryption; you have to purchase this as a paid extra during checkout.
What is the best pCloud alternative?
Internxt is the best pCloud alternative as it offers full zero-knowledge encryption for all plans, is totally open source, and offers a full privacy suite to ensure your cloud, personal data, and devices are secure and have the maximum protection possible.
Can pCloud view my files?
Yes, if you don’t have the additional encryption, pCloud can view or delete your files, or even your lifetime cloud storage account if it suspects you violated its terms & conditions.