Best Boxcryptor Alternatives (Now That Boxcryptor Is Gone)

Quick Answer

Boxcryptor — the client-side encryption tool that sat on top of Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive — was acquired by Dropbox and is no longer available to individual users. If you relied on it, there are two honest ways to replace it:

• Want to keep using Google Drive or Dropbox? Install Cryptomator (free, open-source, multi-platform). It does exactly what Boxcryptor did: it creates an encrypted vault inside your existing cloud, so only ciphertext leaves your device. This is the closest like-for-like replacement.
• Open to switching clouds? Move to a cloud that is end-to-end encrypted natively — so the encryption is built in and you no longer need a separate layer. Solid options include Proton Drive, pCloud (zero-knowledge via its Crypto Folder), Internxt, Tresorit and Filen.

Below: how each option works, a comparison table, how to choose, and a migration guide.

What Happened to Boxcryptor — Honestly

Boxcryptor was an overlay encryption tool. It didn't store your files; it sat between you and your existing cloud, encrypting each file on your device before it synced to Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive or others. The cloud provider only ever saw encrypted data — a zero-knowledge layer on top of a cloud that wasn't itself zero-knowledge.

Boxcryptor was acquired by Dropbox, and after the acquisition it stopped being offered to new individual users and is no longer available as a standalone consumer product. We're deliberately not quoting a precise date or pricing detail here, because the only thing that matters for your decision is this: if you're an individual looking for Boxcryptor today, you can't get it — you need an alternative. The good news is that the replacements are mature, and several are free and open-source.

Two Ways to Replace Boxcryptor

There are exactly two approaches, and which one fits depends on whether you want to keep your current cloud.

Approach A — Encrypt your existing cloud yourself (the overlay, just like Boxcryptor). You keep Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud or OneDrive, and you add a free encryption layer on top. This is the path that changes the least. The tool for this is Cryptomator.

Approach B — Switch to a natively end-to-end encrypted cloud. Instead of bolting encryption onto a cloud that doesn't have it, you move to a cloud where encryption is built in by default. No separate layer to maintain. This is cleaner long-term, but it means migrating your files. Options: Proton Drive, pCloud (Crypto Folder), Internxt, Tresorit, Filen.

Approach A: Cryptomator (and VeraCrypt)

Cryptomator is the most direct Boxcryptor successor. It creates an encrypted vault inside a folder that your normal cloud client syncs. Each file — and its filename — is encrypted locally with AES before it ever reaches the cloud, so the provider stores only ciphertext. It's open-source, free on desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux), has paid iOS and Android apps, and has published independent security audits. Crucially, it works with any cloud you already use, which is exactly the Boxcryptor use case. For a deeper technical comparison, see our Cryptomator vs VeraCrypt guide.

VeraCrypt also encrypts files locally, but with a different model: it creates a fixed-size container (or encrypts a whole disk) that mounts as a virtual drive. That's excellent for an external SSD or a USB key, but it's a poor fit for cloud sync — changing one file inside a large container forces the entire container to re-upload. Use VeraCrypt for local/offline volumes, not as a daily Boxcryptor replacement for cloud sync.

Approach B: Native End-to-End Encrypted Clouds

If you'd rather stop maintaining a separate encryption layer, switch to a cloud where it's built in:

• Proton Drive — Swiss jurisdiction, end-to-end encrypted by default on all files, open-source clients. The cleanest "encryption is the default" option.
• pCloud — Swiss company; encryption-at-rest by default, with zero-knowledge available specifically through its optional paid Crypto Folder. Offers lifetime plans.
• Internxt — open-source, end-to-end encrypted, Spanish jurisdiction (GDPR), lifetime plans available.
• Tresorit — zero-knowledge by default, Switzerland, with ISO 27001 and HIPAA certifications — aimed at regulated organisations.
• Filen — open-source, end-to-end encrypted, based in Germany (GDPR).

We won't quote exact prices or storage tiers here, since promotions change; check each provider's current page before buying. What's verifiable and stable is the architecture: each of these encrypts your files in a way the provider can't read.

Comparison Table

Key point: Cryptomator is the only option that lets you keep your current cloud — it's the overlay, like Boxcryptor. Everything else in the "native" column means moving your files to a new, encrypted-by-default cloud.

How to Choose

• You want to keep Google Drive / Dropbox / OneDrive → Cryptomator. It replicates what Boxcryptor did and costs nothing on desktop.
• You're happy to switch clouds for a simpler, built-in setup → a native end-to-end encrypted cloud (Proton Drive for an all-in-one Swiss ecosystem, pCloud for lifetime storage with a Crypto Folder, Internxt for open-source EU, Tresorit for compliance, Filen for open-source EU).
• You need to encrypt a local disk or USB key, not a cloud → VeraCrypt.

If you're still unsure whether overlay or native encryption suits you, our explainer on what zero-knowledge encryption is clarifies what "the provider can't read your files" actually guarantees.

Migration Guide

The move off Boxcryptor is straightforward whichever approach you pick.

If you choose Cryptomator (keep your cloud):

1. Install Cryptomator on your computer and make sure your cloud's desktop client (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) is syncing a local folder.
2. Create a new vault inside that synced folder.
3. Move your files into the unlocked vault. Cryptomator encrypts them and your cloud syncs the ciphertext automatically.
4. If your files were previously inside a Boxcryptor folder, decrypt them there first (while you still have access), then move the plaintext into the new Cryptomator vault.
5. Install the mobile app if you need access on iOS/Android, pointing it at the same vault in your cloud.

If you choose a native encrypted cloud (switch clouds):

1. Open a free account with your chosen provider (Proton Drive, Internxt, Filen and others offer a free tier to start).
2. Decrypt your files out of Boxcryptor while you still can, into a local folder.
3. Upload them to the new cloud via its desktop client.
4. Verify a few critical folders opened correctly before deleting anything.

A short, practical primer on the mechanics is in our guide on how to encrypt a file.

The Bottom Line

Boxcryptor going away isn't the problem it first looks like. If you want to keep your existing cloud, Cryptomator does the same job for free and is open-source. If you'd rather have encryption built in, a native end-to-end encrypted cloud removes the separate layer entirely. Either way, you end up with files the provider genuinely cannot read — which is the whole point of using Boxcryptor in the first place.