Best European Alternatives to iCloud Photos (2026)
iCloud Photos is where most iPhones back up pictures by default. Your library sits with Apple, a US company under US law, and unless you turn on Advanced Data Protection, Apple holds the keys to it. European photo backup services store your photos in Europe, and several encrypt them so only you can see them.
Replace iCloud Photos with a private photo backup service based in Europe. Compare Proton Drive, Filen, pCloud and more, all operated under European privacy law.
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Proton Drive (Switzerland)
Swiss encrypted cloud storage where files are locked before upload, so even Proton's staff cannot see what you store.
✓ Open source ✓ Audited ✓ Free tier -
Filen (Germany)
German cloud storage where your files are encrypted on your device before uploading, so nobody but you can access them.
✓ Open source ✓ Free tier -
pCloud (Switzerland)
Swiss cloud storage with a generous free plan. Or pay once for lifetime storage instead of a monthly subscription.
✓ Free tier -
Jottacloud (Norway)
Norwegian cloud storage that automatically backs up your photos and files, with no ads or activity tracking.
✓ Free tier -
Koofr (Slovenia)
Slovenian cloud storage where you can also connect your existing Dropbox or Google Drive and manage everything from one place.
✓ Free tier
Host it yourself
Open-source software you run on your own server, NAS or an always-on computer at home. Your data never leaves your hands and nobody can close your account, but you look after updates and backups yourself. Because you hold the data, these can be developed anywhere.
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Immich (Self-hosted)
Google Photos on your own server. Phone apps back up your pictures automatically, with search, faces, maps and shared albums.
✓ Open source ✓ Free tier -
PhotoPrism (Self-hosted)
Organise and browse your whole photo library on your own server, with smart search and maps. Built in Germany.
✓ Open source ✓ Free tier
Replacing more than iCloud Photos?Swipe through the apps you use and get a step-by-step switch plan. No account needed.
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