Encrypt your data in the cloud: Cryptomator vs Boxcryptor

Cryptomator and Boxcryptor encrypt your data in the cloud quickly and easily. You can create vaults that are hosted on a virtual drive and which contain your encrypted data.

Cryptomator and Boxcryptor encrypt each folder and file individually, which is much more efficient and reliable than encrypted full containers (like True Crypt or Vera Crypt). So, if a file is changed, not the whole container has to be re-encrypted and synchronized, but only the file that changed.

Contents

How does is work ?

Most cloud providers encrypt data only during transmission or they keep the keys for decryption for themselves. These keys can be stolen, copied, or misused. Thanks to Cryptomator or Boxcryptor only you have the key to your data in your hand, through an end-to-end encryption.

Those tools allow you to access your files from all your connected devices. It’s easy to use and integrates seamlessly between your data and the cloud. However, this does not permit to edit Office files in the native cloud applications.

Cryptomator and Boxcryptor can also be used to encrypt your data locally, on your phone or on your NAS.

Zero knowledge

Encryption / decryption is performed on your device. Both Cryptomator and Boxcryptor are zero knowledge provider, which means they have no knowledge of your password, and do not store user’s passwords. Although they use different algorithms and process, the principle or zero knowledge is the same.

Encrypt your data in the cloud

Boxcryptor

Boxcryptor is a paid service ($48/year). And even if Boxcryptor can be used free of charge when only one cloud storage is used on two device, it is in fact rarely the case. So think of Boxcryptor as a paid software.

Boxcryptor is proprietary, which means that the code cannot be seen by the public

Cryptomator supports Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, WebDAV based cloud storages and in addition over 30 more cloud providers in total, such as iCloud and SharePoint. But it does not support pCloud.

Boxcryptor works on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.

More info: https://www.boxcryptor.com

Cryptomator

Cryptomator is a free encryption tool. Unlike Boxcryptor, Cryptomator is entirely free. You can choose to donate to the company, but it’s not mandatory.

Cryptomator is open source software, which means that the code is accessible and freely available to everyone. The obvious advantage of this is that it is harder for the vendor to build in backdoors, as the community could discover them.

Cryptomator supports Dropbox, OneDrive, gDrive, pCloud and WebDAV based cloud storages

Cryptomator works on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux.

More info: https://cryptomator.org/

Cryptomator vs Boxcryptor

Here are additionnal differences between both apps:

Cryptomator works immediately without an account, although it is mandatory to register and create an account with Boxcryptor.
Boxcryptor permit sharing files although this if not offered by Cryptomator.

Conclusion

Both tools encrypt data on OneDrive, Dropbox, gDrive. Boxcryptor supports more than 30 cloud storage providers but not pCloud. Cryptomator in the other hand support pCloud.

Cryptomator is free, open source, works on linux and does not require to register. Boxcryptor is not free, proprietary, doesn’t work on linux and requires to register. We’ll go for Cryptomator.