Beebeeb vs Dropbox

Dropbox is mature and everywhere — but it can read your files, it’s a US company under the Cloud Act, and it’s closed source. Here’s where Beebeeb differs, and where Dropbox is still the better pick.

5 GB free, no credit card · no lock-in, export anytime

Dropbox’s encryption model, stated plainly

Dropbox encrypts your files at rest and in transit, but Dropbox holds the keys — it can read your files, scan them, and produce them in response to a US legal request. That is not zero-knowledge. Beebeeb encrypts on your device with a key we never receive, so we hold only ciphertext.

Feature
Beebeeb
Dropbox
Zero-knowledge by default
By default — the only mode we have
Dropbox holds the keys and can read your files
Only you hold the keys
Only you. We hold ciphertext we cannot decrypt
Dropbox holds the keys
Open source
Clients + encryption core public; server private
Closed source
Independent crypto audit
~Independent audit planned; findings will be published
~SOC 2 / ISO compliance — but not a zero-knowledge design
Jurisdiction
Falkenstein, Germany · Initlabs B.V. (NL) · no Cloud Act
US company · US Cloud Act applies worldwide
Free tier (zero-knowledge?)
5 GB, zero-knowledge — same encryption as paid
~2 GB · not zero-knowledge
Entry paid plan
€10.99/mo · 1 TB
Plus 2 TB · ~€11.99/mo
CLI & WebDAV
bb push/pull/sync + WebDAV mount
~No official CLI · no WebDAV
Encrypted sharing (expiry / revoke / passphrase)
Files + folders · expiry, revoke, passphrase, max-opens
~Password + expiry on paid plans · not end-to-end
Version history
Recent versions, retention configurable
~30 days (Plus) · 180 days (Professional)
Platform coverage
Web & CLI · mobile and desktop apps coming soon
Web, desktop (Win/macOS/Linux), iOS, Android
No lock-in / data longevity
Open formats · open-source clients outlive us · export anytime
~Export is manual · proprietary sync
Maximum storage
Up to 99 TB self-serve (+€10.99/TB) · custom quote beyond
~3 TB (Professional)

✓ available · ~ coming soon · ✗ not available. Anything marked “coming soon” isn’t live yet — see the roadmap. Competitor details reflect public information as of June 2026; always verify current pricing on each vendor’s site.

What you actually get by switching

Files Dropbox-style convenience, encryption Dropbox can’t match

Your files are encrypted on your device before upload — we hold ciphertext and cannot read it. Dropbox holds the keys, so it (and anyone who compels it) can read your files.

EU jurisdiction, named to the city

Your data lives in Falkenstein, Germany, operated by Initlabs B.V. in the Netherlands. German law has no data-retention mandate. Dropbox is a US company under the Cloud Act, wherever its servers sit.

Open source you can verify

Our clients and encryption core are public — read them, compile them, confirm the claims. Dropbox is closed; you trust the marketing.

A bigger, private free tier

Beebeeb’s free tier is 5 GB with full zero-knowledge encryption. Dropbox’s free tier is 2 GB and is not zero-knowledge.

Scales far past Dropbox’s ceiling

Dropbox individual plans top out around 3 TB. Beebeeb scales to 99 TB self-serve at €10.99/extra TB, with a custom quote beyond.

Who should use which

Dropbox is the better choice if…
  • You depend on Dropbox’s mature desktop sync and native apps today
  • You rely on its huge third-party integration ecosystem
  • Your team already works in Dropbox shared folders and Paper
  • You want the largest install base for sharing with non-users
Beebeeb is the better fit if…
  • You want files the provider literally cannot read
  • EU jurisdiction matters for you or your business
  • You want open source and a genuinely free, private tier
  • You need to scale well past 3 TB

What Dropbox does well

Dropbox effectively invented consumer file sync, and it shows. The desktop clients are mature, sync is fast and reliable, and the third-party integration ecosystem is enormous.

For teams already living in Dropbox — shared folders, Paper, the vast install base for sharing with outside collaborators — the convenience is real, and switching has a cost.

Where Beebeeb is different

The core difference is who can read your files. Dropbox holds the keys, so it can access your data and is a US company under the Cloud Act. Beebeeb encrypts on your device with a key we never receive — we hold only ciphertext.

Add EU jurisdiction in Falkenstein, open-source clients you can verify, a 5 GB zero-knowledge free tier, a CLI and WebDAV, and storage that scales to 99 TB. If privacy and EU data residency matter, Beebeeb is the stronger home; if you need Dropbox’s ecosystem today, it still wins on maturity.

Switching is low-risk by design

Verify, don’t trust. The clients and encryption core are open source — read them before you commit.
A breach only leaks ciphertext. There is nothing readable to steal, because we never hold your keys.
No lock-in. Open formats, open-source clients, export anytime. You are never trapped.
Try before you pay. 5 GB free with the same encryption as paid — no credit card.

Beebeeb vs Dropbox: common questions

Dropbox encrypts files at rest and in transit, but it holds the encryption keys — so Dropbox can read your files, scan them, and produce them on a legal request. It is not zero-knowledge. Beebeeb encrypts on your device with a key it never receives.

Yes. Beebeeb is operated from the Netherlands and stores your encrypted files in Falkenstein, Germany, under EU law — with no US Cloud Act exposure. Your files are encrypted on your device before they ever reach the server.

Yes. Beebeeb’s free tier is 5 GB with full zero-knowledge encryption, versus Dropbox’s 2 GB free tier, which is not zero-knowledge. Both let you try before paying.

Yes. Start with the free 5 GB tier and add your files by dragging them in or scripting uploads with the CLI. One-click import from Dropbox is coming soon to make the switch even faster.

Start with 5 GB free

No credit card. Full encryption from day one. EU infrastructure in Falkenstein, open source.

Join the waitlist →

Last updated June 2026