Dropbox vs Proton Drive:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Dropbox had more branded searches than Proton Drive among file sync services worldwide. Dropbox had about 5 million branded searches, while Proton Drive had 246,000. Dropbox made up 8.8% of all file sync service searches we track, and Proton Drive accounted for 0.43%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about file sync services, Dropbox appeared in all five answers and Proton Drive in three. Dropbox was mentioned before Proton Drive in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Dropbox, about 20 searches for every 1 for Proton Drive
Who does AI mention more?
Dropbox, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Dropbox, named ahead of Proton Drive in every answer
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Top file sync services in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Dropbox appeared in all five answers. Proton Drive was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Dropbox was listed before Proton Drive in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Dropbox1st
Google Drive2nd
OneDrive3rd
Syncthing4th
Proton Drive5th
Sync.com6th
pCloud–
Box–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Google Drive5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- OneDrive5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Dropbox5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Proton Drive3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Syncthing3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Sync.com3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- pCloud0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Box0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about file sync services
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which file sync service should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best file sync services?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best file sync service for files on all devices?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“file sync services”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cloud file sync”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is Dropbox or Proton Drive more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Dropbox and Proton Drive by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight file sync services we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Dropbox, Proton Drive. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Google Drive | OneDrive | Dropbox | pCloud | Proton Drive | Syncthing | Box | Sync.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 66% | 24.1% | 8.9% | 0.54% | 0.24% | 0.2% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 69% | 20.6% | 9.3% | 0.68% | 0.25% | 0.2% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 67.4% | 20.3% | 11.1% | 0.67% | 0.3% | 0.24% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 69% | 20.6% | 9.3% | 0.56% | 0.31% | 0.25% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 69% | 20.6% | 9.3% | 0.56% | 0.31% | 0.2% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 65.8% | 24.1% | 8.8% | 0.65% | 0.36% | 0.24% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 68.9% | 20.6% | 9.3% | 0.68% | 0.31% | 0.25% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 69% | 20.6% | 9.3% | 0.56% | 0.37% | 0.25% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 64.6% | 23.6% | 10.6% | 0.64% | 0.35% | 0.23% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jul 2026 | 68.8% | 20.7% | 9.3% | 0.68% | 0.37% | 0.25% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 68.7% | 20.7% | 9.2% | 0.68% | 0.45% | 0.25% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 65.7% | 24% | 8.8% | 0.8% | 0.43% | 0.19% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
How has the Dropbox and Proton Drive comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Dropbox was ahead of Proton Drive in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Dropbox’s share of searches among file sync services worldwide moved from 8.9% to 8.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 5M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Proton Drive’s share of searches among file sync services worldwide moved from 0.24% to 0.43%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 135K to 246K.
How did search popularity change for file sync services worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
Dropbox’s share of searches among file sync services worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 10.6% to 8.8% in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Proton Drive worldwide rose 82.2% over 12 measured months, from 135K to 246K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Dropbox’s and Proton Drive’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Dropbox
1 branded search term
- dropbox
Proton Drive
1 branded search term
- proton drive
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