Key Takeaways
- Proton’s online suite now includes Docs in Proton Drive, a private alternative to Google Docs with end-to-end encryption.
- Docs in Proton Drive has a minimal interface optimized for text editing, but it lacks support for spreadsheets or presentations.
- Proton Docs may not replace Google Docs entirely, but it is attractive for privacy-conscious students, office workers, and writers.
Proton has been creating private alternatives to Google apps since 2014. There’s Proton Mail, Calendar, Drive, Pass, and various others. Now there’s Docs in Proton Drive, a private take on Google Docs that is much more than just a clone.
Proton Users Can Now Edit Documents Online
If you’re trying to trade out Google for Proton, what do you do about the lack of a Google Docs alternative? With Docs in Proton Drive, the suite now includes a way to type up documents and share them with others, without sacrificing the privacy that attracts people to Proton in the first place. Like Google Docs, you can import documents and collaborate with others in real time, leaving comments to one another in the process.
This feature is included with all Proton plans, including the free one. This makes it accessible as a private online tool for anyone, regardless of your investment in the Proton ecosystem.
What’s So Good About Proton Docs?
Okay, Docs in Proton Drive has arrived. Here’s what sets it apart from Google Docs.
End-to-End Encrypted Collaborative Documents
Google’s business model is also its Achilles’ heel—whatever you type into a search box or text field on any Google service is fair game for the company to log, remember, and monetize. In exchange for convenience, you give the company insights into your personal inquiries, work, and communications.
Docs in Proton Drive is end-to-end encrypted. That means whatever you type is scrambled up and converted into a private, unreadable format before it leaves your computer. It doesn’t become readable again until the next time you open it on your machine or consciously share it with someone else. Unlike most web services, not even Proton can see what you type.
The security isn’t 100% foolproof. There are potential exploits that can circumvent these security measures, but the fact that someone has to target you and your specific files explicitly is a big step up for your privacy. It’s worth migrating your online data to an end-to-end encrypted cloud storage provider if you haven’t already.
A Minimalist Interface
While Docs in Proton Drive may be an alternative to Google Docs, it’s not a clone. You do not see a menu bar at the top like in Google Docs. You do get a similar formatting toolbar, floating in a bubble.
Most of the window is empty, which makes Docs in Proton Drive feel more like a distraction-free text editor than a full-blown office suite. Yet this is not a simple Markdown writer like Obsidian or Jotterpad. You format documents using the toolbar, and you can export and import DOCX format files.
Documents-Only, No Spreadsheets or Presentations
For the time being, this is only an alternative to Google Docs. There isn’t yet a way to create a spreadsheet or a slideshow as you can with Google Sheets and Google Slides.
That means, for the time being, Docs in Proton Drive is a tool best suited for writers. It can be useful for a school paper or workshopping notes with others, but it’s not yet a full office suite replacement.
Can It Replace Google Docs?
Is Docs in Proton Drive actually as good as Google Docs? That depends on your needs. I really dig Proton’s interface and find it a more attractive way of writing than Google’s offering. It’s also a quick way to view documents sent to your Proton Mail account.
Yet Docs in Proton Mail is not as full-featured as Google Docs, which itself isn’t as feature-rich as Microsoft Word. Nor is there a mobile app available. For the time being, the only way to access Proton’s new word processor is inside a browser. But for people who consider Google products a non-starter, there’s a lot to like here.