pCloud

ApplicationpCloud AG

Also called pcloud drive, p cloud

pCloud AGProductivity

A Swiss cloud drive with a Windows sync client. The process is pCloud.exe. It is not Dropbox.

What you need to know

pCloud.exe is pCloud AG. Dropbox.exe is Dropbox.

The Swiss vendor's Windows client is not Dropbox. Lifetime plans, Crypto, and a drive letter are pCloud features. Dropbox has its own Smart Sync story.

What is it?: Cloud sync
Still current?: Yes, see Current status
Official download?: Use the vendor link in this article

Feex says

If pCloud.exe is the tray icon, that is pCloud AG, not Dropbox. I would not unlink Dropbox to stop a pCloud upload.

What is pCloud?

pCloud is pCloud AG's cloud storage. pCloud.exe is the Windows client. Dropbox is a different vendor. pCloud Encryption is an optional paid folder pCloud documents.

If you have never used it

If your files live on pCloud, this is the Swiss vendor's Windows client, not Dropbox. Download it from pCloud's download page. pCloud.exe mounts a drive or syncs folders. Dropbox.exe is Dropbox, Inc. A lifetime pCloud plan is a pCloud contract, not a Dropbox purchase.

What is it used for?

Drive letter or synced folders

pCloud Drive in Explorer. Dropbox uses a Dropbox folder, not this mount.

Optional Crypto folder

pCloud's extra encrypted folder is a pCloud add-on. Dropbox does not sell this SKU.

Share links from the client

pCloud links. A dropbox.com link is a different host.

Who is it for?

People who bought a pCloud plan
Users who want a non-Dropbox brand
Anyone who should not sign into Dropbox for a pCloud folder

Current status

Actively developed. This article is the Windows client, not only the website.

How old is it?

pCloud AG launched in 2013 from Switzerland. Dropbox launched in 2008 in the US. They are different companies and different jurisdictions. A "Swiss privacy drive" pitch is pCloud's marketing, not Dropbox's.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

pCloud Drive

pcloud.com

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor
RAM	Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more.

Resource profile

CPU demand: Follows what you open inside the app
RAM demand: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
pCloud.exe	pCloud Drive client

Startup components

pCloud can start with Windows from its own setting. That is not Dropbox.

File locations

Common pCloud locations
Typical install	C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Roaming\pCloud\pCloud.exe

File formats

whatever you store in pCloud

Common problems

Drive letter missing after a reboot

pCloud Drive is a mount. Restart the client from the tray. That is not a Dropbox overlay issue.

Two clouds on Documents

pCloud plus Dropbox on one tree double-writes. Move one root.

Getting unstuck

Install from pcloud.com's official download page

A "pCloud free storage" search ad is the wrong file. dropbox.com/install is the sibling.

Sign in with the pCloud account

A Dropbox login will not open this folder.

Pause sync from the pCloud tray before you debug Explorer

The worker is pCloud.exe, not Dropbox.exe.

Alternatives

Dropbox, MEGA, and Tresorit overlap. Dropbox is the sibling this article is not.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	www.pcloud.com/download-free-online-cloud-file-storage.html Official installer or vendor page
Help	www.pcloud.com/help.html Vendor support
Official site	www.pcloud.com/download-free-online-cloud-file-storage.html Start here, not a random exe host

Related hardware

A virtual drive wants a healthy disk. First sync still wants network.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

pCloud official site · Vendor product page
pCloud help · Vendor support
pCloud help center · Drive client notes
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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