# Proton Drive Application: Proton AG Also called proton drive windows, proton drive Proton AG, Productivity Proton's cloud drive desktop client. The process is ProtonDrive.exe. It is not Dropbox. ## What you need to know ProtonDrive.exe is Proton Drive. Dropbox.exe is Dropbox. Proton's desktop Drive client uses a Proton account. Dropbox is a different company. Proton Mail will not sync this folder by itself. - **What is it?**: Cloud sync **Still current?**: Yes, see Current status **Official download?**: Use the vendor link in this article Feex says If ProtonDrive.exe is the tray, that is Proton Drive, not Dropbox and not Proton Mail. I would not pause Dropbox.exe to stop this upload. ## What is Proton Drive? Proton Drive is Proton AG's encrypted cloud folder. ProtonDrive.exe is the Windows client. Dropbox is a different vendor. Proton Mail and Proton VPN are other Proton apps. ## If you have never used it If you already pay for Proton and want Drive on Explorer, this is Proton Drive, not Dropbox. Download ProtonDrive.exe from proton.me/drive/download. You sign in with a Proton account. Dropbox.exe is Dropbox. Proton Mail is a different Proton exe. This article is Drive. ## What is it used for? **Sync a Proton Drive folder** Files tied to a Proton account. Dropbox will not open them with a Dropbox password. **Share links Proton documents** Proton Drive links. A dropbox.com link is a different host. **Use Drive next to Proton Mail** Same account family. Mail is still a different process than ProtonDrive.exe. ## Who is it for? - Proton customers who want a desktop folder - People who already refuse Dropbox for vendor reasons - Anyone who should not install Dropbox for a Proton share ## Current status Actively developed. The Windows client is newer than Proton Mail. This article is Drive, not Mail. ## How old is it? Proton launched Drive later than Mail. The Windows desktop client arrived in the 2020s (TSV year 2022). Dropbox is a 2008 product. Proton's end-to-end story is Proton's, not Dropbox's. ## Versions Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here. Desktop drive.proton.me ## System requirements Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need. ### Minimum | 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. | ProtonDrive.exe | Proton Drive desktop | | --------------- | -------------------- | ## Startup components Proton Drive can start with Windows from its own setting. That is not Dropbox. ## File locations | Typical install | C:\Users\\\\AppData\Local\Programs\Proton\Drive\ProtonDrive.exe | | --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | ## File formats whatever you store in Proton Drive ## Common problems ### Client missing on an old guide Early Proton Drive was web-only. Install the current desktop build from proton.me/drive/download. ### Two clouds on Documents Proton Drive plus Dropbox on one tree double-writes. Move one root. ## Getting unstuck ### Sign in with the Proton account, not a Dropbox email proton.me is this vendor. dropbox.com is the sibling. ### Install from proton.me/drive/download A "Proton Drive Windows" search ad is the wrong file. ### If you needed Mail, open Proton Mail ProtonDrive.exe will not send mail. That is a different Proton app. ## Alternatives Dropbox, Tresorit, and MEGA 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. | Download | [proton.me/drive/download ](https://proton.me/drive/download)Official installer or vendor page | | ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Help | [proton.me/support/drive ](https://proton.me/support/drive)Vendor support | | Official site | [proton.me/drive/download ](https://proton.me/drive/download)Start here, not a random exe host | ## Related hardware First sync wants disk and network. Encryption work is CPU-light for everyday files. ## Technical details Technical details Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build. ## Related These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link. [Dropbox: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/dropbox)[How to read Task Manager: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/software/system/how-to-read-task-manager) ## Sources and verification Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research). - [Proton Drive official site ](https://proton.me/drive/download)· Vendor product page - [Proton Drive help ](https://proton.me/support/drive)· Vendor support - [Proton Drive support ](https://proton.me/support/drive)· Desktop and web Drive - [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark. ## Was this article useful? A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note. Quick facts The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article. - **Developer**: Proton AG **Category**: Cloud sync **Process**: ProtonDrive.exe **License**: Follows a Proton account. Paid Proton plans raise Drive space **First released**: 2022 **Official site**: [proton.me/drive](https://proton.me/drive/download) **Mapped by Feex**: Seen on Windows PCs in Foxhole Feex Reviewed: Last verified August 2026 --- Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/software/proton-drive/) [Developer guide](https://feex.it/wiki/developers/) | [API policy](https://feex.it/developers/api-policy/) | [Agent guidance](https://feex.it/wiki/llms.txt)