What Is pCloud Crypto?

What is pCloud Crypto?

pCloud Crypto is pCloud’s optional client-side encryption feature, designed for files you do not want anyone else to read, including pCloud itself. It creates a protected Crypto Folder where files are encrypted on your device before upload, and only your Crypto Pass can unlock them.

This page is part of the pCloud FAQ Hub.

How does pCloud Crypto work?

pCloud Crypto works by encrypting files on your own device before they are uploaded to pCloud’s servers. pCloud describes this as client-side encryption with zero-knowledge privacy, meaning the encryption keys are not uploaded or stored on their servers and only you know the Crypto Pass.

In practice, that means files inside the Crypto Folder are unreadable to pCloud, unreadable to anyone snooping on the server side, and useless to anyone who does not know your passphrase. That is the privacy-first bit people are actually paying for.

Is pCloud Crypto included for free?

No. This is one of pCloud’s biggest trade-offs. Crypto is a paid add-on rather than a default feature, which means standard pCloud accounts are more convenient but less private by default than something like Proton Drive.

That does not make Crypto bad. It just means you need to know what you are buying. If privacy is your main reason for choosing pCloud, you should budget for Crypto from the start rather than treat it as an optional extra.

What is the benefit of separate encrypted and normal folders?

This is where pCloud is genuinely clever. Instead of forcing everything into a fully encrypted black box, pCloud lets you keep some files in normal storage and others inside the Crypto Folder. That means you can preserve convenience for ordinary media and backups, while protecting the serious stuff properly.

pCloud itself explains that fully encrypted storage can limit previews, media handling, and other cloud-side features. Their split model is basically a compromise between convenience and paranoia, which, frankly, is how most adults actually use cloud storage.

Is pCloud Crypto worth paying for?

Yes, if you are storing anything genuinely sensitive. Identity documents, financial records, contracts, client information, legal files, personal journals, and private archives all belong in Crypto rather than standard cloud storage. That is exactly the use case it was built for.

If you only want somewhere to dump travel photos and large video files, you may not need it. But if you came to pCloud because you care about privacy, Crypto is the part of the product that actually fulfils that promise.

👉 Read next: Cryptomator + pCloud

BAIZAAR’s pCloud Crypto Offer

If your files need proper privacy, pCloud Crypto is the bit that turns a decent cloud drive into a serious lockbox. Files in the Crypto Folder are encrypted on your device before upload, which keeps pCloud out of the contents entirely.

Best for: Passports, contracts, client documents, financial records, and anything else you would rather not leave readable to the provider.

Claim pCloud’s Crypto Offer here.