Cryptomator
Desktop vault encryption that works with ordinary cloud-sync folders.
Cryptomator is an open-source desktop app that encrypts files before they are synced to cloud storage providers. It creates password-protected vaults that appear as virtual drives on the computer, so users can work with files normally while filenames, contents, and folder structure are protected locally.
Why it stands out
- Cloud-provider agnostic: it works with any service that syncs a local directory rather than requiring a specific storage backend.
- No hosted account is involved, so encryption and access control stay on the user’s device.
- Virtual-drive access keeps day-to-day file editing closer to normal filesystem use than manual encrypt/decrypt tools.
- Security design includes per-file metadata, authenticated encryption, scrypt key derivation, and transactional I/O where supported.
- The codebase is public and actively developed, with thousands of commits visible in the repository.
Good to know
- Cryptomator encrypts files but does not provide cloud storage or synchronization by itself; a separate sync or backup service is still needed.
- Because there is no online account service, password loss can mean losing access to encrypted vault contents.
- The repository page covers the desktop app; mobile availability and pricing are not described here.
- Modifying or redistributing outside the GPLv3 terms may require the project’s commercial license.
Photos
People using Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Nextcloud, or similar sync folders can add client-side encryption without switching storage providers. Keep sensitive work documents in an encrypted vault before cloud backup or sync. Create multiple vaults with different passwords for separate projects or risk levels. Review or build the software from source when open-source security tooling is required.
Native desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux; works with cloud services that sync a local folder; virtual-drive workflow; AES-256 encryption; encrypted filenames and obfuscated folder structure; multiple vaults with separate passwords; GPLv3 source code with a commercial licensing option.
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Similar sites elsewhere
- VeraCrypt — veracrypt.fr
- Picocrypt — picocrypt.org
- rclone — rclone.org
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