What Proton Drive's Official Mac App Gives You (and Where It Stops)
Proton Drive is a Swiss, end-to-end-encrypted cloud storage service, and its official Mac app covers the basics well: encrypted upload and download, a synced local folder, and file sharing. For a lot of people, that's enough.
Where it tends to stop is flexibility. The official client generally centers on syncing your Drive (or its default folders) rather than letting you pick any arbitrary folder on your Mac, it doesn't offer a lightweight mount-only view that skips a full local copy, and it isn't built for moving files directly between Proton Drive and other cloud providers or for restic-style encrypted backup snapshots with restore history.
OurClone connects to Proton Drive with the same account email and password you already use, and adds three things on top: sync any folder, mount it in Finder, and encrypted backup with restore. The rest of this guide links to a focused how-to for each.
1. Sync Any Folder to Proton Drive
Instead of being limited to a default synced folder, OurClone lets you pick any folder on your Mac — your Desktop, a project directory, an external drive — and sync it to Proton Drive. The sync keeps the destination matching the source, so files you remove locally are cleaned up on Proton Drive too, and vice versa depending on direction.
This is the right choice when you want an ongoing mirror of a specific folder without touching your whole Drive.
Read the full guide: Proton Drive Sync on Mac — Sync Any Folder You Want
2. Mount Proton Drive as a Local Finder Volume
Mounting is different from syncing: instead of copying every file to your Mac, OurClone presents Proton Drive as a live volume in Finder. Folders appear immediately, and file contents stream down only when you actually open something — so a large, encrypted Proton Drive doesn't have to eat your Mac's disk space.
This is the right choice when you want to browse or occasionally edit files without keeping a full local copy, or when you just want Proton Drive to behave like a normal folder in Finder.
Read the full guide: Mount Proton Drive on Mac — Open It Right in Finder
3. Back Up Mac Folders to Proton Drive, Encrypted
For anything you actually can't afford to lose, OurClone can create a password-protected restic backup repository on Proton Drive. Backups are encrypted before they leave your Mac, snapshots are versioned so you can restore an earlier copy, and you can exclude the folders you don't want included.
This is the right choice for archives, project folders, or anything where you want restore points, not just a live mirror.
Read the full guide: How to Back Up Mac Folders to Proton Drive (3 Easy Ways)
Which One Do You Actually Need?
Most people only need one of these to start. Here's the quick way to decide:
- 🔁 Want a folder to stay mirrored on Proton Drive over time? Use sync.
- 🗂️ Want to browse or lightly edit Proton Drive without syncing everything to disk? Use mount.
- 🔐 Want restore points for something important, encrypted end to end? Use backup.
- 🧩 Not sure yet? All three connect through the same Proton Drive account inside OurClone, so you can add the account once and try any of them.
FAQ: Using Proton Drive on Mac with OurClone
Do I need macFUSE?
Only if you plan to mount Proton Drive. OurClone's macOS mount feature relies on macFUSE, so install it once before your first mount. Sync and backup jobs don't require macFUSE — it's only needed for the mounted-volume workflow.
Is my Proton account password safe?
Proton Drive is added to OurClone with your Proton account email and password (plus a 2FA code if you have two-factor authentication enabled). Because Proton Drive encrypts your data end to end, your files stay encrypted in transit and at rest; treat your Proton password the same way you would anywhere else, and re-enter it if you ever change it or update your 2FA settings.
What does the free version limit?
OurClone's free tier supports up to 2 connected remotes, 2 backup repositories, and 2 concurrent tasks at a time. If you're already using OurClone with other cloud accounts, adding Proton Drive alongside them may hit that limit — Pro removes the cap.
Can I use sync, mount, and backup on the same Proton Drive account?
Yes. Add Proton Drive once in Add Storage, then use it as the source or destination for a sync job, a mount, and a backup repository independently — they don't conflict with each other.