Alternatives to Cryptomator
Encrypts a folder inside your existing cloud storage, so Dropbox or OneDrive holds files it cannot read. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Cryptomator
Encrypts a folder inside your existing cloud storage, so Dropbox or OneDrive holds files it cannot read.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Cryptomator.
gocryptfs
An encrypted overlay filesystem for Linux that encrypts each file individually, so cloud sync and backups only move what changed.
gocryptfs gives per-file encryption for synced folders on Linux, with an independent audit, but it is command-line based, macOS support is beta and it has no mobile apps.
securefs
Mounts an encrypted directory as a normal filesystem.
securefs encrypts and authenticates each file for storage in a cloud sync folder on Windows, macOS and Linux, but it is a command-line tool that needs FUSE or WinFsp.
cppcryptfs
Mounts a gocryptfs-encrypted folder as a Windows drive letter, encrypting file contents and names transparently.
cppcryptfs mounts gocryptfs-format folders as Windows drive letters under the MIT license, but it is Windows only and needs the Dokany driver installed separately.
CryFS
An encrypted filesystem that protects files stored in cloud storage, including their metadata and folder structure.
CryFS is free under LGPL-3.0 and also hides folder structure and metadata, but it runs only on macOS and Linux with no Windows or mobile apps.
AxCrypt
A file encryption app that protects files and folders with AES-256 before sharing or cloud storage.
AxCrypt encrypts individual files in Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox and allows sharing with other AxCrypt users, but it is paid and not open source.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Cryptomator as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Folder Lock
A Windows program that locks and encrypts files and folders inside password-protected lockers.
Cryptomator is open source under GPL-3.0 with free desktop apps on Windows, macOS and Linux, encrypting a folder vault aimed at cloud storage with paid mobile apps.
NordLocker
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage for backing up, syncing and sharing files across devices.
Cryptomator encrypts a vault inside cloud storage you already use, is open source under GPL-3.0, needs no account, and charges for its mobile apps.
SiriKali
Graphical manager for encrypted folders created by gocryptfs, securefs and similar tools.
Cryptomator is a self-contained graphical vault tool with its own encryption, so no separate backend is needed, and it adds Android and iOS apps sold separately.
Steganos Data Safe
Commercial encryption software that stores sensitive files inside encrypted virtual drives on Windows.
Cryptomator is open source with free desktop apps on Windows, macOS and Linux, creating vaults that mount as virtual drives and suit cloud storage folders.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
VeraCrypt
Disk encryption that creates encrypted containers, encrypts whole partitions, and can encrypt the drive Windows boots from.
Picocrypt
A tiny, single-purpose file encryption tool using XChaCha20 and Argon2id. Archived by its author, but still working.
Arq
Encrypted backup software for Mac and Windows that stores backups in your own cloud account or disk.
cryptsetup and LUKS
The standard Linux full-disk encryption layer.
