Google Drive is Google's cloud file storage and sync service, tightly integrated with Docs, Sheets, and the rest of Google Workspace. It's closed source, and files are stored on Google's infrastructure subject to its storage tiers and account policies.
Papra covers a narrower slice of what Drive does — document archiving with search, tags, and email ingestion — rather than being a full file-sync replacement, so it's worth checking that scope matches what you actually need before switching.
FAQ
Is there a free, open-source alternative to Google Drive?
Yes. Papra is open source and free to self-host, though it's focused on document archiving rather than general file sync.
What's the best open-source alternative to Google Drive?
Papra is worth evaluating if your main use case is archiving and searching documents rather than syncing arbitrary files across devices the way Drive does.
What are the top open-source alternatives to Google Drive?
Browse all open-source alternatives to Google Drive above, or explore the full Document Management category for more options.