Best cloud storage services with CLI for Debian (formerly Debian GNU/Linux): (Guide)

Overview

Debian GNU/Linux remains a favorite for system administrators, developers and power users seeking stability and control. When selecting a cloud storage solution, having a robust Command-Line Interface (CLI) can simplify automation, scripting and integration with other tools. This article reviews the best cloud storage providers offering native or community-driven CLI support on Debian, compares key features and shows how to get started with each.

Top Recommended Providers for Debian

• pCloud – Secure, zero-knowledge encryption, generous lifetime plans.
• MEGA – 20 GB free, end-to-end encryption, cross-platform CLI (megatools / MegaCMD).
• Proton Drive – From the creators of ProtonMail, strong privacy and open-source CLI.
• Filen – European provider with GDPR compliance and open-source CLI.
• Tresorit – Enterprise-grade encryption, corporate workflows, CLI in beta.
• Icedrive – Modern UI, mounting as drive, CLI support.
• Dropbox – Ubiquitous, integration ecosystem, Python-based CLI.
• Google Drive – Widely used, CLI via gdrive or rclone.
• AWS S3 – Scalable object storage, AWS CLI with advanced features.

Comparison Table

Which Service to Choose?

Your choice depends on:

• Privacy: pCloud (with pCloud Crypto), Proton Drive, Tresorit and Filen offer zero-knowledge encryption.
• Storage Size / Price: MEGA’s 20 GB free tier is attractive Icedrive and pCloud have budget lifetime deals.
• Enterprise Features: Tresorit and AWS S3 deliver granular permissions, compliance and audit logs.
• Integration Ecosystem: AWS S3 and Dropbox integrate with countless apps rclone adds support for Google Drive.
• Self-Hosting / Open-Source: Filen and Proton Drive CLI are fully open-source you can inspect the code.

CLI Usage Guide

pCloud

Install:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install pcloudcc

Authenticate and mount:

pcloudcc -u your@email -p yourPassword --mount-point ~/pcloud

MEGA (MegaCMD)

Install:

sudo apt update
wget https://mega.nz/linux/MEGAsync/Debian_(lsb_release -sc)/Release.key
sudo apt-key add Release.key
echo deb https://mega.nz/linux/MEGAsync/Debian_(lsb_release -sc) ./  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mega.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install megacmd

Login and list files:

mega-login your@email yourPassword
mega-ls /

Proton Drive CLI

Clone and install:

git clone https://github.com/ProtonMail/proton-drive-cli.git
cd proton-drive-cli
sudo make install

Authorize and sync:

proton-drive-cli login
proton-drive-cli sync ~/localfolder /RemoteFolder

Filen CLI

Install via Go:

go install github.com/Filen/cli@latest
filen-cli login

Upload a file:

filen-cli upload ~/file.txt /Backup/file.txt

Tresorit CLI

Download the binary from GitHub Releases and give execute permissions:

wget https://github.com/tresorit/cli/releases/download/vX.Y.Z/tresorit-cli-linux
chmod  x tresorit-cli-linux
sudo mv tresorit-cli-linux /usr/local/bin/tresorit

Login and list:

tresorit login
tresorit list

Icedrive CLI

Install with snap or direct download:

sudo snap install icedrive --edge
# or download tarball from GitHub and extract

Mount drive:

icedrive-cli login
icedrive-cli mount ~/icedrive

Dropbox (dropbox.py)

Install:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3-gpg python3-pip
pip3 install dropbox
wget -O ~/bin/dropbox.py https://www.dropbox.com/download?dl=packages/dropbox.py
chmod  x ~/bin/dropbox.py

Start daemon and status:

~/.dropbox-dist/dropboxd 
dropbox.py status

Google Drive (gdrive / rclone)

Using gdrive:

wget -O gdrive https://github.com/prasmussen/gdrive/releases/download/2.1.0/gdrive-linux-x64
chmod  x gdrive
./gdrive about

Using rclone for Google Drive:

curl https://rclone.org/install.sh  sudo bash
rclone config
# choose drive, follow OAuth flow
rclone ls gdrive:/

AWS S3

Install AWS CLI v2:

curl https://awscli.amazonaws.com/awscli-exe-linux-x86_64.zip -o awscliv2.zip
unzip awscliv2.zip
sudo ./aws/install

Configure and list buckets:

aws configure
aws s3 ls

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

• Missing FUSE module: Some tools require fuse or fuse3. Install with sudo apt install fuse3.
• Authentication errors: Ensure you’ve set correct OAuth scopes or 2FA app passwords.
• Rate limits / API quotas: Google Drive and Dropbox often throttle heavy CLI usage.
• Background daemons: Dropbox CLI and some mounts require you to keep a daemon running.
• File name limitations: Windows-style paths or special characters may need escaping.

By selecting the right provider and mastering its CLI, you can seamlessly integrate cloud storage into your Debian workflows, automate backups and maintain full control over your data.