Best cloud storage services with CLI for NixOS: (Comparison)

Best Cloud Storage with CLI for NixOS

NixOS users often seek robust, scriptable cloud storage solutions with first-class Command-Line Interface (CLI) support. This article reviews top contenders—pCloud, MEGA, Proton Drive, Filen, Tresorit, Icedrive—and a couple of extra picks. We compare features, pricing, encryption, NixOS packaging, and show how to install use each service via CLI on NixOS. Troubleshooting tips are included.

Comparison Table

Which One to Choose?

• Scripted Backups Sync: MEGA (megacmd) or rclone with S3/SFTP backends.
• Privacy-First: Proton Drive via rclone or Filen CLI for end-to-end encryption.
• NixOS Integration: pCloud (pcloudcc) and megacmd are packaged in nixpkgs.
• Team Collaboration: Tresorit for granular sharing and compliance.
• Lightweight Mount: Icedrive CLI and pcloudcc FUSE mounts.

Installing Using Each CLI on NixOS

Prerequisite: enable FUSE if you plan to mount drives in NixOS:

# configuration.nix
{
  boot.kernelModules = [ fuse ]
  security.wrappers.fuse = [ fusermount ]
  users.users.yourUser.extraGroups = [ fuse ]
}

pCloud (pcloudcc)

Official FUSE-based client with CLI commands for mount and sync.

1. Install:

nix-env -iA nixos.pcloudcc
# or in configuration.nix:
environment.systemPackages = with pkgs [ pcloudcc ]

pcloudcc --username you@example.com --password yourpass --mountpoint ~/pcloud

pcloudcc --sync local/dir /pcloud/remote/dir

MEGA (megacmd)

1. Install:

nix-env -iA nixos.megacmd
# or in configuration.nix:
environment.systemPackages = with pkgs [ megacmd ]

2. Login:

mega-login you@example.com yourpassword

mega-put localfile /Root/Backup/
mega-get /Root/Docs remote-copy.txt

mega-sync local/dir /Root/remote/dir

Proton Drive (via rclone)

Proton Drive has no native CLI yet use rclone.

1. Install rclone:

nix-env -iA nixos.rclone
# or in configuration.nix:
environment.systemPackages = with pkgs [ rclone ]

rclone config
# Choose new remote, type protondrive, follow prompts for OAuth.

rclone ls protondrive:
rclone copy local/dir protondrive:Backup

Filen (filen-cli)

1. Install:

nix-env -iA nixos.filen-cli
# or configuration.nix:
environment.systemPackages = with pkgs [ filen-cli ]

2. Login:

filen-cli login
# follow interactive prompt, paste token

filen-cli upload ./localfile /remote/path/
filen-cli download /remote/path/file ./localcopy

Tresorit (tresor-cli)

1. Install:

nix-env -iA nixos.tresorit-cli
# or configuration.nix:
environment.systemPackages = with pkgs [ tresorit-cli ]

2. Login:

tresor-cli login
# opens browser for OAuth, then store token

tresor-cli sync start ~/LocalFolder Tresorit/RemoteFolder

Icedrive (icedrive-cli)

1. Install:

nix-env -iA nixos.icedrive-cli
# or configuration.nix:
environment.systemPackages = with pkgs [ icedrive-cli ]

2. Authenticate mount:

icedrive-cli login you@example.com yourpass
icedrive-cli mount ~/icedrive

Extra: AWS S3 via s3cmd

For pure S3 storage, s3cmd is an option.

nix-env -iA nixos.s3cmd
s3cmd --configure   # follow prompts for access key/secret
s3cmd put file s3://mybucket/

Typical Problems Troubleshooting

• FUSE device not found: Ensure fuse module is loaded and your user is in “fuse” group.
• Sandboxing issues: On NixOS with strict sandbox, grant mount point access or disable sandbox in nix.conf.
• OAuth/browser login: Some CLIs open a browser if headless, copy-paste the auth URL on another machine.
• Token storage: CLI tools often store tokens under ~/.config/ltservicegt. Backup or protect that folder.
• Rate limits: Rclone with Proton Drive may hit API limits—batch your transfers or add --tpslimit.

Conclusion

NixOS offers a rich ecosystem of packaged CLI clients for modern cloud storage services. Choose MEGA or pCloud for straightforward mounts and scripting Filen or Proton Drive (via rclone) if end-to-end encryption and privacy are paramount Tresorit for enterprise features Icedrive for a lightweight encrypted drive. With proper configuration in configuration.nix and attention to FUSE/sandboxing, you’ll have reliable, automated backups and synced folders directly from the NixOS command line.