Best cloud storage services with CLI for Proxmox: (Guide)

Introduction

Proxmox VE is a powerful, open-source virtualization platform widely used for hosting VMs and containers. Integrating reliable cloud storage via CLI can simplify backups, offsite replication, and data archiving. This article explores the best cloud storage providers offering native or community-driven CLI tools compatible with Linux (including Proxmox), compares their features, recommends top choices, and shows sample commands along with typical troubleshooting tips.

Top Recommended Providers

• pCloud
• MEGA
• Proton Drive
• Filen
• Tresorit
• Icedrive
• Dropbox (via rclone or official CLI)
• Google Drive (via rclone)
• Amazon S3 (via AWS CLI)
• Backblaze B2 (via b2 CLI or rclone)

Comparison Table

Which One to Choose?

• For budget enthusiasts: Backblaze B2 offers rock-bottom storage pricing. Use the b2 CLI or rclone integration.
• For ease of use and security: Proton Drive (via rclone), pCloud (native CLI) or Tresorit.
• For large free space: MEGA provides 20 GB free and strong end-to-end encryption, accessible via megacmd.
• For enterprise grade: Amazon S3 or Tresorit with SLA and multi-region support.

CLI Usage Examples

pCloud (pcloudcc)

# Install pCloud Backup CLI on Debian/Ubuntu
apt update
apt install pcloudcc

# Authenticate
pcloudcc -u your@email.com -p yourpassword

# Upload a backup
pcloudcc --upload /var/lib/vz/dump/vzdump-qemu-101-2024_01_01-00_00_00.tar.lzo /

MEGA (MEGAcmd)

# Install MEGAcmd on Debian-based
wget -O - https://mega.nz/keys/MEGA_signing.key  apt-key add -
echo deb https://mega.nz/linux/repo/xUbuntu_(lsb_release -rs)/ ./  tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mega.list
apt update
apt install megacmd

# Login
mega-login your@email.com yourpassword

# Sync Proxmox backup folder
mega-sync /var/lib/vz/dump /CloudBackups/Proxmox

Proton Drive (rclone)

# Install rclone
curl https://rclone.org/install.sh  bash

# Configure Proton Drive remote
rclone config create proton drive 
  client_id YOUR_ID client_secret YOUR_SECRET

# Sync a folder
rclone sync /var/lib/vz/dump proton:ProxmoxBackups

Filen (rclone)

# Using rclone to connect Filen
rclone config create filen filen 
  user YOUR_EMAIL pass YOUR_PASSWORD

# List buckets
rclone lsd filen:

# Upload VM backup
rclone copy /var/lib/vz/dump filen:proxmox

Tresorit (rclone)

# rclone config for Tresorit
rclone config create tresorit tresorit

# Backup a VM
rclone copy /var/lib/vz/dump tresorit:Backups/Proxmox

Icedrive (rclone)

# rclone config for Icedrive
rclone config create icedrive icedrive

# Sync daily backups
rclone sync /var/lib/vz/dump icedrive:DailyProxmox

Dropbox (Dropbox CLI)

# Install Dropbox CLI
apt install python3-gpg dropbox

# Run and link account
dropbox start -i

# Upload a file
dropbox upload /var/lib/vz/dump/vzdump-100.tar.lzo /Proxmox

Amazon S3 (AWS CLI)

# Install AWS CLI
apt install awscli

# Configure
aws configure
# Provide AWS Access Key, Secret, region

# Copy backup
aws s3 cp /var/lib/vz/dump s3://your-bucket/proxmox/ --recursive

Backblaze B2 (b2 CLI)

# Install b2 CLI (part of b2sdk or pip)
pip3 install b2

# Authorize
b2 authorize-account YOUR_KEY_ID YOUR_APP_KEY

# Upload
b2 sync /var/lib/vz/dump b2://proxmox-backups

Typical Problems Troubleshooting

• Authentication Failures: Ensure time sync (ntp) and correct credentials. For OAuth tools like rclone, delete and reconfigure the remote.
• Rate Limits: Some providers throttle frequent API calls. Introduce --bwlimit or --tpslimit in rclone to avoid 429 responses.
• Mount/FUSE Errors: Check fuse and kernel headers are installed. Use modprobe fuse if needed.
• Partial Uploads: Use --retries and --low-level-retries flags or dedicated resume options in MEGAcmd.
• Permission Denied: Run as root or grant proper read permissions to Proxmox backup folders. Consider wrapping commands in Proxmox hooks.

Conclusion

Choosing the right cloud storage for Proxmox CLI backups depends on budget, encryption requirements, and desired integration complexity. For straightforward setup with a native tool, pCloud or MEGA shine. For enterprise or ultra-low pricing, AWS S3 or Backblaze B2 are ideal. Finally, rclone’s flexibility makes nearly every service accessible under a unified interface—perfect for multi-provider strategies.