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

Best Cloud Storage Solutions with CLI for Ubuntu

Managing files in the cloud from the Linux command line can boost productivity, automate backups, and integrate storage into scripts. For Ubuntu users, several providers offer robust APIs or native clients that work seamlessly in a terminal environment. In this article we’ll cover six popular services—pCloud, MEGA, Proton Drive, Filen, Tresorit, and Icedrive—plus two additional recommendations (Nextcloud and Backblaze B2). You’ll find a side-by-side comparison table, guidance on which to choose, step-by-step CLI setup instructions, and common troubleshooting tips.

Comparison Table

Which Service Should You Choose?

• Casual amp Fast Setup: pCloud or MEGA – generous free tier and Ubuntu packages.
• Privacy-focused: Proton Drive, Filen or Tresorit – enforced zero-knowledge encryption.
• Scripting amp Automation: Any provider via rclone for a unified CLI interface.
• Self-hosting: Nextcloud if you have your own server or VPS.
• Cost-efficient archival: Backblaze B2 for pay-as-you-go bulk storage.

CLI Setup amp Usage

1. pCloud

Ubuntu ships pcloudcc in universe. This client mounts your storage as filesystem.

sudo add-apt-repository universe
sudo apt update
sudo apt install pcloudcc

# Authenticate and mount
pcloudcc -u you@example.com -p YourPassword --mountpoint ~/pcloud

# Basic operations
ls ~/pcloud
cp ~/localfile.txt ~/pcloud/

Common issues: If mount fails, ensure FUSE is installed (sudo apt install fuse) and your kernel modules allow user mounts.

2. MEGA (MEGAcmd)

Official MEGA command-line suite provides login, sync, and file transfer.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install megacmd

# Login once per session
mega-login you@example.com YourPassword

# List your remote root
mega-ls /Root

# Upload / download
mega-put ~/local.txt /Root
mega-get /Root/remotefile.txt ~/Downloads

Common issues: Beware rate limits if you exceed free bandwidth. Use mega-sync for bidirectional folder sync.

3. Proton Drive (via rclone)

Proton doesn’t yet ship an official CLI, but rclone supports it natively.

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

# Configure remote
rclone config
#   n) New remote
#   name> proton
#   Storage> 13 (Proton Drive)
#   Follow OAuth2 authorization in browser.

# List and copy
rclone ls proton:
rclone copy ~/Documents proton:Backup

Common issues: If OAuth fails, ensure your default browser is available or follow the manual token flow per rclone prompts.

4. Filen

Filen provides an official CLI via Snap and also rclone support.

# Install snap if needed
sudo apt update
sudo apt install snapd

# Install Filen CLI
sudo snap install filen-cli

# Login and upload
filen-cli login
filen-cli upload ~/report.pdf /backup/report.pdf

# Or use rclone
rclone config
#   choose filen storage type
rclone copy ~/projects filen:MyProjects

Common issues: Snap confinement may prevent file access—use classic mode (snap install filen-cli --classic) if you hit permission errors.

5. Tresorit (via rclone)

Tresorit’s Linux app is GUI-only, but rclone supports Tresorit:

rclone config
#   n) New remote
#   name> tresorit
#   Storage> tresorit
#   Follow OAuth flow.

rclone lsd tresorit:
rclone sync ~/Photos tresorit:CameraUpload

Common issues: OAuth token expiry—simply rerun rclone config reconnect tresorit: to refresh.

6. Icedrive

Icedrive offers a CLI and WebDAV endpoint plus rclone support.

# Official CLI (AppImage)
wget https://download.icedrive.net/linux/icedrive.AppImage
chmod  x icedrive.AppImage
./icedrive.AppImage login you@example.com YourPassword
./icedrive.AppImage upload ~/video.mp4 /Videos

# Or mount via WebDAV
sudo apt install davfs2
echo https://webdav.icedrive.net/ /mnt/icedrive davfs _netdev,uid=1000,gid=1000 0 0  sudo tee -a /etc/fstab
sudo mount /mnt/icedrive

# Or use rclone
rclone config
#   Storage> icedrive
rclone copy ~/Music icedrive:Music

Common issues: WebDAV speeds may vary for better throughput use the native AppImage CLI or rclone.

7. Nextcloud (Self-hosted)

If you run your own Nextcloud server, you can use the official nextcloudcmd or occ and rclone:

# Install Nextcloud client
sudo apt install nextcloud-client

# One-way sync
nextcloudcmd ~/Nextcloud https://cloud.example.com/remote.php/webdav

# Server admin CLI
sudo -u www-data php /var/www/html/occ status

# Or rclone
rclone config
#   Storage> webdav
#   URL> https://cloud.example.com/remote.php/webdav
rclone sync ~/Docs nextcloud:Documents

Common issues: SSL certificate mismatches—add --no-check-certificate to rclone commands or fix your cert chain.

8. Backblaze B2 (via Official CLI or rclone)

Backblaze B2 is ideal for inexpensive archival.

# Install official B2 CLI
pip3 install b2

# Authorize
b2 authorize-account  

# Upload / download
b2 create-bucket mybucket allPrivate
b2 upload-file mybucket ~/video.mov video.mov
b2 download-file-by-id  ~/video.mov

# Or rclone
rclone config
#   Storage> b2
rclone copy ~/Backup b2:mybucket

Common issues: B2 demands bucket names be globally unique choose a distinctive name.

Troubleshooting amp Tips

• Authentication Failures: Re-run rclone config reconnect remote: or client login commands.
• Mount Permissions: Ensure your user is in the fuse or davfs2 groups and that /etc/fuse.conf allows user mounts.
• Bandwidth Limits: Free tiers often cap transfer rates—consider a paid plan or schedule large uploads off-peak.
• File Path Issues: Watch out for spaces and special characters wrap paths in quotes or escape spaces.
• Automating with Cron: Use absolute paths and test your commands manually before adding to crontab.

Conclusion

Whether you need end-to-end encryption, large free storage, or budget archival, there’s a CLI-friendly cloud for Ubuntu. For a unified experience, rclone often simplifies workflows across providers. If you prefer native clients, tools like pcloudcc, MEGAcmd or Filen’s official CLI deliver direct integration. Evaluate your storage requirements, encryption needs, and budget to make the best choice—and tame the cloud from your terminal!