Best cloud storage services with CLI for Arch Linux: (Guide)

Introduction

In the Arch Linux ecosystem, command-line tools are often preferred for their speed, scriptability and integration with other shell workflows. If you’re looking for robust cloud storage solutions that provide a CLI client on Arch, you have several excellent options: pCloud, MEGA, Proton Drive, Filen, Tresorit, Icedrive—and a few more we’ll introduce below. This article presents a detailed comparison, installation notes, usage examples and typical troubleshooting tips for each provider’s CLI on Arch Linux.

Top Recommendations for Arch Linux

• pCloud – Fast, easy to mount via FUSE, up to 10 GB free.
• MEGA – Generous free tier (20 GB), built-in E2E encryption.
• Proton Drive – Privacy-focused, strong encryption, CLI in AUR.
• Filen – Automatic syncing, CLI available via AUR.
• Tresorit – Enterprise-grade security, rclone support.
• Icedrive – Modern client, optional PCIe-style encryption.
• Dropbox – Ubiquitous, stable CLI, 2 GB free.
• AWS S3 – Highly scalable, pay-as-you-go, AWS CLI official.

Comparison Table

Which One to Choose?

• If you want maximum free space and easy FUSE mounting, MEGA or pCloud are ideal.
• For privacy-first, open-source E2E, Proton Drive or Tresorit (via rclone) are best.
• Budget-conscious users may prefer Filen or Icedrive for low starting cost.
• For integration with scripts, CI/CD or AWS ecosystem, AWS S3 is the most flexible.
• Need legacy sync and desktop folders? Dropbox still delivers stable CLI.

How to Use Each with CLI

pCloud

Install from AUR and mount your remote storage:

sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel git
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/pcloudcc.git
cd pcloudcc
makepkg -si

pcloudcc -u youremail@example.com -p YourPassword
# Mount to ~/pcloud
pcloudcc --mountpoint ~/pcloud

MEGA

MEGA-CMD provides login, mount and sync:

sudo pacman -S mega-cmd

# Start the server
mega-cmd-server 

# In another shell, log in
mega-login youremail@example.com YourPassword

# Mount
megafs ~/mega

Proton Drive

Use the community proton-drive-cli:

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/proton-drive-cli.git
cd proton-drive-cli
makepkg -si

# Authenticate (web browser flow)
proton-drive-cli login

# List files
proton-drive-cli ls

# Download
proton-drive-cli download /path/in/drive ~/local/path

Filen

Install and sync a local folder:

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/filen-cli.git
cd filen-cli
makepkg -si

# Configure
filen-cli configure

# Sync local-dir -> remote-dir
filen-cli sync ~/local filen:/remote

Tresorit (via rclone)

Rclone supports Tresorit as a backend:

sudo pacman -S rclone

rclone config
# Choose n for new remote, name it tresorit, provider tresorit.com
# Enter API details from Tresorit web

# List
rclone ls tresorit:

# Mount
rclone mount tresorit: ~/tresorit --daemon

Icedrive

Use icedrive-cli from AUR:

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/icedrive-cli.git
cd icedrive-cli
makepkg -si

# Login
icedrive login youremail@example.com

# Mount
icedrive mount ~/icedrive

Dropbox

Official Dropbox CLI available via AUR:

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/dropbox.git
cd dropbox
makepkg -si

# Start the daemon
dropbox start -i

# See status
dropbox status

# Download specific file
dropbox get /remote/file.txt ~/local/file.txt

AWS S3

Amazon’s AWS CLI supports S3 out of the box:

sudo pacman -S aws-cli

aws configure
# Enter Access Key, Secret Key, region, output format

# List buckets
aws s3 ls

# Sync local -> S3
aws s3 sync ~/local s3://my-bucket/path

Typical Problems and Solutions

• FUSE permission errors: Ensure fuse is installed and your user is in the fuse group.
• Authentication failures: Double-check credentials and two-factor flows run login commands in interactive shells.
• Slow transfers: Some providers throttle bandwidth—enable multi-threading (rclone’s --transfers flag).
• Mount disappears after sleep: Use systemd units or run as --daemon to auto-remount.
• Conflict syncing: Keep local and remote clocks in sync use providers’ conflict resolution or manual intervening.

Conclusion

Arch Linux users have a wealth of cloud-storage CLI options, each with unique strengths. For everyday syncing and mounts, pCloud and MEGA are unbeatable. Privacy aficionados will lean toward Proton Drive or Tresorit. Developers and enterprises may prefer AWS S3 or Dropbox for their mature ecosystems. Armed with this guide, you can install, configure and automate your cloud workflows entirely from the terminal.