Best cloud storage services with CLI for elementary OS: (Comparison)

Introduction

Elementary OS users who work daily in the terminal often need reliable cloud storage that offers a robust Command-Line Interface (CLI). In this article, we review the top cloud services with CLI tools—pCloud, MEGA, Proton Drive, Filen, Tresorit, Icedrive—and add a few more options like Dropbox and Google Drive via rclone. We provide a detailed comparison table, recommendations, step-by-step CLI usage instructions, and common troubleshooting tips for each solution.

Top Cloud Storage Solutions with CLI Support

• pCloud
• MEGA
• Proton Drive
• Filen
• Tresorit
• Icedrive
• Dropbox
• Google Drive (via rclone)

Comparison Table

Which One to Choose?

• Privacy Security: Tresorit, Proton Drive, Filen, MEGA, and Icedrive offer end-to-end encryption. Tresorit is enterprise-grade, while Proton Drive integrates with Proton’s privacy ecosystem.
• Budget-Friendly: pCloud and Icedrive provide competitive pricing with lifetime plans. pCloud’s client-side encryption add-on is optional.
• Open Source Enthusiasts: Google Drive via rclone or Dropbox with dropbox-uploader—both community-maintained.
• Large Storage Needs: Filen and Dropbox (2 TB) suit heavy users.
• Cross-Platform Integration: MEGA has a mature CLI (megacmd) and GUI apps for all platforms.

How to Use Each with CLI

1. pCloud (pcloudcc)

Official CLI client that mounts your pCloud as FUSE volume.

Installation on Elementary OS:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install fuse
wget https://linux.pcloud.com/pcloudcc/releases/pcloudcc_latest_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i pcloudcc_latest_amd64.deb
sudo apt -f install

Login and mount:

pcloudcc -u your_email -p your_password --mountpoint ~/pcloud

2. MEGA (megacmd)

Full-featured CLI with scripting support.

Installation:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install curl gnupg
curl -sL https://mega.nz/linux/MEGAsync/xUbuntu_(lsb_release -rs)/Release.key  sudo apt-key add -
echo deb https://mega.nz/linux/MEGAsync/xUbuntu_(lsb_release -rs)/ ./  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mega.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install megacmd

Login and usage:

mega-login your_email your_password
mega-mkdir /Root/backup
mega-put ~/Documents/report.pdf /Root/backup/
mega-ls /Root/backup

3. Proton Drive (proton-drive-cli)

Unofficial CLI requires Proton CLI.

Installation via pip:

sudo apt install python3-pip
pip3 install proton-drive-cli

Authenticate and sync:

proton-drive-cli login
proton-drive-cli list
proton-drive-cli upload ~/file.txt /MyDrive/

4. Filen (filen-cli)

CLI for Filen with encryption.

curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/filen-io/filen-cli/master/install.sh  bash
filen-cli login
filen-cli sync ~/Photos/ filen://MyPhotos/

5. Tresorit (tresorit-cli)

Enterprise-grade encryption.

sudo snap install tresorit
tresorit login
tresorit createfolder Work
tresorit upload Work report.docx

6. Icedrive (icedrive-cli)

Modern zero-knowledge cloud.

sudo snap install icedrive --edge
icedrive login
icedrive mount ~/icedrive
icedrive upload ~/notes.txt Notes/

7. Dropbox (dropbox-uploader)

Community script using Dropbox API.

git clone https://github.com/andreafabrizi/Dropbox-Uploader.git
cd Dropbox-Uploader
chmod  x dropbox_uploader.sh
./dropbox_uploader.sh
# Follow on-screen instructions to link account
./dropbox_uploader.sh upload file.txt /

8. Google Drive via rclone

Universal cloud syncing tool.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install rclone
rclone config
# Choose drive, follow OAuth flow
rclone ls remote:
rclone sync ~/Backup remote:Backup

Typical Problems and Troubleshooting

• Authentication Failures: Ensure correct credentials and two-factor codes. For OAuth (rclone), confirm browser session is active.
• FUSE Mount Errors: Install fuse and run sudo modprobe fuse. Ensure your user is in the fuse group.
• Missing Dependencies: Read the official docs install curl, gnupg, snapd or pip as required.
• Permission Denied: Check file modes, use chmod x for scripts, and avoid running GUI-only commands in pure SSH sessions.
• Slow Transfers: Try splitting large uploads, use multithreading flags (rclone -P --transfers 8), or check network bandwidth.

With this guide, Elementary OS users can confidently choose and operate their preferred cloud storage solution entirely from the CLI. Whether you prioritize security, cost, or open-source tooling, there’s a fitting option ready for seamless terminal integration.