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

When working with Linux on Raspbian, having a reliable cloud storage solution that can be fully managed from the command line is essential for headless systems, automated backups, and lightweight setups. Below is a professional overview of the top cloud storage providers offering CLI tools, including pCloud, MEGA, Proton Drive, Filen, Tresorit, IceDrive, plus a universal solution via rclone. We’ll compare features, recommend the best fit for Raspbian, explain how to install and use each CLI, and cover typical troubleshooting tips.

Comparison of Cloud Storage Services with CLI

Top Recommendation for Raspbian

• Ease of Installation: rclone or MEGA via mega-cmd integrate smoothly on Raspbian.
• Privacy/Security: Proton Drive and Tresorit use zero-knowledge encryption.
• Performance: pCloud offers LAN sync and high-speed CDN.
• Budget: Filen and IceDrive provide competitive rates.

Which One Should You Choose?

• If you need a single CLI for multiple backends (Google Drive, S3, Backblaze, etc.), choose rclone.
• If you want seamless encryption with open-source credentials, go for Proton Drive CLI.
• For a mature solution with plenty of free storage, consider MEGA’s mega-cmd.
• On a tight budget, Filen and IceDrive are solid picks.
• For corporate-grade compliance and end-to-end security, Tresorit is worth the premium.

How to Use Each Service with CLI

pCloud (pcloudcc)

Install the official client and mount your pCloud drive as a filesystem.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y pcloudcc
# Authenticate
pcloudcc -u your-email@example.com -p YourPassword
# Mount to /mnt/pcloud
mkdir -p ~/pcloud
pcloudcc --mountpoint ~/pcloud

Common issues: watch out for FUSE version mismatches. If mount fails, upgrade fuse via sudo apt install fuse.

MEGA (mega-cmd)

mega-cmd provides an interactive shell and background sync.

wget https://mega.nz/linux/MEGAsync/Raspbian_11/armhf/mega-cmd_4.6.3-1.1_armhf.deb
sudo dpkg -i mega-cmd_4.deb
sudo apt -f install
# Start the daemon
mega-cmd-server 
# Log in
mega-login your-email@example.com YourPassword
# List remote directory
mega-ls /
# Download a file
mega-get /RemoteFolder/file.txt ~/Downloads

Watch for rate limits. Use --reload flags to refresh sessions if timeouts occur.

Proton Drive (proton-drive-cli)

Third-party tool to interface with Proton Drive’s API.

sudo apt update
curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x  sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs
npm install -g proton-drive-cli
# Login (will open browser auth)
proton-drive login
# List files
proton-drive list
# Download
proton-drive download /MyFolder/file.pdf

Keep your Node.js version updated authentication tokens may expire faster on older Node versions.

Filen (filen-cli)

sudo apt update
wget https://github.com/filen-io/filen-cli/releases/download/v1.2.0/filen-cli-linux-arm64.tar.gz
tar xzf filen-cli-.tar.gz
sudo mv filen /usr/local/bin/
# Authenticate
filen login
# Upload a file
filen upload ~/backup.tar.gz /Backups
# List
filen ls /

Be sure to match the ARM architecture release. v1.x may not support ARMv6—check filen.io.

Tresorit (tresorit-cli)

# Official CLI is in beta—follow their docs for Debian
wget https://download.tresorit.com/debian/pool/main/t/tresorit-cli/tresorit-cli_0.1.0-1_armhf.deb
sudo dpkg -i tresorit-cli_.deb
sudo apt -f install
# Initialize
tresorit login
# Sync a Tresor folder
tresorit sync --local ~/Tresor --remote /MyTresor

Still in beta watch for API changes and ensure you have glibc≥2.28.

IceDrive (icedrive-cli)

curl -LO https://github.com/IceDrive-net/icedrive-cli/releases/download/v0.6.1/icedrive-linux-arm.tar.gz
tar xzf icedrive-linux-arm.tar.gz
sudo mv icedrive /usr/local/bin/
icedrive auth login
icedrive mount ~/icedrive

If mount fails, check fusermount version and enable user_allow_other in /etc/fuse.conf.

Rclone (Universal Client)

Supports dozens of services including Google Drive, AWS S3, Backblaze B2, Dropbox, pCloud, Mega, etc.

curl https://rclone.org/install.sh  sudo bash
# Configure a remote
rclone config
# Example: sync local backup to pCloud
rclone sync ~/backup pcloud:Backups

The real power of rclone is mounting:

rclone mount pcloud: ~/pcloud --vfs-cache-mode writes 

Typical pitfalls: enable --vfs-cache-mode for writes, and ensure you have the right architecture binary.

Typical Problems and Troubleshooting

• Authentication errors: regenerate tokens, ensure system clock is accurate (sudo apt install ntp).
• FUSE mount failures: install/upgrade fuse and uncomment user_allow_other in /etc/fuse.conf.
• Rate limiting on free accounts: stagger uploads or switch to a paid plan for higher throughput.
• Dependency mismatches: use the correct ARM (armhf vs arm64) package for Raspbian.
• Daemon not starting: check logs under /var/log or run with verbose flags like mega-cmd-server --debug.

Conclusion

Each CLI-driven cloud storage service has its strengths: rclone for universal flexibility Proton Drive and Tresorit for top-tier encryption MEGA and pCloud for mature, feature-rich solutions and budget-friendly options like Filen and IceDrive. Choose based on your priorities—security, storage capacity, or cost—and follow the CLI setup steps above to seamlessly integrate cloud storage into your Raspbian workflows.