NordLocker

NordLocker has a free plan with 3 GB of encrypted cloud storage, enough to try it and protect a few important files. Paid plans — from Nord Security, the makers of NordVPN — expand that to much larger tiers, up to 2 TB, and add more sharing and syncing features. The free plan is a genuine ongoing plan, not a trial, though 3 GB is smaller than what MEGA or pCloud give away.

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No — and that's by design. NordLocker is zero-knowledge, so only you hold the keys to your files. If you lose your master password and your recovery code, not even NordLocker can restore access to your data. Store both somewhere safe, because there's deliberately no back door.

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NordLocker is free for the first 3 GB. Its paid plans start at US$14.99/mo and include a 2 TB tier, with the exact price depending on the plan length and any promotion running. Because introductory offers and renewal rates change, check the current pricing on NordLocker's official site before you subscribe. You're paying for zero-knowledge encryption from the well-regarded Nord Security team, but rivals like Icedrive and pCloud undercut it on pure storage value.

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VeraCrypt is free, open-source software for encrypting local drives and containers on your own machine — powerful and highly trusted, but technical to set up and with no cloud storage of its own. NordLocker is a paid, user-friendly app that encrypts your files and also syncs them to its own cloud, with simple sharing and cross-device access. Put simply, VeraCrypt gives you depth, control and zero cost for local encryption; NordLocker trades some of that depth for ease of use and built-in cloud backup.

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Yes. NordLocker applies end-to-end, zero-knowledge encryption (using AES-256 and other modern ciphers), so your files are encrypted on your device before they ever leave it and only you hold the keys. It comes from Nord Security, the well-regarded team behind NordVPN, and inherits their security engineering. The usual zero-knowledge caveat applies: because only you hold the keys, losing your password and recovery code means losing access, so store them carefully.

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