Elba vs Cryptomator: local folder vs cloud-transparent vault

At a glance

The design goals differ, and it shows

Cryptomator's vault format exists because cloud sync is hard. Files must encrypt individually so a one-byte change does not re-upload a gigabyte; names must be scrambled but stable; the whole thing must survive a sync client rewriting timestamps. Every design decision points at Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive.

Elba assumes the opposite: the folder is on your disk and stays there. That lets it be one HTML file with no installer, no drive mounting, and no background process — but it also means it has none of Cryptomator's sync-specific engineering.

Pick Cryptomator if

Your files live in a cloud folder and you want them encrypted before they leave. You need to open the same vault from a phone. You want a formally audited, mature, open-source tool. You like the virtual-drive workflow where every application sees a normal disk. Those are all good reasons and Elba does not compete on any of them.

Pick Elba if

You cannot install software — a work laptop, a Chromebook, a public machine. You want the whole program in one readable file rather than a compiled application. You want a tool with no background process and no update channel. Your folder never goes near a cloud provider in the first place.

Can you use Elba with cloud storage?

You can, with caveats we would rather state than hide. A sealed Elba folder inside a synced directory will upload as ciphertext, which is the outcome you want. But Elba does not chunk files for efficient sync, so a change may re-upload more than Cryptomator would, and two machines editing simultaneously can produce conflict copies.

For a folder you occasionally back up, this is fine. For a folder you actively sync across three devices all day, Cryptomator is the tool built for that job.

The install question decides most of these arguments

Cryptomator needs an installer and, for the virtual drive, a filesystem driver. On your own machine that is unremarkable. On a managed work laptop, a Chromebook, a university lab machine, or a friend's computer, it is often the end of the conversation.

Elba's single-file design exists for that constraint alone. It is not a claim to be better engineered than Cryptomator — it is a different answer to the question of what you are allowed to run.

Vault formats and the long term

Cryptomator's vault format is documented and open, so even if the project stopped tomorrow, the format could be re-implemented. That is a genuinely good position and one more privacy tools should be in.

Elba's version of the same promise is blunter: the program is a single HTML file that already contains its own source, and its licence turns MIT on 1 January 2030. You do not need anyone to re-implement anything, because you already have the implementation.

Who Elba is for

Elba is for a local folder on a machine you control, held by someone who wants to read the program before trusting it. Cryptomator is for a cloud vault you reach from everywhere. Both positions are defensible; they are just not the same position.

Questions people actually ask

Cryptomator or Elba for a local-only folder?

Either works. Elba is lighter and needs no install; Cryptomator is audited and gives you a mounted drive. If you never sync, the install-free option is the simpler life.

Does Elba work with Dropbox or Google Drive?

It works — the sealed files upload as ciphertext — but Elba is not optimised for sync. For heavy multi-device syncing, Cryptomator is the better fit.

Is Cryptomator free?

The desktop app is free and open source. The iOS and Android apps are paid.

Can I open a Cryptomator vault with Elba?

No. The formats are unrelated.

Which one has been audited?

Cryptomator has had independent security audits. Elba has not; its argument is that the whole program is small enough for you to read yourself.

Do I need a phone app?

If yes, choose Cryptomator. Elba runs in a desktop-class Chromium browser and has no mobile app.

Quick answers

• Cryptomator vs a single-file vault — which one for a folder that never leaves your computer?

Compare Elba with other tools

• Elba vs VeraCrypt: two different jobs, honestly compared
• Elba vs Boxcryptor (or: what to do now Boxcryptor is gone)
• Elba vs 7-Zip encryption: when a zip is enough (and when it isn't)
• Elba vs BitLocker: disk vs folder, two layers of the same idea
• Elba vs FileVault: macOS full-disk plus folder-level fencing
• Elba vs age: a GUI for the ‘just encrypt this folder’ case
• Elba vs GPG: signing and PKI vs a small local fence
• Elba vs Proton Drive: sync vs sovereign

All guides

Related guides

• Elba vs Boxcryptor (or: what to do now Boxcryptor is gone)

  Boxcryptor was acquired and shut down for individuals. Elba is one alternative — one HTML file, no account, no cloud.

• How to encrypt files in Dropbox, iCloud, or Google Drive safely

  Seal the folder first, then sync it. A short recipe for using cloud storage without letting the cloud read your files.

• Elba vs VeraCrypt: two different jobs, honestly compared

  Elba and VeraCrypt solve related but different problems. Here's when to pick one over the other for local file encryption.