Legacy cloud drive
Legacy encrypted storage
Useful when the primary job is legacy encrypted cloud storage, broad drive access, and selected-folder sync inside a cloud-drive account model.
Big legacy encrypted storage is not the same as isolated file operations.
MEGA is known for legacy encrypted cloud storage and large storage allowances. PhotonFile is built for people who do not want every sensitive workflow to live under one broad old-school cloud-drive model. Use separate Vaults for separate work domains, Relay for live delivery, Secure Inbox for external intake, and per-Vault sync when local boundaries matter.
PhotonFile
Encrypted Vault domains
Better when the client, project, team, or sensitivity level should be the security boundary, not just another folder in a broad drive.
File operations
Live, intake, sync, retain
PhotonFile separates Relay, Secure Inbox, Photon Vault, Vault Sync, Teams, File Passes, and Account Region Move.
Containerized isolation
Size is not separation.
A large legacy encrypted cloud drive is useful, but size is not separation. PhotonFile Vaults are security boundaries. Use separate Vaults for clients, projects, teams, departments, media workflows, legal matters, finance, or sensitivity levels.
Vaults are the boundary
PhotonFile treats Vaults as work domains, not just folders inside a giant drive.
The risk is operational: when everything lives in one broad account-drive model, people start treating sync settings and folder permissions as the only boundary. PhotonFile moves the boundary up to the Vault.
Media Vault
Isolate personal or media workflows and keep them separate from corporate or client work.
Corporate Core Vault
Separate finance, HR, legal, or executive files and grant only intentional access.
Client Vault
Give one project its own workspace and attach Secure Inbox for intake.
Delivery Vault or Relay
Use Vault for retained access. Use Relay for live handoff.
MEGA is storage-heavy. PhotonFile is workflow-specific.
| Operational pain | MEGA-style legacy encrypted cloud drive | PhotonFile |
|---|---|---|
| Large storage | Strong legacy storage-first value. | Storage by choice through Vault. |
| Live one-time delivery | Transfer and share workflow tied to cloud product. | Relay or File Pass live handoff. |
| External uploads | Legacy cloud-drive sharing and intake model. | Secure Inbox ingress-only upload. |
| Security boundary | Legacy account, folder, and sync model. | Vault as encrypted domain. |
| Local sync | Selected folder sync inside a legacy cloud drive. | Per-Vault local sync domains. |
| Team cost | Plan and vendor dependent. | Owner-powered eligible teams. |
| Region operations | Vendor dependent. | Account Region Move guide. |
Where PhotonFile wins
- Vault: folders organize files. Vaults isolate work.
- Relay: live secure file transfer when delivery, not retention, is the job.
- Secure Inbox: give outsiders an upload page, not a workspace view.
- Per-Vault sync: keep client, project, and team boundaries visible on disk.
- Region control: Account Region Move is a documented workflow.
When MEGA may still fit better
MEGA is a good fit when the priority is legacy encrypted cloud storage and a familiar legacy cloud-drive workflow.
PhotonFile is the better fit when separation, intake, live delivery, and Vault-scoped operations matter more than one large drive.
Choose the PhotonFile workflow
Need a MEGA alternative built around Vault domains?
Put the boundary where the risk lives: around the client, project, team, or sensitivity level.