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Google Drive Alternative: File Storage That Doesn't Train AI on Your Data

Google Drive is convenient until you read the privacy policy. Here's the file manager we use instead — your files, your control, integrated with your workspace.

Your files should belong to you, not train someone else’s model.

The Google Drive tradeoff

Google Drive is free (up to 15GB). It syncs everywhere. It integrates with Gmail and Docs. Hundreds of millions of people use it.

But you’re not the customer. You’re the product.

Google’s terms allow them to scan your files for “product improvement” and advertising. In 2023, they started using Drive data to train AI models. Opt-out is buried. Compliance is unclear.

For personal photos? Maybe fine. For client contracts, financial records, proprietary designs? That’s a different conversation.

We needed file storage that was ours — no scanning, no training, no ambiguity.

What a real Google Drive alternative looks like

“Cloud storage” is commodity. Every alternative offers folders and sync. A real alternative for teams needs:

  1. Folders and hierarchy — organize like you always have
  2. Search that works — find files by name, content, metadata
  3. Preview without downloading — images, PDFs, documents render in-browser
  4. Integration with your tools — files link to tasks, deals, docs, not just sit in a folder
  5. Data ownership — self-hosted option, clear privacy, no AI training

That’s what Drive in the Vault delivers.

The switch: what gato Drive does differently

Folders that make sense

Create folders. Nest them. Drag files to reorganize. No “Shared with me” confusion. No “My Drive vs Team Drive” split. One hierarchy, clear ownership.

Search everything

Full-text search across file names and, for supported formats, content. Find “Q3 budget” whether it’s in the filename or inside the spreadsheet.

Filter by:

  • File type (documents, images, spreadsheets)
  • Date modified
  • Folder location

Preview without the download dance

Click an image — lightbox opens. Click a PDF — renders in-browser. Click a document — opens in Doc. No “download to view” friction.

Files linked to work

Attach a file to:

  • A Kanban card (design assets for the task)
  • A CRM deal (proposal PDF, signed contract)
  • A Doc (embedded reference, inline preview)
  • A Slide presentation (images, charts)

The file isn’t just stored. It’s connected to context.

Your data, your servers

Run the Vault locally (Electron) and files stay on your machine. Deploy to your own infrastructure and files stay on your servers. No third-party scanning, no AI training, no “we changed our terms” surprises.

A real workflow: organizing client deliverables

Here’s how our agency uses gato Drive:

  1. Create client folder — Clients / Acme Corp / 2026
  2. Sub-folders by project — Website Redesign, Brand Guidelines, Q1 Campaign
  3. Upload assets — drag PNGs, PDFs, PSDs into the right folder
  4. Link to deal — attach the proposal PDF to the CRM deal; click from the deal to open
  5. Link to tasks — attach design files to Kanban cards; designers open directly
  6. Search later — “Acme logo” finds the PNG, the PDF brand guide, and the Figma export

One drive. Files connected to everything. No Google scanning.

What you keep from Google Drive

  • Folder hierarchy
  • Drag-and-drop upload
  • File previews
  • Search
  • Sharing with permissions

We didn’t build a Google Drive clone. We built file storage for teams who care where their data lives.

Try it

Open the Drive app — no account required for local storage. Create folders, upload files, preview a PDF. See how it feels when your files aren’t someone else’s training data.

Because Drive lives in the Vault, your files connect to:

  • Doc — embed files and images in documents
  • Grid — store spreadsheets alongside assets
  • Slide — pull images into presentations
  • CRM — attach contracts to deals

One platform, full data ownership.