Dropbox keeps your files forever—accessible to anyone with the link or account access. Konfidant destroys the file the moment it's opened. Different tools for very different threat models.
Try Konfidant freeBottom line
Dropbox is a workspace—the right tool for storing and syncing files your team needs long-term. Konfidant is a one-way courier—the right tool when a file must reach exactly one person, exactly once, and then disappear.
If your team needs a shared drive with version history and synced access, Dropbox is built for that. If you need to send a sensitive file that must not persist after delivery—contracts, credentials, M&A documents, medical records—Dropbox has no burn-on-read mechanism. Konfidant does.
How Konfidant and Dropbox handle encryption, data retention, and access control.
| Feature | Konfidant | Dropbox |
|---|---|---|
| End-to-end encrypted | ||
| File destroyed after first download | ||
| Zero-knowledge storage (provider can't read files) | ||
| Admin cannot access team files | ||
| Persistent cloud storage | ||
| Team collaboration and file syncing | ||
| Version history and file recovery | ||
| Access audit log | Business plans only | |
| Custom domain for download links | ||
| GDPR deletion guarantee | Partial |
Dropbox and Konfidant solve different problems. Here's what matters when the stakes are high.
Dropbox encrypts files at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS), but Dropbox holds the encryption keys. Dropbox staff, infrastructure attackers, and law enforcement with a valid order can access your file content. That's not end-to-end encryption—that's encryption with a spare key kept by someone else.
Konfidant encrypts files client-side before upload. The decryption key is embedded in the download link and never stored on Konfidant's servers. Konfidant never holds plaintext.
Dropbox stores files indefinitely—until you manually delete them. Even after deletion, files may persist in version history or backups for 30 to 180 days depending on your plan. Deleted doesn't mean gone.
Konfidant has one retention policy: the file is deleted from storage the moment it's first downloaded. Not after a recovery window. Not after a grace period. Immediately.
On Dropbox Business plans, admins can view and manage all team files. Any account that can be compromised—an admin account, an IT account, a third-party integration—can access every file in the workspace.
Konfidant has no persistent storage for an admin to access. After the file is delivered, it no longer exists. There's no shared folder to breach, no version history to subpoena.
For law firms, healthcare providers, and financial institutions, Dropbox's key-control model creates risk. Dropbox can be subpoenaed. Files in version history remain accessible long after you think they've been removed.
Konfidant's zero-knowledge, burn-on-read model means there's nothing to subpoena after delivery. Audit logs record who accessed the file and when—useful for legal, regulatory, and due diligence requirements.
They're designed for opposite use cases. Here's how to decide quickly.
Use Dropbox when
Use Konfidant when
No. Dropbox encrypts files at rest and in transit, but Dropbox holds the encryption keys. This means Dropbox staff and law enforcement with a valid order can access your files. End-to-end encryption—where only the sender and recipient hold the keys—is not something Dropbox offers for standard plans. Konfidant uses client-side encryption so your files are encrypted before they leave your device and Konfidant never holds plaintext.
Technically yes. Dropbox holds the encryption keys and their employees have the ability to access file content, though Dropbox states they have strict access controls and auditing in place. For files containing attorney-client privileged information, personal health data, or trade secrets, a model where the provider holds the keys is a structural risk. Konfidant uses zero-knowledge encryption—even Konfidant cannot read your files.
Yes, on Dropbox Business plans. Team admins can view, manage, and recover files stored in the team workspace. Any admin account that gets compromised exposes every file in the organization. With Konfidant, files are deleted immediately after delivery—there's no persistent storage for an admin to access, and no shared folder that becomes a single point of failure.
Dropbox can be used with appropriate Business Associate Agreements for HIPAA workloads, but its key-control model means files are accessible to Dropbox and subpoenable by law enforcement. For attorney-client privileged material or PHI that must be sent to a third party, a zero-knowledge, burn-on-read model like Konfidant provides stronger protection—the file is gone after delivery.
A Dropbox shared link gives the recipient (and anyone they forward it to) indefinite access until you manually revoke it, or until the file is deleted and cleared from version history. A Konfidant link is single-use: the file is encrypted client-side, stored temporarily, decrypted on first access, and then permanently deleted from storage. After delivery, the link returns an error—there's nothing left to access.
Free plan. No credit card. First encrypted link in under a minute.