File storage and sharing
Dropbox vs Google Drive: which keeps data in Canada?
Where each stores and processes data, and who owns each company, from the vendors' own pages. Not features or prices.
The short answer
Dropbox: no.
Dropbox does not offer storage in Canada. Where it is processed: United States. It is owned by a US company, so the US CLOUD Act can require it to produce data it controls, wherever that data is stored.
Google Drive (Google Workspace): no.
Google Drive (Google Workspace) does not offer storage in Canada. Where it is processed: United States or Europe if set. It is owned by a US company, so the US CLOUD Act can require it to produce data it controls, wherever that data is stored.
Both are owned by US companies, so the US CLOUD Act can require either to produce data it controls, wherever that data is stored.
Side by side
| Claim | Dropbox | Google Drive (Google Workspace) |
|---|---|---|
| Stored in Canada? | No | No |
| Where data is stored | United States; extra storage regions for eligible team plans in Australia, the EU, Japan and the UK. Canada is not listed | No Canadian data region. Data regions offered: United States, Europe, or no preference |
| Where it is processed | United States | United States or Europe if set |
| Support and backups | Not stated on the pages read | Not stated on the pages read |
| Owner | Dropbox, Inc. · Parent country: United States | Google LLC (Mountain View, CA) · Parent country: United States |
| Servers run by | Dropbox data centres · US company | Google data centres · US company |
| Customer-held keys | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Certifications | Not recorded (blank means not checked, not none) | Not recorded (blank means not checked, not none) |
| Worth knowing | Dropbox Sign (e-signature) does offer Canadian storage; it is listed separately. | — |
| Caveats | The privacy policy says Dropbox, Inc. acts as the service provider for Canadian users. | — |
| Tier | Tier 5: Data leaves Canada | Tier 5: Data leaves Canada |
| Checked | 2026-10-13 | 2026-10-13 |
Sources
Dropbox · checked 2026-10-13
- Where the data is stored: https://www.dropbox.com/features/security
- Who owns it: https://www.dropbox.com/privacy
Google Drive (Google Workspace) · checked 2026-10-13
- Where the data is stored: https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/compliance/choose-a-geographic-location-for-your-data
- Who owns it: https://cloud.google.com/terms/google-entity