The short answer (checked 19 October 2026): both sell pay-once storage where your files are encrypted on your device by default, so the decision comes down to price, apps and terms. For 5 TB, Internxt lifetime costs €585 (its 5 TB plan) on its lifetime page, shown as 85% off; the ShieldFive Founding Lifetime is 5 TB for €199. €199 until 31 October 2026, then €249. Internxt has desktop and iOS apps, open-source clients and a completed penetration test, which ShieldFive does not yet have.
Side by side
| Internxt lifetime | ShieldFive Founding Lifetime | |
|---|---|---|
| Sizes and prices | 1 TB €285, 2 TB €435, 5 TB €585, one-time (shown down from €1,900, €2,900, €3,900) | 5 TB for €199, one-time |
| Price per TB | €285 (1 TB), €218 (2 TB), €117 (5 TB) | €40 |
| Files encrypted on your device | Yes, every plan ("zero-knowledge encryption") | Yes, every file and file name, every plan |
| Post-quantum | Hybrid Kyber-512 on account and sharing keys | Web uploads default to hybrid ML-KEM-1024 |
| Refund | 30-day money-back guarantee | 30-day full refund |
| What "lifetime" means | Until the account holder reaches 99 | 99 years or until ShieldFive stops operating the service |
| Inactivity rule | No activity for 12 months triggers an email; no reply within 30 days and Internxt may end the plan | None in the Terms for Lifetime plans |
| Usage limits | A Fair Usage Policy that lifetime plans are subject to; no figure stated | 200 GB of downloads every 30 days, stated; uploads and downloads pause at a limit, files are never deleted |
| Apps | Web, desktop, iOS, Android, CLI; WebDAV and rclone on 5 TB | Web and Android (in Google Play testing); no desktop sync client, no iOS app |
| File versioning | On the 2 TB and 5 TB plans | No |
| Open source | Clients (AGPL-3.0 and MIT) | Crypto core (Apache-2.0); apps closed source |
| Independent testing | Penetration test by Securitum; ISO/IEC 27001 | None completed yet |
| Extras in the plan | VPN, antivirus; Meet and Mail on larger plans | Secure share links with password, expiry and download caps |
Internxt figures from its lifetime page and terms on 19 October 2026; post-quantum scope, licences and audit from our Internxt comparison. ShieldFive figures from the Lifetime page and Terms §5.3 and §5.4.
Price: what the same storage costs
Internxt sells three sizes, so the fair comparison is the smallest Internxt plan that holds what you need:
| You need | Internxt lifetime | ShieldFive Founding Lifetime |
|---|---|---|
| 5 TB | 5 TB: €585 | €199 |
| Difference | €386 less |
Internxt's lifetime prices move with its sales, and it runs them often. Check its live price on the day you buy; this table will be updated when it changes.
Encryption: closer than the marketing suggests
On the question most buyers care about, both answer the same way: files are encrypted on your device and the provider stores data it cannot read. Two differences are worth knowing, neither of which should decide it for most people:
- Post-quantum scope. Internxt's post-quantum layer protects account and sharing keys with Kyber-512, NIST's lowest level. ShieldFive's web uploads use hybrid ML-KEM-1024, its highest level. This matters for files that must stay private for decades; for most personal archives, both are far ahead of storage that is encrypted only on the provider's servers.
- What has been checked by someone else. Internxt has completed an external penetration test. ShieldFive's crypto core is open source and readable, but no external audit has been completed. We serve the web app's code, so the guarantee holds for the code you are served.
The terms: what happens if you go quiet
This is the difference most comparisons skip. Internxt's terms define a lifetime plan as lasting until the holder reaches 99, and say that because Internxt cannot verify your age, 12 months without a login, upload or download triggers an email. If you don't respond within 30 days, Internxt may presume you have reached 99 and end the plan. A lifetime plan you use as a cold archive, opened once every couple of years, needs a calendar reminder at Internxt.
ShieldFive's Terms §5.3 tie the plan to 99 years or the life of the service, with no sign-in requirement. Both plans are non-transferable, and both end if the company stops operating the service, so keep a local copy of anything you cannot lose, with either.
Who should pick which
Pick Internxt if you need desktop sync or an iOS app now, want file versioning, need more than 5 TB, or want open-source clients and a completed external test before you trust a provider with your files. Its VPN and antivirus are a bonus if you would use them.
Pick ShieldFive if 5 TB covers you and you mostly use the web or Android: you pay €199 instead of €585, the download allowance is stated in the Terms rather than left to judgment, and a vault you open rarely is not at risk under an inactivity rule. Read the security model first.
Try it first
The free plan is 10 GB with no card, encrypted the same way as the Lifetime plan (Internxt's free plan is 1 GB). Upload, preview, share and revoke a link before you buy either.
Internxt figures were read on internxt.com on 19 October 2026. For the wider market, see who still sells lifetime cloud storage.