DRIVUNO vs Google Chat
Same spaces, threads and mentions. A different answer to 'who holds the key?'.
Google Chat is convenient because it lives inside Google Workspace: identity, files, calendar and conversations under one provider, encrypted in transit and at rest with provider-managed keys, and governed by administrative retention and investigation tooling that requires content to be readable. DRIVUNO Rooms keeps the space/thread/mention model but seals every message and attachment on the device, so the provider relays ciphertext it cannot open.
| Feature | DRIVUNO | Google Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Encryption model | End-to-end, client-side, keys per member | In transit and at rest; provider-managed keys |
| Provider can read messages | No | Technically yes |
| Admin content export | Not possible — no key on our side | Available through Workspace administration tooling |
| Search | Blind-index HMAC search, computed on device | Server-side index over content |
| Files inside conversations | Encrypted before upload, client-side previews, encrypted ZIP download | Attachments stored in provider-readable Drive |
| Calls | Peer-to-peer DTLS-SRTP, optional relay/strict IP modes | Provider-hosted meetings |
| Leaving members | Key rotation on removal | Access revoked; content remains provider-readable |
| Attached workspace storage | Encrypted drive, photos, Team Drive, encrypted mail | Google Drive and Workspace apps |
Comparison based on publicly available documentation at time of writing. DRIVUNO does not make absolute claims about competitor security; we describe architectural differences.
Frequently asked questions
Is this comparison fair?
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We compare architectural characteristics publicly documented by each vendor at the time of writing. We never call a competitor insecure — only 'not zero-knowledge by default' where that is the case.
What does zero-knowledge change for a chat tool?
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Message payloads are sealed on the device under a room key wrapped per member. The provider relays envelopes it cannot open, so there is no admin export of content, no server-side scanning and nothing readable to disclose.
Do we lose features by encrypting everything?
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You keep channels, threads, mentions, reactions, file drops, galleries, encrypted ZIP downloads, calls and search. Search runs on blind indexes computed on your device instead of server-side plaintext indexing.
How do we migrate a team?
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Invite members by email; keys are generated on their first login and channel keys are sealed to each member. Files can be dragged in, or mirrored continuously from a local folder with Live Clone.
Your sensitive files deserve more than a traditional cloud.
Start free with 1 GB. Zero-knowledge encryption from the first upload — no admin override, no AI scanning, no plaintext on the server.