Nextcloud is a free, open-source Dropbox alternative that syncs and shares files across your devices. Dropbox charges per user and by storage plan; self-hosted Nextcloud is limited only by your server’s disk.
| App | Good for | Code | Import from Dropbox | Ease of use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Nextcloud | Teams that want files, calendars and contacts in one private place | Code Open source | Import from Dropbox Partly | Some setup |
Dropbox is the original file-syncing service: a folder on every device that stays in sync, with links for sharing and tools for teams.
People look for an alternative because the free Basic plan has only 2 GB of space and works on up to three devices, and paid plans are charged per user for teams. Others prefer to keep files on their own server rather than a US cloud provider. A self-hosted app such as Nextcloud does the same syncing and sharing, with no device limit, no price per user and storage as big as your server's disk.
Your own cloud for files, calendars and contacts.
Works much like Dropbox: a desktop app keeps a folder in sync, phone apps upload photos, and you share files by link with a password or expiry date. It adds calendars, contacts and online office editing, and has no device limit.
Download your Dropbox files, or let the Dropbox desktop app finish syncing, then move them into the Nextcloud desktop app's folder so they upload to your server. Shared folders and links do not carry over, so share them again in Nextcloud. Uninstall the Dropbox app once everything has synced.
Nextcloud is the free, open-source alternative to Dropbox for storing and syncing files in the catalogue today. Works much like Dropbox: a desktop app keeps a folder in sync, phone apps upload photos, and you share files by link with a password or expiry date. It adds calendars, contacts and online office editing, and has no device limit.
Yes. Its desktop apps for Windows, macOS and Linux keep a folder in sync, and its phone apps can upload photos automatically.
Yes. Share a link, optionally with a password, an expiry date or upload-only access.
Yes, the app is free. To run them you need Cloudgate and a server. Use hosted Cloudgate, which can also provide the server, or install Cloudgate on a server of your own for free. Cloudgate's plans and prices are at cloudgate.octabyte.io/pricing. One server can run several apps.
No. Cloudgate installs the app on your server and gives it a secure web address. You use it in your browser.
