Nextcloud vs ownCloud - Cloud storage for your own server compared

Nextcloud and ownCloud - One founder and two projects

When ownCloud was founded in 2010, the project was initially seen as visionary — at that time offering services in the cloud was almost exclusively the domain of commercial providers. These vendors offered good support for business customers with an affordable IT infrastructure, while security or encryption — compared with today — had relatively low priority. One of the founders and lead developers was Frank Karlitschek, who designed ownCloud as a private alternative with a strict open-source licence. Due to disputes about the direction and goals of the project, he left the company in 2016 and created a fork based on the public code named Nextcloud. Large parts of the responsible team joined the new project with him.

Nextcloud quickly developed as an ownCloud alternative and set new standards in the industry for open-source cloud solutions. From the outset the focus was on improved security, user-friendliness and integration of additional features, such as collaborative document editing or audio and video conferencing, underlining the project’s innovative direction. These new features contributed significantly to Nextcloud’s rapid rise in popularity and its establishment as the preferred solution for many businesses and private users. Nextcloud greatly benefited from the team’s realignment and drive for innovation. The continuous implementation of new features and the focus on security and user-friendliness made Nextcloud an innovative solution. The community around Nextcloud is very active and regularly contributes to the improvement and expansion of the platform.

ownCloud remained a significant player in the market as a Nextcloud alternative and likewise focused on further development and improvement of its services. The company concentrated on providing a stable and reliable platform that was particularly suitable for larger companies and organisations. With commercial support and various enterprise features, ownCloud was able to maintain its position and attract new customers. ownCloud focused on the stability and reliability of its services. With many years of experience and the backing of commercial partners, ownCloud continued to offer a solid and proven platform that is especially attractive to larger enterprises.

Shared features of ownCloud and Nextcloud

Given their common origin and the general requirements of a cloud, it is not surprising that both services initially share a large number of similar features and characteristics. These include, among others, high security, optional support, encryption according to current standards and the integration of an API together with further services and protocols for communication with external software. The features include, among others:

Integration, protocols and services:

• File/directory storage and sharing
• Support for large files
• Storage quota per user
• Web interface
• Calendars, contacts and notes
• Integrated audio and video player
• Image and photo gallery
• PDF viewer
• Full-text search

Security, encryption and compatibility:

• Client for Microsoft Windows, Apple OS X, Linux and smartphones
• Support for two-factor authentication
• Encryption of files
• Detection, logging and automatic blocking of specific attacks
• Hierarchical permission management
• Secure communication via TLS/SSL encryption
• Paid support from the developers available

Required system environment:

ownCloud and Nextcloud also largely overlap in their technical system environment. Both cloud storage solutions can be run on their own web hosting or on their own server. A Linux VPS hosting is recommended with a database in MySQL or MariaDB, an Apache web server and a PHP interpreter.

Advantages and disadvantages of ownCloud

As one of the earliest open-source solutions for deployment on private servers, ownCloud is well documented, has a large market share and benefits from a broad and diverse community. The developers offer two different editions of ownCloud with a dedicated support system — in the paid Enterprise edition users receive priority support and can extend security and functionality through exclusive modules that are subject to separate licensing.

Advantages:

• Large community and long-standing market presence
• Excellent documentation and many guides
• Low hardware requirements
• Modularly extensible
• High user-friendliness
• Extensive enterprise features

Disadvantages:

• Many modules are paid
• Poor performance with many small files
• High costs for fast developer support

(Screenshot from https://owncloud.com/de/produkt/)

ownCloud offers a mature, stable and customisable solution for file synchronisation and sharing. With its long market presence, extensive enterprise features and the option to self-host the platform, ownCloud is particularly attractive for businesses seeking a proven and reliable solution. The comprehensive integration options and professional support make ownCloud a solid choice for organisations of any size that prioritise privacy and control over their data.

Advantages and disadvantages of Nextcloud

Unlike ownCloud, Nextcloud consistently relies on the AGPLv3 open-source licence and provides all its modules and features to users free of charge. As many users moved to Nextcloud along with the development team, it also has a large community and wide adoption. However, existing guides and help resources mostly refer to older versions, and new features are not yet as well documented.

Advantages:

• All software is free and open-source
• More features than ownCloud Community, e.g. chat or resource monitoring
• Requires only modest resources
• Numerous modules available
• End-to-end encryption in the core version
• Rapid updates for bugs and security vulnerabilities

Disadvantages:

• New features not always fully documented
• Guaranteed developer support is chargeable
• Available in fewer languages
• More features increase complexity in security

(Screenshot from https://nextcloud.com/de/files/)

Nextcloud offers a comprehensive, secure and flexible solution for file synchronisation and sharing. With a range of security features, collaboration tools and customisation options, Nextcloud is suitable for both small teams and large enterprises. The ability to self-host the platform and retain full control over your data makes Nextcloud an attractive choice for users who value innovative features alongside strong data security.

Conclusion: Nextcloud vs. ownCloud vs. commercial providers

There are many compelling reasons to choose your own cloud hosting rather than the commercial offerings of large companies — some of the most important advantages are guaranteed reliable encryption of data and communications, protection against unauthorised access to confidential information and complete control over your data and IT infrastructure. In addition, the costs of web hosting are usually lower than the offerings of a commercial cloud storage service. The only downsides are few, such as optional paid support and possibly increased effort during initial setup.

Both Nextcloud and ownCloud offer powerful solutions for file synchronisation and sharing. The decision between the two platforms should be based on the user’s specific requirements and priorities:

Nextcloud is particularly suited to businesses and users who place value on advanced security features, modern collaboration tools and the rapid rollout of new features. The active community and commercial support make Nextcloud a future‑proof choice.

ownCloud is a solid choice for organisations seeking a stable, proven platform with comprehensive enterprise features and professional support. Its long-standing experience and the ability to integrate seamlessly into existing IT infrastructures make ownCloud especially attractive for larger companies.

Ultimately, both platforms offer tailor-made solutions that enable the creation of a secure, private and efficient cloud environment. The choice between Nextcloud and ownCloud depends on individual requirements and the specific IT environment.

Our article is based on our own experience and research as well as information from external sources.

Article update:
Update 02.07.24: Content updated and comparison table added

Sources & further links on the topic:
https://nextcloud.com/ (official Nextcloud website)
https://owncloud.com/ (official ownCloud website)