Self-Hosted Dropbox Alternatives

Dropbox is not available as a self-hosted solution but there are plenty of alternatives for power users and business that want to host a solution on-premise. The best Self-Hosted alternative is Nextcloud, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Dropbox and loads of them are available as a self-hosted solution so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Self-Hosted alternatives to Dropbox are Syncthing, Ente Photos, ownCloud and CryptPad.

filter to find the best alternatives

Most Dropbox alternatives are Cloud Storage Services, but you can also narrow the list to File Sync Tools or Team Collaboration Tools. Other popular filters are Open Source, Linux, Self-Hosted, Cloud Storage and EU. You can also filter for EU-based alternatives if you prefer software from the European Union.

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Dropbox alternatives page was last updated Aug 17, 2026

Nextcloud
1268 likes
Nextcloud is an open source software that allows you to manage your files and sync them across all your devices - like Dropbox. There are, however, several differences: You can self-host a Nextcloud instance, allowing you to fully manage it, or you can use a Nextcloud provider to host your data for you. You have access to more security, privacy and administration options. You can add plugins for almost everything (emails, tasks, calendars, maps, news, video chats, notes, and more).

Of course, it’s a bit more complicated to set up since you have to self-host it or find a provider, but if what you’re looking for is an open source and extensible solution that you can fully manage yourself, Nextcloud might be the right pick for you.
190 Nextcloud alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Cloud Storage
File Sync
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
HUAWEI AppGallery
iPad
Self-Hosted
Snapcraft
Flathub
F-Droid
OpenAPK
Raspberry Pi
Cloudron
Docker Hub
Germany
EU
+5
Good alternative?Is Nextcloud a good alternative to Dropbox?

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54comments
Nextcloud vs Dropbox Comments
Top Positive Comment by Paour · Feb 1, 2017
Open-sourced, easy to install and maintain, close to feature parity with Dropbox (except Paper).
Positive comment by James · Apr 7, 2025
With self-hosted sync, you maintain complete control over your data instead of trusting it to some third-party company. Plus, Nextcloud offers handy features like calendar integration and automatic photo uploads from your phone
Positive comment by aronkvh · Apr 24, 2024
It runs well even on an old laptop or a large server, great for sharing files, collaborating on documents and managing my photo library.
3 of 54 comments
Nextcloud is Free and Open SourceDropbox is Freemium and Proprietary
Nextcloud is Privacy focused, Security-focused, Customizable and DecentralizedDropbox is not according to our users
Syncthing
934 likes
Syncthing, an open-source alternative to Dropbox, uses peer-to-peer tech to keep your files private and decentralized. Unlike Dropbox's cloud sync and hosting, Syncthing offers self-hosted functionality with unlimited space, suiting those prioritizing data control and privacy.
144 Syncthing alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (MPL-2.0)
Application type
File Sync
Origin
Sweden
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
Self-Hosted
Terminal
Cloudron
Termux
Sweden
EU
Good alternative?Is Syncthing a good alternative to Dropbox?

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11comments
Syncthing vs Dropbox Comments
Top Positive Comment by Mansampard01 · Jan 2, 2019
Cool for syncing your machines.
Positive comment by axcqhsbsadoukciozt · Mar 25, 2024
Only fools are still using Dropbox. Syncthing is perfect and provides as many GB as your disk has for free. Free yourself form Dropbox scams such as their "double accountability of GB" where shared folders take away your GB.
Positive comment by PingusMaximus · Mar 9, 2022
Works pretty well on all OSses
3 of 11 comments
Syncthing is Free and Open SourceDropbox is Freemium and Proprietary
Syncthing is a File Sync Dropbox is a Cloud Storage Service
Syncthing is Decentralized, Lightweight and Privacy focusedDropbox is not according to our users
Ente Photos
222 likes
Open-source, end-to-end encrypted backup and sharing for photos and videos, multi-platform sync, original quality preservation, privacy-first design, collaborative albums, family sharing, secure external sharing, robust data replication, and device imports.
168 Ente Photos alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Photo Manager
Cloud Storage
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
Flathub
F-Droid
OpenAPK
Flatpak
Cloudron
United States
Good alternative?Is Ente Photos a good alternative to Dropbox?
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ownCloud
877 likes
Like Nextcloud, ownCloud is an open source solution that you can self-host on your own server, or you can pay a monthly fee to get an online instance with limited storage. It offers interesting features such as collaborative editing and version management of documents, image galleries, end-to-end encryption, email plugins to host attachments, and more… and you can also extend it by installing add-ons from their marketplace.

It’s no coincidence that ownCloud and Nextcloud share so many features, because Nextcloud is based on ownCloud. The key differences are the licenses (ownCloud’s enterprise edition comes under commercial license), the exclusive features ownCloud offers only to premium users while all features are free with Nextcloud, the app marketplaces (Nextcloud’s one has more apps), and of course, the pricing plans if you want a managed instance.
247 ownCloud alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Cloud Storage
File Sync
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Blackberry
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Raspberry Pi
Cloudron
United States
+9
Good alternative?Is ownCloud a good alternative to Dropbox?

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11comments
ownCloud vs Dropbox Comments
Top Positive Comment by Guest · Aug 12, 2016
Nice alternative where you keep control over your data.
Top Negative Comment by Guest · Jun 13, 2016
OwnCloud is self hosted, not a ready to use solution for everyone.
Positive comment by KariLHegg · Mar 18, 2025
Use nextcloud, it's a fork with improvements.
3 of 11 comments
ownCloud is Freemium and Open SourceDropbox is Freemium and Proprietary
CryptPad
201 likes
CryptPad is a private-by-design alternative to popular office tools and cloud services. All the content stored on CryptPad is encrypted before being sent, which means nobody can access your data unless you give them the keys.
133 CryptPad alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Spreadsheet
Team Collaboration
Origin
France
EU
Platforms
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Self-Hosted
Cloudron
France
EU
+7
Good alternative?Is CryptPad a good alternative to Dropbox?
Seafile
200 likes
Open source cloud platform for organizations with self-hosting, device file synchronization, sharing, versioning, secure encrypted storage, admin controls, web access, audit logging, and support for desktop and mobile clients for secure collaboration.
142 Seafile alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Cloud Storage
File Sync
Origin
China
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
Software as a Service (SaaS)
China
+4
Good alternative?Is Seafile a good alternative to Dropbox?

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5comments
Seafile vs Dropbox Comments
Top Positive Comment by Guest · Nov 13, 2016
Although Seafile.de works with a slightly more complex client than does Dropbox, it also has more options. Importantly, it's open source, unlike Dropbox. Also, storing files using Seafile.de 's services mean your data is stored in Germany, which has stricter privacy laws. Note: Whilst Seafile does offer client-side encryption, at the time of writing this encrypts only file contents, not names or metadata. (Dropbox doesn't offer this at all, however.)
Top Negative Comment by thickerfin · Jun 30, 2015
Nowhere to sign up for free account.
Positive comment by Alexey Korepov · May 11, 2018
Free opensource with great useful features!
3 of 5 comments
Seafile is Freemium and Open SourceDropbox is Freemium and Proprietary
Seafile is Privacy focusedDropbox is not according to our users
Sync-in
24 likes
Sync-in is a sovereign, open-source platform for file storage, sharing, synchronization, and collaboration. It is intended for individuals, businesses, public-sector entities, and institutions seeking a controlled, scalable solution suited to their operational requirements.
76 Sync-in alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
File Sync
Cloud Storage
Origin
France
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Self-Hosted
Cloudron
Docker
Docker Hub
npm
YunoHost
France
EU
+6
Good alternative?Is Sync-in a good alternative to Dropbox?
IPFS
177 likes
IPFS is a global, versioned, peer-to-peer filesystem. It combines ideas from Git, BitTorrent, Kademlia, SFS, and the web. It is like a single bittorrent swarm, exchanging git objects. IPFS provides an interface as simple as the HTTP web, but with permanence built in.
71 IPFS alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
File Sync
Anonymizing Network
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
Self-Hosted
Firefox
United States
+1
Good alternative?Is IPFS a good alternative to Dropbox?

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4comments
IPFS vs Dropbox Comments
Negative comment by Gea-Suan Lin · May 9, 2019
It's totally different concept between IPFS and Dropbox. IPFS focuses on distributed web system (protocol), and Dropbox is a sync and storage service.
Negative comment by Benjamin Lupton · Jul 19, 2021
IPFS is all VC-backed marketing hype that doesn't deliver. Also, it is not an alternative to Dropbox. IPFS is a protocol, Dropbox is a service and app. Apps use protocols, protocols don't use apps.
Negative comment by poppabearten · Apr 16, 2021
This is peer to peer not cloud storage.
3 of 4 comments
IPFS is Free and Open SourceDropbox is Freemium and Proprietary
IPFS is a File Sync Dropbox is a Cloud Storage Service
IPFS is DecentralizedDropbox is not according to our users
Hoodik
32 likes
Lightweight, self-hosted encrypted cloud storage enabling fast uploads and downloads, easy Docker install, secure public link sharing, browser-side cryptography, searchable metadata, and low RAM footprint. Designed for privacy, performance, and file management.
131 Hoodik alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Cloud Storage
File Sync
Origin
Croatia
EU
Platforms
Android
iPhone
Self-Hosted
Docker
Croatia
EU
+7
Good alternative?Is Hoodik a good alternative to Dropbox?
Cozy Cloud
135 likes
Cozy makes the personal cloud more accessible. Respectful of the user's privacy, Cozy simplifies daily tasks: synchronize and backup photos, automate bills downloading, manage expenses, etc. Flexible and easy to use, their Open Source platform allows users to create and...
90 Cozy Cloud alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Cloud Storage
File Sync
Origin
France
EU
Alerts
Discontinued
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Self-Hosted
Go (Programming Language)
France
EU
+4
Good alternative?Is Cozy Cloud a good alternative to Dropbox?

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4comments
Discontinued
Cozy Cloud has now joined Twake.
Cozy Cloud vs Dropbox Comments
Positive comment by Guest · Dec 5, 2017
Free and open source software, great UX, can be self-hosted if you want. Can add apps on top to leverage personal data.
Positive comment by Guest · Feb 6, 2017
I can install it on my computer and access it via android cell phone or pad.
Negative comment by Guest · Aug 12, 2017
NO Mention of open source app.
3 of 4 comments
Cozy Cloud is Freemium and Open SourceDropbox is Freemium and Proprietary
Cozy Cloud is Privacy focusedDropbox is not according to our users
OxiCloud
15 likes
Lightweight file storage with a Rust backend and optimized binary for efficiency, offering responsive UI on desktop and mobile, simple setup, multilingual English and Spanish support, no PHP dependency, and designed for minimal resource use on home servers.
76 OxiCloud alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (MIT)
Application typeApplication types
Cloud Storage
File Sync
Platforms
Self-Hosted
Windows
Mac
Linux
AppImage
Android
iPhone
Good alternative?Is OxiCloud a good alternative to Dropbox?
Twake Drive
12 likes
An open-source alternative to Google Drive, offering secure, self-hosted cloud storage with full control over your data, enhanced privacy, and enterprise-grade collaboration features.
30 Twake Drive alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Cloud Storage
File Sync
Origin
France
EU
Platforms
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
Docker
France
EU
Good alternative?Is Twake Drive a good alternative to Dropbox?

12 of 57 Dropbox alternatives

Self-Hosted Dropbox Alternatives

Alternatives list

Nextcloud

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Nextcloud vs Dropbox Comments

Syncthing

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Syncthing vs Dropbox Comments

Ente Photos

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ownCloud

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CryptPad

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Seafile

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Sync-in

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IPFS

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IPFS vs Dropbox Comments

Hoodik

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Cozy Cloud

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Cozy Cloud vs Dropbox Comments

OxiCloud

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Twake Drive

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