Dropbox AlternativesOnly Self-Hosted apps categorised as File Sync Tools

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 File Sync Tool 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 many of them are File Sync Tools available as a self-hosted solution so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Self-Hosted File Sync Tool alternatives to Dropbox are ownCloud, Syncthing, Seafile and Cozy Cloud.

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Dropbox alternatives are mainly File Sync Tools, but if you're looking for Cloud Storage Services or Online Backup Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Linux, Self-Hosted, Cloud Storage, Self-Hosted + Open Source, EU and Mac. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Dropbox.

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Dropbox alternatives page was last updated Apr 13, 2026

Nextcloud
1212 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.
170 Nextcloud alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application 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
Raspberry Pi
Cloudron
Docker Hub
+5
Is Nextcloud a good alternative to Dropbox?

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54comments
Nextcloud vs Dropbox Comments

Top Positive Comment
Paour
Feb 1, 2017
15
Open-sourced, easy to install and maintain, close to feature parity with Dropbox (except Paper).
James
Positive commentApr 7, 2025
0
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
aronkvh
Positive commentApr 24, 2024
0
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
ownCloud
872 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.
229 ownCloud alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source
Application 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
+9
Is ownCloud a good alternative to Dropbox?

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11comments
ownCloud vs Dropbox Comments

Top Positive Comment
Guest
Aug 12, 2016
8
Nice alternative where you keep control over your data.
Review by a new / low-activity user.
Top Negative Comment
Guest
Jun 13, 2016
-2
OwnCloud is self hosted, not a ready to use solution for everyone.
Review by a new / low-activity user.
KariLHegg
Positive commentMar 18, 2025
0
Use nextcloud, it's a fork with improvements.
3 of 11 comments
ownCloud is Freemium and Open SourceDropbox is Freemium and Proprietary
Syncthing
900 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.
149 Syncthing alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (MPL-2.0)
Application types
File Sync
Large File Transfer
Origin
Sweden
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
Self-Hosted
Terminal
Cloudron
Termux
Is Syncthing a good alternative to Dropbox?

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11comments
Syncthing vs Dropbox Comments

Top Positive Comment
Mansampard01
Jan 2, 2019
5
Cool for syncing your machines.
axcqhsbsadoukciozt
Positive commentMar 25, 2024
0
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.
LinuxDoge
Positive commentMar 9, 2022
0
Works pretty well on all OSses
3 of 11 comments
Syncthing is Free and Open SourceDropbox is Freemium and Proprietary
Syncthing is Decentralized, Lightweight and Privacy focusedDropbox is not according to our users
Seafile
195 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.
129 Seafile alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source
Application types
Cloud Storage
File Sync
Origin
China
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
Software as a Service (SaaS)
+4
Is Seafile a good alternative to Dropbox?

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5comments
Seafile vs Dropbox Comments

Top Positive Comment
Guest
Nov 13, 2016
5
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.)
Review by a new / low-activity user.
Top Negative Comment
thickerfin
Jun 30, 2015
0
Nowhere to sign up for free account.
Review by a new / low-activity user.
Alexey Korepov
Positive commentMay 11, 2018
1
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
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...
81 Cozy Cloud alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application types
Cloud Storage
File Sync
Origin
France
EU
Alerts
Discontinued
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Self-Hosted
Go (Programming Language)
+4
Is Cozy Cloud a good alternative to Dropbox?

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4comments
Cozy Cloud vs Dropbox Comments

Guest
Positive commentDec 5, 2017
3
Free and open source software, great UX, can be self-hosted if you want. Can add apps on top to leverage personal data.
Review by a new / low-activity user.
Guest
Positive commentFeb 6, 2017
1
I can install it on my computer and access it via android cell phone or pad.
Review by a new / low-activity user.
Guest
Negative commentAug 12, 2017
1
NO Mention of open source app.
Review by a new / low-activity user.
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
Sync-in
19 likes
Sync-in is a secure, open-source platform for file storage, synchronization, and team collaboration — designed to give organizations full control over their data and workflows, while remaining flexible enough for individual needs.
66 Sync-in alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application types
File Sync
Cloud Storage
Origin
France
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Self-Hosted
Cloudron
Docker
Docker Hub
npm
YunoHost
+6
Is Sync-in a good alternative to Dropbox?
Pydio
130 likes
Pydio is the mature alternative to Dropbox and Box.com, to build your own box, on your own servers.
75 Pydio alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application types
Cloud Storage
File Sync
Origin
France
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
Self-Hosted
+5
Is Pydio a good alternative to Dropbox?

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1comment
Pydio vs Dropbox Comments

Guest
Positive commentJul 8, 2015
4
Pydio is very similar to Owncloud, therefore if owncloud is deemed an alternative to Dropbox, so is Pydio
Review by a new / low-activity user.
Pydio is Freemium and Open SourceDropbox is Freemium and Proprietary
Puter
66 likes
Puter is a privacy-first personal cloud that houses all your files, apps, and games in one private and secure place, accessible from anywhere at any time.
51 Puter alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application types
Cloud Storage
File Sync
Origin
International
Platforms
Online
Docker
Self-Hosted
Is Puter a good alternative to Dropbox?
Twake Drive
10 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.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application types
Cloud Storage
File Sync
Origin
France
EU
Platforms
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
Docker
Is Twake Drive a good alternative to Dropbox?
OxiCloud
13 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.
68 OxiCloud alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (MIT)
Application types
Cloud Storage
File Sync
Platforms
Self-Hosted
Rust
Is OxiCloud a good alternative to Dropbox?
SparkleShare
110 likes
SparkleShare is a Free Open Source syncing tool. Its light, secure and easy to use. SparkleShare allows you to setup your own servers so you always keep control on your data.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
File Sync
Origin
United States
Alerts
Discontinued
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Self-Hosted
Is SparkleShare a good alternative to Dropbox?
Filestash
39 likes
A Dropbox-like file manager that let you manage your data anywhere it is located: FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, Git, S3, Minio, Dropbox, Google Drive.
243 Filestash alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application types
Cloud Storage
File Sync
Origin
France
EU
Platforms
Online
Self-Hosted
Software as a Service (SaaS)
+2
Is Filestash a good alternative to Dropbox?

12 of 20 Dropbox alternatives

Dropbox AlternativesOnly Self-Hosted apps categorised as File Sync Tools

Alternatives list

Nextcloud

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Nextcloud vs Dropbox Comments

ownCloud

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ownCloud vs Dropbox Comments

Syncthing

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Syncthing vs Dropbox Comments

Seafile

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Cozy Cloud

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Sync-in

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Pydio

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Puter

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Twake Drive

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OxiCloud

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SparkleShare

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Filestash

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