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 many 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 ownCloud, Syncthing, Ente Photos and Seafile.

filter to find the best alternatives

Dropbox alternatives are mainly Cloud Storage Services, but if you're looking for File Sync Tools or File Managers you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Self-Hosted, Linux, Cloud Storage, Self-Hosted + Open Source, EU and Apple Watch. 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.

More about Dropbox

Dropbox alternatives page was last updated Apr 13, 2026

Nextcloud
1202 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.
166 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
869 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.
225 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
888 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.
142 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
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
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Ente Photos
174 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.
140 Ente Photos alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application types
Photo Manager
Cloud Storage
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Flathub
F-Droid
Flatpak
Self-Hosted
Cloudron
+4
Is Ente Photos a good alternative to Dropbox?
Seafile
194 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.
127 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
CryptPad
186 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.
93 CryptPad alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application types
Word Processor
Spreadsheet
Origin
France
EU
Platforms
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Self-Hosted
Cloudron
+7
Is CryptPad a good alternative to Dropbox?
Cozy Cloud
136 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...
80 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
IPFS
176 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.
69 IPFS alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application types
File Sync
Anonymizing Network
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
Self-Hosted
Firefox
+1
Is IPFS a good alternative to Dropbox?

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4comments
IPFS vs Dropbox Comments

Gea-Suan Lin
Negative commentMay 9, 2019
9
It's totally different concept between IPFS and Dropbox. IPFS focuses on distributed web system (protocol), and Dropbox is a sync and storage service.
Benjamin Lupton
Negative commentJul 19, 2021
0
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.
poppabearten
Negative commentApr 16, 2021
0
This is peer to peer not cloud storage.
3 of 4 comments
IPFS is Free and Open SourceDropbox is Freemium and Proprietary
IPFS is DecentralizedDropbox is not according to our users
Hoodik
28 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.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application types
Cloud Storage
Large File Transfer
Origin
Croatia
EU
Platforms
Android
Self-Hosted
Docker
+7
Is Hoodik a good alternative to Dropbox?
Sync-in
17 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.
63 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?

12 of 49 Dropbox alternatives

Self-Hosted Dropbox Alternatives

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

Ente Photos

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Seafile

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Seafile vs Dropbox Comments

CryptPad

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Cozy Cloud

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Origin

Alerts

Platforms

Cozy Cloud vs Dropbox Comments

IPFS

Cost / License

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IPFS vs Dropbox Comments

Hoodik

Cost / License

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Sync-in

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Pydio

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Pydio vs Dropbox Comments

Puter

Cost / License

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