While Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive are the standard cloud players, Nextcloud stands out as a strong open-source alternative for those who value control and privacy.
That level of control starts with how Nextcloud is hosted. You can either host it on your own hardware (which requires some technical skill), or use a managed provider (which is straightforward and budget-friendly).
You can host it on your own hardware.
Or, use a hosting provider.
But why bother when big-tech alternatives are free?
Why to use Nextcloud?
Maximum Privacy
This is the core and most important reason to use such a platform. It is open-source which makes real control is possible.
If you host Nextcloud on your own hardware, privacy is straightforward: Only you have access to your data. If you don’t want to manage your own server, you can still maintain strong privacy by choosing a trusted provider in a country with strict data-protection laws (such as Switzerland). Either way, end-to-end encryption is part of the setup, and only you hold the encryption keys.
Branding
You can map your Nextcloud to your own domain (e.g., cloud.mohamadkarbi.com). When you share a file or a calendar event, the link comes directly from your domain, not a third-party service.
This is one step in building your online personal brand.
Unlimited Storage
Nextcloud itself doesn’t impose a storage limit. In practice, it’s limited only by the size of your hard drive, or the storage allocated by your hosting provider.
All-in-one
Nextcloud isn’t only a cloud space for files and folders, it’s a full alternative for Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Extra add-ons:
Photo management, Contacts, Calendar, chat, documents editing, and more.
Hosting Providers
When choosing a hosting provider, look beyond reputation alone. Both the company’s headquarters and the locations of its data centers are critical. These determine which laws will protect your information. In some countries, privacy is viewed as a fundamental human right, not just a consumer protection.
- Hetzner: Fast, reliable, and trusted (my preferred one).
- Cloudamo: Fast, but I know nothing about the company. Literately, there is no information!
- Webo.hosting: Good reputation, but I found it slow over my short testing.
- Other well-known providers I haven’t personally tested include:
Tab.Digital, AccuWeb Cloud, and Hostinger.
Trust = Reputation + Jurisdiction + Data Location.
Alternatives to Nextcloud
There are many open-source alternatives that are suitable for both personal and business use. Each takes a slightly different approach:
- ownCloud Infinite Scale
- Seafile
- Syncthing
- FileBrowser
I haven’t fully tested all these tools. For me, Nextcloud remains the best all-in-one choice for anyone looking to ‘quit Google’.
Have you tried any of these, or are you using something else instead?
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