- Check who steers the project you're leaving
- Hosting it yourself or handing it over
- Collaboration platforms for teams
- Peer-to-peer sync with no server
- Hosted drives you don't run yourself
- Keep document editing where your team expects it
- Encryption and who can open your files
- Hosting, encryption and editing side by side
- Match the replacement to what you used it for
- What changes for your users
- Your switch checklist
- Frequently asked questions
ownCloud users tend to look elsewhere when they want a broader groupware suite, lighter folder sync between their own machines, or storage they don't have to host at all. Self-hosted collaboration platforms suit teams wanting office editing, calls and chat on their own servers. Peer-to-peer sync suits people who only mirror folders. Encrypted hosted drives suit anyone who'd rather not run a server.
Most people searching for this run ownCloud for file sync and sharing, either for a team or for the family, and something has made them look around. It might be a renewal, a server move, a wish for calendars and chat next to the files, or simply fatigue with looking after the thing. This guide sorts seven options by how they work, so you can match the replacement to the job rather than to a feature list.
Check who steers the project you're leaving
ownCloud's own website now says its open source program office is led from Kiteworks, by its Vice President for that office, while operating under the ownCloud brand. That doesn't tell you anything is wrong. It does tell you to read the current roadmap and licence pages yourself before you plan years ahead on any project, this one or its replacement.
The same site lists three products: Infinite Scale, ownCloud 10 and ownCloud online. Before you compare alternatives, write down which one you run, because the move from a server you host differs a lot from the move off a hosted service.
Hosting it yourself or handing it over
This is the fork in the road that matters most. Running your own server gives you control over where files sit and who can reach them, but someone has to patch it, back it up and answer the phone when it falls over. A hosted drive takes that work away and replaces it with trust in a provider and their terms.
Neither is wrong. A small office with no technical person on staff is usually better off with a hosted service. An organisation with an IT team and rules about where data may be kept usually wants to host. Be honest about which one you are before you fall for a feature.
Collaboration platforms for teams
These three lean towards sharing and working together. Only Nextcloud is described as a server you install yourself, so check the hosting options for the other two before they make your shortlist.
Nextcloud
Sold as the better Microsoft 365 for private clouds: a server you install yourself, with a groupware suite on top.
Pydio
Pydio combines large file sharing, no-code automation and what it calls a collaboration-centric architecture.
Seafile
Open source file sync and share software that lets people view and edit a wide range of file formats in the browser.
Peer-to-peer sync with no server
If all you ever did was keep the same folders in step across a few machines, a full platform may be more than you need.
Syncthing
A continuous file synchronisation program that keeps two or more computers in step in real time, and says your data is never stored anywhere other than your own computers.
Hosted drives you don't run yourself
For people who are done patching servers, these move the hosting to someone else. Two of them lead on encryption.
Dropbox
Positions itself as a way to store, share and access files across devices.
Proton Drive
Encrypted end to end and based in Switzerland, and its own page says not even Proton can open what you upload.
Tresorit
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage aimed squarely at businesses.
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Keep document editing where your team expects it
Look at how your team edits documents today. ownCloud's Web Office lists integrations with OnlyOffice, Microsoft 365, Collabora Online and Microsoft Office Online. If people rely on one of those inside the browser, put it on every candidate's must-have list, or the switch will feel like a step backwards on day one.
Among the seven here, Seafile is the one that mentions viewing and editing files in the browser. For every other option, check its documentation for the exact office suite your team uses before it makes the shortlist, and open a real spreadsheet and a real contract in the trial rather than a blank test file.
Encryption and who can open your files
Three options give three different answers to the same worry. Proton Drive says Proton itself can't access what you store. Tresorit offers end-to-end encrypted storage built for businesses. Syncthing sidesteps the question by keeping data only on your own computers.
Before you choose between them, ask two practical questions of each: how would you share a file with someone outside your organisation, and how would you get back in if you lost a password or key? The help pages will answer both, and the answers matter more than the word encrypted on a homepage.
Hosting, encryption and editing side by side
| Option | Who hosts it | Encryption claim | Browser editing mentioned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nextcloud | You | Not stated | Not stated |
| Pydio | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Seafile | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |
| Syncthing | Your own machines | Not stated | Not stated |
| Dropbox | Provider | Not stated | Not stated |
| Proton Drive | Provider | Yes | Not stated |
| Tresorit | Provider | Yes | Not stated |
Settle the hosting column first. Choosing who hosts the service cuts the list faster than anything else, and the other columns only matter once you know that. If you're still weighing the closest relative, read Nextcloud vs ownCloud compared for a deeper look.
Match the replacement to what you used it for
- Handing files to clients through links: a self-hosted platform or a hosted drive, so outside people don't need an account on your machines.
- Working on documents together inside the browser: look for whichever office integration your team already relies on.
- Keeping a laptop and a desktop in step: peer-to-peer sync may be all you need.
- Holding sensitive files without maintaining any server: an encrypted hosted drive.
- Moving huge media or design files around: put Pydio on the shortlist, since large files are its headline.
What changes for your users
Admins tend to plan the server side and forget the people. Every desktop client, phone app and saved share link your users touch will change, and so will the address they type to log in. Tell them early, give them a date, and write a one-page guide with screenshots of the new client. A short message a week before the move saves a long week of support questions afterwards.
If you share files with clients or suppliers, list those people separately. They didn't choose your system and won't read your internal notes, so a direct note from you with the new link is the polite way to handle it.
Your switch checklist
- List every shared folder, every external share link and every user account you have today.
- Note which Web Office integration, if any, your team edits in.
- Shortlist two options from the group that matches how you used the old system.
- Move one team folder across and invite a handful of users to work in it for a week.
- Send a share link to someone outside your organisation and confirm it opens for them.
- Check mobile and desktop clients on every device type your people use.
- Keep the old system read-only for a while before you switch it off.
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Frequently asked questions
Which options suit a business with strict privacy rules?
Tresorit aims its encrypted storage at businesses, so it's a sensible first test.
Can I get calls and chat next to my files?
It adds Talk for calls and chat alongside its file server.
Is a full platform overkill for a home setup?
Often, yes. If you only mirror folders between a few machines, try Syncthing first.
Why isn't File Browser on this list?
Its own README says it was archived with no further releases, bug fixes or security fixes, so it isn't somewhere to move your files.
Should I move every team at once?
Moving one team at a time is usually calmer. Keep everyone else on the old system until the first group has settled in and their questions have dried up.
