Dropbox vs Nextcloud
Dropbox is the easier hosted service; Nextcloud gives you control and open source if you can run it.
Pick Dropbox if…
You want files synced with no server to manage and a simple plan list starting with a free 2 GB tier. You are fine with a closed-source, vendor-hosted service.
Pick Nextcloud if…
You want to host your own files, need open-source software under AGPL-3.0, or want file sharing bundled with chat, groupware and office editing.
Price
- Freemium
- Freemium
- Open source
Starting price
Free plan
Open source
Works on
| Feature | Cloud storage and file sharing with sync apps, a free 2 GB plan and paid plans from $9.99 a month. | Open-source, self-hostable file sync, sharing and collaboration platform with paid enterprise support. |
|---|---|---|
| Price |
|
|
| Starting price | $9.99/month (Plus, 1 person, 2 TB) | €71.29 per user per year (Enterprise Standard, 100+ users, excl. VAT) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Works on | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, API |
| Try Dropbox (opens the Dropbox website in a new tab) | Try Nextcloud (opens the Nextcloud website in a new tab) |
Dropbox is a hosted service with desktop apps for Windows, macOS and Linux and mobile apps for iOS and Android. Its Basic plan is free with 2 GB, and paid plans start at $9.99/month for Plus (2 TB, one person). Team plans are $15/user/month (Standard) and $24/user/month (Advanced, 3 or more people).
Nextcloud's server is open source under AGPL-3.0 and is mainly built to be self-hosted. It bundles file sync and sharing with video chat, groupware, office editing and workflow automation. It has clients for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
The cost models differ. With Dropbox you pay a plan fee for storage. With Nextcloud the software has no licence fee, but you supply the server, or buy a managed service. Paid Enterprise support is priced per user per year in EUR (from €71.29 excl. VAT) and starts at 100 users; the pricing page lists no price for hosted Nextcloud One.
In short: Dropbox trades control for convenience, and Nextcloud does the reverse. If you don't want to maintain a server, Dropbox is the simpler path.
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Last updated 16 October 2026. How we make money