Dropbox
Cloud file storage and sync for teams and individuals
ownCloud
Self‑hosted file sync, share, and collaboration platform
ownCloud lets you store, sync, and share files, contacts, calendars, and more on your own server, with end‑to‑end encryption, extensible apps, and enterprise‑grade collaboration tools.
Overview
Overview
ownCloud is a self‑hosted platform that enables individuals and organizations to store, synchronize, and share a wide range of data—including files, contacts, and calendars—on infrastructure they control. It offers HTTPS transport encryption by default and optional at‑rest encryption via an add‑on, ensuring data privacy across the entire lifecycle.
Who Should Use It
Designed for teams that need on‑premise data sovereignty, developers looking to extend functionality with a rich app ecosystem, and enterprises seeking an AGPL‑licensed alternative to commercial cloud services. The core provides robust collaboration features, while dozens of optional apps add capabilities such as mail, news feeds, and more.
Deployment
Installation follows the official ownCloud 10 manual and requires Composer v2, Yarn, and Node v14+ for development builds. Once deployed, administrators manage updates, security patches, and hardware resources, gaining full control over performance and compliance.
Highlights
Store and access files, contacts, calendars on your own server
Bidirectional sync across desktop, mobile, and web clients
Fine‑grained sharing with permissions and public links
Modular app ecosystem for calendar, mail, news, and more
Pros
- Full control over data privacy
- Rich feature set comparable to commercial SaaS
- Extensible via hundreds of community apps
- Active community and enterprise support
Considerations
- Self‑hosting requires server administration expertise
- Updates and security patches are user responsibility
- Performance depends on underlying hardware
- Limited native mobile apps compared to some competitors
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider ownCloud, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.
Fit guide
Great for
- Organizations needing on‑premise data sovereignty
- Teams that require collaborative file, calendar, and contact management
- Developers wanting a customizable platform with app extensions
- Enterprises seeking an AGPL‑licensed alternative to proprietary cloud services
Not ideal when
- Users without server management experience
- Small teams preferring turnkey hosted solutions
- Environments requiring out‑of‑the‑box mobile apps with deep OS integration
- Organizations needing guaranteed SLA without self‑hosting
How teams use it
Secure internal document repository
Employees store and share confidential files with end‑to‑end encryption.
Cross‑department calendar sharing
Teams synchronize events and availability across multiple office locations.
Custom app integration
Developers add a news reader app to broadcast company announcements.
Data migration from legacy NAS
Files are migrated to ownCloud for centralized access and backup.
Tech snapshot
PHP52%
JavaScript32%
Gherkin14%
CSS1%
Starlark1%
Shell1%
Frequently asked questions
What programming languages does ownCloud use?
The core is primarily written in PHP, with JavaScript, CSS, and supporting scripts.
How do I install ownCloud?
Follow the official ownCloud 10 installation manual, which details server prerequisites and setup steps.
What are the system requirements for a development build?
Composer v2, Yarn, and Node v14+ are required, along with a compatible web server and PHP environment.
Can I encrypt data at rest?
Yes, enable the encryption app to encrypt stored data on the server.
Where can I get community support?
Support is available via the ownCloud forum, IRC channel, Facebook, Twitter, and translation contributions on Transifex.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 8,719
- Watchers
- 8,719
- Forks
- 2,060
LicenseAGPL-3.0
Repo age13 years old
Last commit2 days ago
Self-hostingSupported
Primary languagePHP
Last synced yesterday