Self-hostable open-source Dropbox alternatives
File sync and sharing. Self-hosted clouds give unlimited storage on your own disks and keep files off third-party servers.
Among 3 self-hostable open-source Dropbox alternatives tracked here, Nextcloud currently leads on the Self-Host Health Score (98/100, 36k★, last commit today). For a Raspberry Pi or a low-RAM VPS, Nextcloud is the lightest at a documented ~128 MB (MariaDB/MySQL). 2 of them publish official ARM64 images (Raspberry Pi / Apple Silicon). 3 offer a one-click deploy (e.g. DigitalOcean, PikaPods).
| Tool | Health | Stars | Database | Min RAM | ARM/Pi | One-click | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nextcloud
↗
Full self-hosted cloud: files, calendar, contacts, office and apps. |
98 Thriving |
36k★ PHP |
MariaDB/MySQL | 128 MB | ✓ ● | DigitalOcean ↗ PikaPods ↗ | today AGPL-3.0 |
| ownCloud
↗
The original self-hosted file-sync platform for teams. |
73 Healthy |
8.8k★ PHP |
MariaDB | 128 MB | ✓ ● | PikaPods ↗ | today AGPL-3.0 |
| Seafile
↗
High-performance file sync with reliable client and block storage. |
69 Healthy |
15k★ C |
MySQL/MariaDB | 1024 MB | ✗ ● | PikaPods ↗ | 2d ago |
FAQ
What is the best self-hostable Dropbox alternative?
By the live Self-Host Health Score, Nextcloud ranks highest (98/100).
Which open-source Dropbox alternatives run on a Raspberry Pi?
Those publishing official ARM64 images: Nextcloud, ownCloud.
Which is the lightest on RAM?
Nextcloud, at about 128 MB.