📁 Cloud storage & office Open source Privacy ★★★★★
Nextcloud
The open-source hub for data sovereignty
Overview
Nextcloud is an open-source private cloud platform from Nextcloud GmbH with 300+ apps for files, talk, calendar, and office integration.
Managed hosting (Hetzner, etc.) lowers ops burden while you keep sovereignty over where data lives.
Closest to the “final form” of leaving Google Drive—full control over residency, sharing policy, and subprocessors.
Scores
Privacy 5/5
Ease of use 2/5
Features 5/5
Value 4/5
Google Drive / Docs — comparison
Less SaaS convenience, AI, and polish than Drive/Docs, but you decide location, sharing, and subprocessors—near the end-state of de-Googling storage.
Pros
- ✓ No Google custody of your files
- ✓ On-prem, VPC, or country-specific DC choice
- ✓ Active community and audited security program
Cons & caveats
- − Setup, backup, and update ops cost
- − Co-editing is less frictionless than Google Docs (depends on office integration)
- − Mobile experience can trail Google Drive
Best for
- Teams with data residency requirements
- Power users with NAS or VPS already
- Gradual exit from Google Workspace
Not ideal for
- People who want zero server management
- Users expecting 100% Google Docs compatibility
Specs
- Pricing
- Self-hosted — Software free (AGPL). Costs: server/VPS (~€5+/month), storage, optional enterprise support. Hetzner Nextcloud from ~€4.9/month.
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Data location
- Your choice—home NAS, domestic VPS, on-prem, etc.
- Platforms
- Self-hosted · Windows · macOS · Linux · Android · iOS
完全データ主権Collabora/OnlyOffice連携Cal/Contacts/Talkエコシステム巨大
Migration from Google Drive / Docs
- 1 Takeout files → upload via Nextcloud web/API
- 2 Sync Google Drive → Nextcloud with rclone
- 3 Enable Collabora/OnlyOffice and re-share .docx/.xlsx files
- 4 Audit shared folders and rebuild permissions on Nextcloud
Setup steps
- 1 Install Nextcloud via Docker or snap
- 2 Configure HTTPS, trusted certificates, and 2FA
- 3 Add Collabora Online or OnlyOffice app
- 4 Configure desktop and mobile sync clients