Nextcloud
Sync folder client for Nextcloud, a cloud storage service you can run yourself or rent.
Our verdict
Nextcloud replaces OneDrive or Google Drive, with the difference that you pick who stores the files. This app is only the desktop half, the bit that keeps a folder on your computer matched with the server.
Once connected it behaves the way a Windows user expects. Drop a file in the Nextcloud folder and it appears on your phone and your other machines. There is an option to keep files online only until you open them, which saves disk space in the same way OneDrive does.
The catch is the account. Either you pay a hosting provider that offers Nextcloud, or you run the server yourself, which means looking after updates and backups. If neither appeals, Syncthing gives you device-to-device sync with no server at all.
What's good
- Works like the OneDrive folder you already understand, with a tick against synced files
- You choose who holds your files, either a hosting provider or a computer in your own home
- Calendar, contacts and photos come along with the storage
What to know first
- Useless on its own, since you need an account on a Nextcloud server first
- Setting up your own server is a real project, not an afternoon
- Rented accounts from providers are usually smaller or dearer than Dropbox for the same money
The details
- Cost
- Free with paid extras
- Open source
- Yes (GPL-3.0)
- How you install it
- App store (Flatpak), AppImage download, .deb installer, .rpm installer, Built-in app store
Windows apps it can replace
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