head to head · open source
CasaOS vs Nextcloud
CasaOS has 37,231 GitHub stars, 2,187 forks, 833 open issues and last shipped 1.1 years ago. Nextcloud has 36,834 stars, 5,224 forks, 3,657 open issues and last shipped today. CasaOS leads on adoption by 1% (37,231 vs 36,834 stars). CasaOS is written in Go under Apache-2.0; Nextcloud is written in PHP under AGPL-3.0. CasaOS has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Nextcloud 14%. Nextcloud was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| CasaOS | Nextcloud | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 37K | ★ 37K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Go | PHP |
| Last push | 2025-08-06 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.2K | ⑂ 5.2K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick CasaOS if
- You weight community size — 37K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Nextcloud if
- You want the Nextcloud feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You evaluated both and Nextcloud fits your workflow better
About CasaOS
CasaOS is an open source personal cloud operating system built for home servers. It provides a lightweight, user friendly interface to manage local storage, run containerized applications, and integrate smart devices—all without requiring deep technical knowledge. The project targets individuals and small households seeking autonomy over their data and infrastructure, replacing reliance on commercial cloud services with a self hosted alternative.
read the full CasaOS overview →
About Nextcloud
Nextcloud is a self hosted cloud collaboration platform built in PHP, licensed under AGPL 3.0. It enables organizations and individuals to store, synchronize, and share files, contacts, calendars, and other data on infrastructure they control, replacing reliance on third party cloud services. The project lives in the open source cloud software ecosystem and serves as a decentralized alternative to proprietary suites like Dropbox, Google Workspace, and Microsoft 365.
read the full Nextcloud overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is CasaOS or Nextcloud more popular?
CasaOS has 37,231 GitHub stars and Nextcloud has 36,834. CasaOS has the larger community by that measure.
Are CasaOS and Nextcloud free?
Both are open source. CasaOS is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Nextcloud under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between CasaOS and Nextcloud?
CasaOS is written in Go and Nextcloud in PHP. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, CasaOS or Nextcloud?
Choose CasaOS if you want the larger community (37,231 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Nextcloud if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.