head to head · open source
Files vs ownCloud
Files has 46,499 GitHub stars, 3,016 forks, 458 open issues and last shipped yesterday. ownCloud has 2,176 stars, 286 forks, 628 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Files leads on adoption by 2,037% (46,499 vs 2,176 stars). Files is written in C# under MIT; ownCloud is written in Go under Apache-2.0. Files has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, ownCloud 13%. ownCloud 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
| Files | ownCloud | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 46K | ★ 2.2K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | C# | Go |
| Last push | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.0K | ⑂ 286 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Files if
- You weight community size — 46K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches C#
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick ownCloud if
- You want the ownCloud feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and ownCloud fits your workflow better
About Files
Files is a modern file manager that helps users organize their files and folders. Our mission with Files is to build the best file manager for Windows, and we’re proud to be building it out in the open so everyone can participate. User feedback helps shape the features we work on, & the bug reports on GitHub help to make Files more reliable. Built and maintained by the open source community, Files features robust multitasking experiences, file tags, deep integrations, and an intuitive design. Installing and running Files Files is a community driven project that depends on your support to grow and improve. Please…
read the full Files overview →
About ownCloud
ownCloud Infinite Scale ownCloud Infinite Scale Introduction Quickstart Overview Clients Web Office Applications Authentication Installation Important Readings Run ownCloud Infinite Scale Use the Official Documentation Use the ocis Repo as Source Documentation Admin Documentation Development Documentation Security Contributing End User License Agreement Copyright Introduction ownCloud Infinite Scale (oCIS) is the new file sync & share platform that will be the foundation of your data management platform. Make sure to download the latest released version today! Quickstart For details of the commands used see the…
read the full ownCloud overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Files or ownCloud more popular?
Files has 46,499 GitHub stars and ownCloud has 2,176. Files has the larger community by that measure.
Are Files and ownCloud free?
Both are open source. Files is licensed under MIT and ownCloud under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Files and ownCloud?
Files is written in C# and ownCloud in Go. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Files or ownCloud?
Choose Files if you want the larger community (46,499 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose ownCloud if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.