head to head · open source
Nextcloud vs Firefiles
Nextcloud has 37,396 GitHub stars, 5,334 forks, 3,657 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Firefiles has 370 stars, 59 forks, 14 open issues and last shipped 1.0 years ago. Nextcloud leads on adoption by 10,007% (37,396 vs 370 stars). Nextcloud is written in PHP under AGPL-3.0; Firefiles is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. Nextcloud has attracted 14% as many forks as stars, Firefiles 16%. Nextcloud was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (hacktoberfest), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| Nextcloud | Firefiles | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 37K | ★ 370 |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | PHP | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2025-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.3K | ⑂ 59 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Nextcloud if
- You weight community size — 37K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Firefiles if
- You want the Firefiles feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Firefiles fits your workflow better
About Nextcloud
Nextcloud Server ☁ A safe home for all your data. Why is this so awesome? 🤩 📁 Access your Data You can store your files, contacts, calendars, and more on a server of your choosing. 🔄 Sync your Data You keep your files, contacts, calendars, and more synchronized amongst your devices. 🙌 Share your Data …by giving others access to the stuff you want them to see or to collaborate with. 🚀 Expandable with hundreds of Apps ...like Calendar, Contacts, Mail, Video Chat and all those you can discover in our App Store 🔒 Security with our encryption mechanisms, HackerOne bounty program and two factor authentication…
read the full Nextcloud overview →
About Firefiles
Firefiles Join Discord: Description Firefiles is an open‑source alternative to Dropbox which lets you setup a cloud drive with the backend of your choice and lets you seamlessly manage your files across multiple providers. Features A modern file system interface for your storage buckets. Manage files in the browser. Easily download and share files. File previews. File tagging and filtering (if provider supports). AWS S3 support. Dark theme. Screenshots Tech Used Sponsor this project Firefiles is an open source project. If you want to support the project, you can do so by funding / sponsoring the project. Here…
read the full Firefiles overview →
More in Productivity & Utilities
Related comparisons
More File Management & Sync projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the File Management & Sync field.
Frequently asked questions
Is Nextcloud or Firefiles more popular?
Nextcloud has 37,396 GitHub stars and Firefiles has 370. Nextcloud has the larger community by that measure.
Are Nextcloud and Firefiles free?
Both are open source. Nextcloud is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Firefiles under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Nextcloud and Firefiles?
Nextcloud is written in PHP and Firefiles in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Nextcloud or Firefiles?
Choose Nextcloud if you want the larger community (37,396 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Firefiles if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.