head to head · open source
Nextcloud vs ownCloud
Nextcloud has 37,396 GitHub stars, 5,334 forks, 3,657 open issues and last shipped yesterday. ownCloud has 2,175 stars, 286 forks, 628 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Nextcloud leads on adoption by 1,619% (37,396 vs 2,175 stars). Nextcloud is written in PHP under AGPL-3.0; ownCloud is written in Go under Apache-2.0. Nextcloud has attracted 14% as many forks as stars, ownCloud 13%. Nextcloud was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (file-sharing), 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.
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Side by side
| Nextcloud | ownCloud | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 37K | ★ 2.2K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | PHP | Go |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.3K | ⑂ 286 |
| 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 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 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 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 Nextcloud or ownCloud more popular?
Nextcloud has 37,396 GitHub stars and ownCloud has 2,175. Nextcloud has the larger community by that measure.
Are Nextcloud and ownCloud free?
Both are open source. Nextcloud is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and ownCloud under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Nextcloud and ownCloud?
Nextcloud is written in PHP 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, Nextcloud or ownCloud?
Choose Nextcloud if you want the larger community (37,396 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose ownCloud if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.