SHSelfHostIndex

43 self-hosted Dropbox alternatives

Dropbox is a widely used commercial cloud file storage and synchronization service. It offers file sharing, backup, and collaboration features for individuals and teams. These open-source apps let you replace Dropbox with software you host and control yourself.

Best self-hosted Dropbox alternatives

Last reviewed Aug 26, 2026 · 509 words

Two computers on the same desk syncing a file through Dropbox send it to a data centre and back. Syncthing moves it across the room at LAN speed, with no account, no subscription, and no third party holding a copy. That is the clean version of this migration, and for a lot of people it is the whole migration. It only gets complicated when you also lean on Dropbox's share links and version history, which is what the server-shaped replacements below exist for.

What you gain and what you give up

Storage stops renting: Dropbox Plus runs about $120 a year for 2 TB at last check, roughly the one-time price of a 2 TB drive. Transfers between your own machines run at local network speed, and nothing indexes your files but you. Now the honest column. Dropbox was quietly an off-site backup, and a sync setup is not one - delete a file on one device and the deletion propagates everywhere within seconds - so budget for a real backup tool alongside. Version history also shrinks: Dropbox keeps around 30 days of versions on its basic paid plan, while Syncthing's file versioning is off until you enable it per folder.

Which replacement fits which user

Syncthing (87,991 stars, Go, 128 MB, Easy) wins for pure device-to-device sync: peer-to-peer, TLS-encrypted, no server anywhere. It deliberately has no web file browser and no share links. Nextcloud (36,583 stars, PHP) is the full platform - web UI, password-protected expiring share links, mobile and desktop clients, calendars and office documents - and the price is running a platform: MariaDB, Redis, and periodic tuning, though the official All-in-One image packages sane defaults for people who would rather not. Seafile (15,170 stars, C) sits between: a dedicated sync-and-share server whose block-level engine stays fast and reliable on libraries of hundreds of gigabytes, with fewer extras. File Browser (35,942 stars, a 64 MB single binary) covers the modest case of web access and share links for one server folder, no sync client involved.

The move is a file copy

There is no export format to fight: drag everything out of ~/Dropbox into the new synced folder, preferably over the LAN rather than re-downloading. What cannot come along: every existing share link dies, server-side version history stays behind, Paper documents need their own export, and third-party apps authorised against Dropbox disconnect. Two catalogue gotchas deserve repeating - never expose Syncthing's port 8384 GUI to the internet, since sync traffic uses 22000 anyway, and never leave Nextcloud on its SQLite default past a first test.

The bottom line

Most individuals should run Syncthing and stop - the Nextcloud vs Syncthing comparison makes the case that simpler wins. Choose Nextcloud when sharing with other humans is the actual job, Seafile when raw sync performance on a huge library is. Then stand up a backup, because none of these are one.

Choosing well

How to choose file sync tool: the File Sync & Storage buyer's guide

Compare Dropbox alternatives