Ceph vs ownCloud
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Ceph
Distributed object, block, and file storage platform
VS
ownCloud
Open-source file sync, share and content collaboration
| Feature | Ceph | ownCloud |
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 16,905 | ★ 8,831 |
| First released | 2006 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Amazon S3, Google Drive | Dropbox, Google Drive |
Why pick each one
Choose Ceph if…
- Released under the LGPL-2.1 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 16.9k GitHub stars
Choose ownCloud if…
- Mature and stable
- Enterprise features available
- Good admin controls
Frequently asked questions
Is Ceph or ownCloud better?
Neither is universally better. Ceph has the larger community, while ownCloud is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Ceph and ownCloud free and open-source?
Yes. Ceph is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and ownCloud under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ceph and ownCloud with Docker?
Ceph: yes. ownCloud: yes.