Cloudreve vs OpenCloud
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Cloudreve
File management and sharing system, supports multiple storage
VS
OpenCloud
Modern open-source file platform from ownCloud team
| Feature | Cloudreve | OpenCloud |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 97 · Excellent | 90 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 28,741 | ★ 6,051 |
| First released | None | 2025 |
| Replaces | Google Drive | Dropbox, Google Drive |
What are Cloudreve and OpenCloud?
Cloudreve
Cloudreve is a file management and sharing system with a polished web UI that supports local, S3, OneDrive and other storage backends. It targets users who want a personal cloud drive with sharing links. It is deployed via a single Go binary or Docker.
- Multiple storage backends
- Shareable links with passwords
- WebDAV access
- Multi-user with quotas
OpenCloud
OpenCloud is a modern open-source file sync, share, and collaboration platform built on a microservice architecture. It targets organizations wanting a current, lightweight content collaboration server. It is deployed via Docker Compose.
- Microservice-based architecture
- Web-based collaboration
- Lightweight Go backend
- Compatible desktop clients
Cloudreve vs OpenCloud: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Cloudreve versus Apache-2.0 for OpenCloud. Cloudreve has the considerably larger community, at 28,741 GitHub stars versus 6,051.
Why pick each one
Choose Cloudreve if…
- Multiple storage backends
- Single Go binary
- Polished web interface
Watch out for
- Docs partly in Chinese
- Some features Pro-only
Choose OpenCloud if…
- Modern, fast codebase
- Lightweight footprint
- Permissively licensed
Watch out for
- Very new project
- Smaller ecosystem so far
Frequently asked questions
Is Cloudreve or OpenCloud better?
Neither is universally better. Cloudreve has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Cloudreve and OpenCloud free and open-source?
Yes. Cloudreve is licensed under GPL-3.0 and OpenCloud under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cloudreve and OpenCloud with Docker?
Cloudreve: yes. OpenCloud: yes.