CryptPad vs ownCloud Infinite Scale
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
CryptPad
End-to-end encrypted collaboration suite
VS
ownCloud Infinite Scale
Go-based file sync and share server, successor to ownCloud PHP
| Feature | CryptPad | ownCloud Infinite Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,953 | ★ 2,127 |
| First released | 2015 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Drive, Microsoft 365 | Dropbox, Google Drive |
What are CryptPad and ownCloud Infinite Scale?
CryptPad
CryptPad is an end-to-end encrypted collaboration suite with documents, spreadsheets, and a personal drive, where the server cannot read user data. It suits privacy-focused individuals and teams. It is deployed via Docker or a Node.js installation.
- Zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption
- Real-time collaborative editing
- Documents, sheets and forms
- Personal encrypted drive
ownCloud Infinite Scale
ownCloud Infinite Scale (oCIS) is the Go-based successor to the PHP ownCloud server. It provides file sync and share with a microservices architecture, Spaces for team collaboration, and OpenID Connect authentication.
- Built in Go for performance
- Spaces-based collaboration
- OpenID Connect support
CryptPad vs ownCloud Infinite Scale: key differences
CryptPad is written in JavaScript, while ownCloud Infinite Scale is built with Go. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for CryptPad versus Apache-2.0 for ownCloud Infinite Scale. CryptPad is the more established project (first released 2015), while ownCloud Infinite Scale arrived in 2020. CryptPad has the considerably larger community, at 7,953 GitHub stars versus 2,127.
Why pick each one
Choose CryptPad if…
- Strong privacy guarantees
- Real-time collaboration
- No account needed to start
Watch out for
- Encryption limits server-side search
- Heavier client than plain editors
Choose ownCloud Infinite Scale if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is CryptPad or ownCloud Infinite Scale better?
Neither is universally better. CryptPad has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are CryptPad and ownCloud Infinite Scale free and open-source?
Yes. CryptPad is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and ownCloud Infinite Scale under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CryptPad and ownCloud Infinite Scale with Docker?
CryptPad: yes. ownCloud Infinite Scale: yes.