DumbDrop vs Nextcloud

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?
FeatureDumbDropNextcloud
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseGPL-3.0AGPL-3.0
LanguageJavaScriptPHP
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM70 MB512 MB
Deploymentbare-metaldocker, bare-metal, snap
GitHub stars★ 561★ 36,362
First released20252016
ReplacesDropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft 365

Why pick each one

Choose DumbDrop if…

  • Released under the GPL-3.0 license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • Written in JavaScript
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 70 MB RAM
DumbDrop details

Choose Nextcloud if…

  • Feature-rich and extensible
  • Active development and large community
  • Integrates calendar, contacts and office
Nextcloud details

Frequently asked questions

Is DumbDrop or Nextcloud better?

Neither is universally better. Nextcloud has the larger community, while DumbDrop is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are DumbDrop and Nextcloud free and open-source?

Yes. DumbDrop is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Nextcloud under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run DumbDrop and Nextcloud with Docker?

DumbDrop: check the project docs for container support. Nextcloud: yes.

Related comparisons