FileGator 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.

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FeatureFileGatorNextcloud
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseMITAGPL-3.0
LanguagePHPPHP
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM128 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker, bare-metal, snap
GitHub stars★ 3,048★ 36,362
First released20192016
ReplacesGoogle Drive, DropboxDropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft 365

Why pick each one

Choose FileGator if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Active community (3k GitHub stars)
FileGator details

Choose Nextcloud if…

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

Frequently asked questions

Is FileGator or Nextcloud better?

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

Are FileGator and Nextcloud free and open-source?

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

Can I run FileGator and Nextcloud with Docker?

FileGator: yes. Nextcloud: yes.

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