SHSelfHostIndex

Nextcloud Desktop Sync vs Spacedrive

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?
NE Nextcloud Desktop Sync Official desktop sync client for Nextcloud VS SP Spacedrive Cross-platform file explorer powered by a virtual filesystem
FeatureNextcloud Desktop SyncSpacedrive
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseGPL-2.0AGPL-3.0
LanguageC++Rust
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM256 MB512 MB
Deploymentbinarybinary
GitHub stars★ 3,812★ 38,732
First released20162022
ReplacesDropbox, OneDriveGoogle Drive, Dropbox

Why pick each one

Choose Nextcloud Desktop Sync if…

  • Released under the GPL-2.0 license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • Active community (3.8k GitHub stars)
  • Written in C++
Nextcloud Desktop Sync details

Choose Spacedrive if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • Mature project with 38.7k GitHub stars
  • Written in Rust
  • Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Spacedrive details

Frequently asked questions

Is Nextcloud Desktop Sync or Spacedrive better?

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

Are Nextcloud Desktop Sync and Spacedrive free and open-source?

Yes. Nextcloud Desktop Sync is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Spacedrive under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Nextcloud Desktop Sync and Spacedrive with Docker?

Nextcloud Desktop Sync: check the project docs for container support. Spacedrive: check the project docs for container support.

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