OpenCloud vs ownCloud Web
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
OpenCloud
Modern open-source file platform from ownCloud team
VS
ownCloud Web
Archived
Modern web frontend for ownCloud file sharing
| Feature | OpenCloud | ownCloud Web |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 90 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,056 | ★ 567 |
| First released | 2025 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Dropbox, Google Drive | Dropbox, Google Drive |
What are OpenCloud and ownCloud Web?
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
ownCloud Web
ownCloud Web is the modern single-page web frontend for ownCloud file storage and sharing. It provides fast file management, sharing, and collaboration in the browser.
- Modern file management UI
- File sharing
- Browser-based collaboration
- Fast single-page app
OpenCloud vs ownCloud Web: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: ownCloud Web's repository is archived and no longer developed, while OpenCloud is actively maintained. OpenCloud is written in Go, while ownCloud Web is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for OpenCloud versus AGPL-3.0 for ownCloud Web. OwnCloud Web is the more established project (first released 2020), while OpenCloud arrived in 2025. OpenCloud has the considerably larger community, at 6,056 GitHub stars versus 567.
Why pick each one
Choose OpenCloud if…
- Modern, fast codebase
- Lightweight footprint
- Permissively licensed
Watch out for
- Very new project
- Smaller ecosystem so far
Choose ownCloud Web if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenCloud or ownCloud Web better?
Neither is universally better. OpenCloud has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are OpenCloud and ownCloud Web free and open-source?
Yes. OpenCloud is licensed under Apache-2.0 and ownCloud Web under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenCloud and ownCloud Web with Docker?
OpenCloud: yes. ownCloud Web: yes.