OpenCloud vs Pydio Cells
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?
OpenCloud
Modern open-source file platform from ownCloud team
VS
Pydio Cells
Document sharing and collaboration for organizations
| Feature | OpenCloud | Pydio Cells |
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,792 | ★ 2,241 |
| First released | 2025 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Dropbox, Google Drive | Dropbox, Box, Google Drive |
Why pick each one
Choose OpenCloud if…
- Modern, fast codebase
- Lightweight footprint
- Permissively licensed
Choose Pydio Cells if…
- Strong enterprise features
- Modern Go codebase
- Good access governance
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenCloud or Pydio Cells 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 Pydio Cells free and open-source?
Yes. OpenCloud is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Pydio Cells under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenCloud and Pydio Cells with Docker?
OpenCloud: yes. Pydio Cells: yes.