ownCloud vs WebDAV Server Go

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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ownCloud Open-source file sync, share and content collaboration VS WE WebDAV Server Go Lightweight standalone WebDAV file server

Feature	ownCloud	WebDAV Server Go
Deploy effort	Under-an-hour setup	Under-an-hour setup
Health score	92 · Excellent	90 · Excellent
Category	File Sync & Storage	File Sync & Storage
License	AGPL-3.0	MIT
Language	PHP	Go
Setup difficulty	Medium	Easy
Min. RAM	512 MB	64 MB
Deployment	docker, bare-metal	docker, binary
GitHub stars	★ 8,830	★ 5,877
First released	2010	2017
Replaces	Dropbox, Google Drive	Dropbox

What are ownCloud and WebDAV Server Go?

ownCloud

ownCloud is a file sync and share server that lets organizations host their own cloud storage with sharing and collaboration features. It targets businesses and individuals wanting an established self-hosted alternative to commercial cloud storage. It is deployed via Docker or a traditional PHP stack.

Established sync and share platform
LDAP and enterprise integrations
Newer ownCloud Infinite Scale rewrite
Desktop and mobile clients

Read the full ownCloud guide →

WebDAV Server Go

A lightweight standalone WebDAV server that exposes a directory tree for syncing with WebDAV-capable clients. It is useful as a minimal sync backend for many file managers and apps.

Standalone WebDAV
Per-user permissions
Minimal backend
Cross-platform clients

ownCloud vs WebDAV Server Go: key differences

OwnCloud is written in PHP, while WebDAV Server Go is built with Go. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for ownCloud versus MIT for WebDAV Server Go. WebDAV Server Go is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for ownCloud. OwnCloud is the more established project (first released 2010), while WebDAV Server Go arrived in 2017.

Why pick each one

Choose ownCloud if…

Mature and stable
Enterprise features available
Good admin controls

Watch out for

Nextcloud forked away most momentum
Classic core in maintenance mode

ownCloud details

Choose WebDAV Server Go if…

Released under the MIT license
Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
First-class Docker support for quick deployment
Mature project with 5.9k GitHub stars

WebDAV Server Go details

Frequently asked questions

Is ownCloud or WebDAV Server Go better?

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

Are ownCloud and WebDAV Server Go free and open-source?

Yes. ownCloud is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and WebDAV Server Go under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run ownCloud and WebDAV Server Go with Docker?

ownCloud: yes. WebDAV Server Go: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, ownCloud or WebDAV Server Go?

WebDAV Server Go has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for ownCloud. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.