Top pick: Nextcloud. Switching saves about $120 USD a year.
$119.88 USDa year
$155.88 CAD
Every pick below has a free version.
3 alternatives
The editor’s first choice for most people switching.
Best for a self-hosted Dropbox with apps on every platform
Open source under AGPL-3.0, but you must run a server or sign up with a hosting provider. The Nextcloud apps are free. Paid support plans are sold per user. Free version: The Nextcloud server is free to self-host. Enterprise subscriptions with support start at 71.29 EUR per user a year (100 users).
Covers most of the same work, with trade-offs noted on each card.
Best for fast self-hosted sync with a virtual drive
Community Edition is open source and free. Professional Edition runs without a license file for up to 3 users and adds paid features. You host the server yourself. Free version: Community Edition is free. Professional Edition runs without a license file for up to 3 users.
Right for specific needs, or not yet mature enough to recommend widely.
Best for private peer-to-peer sync with no server
Open source under MPL-2.0 with no accounts or cloud. It only copies files between your own devices, so it does not give you web access or sharing links.
Sponsor this page: $149 for 30 days. Sponsors appear above the ranking, labeled; the ranking itself is not for sale.
How each alternative covers what people use Dropbox for. Numbers link to editor notes.
| Feature | Nextcloud | Seafile | Syncthing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sync | |||
| Automatic folder sync across devices | Yes | Yes | YesNote 1Devices sync directly; at least two must be online at the same time |
| Online-only files and selective sync | PartialNote 2Folder selection works on every desktop; online-only files depend on the platform | YesNote 3Selective folder sync plus a virtual drive that syncs files on demand | NoNote 4Syncs whole folders with ignore patterns; no online-only files |
| Sharing | |||
| Share links for files and folders | YesNote 5Public links with password, expiry and upload-only folders | Yes | NoNote 6No public links; you share folders with trusted devices only |
| Protection | |||
| File version history and restore | Yes | Yes | PartialNote 7File versioning keeps old copies on your devices; there is no web restore page |
| Collaboration | |||
| Shared folders for teams | Yes | YesNote 8Share libraries with users and groups | YesNote 9Share any folder with other devices by device ID |
| Edit Office files in the browser | PartialNote 10Needs a Collabora or OnlyOffice server connected to Nextcloud | PartialNote 11Works through OnlyOffice or Collabora; SeaDoc handles built-in documents | No |
| Mobile | |||
| Mobile apps with camera upload | YesNote 12Android and iOS apps with automatic photo upload | Yes | PartialNote 13The official Android app was archived in Dec 2024; community forks run on Android; no iOS app |
| Parity score | 86% | 93% | 43% |
Not covered by any free alternative yet: Edit Office files in the browser. See all feature gaps
Switching saves about $120 USD / $156 CAD a year. Prices checked .
Based on Dropbox Plus, one person. Price source.
Last verified . Ranking: tier first, then the published score.
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Dropbox is a product of Dropbox, named here for comparison only. Platforms listed for Dropbox: Windows, macOS, Linux, Web, iOS, Android.