If you’re looking to move off Dropbox, you have options. Real ones. Here are the 4 open-source, self-hostable alternatives I’ve tested, with honest notes on what each does well and where each falls short.
Why leave Dropbox?
- Steep price jump above the free 2GB tier ($11.99/mo for 2TB).
- Recent AI features scan file contents by default.
- Native app has become bloated and eats system resources.
The 4 best self-hosted alternatives to Dropbox
Nextcloud
The battle-tested choice. File sync, sharing, mobile apps, plus office suite and calendar.
Visit Nextcloud website →Seafile
Faster than Nextcloud for pure file sync. Block-level dedup, delta sync, less feature bloat.
Visit Seafile website →Syncthing
Peer-to-peer sync. No server needed. Best for keeping folders in sync across your own devices.
Visit Syncthing website →Filestash
Web UI over S3/SFTP/FTP/WebDAV. Not sync — but great if your files already live in object storage.
Visit Filestash website →Quick comparison
| Alternative | Difficulty | License |
|---|---|---|
| Nextcloud | Medium | AGPL-3.0 |
| Seafile | Medium | AGPL-3.0 |
| Syncthing | Easy | MPL-2.0 |
| Filestash | Easy | AGPL-3.0 |
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Dropbox?
Yes. Every tool listed above is free and open source. Some, like Nextcloud, also have optional paid hosted tiers if you don’t want to run the server yourself. Everything else is genuinely free to self-host — you pay only for your own hardware and time.
Which one should I pick if I’ve never self-hosted anything before?
Start with Syncthing. It’s the lowest-friction option here — realistic to have running in an afternoon on a small server or Raspberry Pi. If it doesn’t fit your workflow, Seafile is a good second try.
Can I run these on a Raspberry Pi?
Most of them, yes — the tools marked Easy here will comfortably run on a Pi 4 or Pi 5 with 4GB+ of RAM. The Medium tools may work but appreciate a mini PC or a spare desktop. Hard-tagged tools generally want real server hardware.
What about mobile apps?
It varies. Tools like Vaultwarden and Immich have native iOS/Android apps that connect to your server. Others rely on the web UI through your phone browser — fine for occasional use, not a full app experience.