If you’re looking to move off OneDrive, you have options. Real ones. Here are the 3 open-source, self-hostable alternatives I’ve tested, with honest notes on what each does well and where each falls short.
Why leave OneDrive?
- Bundled with Office 365 but hard to leave once your files are entangled with the suite.
- Windows integration is nice — until it silently uploads folders you didn’t want in the cloud.
- Storage tiers get expensive quickly beyond 1TB.
The 3 best self-hosted alternatives to OneDrive
Syncthing
Direct peer-to-peer, no cloud in the middle. Best for personal use across your own devices.
Visit Syncthing website →Quick comparison
| Alternative | Difficulty | License |
|---|---|---|
| Nextcloud | Medium | AGPL-3.0 |
| Seafile | Medium | AGPL-3.0 |
| Syncthing | Easy | MPL-2.0 |
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to OneDrive?
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.