Cloudreve vs Nextcloud (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Nextcloud grades higher than Cloudreve: 3.2 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Nextcloud grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Cloudreve
Self-hosted cloud drive with many storage back ends
Nextcloud
Open source, self-hosted file sync and collaboration platform
Which one is for you
Pick Cloudreve if
- Fits if you want one web front end over OneDrive or S3 storage
- Works for a developer who wants a one-time licence
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you do not want to run a server
- Watch out: Pro is bound to a root domain, and one change costs $25
- Watch out: the vendor says there are no discounts and prices may rise
- Tight if you need support, as Pro gets basic email only and anything else is a custom quote
Pick Nextcloud if
- Fits if your files have to stay on a server you control, as at a school or public body with data rules
- Works for technical people who are happy running a server or a Docker image
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you just want to sign up and start syncing, as Nextcloud doesn't host your data itself
- Not for you if nobody on hand can look after installs, updates and backups
- Tight if you're a small team wanting official support, since Enterprise subscriptions start at 100 users
- Pricey if you want Talk, groupware or the office suites under Enterprise, as they cost extra there
- Watch out: Enterprise prices are in euros per user per year before VAT, from 71.29€
How we grade them
| 2.4GPACloudreveFair | 3.2GPANextcloudVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $89.9 per root domain once, a bit more than a year of the category's middle plan, which is $84. Community is free, but you host it. | AThe server software is free under the AGPL, and so are the desktop and phone apps, in a category whose middle plan is $5 a month per person for ever. You supply the server. The paid Enterprise subscriptions buy support, and they start at 100 users from 71.29€ a user a year before VAT. |
| Free plan and trial | BCommunity is free with unlimited users and the basic features. You pay for the server. | AFree outright, not a plan with walls: the whole server, every app and community support, with no user cap and no feature held back for payers. There's an instant online trial too, if you want a look before installing anything. |
| Features | CBasic sharing and cross-platform sync. Paid sharing, collaboration extras and storage management are Pro. | BSync and share, Talk for chat and calls, groupware, and documents edited together through Collabora or Euro-Office. Two things in the listing hold it back, though: Nextcloud hosts nothing for you, and in Enterprise plans Talk, groupware and the office suites cost extra. |
| Ease of use | DYou install and maintain it yourself. No store rating on record, and the pricing page returned no readable text, so the listing was used. | DYou host it yourself, which is the definition of a hard start: installation, updates and backups are yours, even with the All-in-One Docker image to lean on. The iPhone app's 4.7 from about 10,400 ratings is about the app, not the server behind it. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but with real storage back ends: OneDrive, MinIO, Backblaze B2, Cloudflare R2 and Alibaba and Tencent clouds. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, the full set, and it talks to Collabora Online, Euro-Office, Thinkfree Office, Microsoft Teams and Microsoft's Office Online Server. |
| Best for | self-hosted file sharing over storage you already have | running your own file sync on your own server |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Cloudreve and Nextcloud. How we grade
Where they differ
- Cloudreve also covers file management.
- Nextcloud also covers video calls and file sync.
At a glance
| Cloudreve | Nextcloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $89.9 per root domain (Pro, lifetime license) | 71.29€ per user / year, excl. VAT (from 100 users) |
| Free plan | Community edition is free with unlimited users and all basic features. | The Nextcloud server software is free to download and self-host under the AGPL license, and the Nextcloud desktop and mobile apps are free. |
| Free trial | None listed | Nextcloud Enterprise can be tried for free, and an instant online trial is offered |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Cloudreve | Nextcloud GmbH |
| Price read from | cloudreve.org | nextcloud.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Cloudreve
- You run the server yourself; it is not a hosted service.
- Pro licenses are bound to a root domain; a change costs $25 and is allowed once.
- The vendor says it offers no discounts and prices may rise as features are added.
- Technical support is from outside experts for a custom quote; Pro includes only basic email support.
Nextcloud
- Nextcloud does not host data itself: you self-host, sign up with a third-party provider, or use the partner-run Nextcloud One service.
- Enterprise subscriptions are available only from 100 users, with prices in euros per year excluding VAT.
- In Enterprise plans, Talk, Groupware and the office suites are optional components that cost extra.
- Running the free server means handling installation, updates and backups yourself.
Key features
Cloudreve
- Many storage back ends
- Documentation lists local disk, remote nodes, Alibaba Cloud OSS, Tencent COS, OneDrive, Cloudflare R2, MinIO and Backblaze B2.
- Sharing
- Share links, with paid sharing, permission control and anonymous uploads on the Pro edition.
- Office collaboration
- Online editing of office documents through a connected file app.
- Search
- Full-text and AI semantic search are described in the documentation.
- Authentication and encryption
- Documentation covers OIDC sign-in and file encryption.
Nextcloud
- Nextcloud Files
- File sync and share across platforms, internally and with third parties. Desktop clients keep one or more local folders synchronized with the server.
- Self-hosting
- The server runs on your own hardware or private cloud. Nextcloud GmbH maintains an All-in-One Docker image intended for home or cloud installs.
- Nextcloud Talk
- Group chat, calls, screen sharing and web conferencing. In Enterprise subscriptions Talk is an optional component at extra cost, listed from 42€ per user / year.
- Office document editing
- Office documents can be edited together inside Nextcloud through Euro-Office, Collabora Online or Thinkfree Office, each an optional extra in Enterprise plans.
- Nextcloud Assistant and Flow
- A local AI assistant summarizes email threads, suggests text and translates chat messages, and Flow automates workflows. Both are included in Enterprise Ultimate only.
- Enterprise capabilities
- SAML authentication, Windows Network Drive support, password policies and audit-ready logging are included in every Enterprise subscription.
Plans
Cloudreve
Cloudreve Community$0
Free edition for individuals and developers: unlimited users, basic features and cross-platform sync.
Cloudreve Pro$89.9
per root domain, one-time lifetime license
Adds sharing and collaboration extras, a monetization system and advanced storage management.
Cloudreve Pro D5$299.9
for 5 root domains, one-time
Pro edition across five root domains, saving $150 against single-domain licenses.
Nextcloud
Nextcloud serverFree
Open source server software to host yourself, with free desktop and mobile apps and community support.
Enterprise Standard71.29€
per user / year, excl. VAT, starting at 100 users
Nextcloud Files with enterprise capabilities, a 1-year maintenance life cycle and a 2-business-day reaction time.
Enterprise Premium104.99€
per user / year, excl. VAT, starting at 100 users
Adds a 5+ year maintenance life cycle, 1-business-day reaction time, upgrade stand-by support and support for clustered instances.
Enterprise Ultimate204.75€
per user / year, excl. VAT, starting at 100 users
Adds Nextcloud Assistant, Flow and Whiteboard, reaction times from 1 hour and phone support up to 24/7.
Ways to pay less
Cloudreve
No public discounts listed.
Nextcloud
- Other savings
Lower per-user price from 200 users
From 200 users the listed Enterprise prices fall to 53.17€ for Standard, 81.99€ for Premium and 183.75€ for Ultimate, per user / year.
- Education
Education program, priced by quote
The pricing page lists an Education program for schools, universities and other educational institutes, alongside a Public Sector program. Both are quoted on request.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cloudreve or Nextcloud?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Cloudreve starts at $89.9 per root domain (Pro, lifetime license), and Nextcloud starts at 71.29€ per user / year, excl. VAT (from 100 users).
Which has a free plan, Cloudreve or Nextcloud?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Cloudreve and Nextcloud have a free plan.
Which platforms do Cloudreve and Nextcloud run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Nextcloud lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.