Cloudreve vs ownCloud (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Cloudreve and ownCloud share a 2.4 GPA, both have a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about value for money, where Cloudreve grades higher, or platforms, where ownCloud does.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on the free plan, features and 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
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 ownCloud if
- Fits if you have someone who can run a server and want files on your own hardware
- Works for an organisation that needs unlimited users on Community
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to run a server: you host and update it yourself
- Skip it if you need support, as Community has the forum only
- Watch out: Enterprise and Standard start at 25 users with a yearly commitment
- Watch out: no price is published for Enterprise, Standard or ownCloud Online
How we grade them
| 2.4GPACloudreveFair | 2.4GPAownCloudFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CCommunity is free but self-managed, which needs a server and counts as a C. Paid editions are quoted. |
| Free plan and trial | BCommunity is free with unlimited users and the basic features. You pay for the server. | BCommunity is free with unlimited users, and there are 30-day and 14-day trials of paid editions. |
| Features | CBasic sharing and cross-platform sync. Paid sharing, collaboration extras and storage management are Pro. | CFile sync and sharing with apps, but Community lacks the support and features of Enterprise. |
| 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 install and update the server yourself unless you buy ownCloud Online. No store rating on record. |
| 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, iPhone and Android apps, and 5 integrations listed. No Linux client is listed. |
| Best for | self-hosted file sharing over storage you already have | self-hosted file sync for IT teams |
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 ownCloud. How we grade
Where they differ
- Cloudreve also covers file management.
- ownCloud also covers file sync.
At a glance
| Cloudreve | ownCloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $89.9 per root domain (Pro, lifetime license) | Not published |
| Free plan | Community edition is free with unlimited users and all basic features. | Community edition: free, open source and self-managed, with unlimited users and community forum support only. |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial of the Enterprise features; 14-day trial of ownCloud Online |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Cloudreve | ownCloud GmbH |
| Price read from | cloudreve.org | owncloud.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
ownCloud
- Prices for Enterprise, Standard and ownCloud Online are not published; the page gives only a figure from EUR 1.85 per user per year for large or education deployments.
- The Community edition has no customer support beyond the forum.
- Enterprise and Standard start at 25 users with a yearly commitment.
- You run and update the server yourself unless you buy ownCloud Online.
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.
ownCloud
- Self-hosted file sync and share
- The server runs on your own infrastructure, with desktop apps for Finder or Explorer and mobile apps for Android and iOS.
- Open source core
- The Community edition is 100% open source and has no user cap; Enterprise adds a commercial license for core and enterprise modules.
- Hosted option in Germany
- ownCloud Online hosts storage in Germany, with 180 days of file recovery, multi-factor authentication and guest accounts.
- Office editing integrations
- The site lists Collabora Online, ONLYOFFICE and Microsoft 365 integrations for editing documents in the browser.
- Enterprise support
- Paid editions include a customer portal and email support with a stated 2-hour reaction time.
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.
ownCloud
Community$0
Self-managed on your own server, unlimited users, community apps and forum. No customer support.
EnterpriseCustom
From 25 users, yearly commitment, 12x5 phone and email support with 2-hour reaction, pro app features. No price published.
StandardCustom
From 25 users, on-premises, yearly commitment, 9x5 email support with 2-hour reaction. Contact sales; no price published.
ownCloud OnlineCustom
Hosted in Germany. 1,000 GB for teams from 5 users, 500 GB for 1 to 4 users. The page shows no prices.
Ways to pay less
Cloudreve
No public discounts listed.
ownCloud
- Education
Special pricing for large and education deployments
ownCloud quotes individual pricing for large deployments and educational institutions, starting at EUR 1.85 per user per year.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cloudreve or ownCloud?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Cloudreve starts at $89.9 per root domain (Pro, lifetime license), and ownCloud publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, Cloudreve or ownCloud?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Cloudreve and ownCloud have a free plan.
Which platforms do Cloudreve and ownCloud run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only ownCloud lists macOS, Windows, 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.