Dropbox vs Nextcloud

Dropbox

• Individuals who want 2 TB synced across Windows, Mac and Linux
• Teams that send large media files to clients
• Small teams that need team-owned folders and admin controls

Nextcloud

• Organizations that must keep files on servers they control
• Technical users comfortable running a server or a Docker image
• Schools and public bodies with data-sovereignty requirements

Dropbox

• The free Basic plan includes only 2 GB of storage.
• The cheapest paid plan is Plus at 2 TB for one person; the plans page lists no smaller paid tier.
• End-to-end encryption, single sign-on and audit logs are limited to Advanced, which requires at least 3 users.
• Monthly billing costs more: $11.99 for Plus and $18 per user for Standard, against $9.99 and $15 on yearly billing.

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.

Dropbox

Sync across devices

Files stay in sync between the desktop apps, the mobile apps and the web, and every paid plan allows an unlimited number of connected devices.

File recovery and version history

Deleted files and earlier versions can be restored for 30 days on Plus, 180 days on Standard and 1 year on Advanced.

Large file transfers

Send a copy of files by link: up to 50 GB per transfer on Plus and up to 100 GB on Standard and Advanced, where transfers can also be password protected.

PDF editing and signatures

Edit, annotate and sign PDFs inside Dropbox. The paid plans list unlimited self-signing and 3 signature requests per month.

Team folders and admin console

Standard adds team-owned folders, groups and an admin console. Advanced adds tiered admin roles, audit logs with file event tracking and single sign-on.

Connections to AI tools

Dropbox content can be connected to AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini to find and summarize files and save work back to Dropbox.

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.

Dropbox

• Basic$0

  2 GB to store and share files.

• Plus$9.99

  per month, billed yearly ($11.99 billed monthly)

  For 1 person: 2 TB of storage, 30 days to restore deleted files and transfers of up to 50 GB.

• Standard$15

  per user / month, billed yearly ($18 billed monthly)

  For 1 person or more: storage starts at 3 TB for the team, 180-day restore, 100 GB transfers, team folders and admin controls.

• Advanced$24

  per user / month, billed yearly ($30 billed monthly)

  For 3 people or more: storage starts at 15 TB, 1-year restore, end-to-end encryption, single sign-on and tiered admin roles.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Custom pricing with integrations for third-party security tools and live support from dedicated staff.

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.

Dropbox

• Annual discount

  About 17% to 20% lower with yearly billing

  Billed yearly, Plus is $9.99 a month instead of $11.99, Standard is $15 per user instead of $18, and Advanced is $24 per user instead of $30.

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.