FileCloud vs ownCloud (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ownCloud grades higher than FileCloud: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
ownCloud grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FileCloud
Business file sharing and sync you host yourself or buy as SaaS
Which one is for you
Pick FileCloud if
- Fits if you run an IT team and want files on your own server
- Works for a company with 20 or more people to put on it
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're one person or a small team: Server needs 20 users and Online needs 10
- Skip it if you don't want to run a server, because the $7 plan is self-hosted and you supply the storage
- Watch out: Advanced, FedRAMP and service-provider plans have no published price
- Watch out: some compliance features need professional services of at least 3 days to switch on
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
| 2.0GPAFileCloudFair | 2.4GPAownCloudFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$7 a user sounds cheap, but Server Essentials needs 20 users and Online Essentials needs 10 at $14, so the floor is $140 a month for either. Advanced plans are quoted. | CCommunity is free but self-managed, which needs a server and counts as a C. Paid editions are quoted. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free trial with no payment details, though the page doesn't give its length. No free plan. | BCommunity is free with unlimited users, and there are 30-day and 14-day trials of paid editions. |
| Features | CFile sharing, sync and workflows, but base storage on Online Essentials is 5 TB with 3 workflows, and some compliance features need 3 or more days of services. | CFile sync and sharing with apps, but Community lacks the support and features of Enterprise. |
| Ease of use | DThe published $7 plan is the self-hosted one, so you run a server, with no store rating on record. | DYou install and update the server yourself unless you buy ownCloud Online. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android apps, and 6 integrations. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android apps, and 5 integrations listed. No Linux client is listed. |
| Best for | companies that want to host their own file sharing | 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: FileCloud and ownCloud. How we grade
Where they differ
- ownCloud is open source, according to its own site.
At a glance
| FileCloud | ownCloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $7 per user / month, billed annually (Server Essentials) | Not published |
| Free plan | None | Community edition: free, open source and self-managed, with unlimited users and community forum support only. |
| Free trial | Free trial, no payment details required | 30-day free trial of the Enterprise features; 14-day trial of ownCloud Online |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | FileCloud | ownCloud GmbH |
| Price read from | filecloud.com | owncloud.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
FileCloud
- Only Essentials has a published price; Advanced, FedRAMP and service-provider plans are quoted.
- Server Essentials requires at least 20 users, and storage is supplied by you.
- Online Essentials limits base storage to 5 TB and workflows to 3.
- Some compliance features need professional services of at least 3 days to enable.
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
FileCloud
- Server or SaaS
- Run FileCloud Server on Windows, Linux or a public cloud such as AWS, or use FileCloud Online, where the vendor runs it for you.
- Desktop sync and virtual drive
- Sync clients cover Windows, Mac and Linux, with selective folder sync and a mapped virtual drive for remote files.
- Controlled sharing
- Share links can be public, private or time-limited, with granular folder permissions, password protection, and access revocation after sharing.
- Security and compliance
- Features listed include audit trails, encryption at rest and in transit, 2FA, SSO and SCIM, remote wipe, and ransomware and antivirus scanning.
- Data-loss prevention
- Rules-based DLP, content classification, OCR-based PII search and screenshot or print protection are listed on the pricing page.
- Office co-authoring
- Office and Google Docs files can be edited together in real time, with file locking and unlimited versioning.
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
FileCloud
Server Essentials$7
per user / month, billed annually (minimum 20 users)
Self-hosted on your own infrastructure; you provide the storage. Unlimited external users and file size.
Online Essentials$14
per user / month, billed annually (minimum 10 users)
Vendor-hosted SaaS with 5 TB of base storage included and up to 3 workflows.
Server AdvancedCustom
Self-hosted, 10-user minimum; priced by quote.
Online AdvancedCustom
Vendor-hosted SaaS with 10 TB of base storage and a 10-user minimum; priced by quote.
Online FedRAMP HighCustom
FedRAMP High authorized hosting with 10 TB of base storage and a 10-user minimum; priced by quote.
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
FileCloud
- Other savings
Education and public-sector pricing
The pricing page links separate quote requests for educational, government and public sector, and service-provider or OEM buyers.
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, FileCloud or ownCloud?
As of Nov 12, 2026, FileCloud starts at $7 per user / month, billed annually (Server Essentials), and ownCloud publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, FileCloud or ownCloud?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only ownCloud has a free plan. FileCloud does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do FileCloud and ownCloud run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only FileCloud lists a Linux app. Both list a web app and macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. 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.