FileCloud vs Pydio Cells (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pydio Cells grades higher than FileCloud: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
FileCloud grades higher on platforms. Pydio Cells grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan and ease of use.
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
Pydio Cells
Open-core, self-hosted document sharing and content platform
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 Pydio Cells if
- Fits if you have an IT person to run a server and want SSO
- Works for firms that want files in storage they control
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you do not want to run a server
- Skip it if you want the free edition for work, as Home is for home use and evaluation
- Watch out: Connect and Enterprise prices are not published
- Watch out: which features sit in Home or Enterprise is in a separate table
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAFileCloudFair | 2.2GPAPydio CellsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CHome is free but self-hosted, and Connect and Enterprise are quoted by user count, so there is no figure to compare. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free trial with no payment details, though the page doesn't give its length. No free plan. | CFree Home edition for home use and evaluation, plus a trial key on request. You host it on your own server. |
| 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. | BSharing, Collabora or OnlyOffice editing, SSO through OIDC, SAML and LDAP, and S3, Azure and Google storage back ends. |
| 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 maintain it yourself. No store rating is on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android apps, and 6 integrations. | BWeb only, with real integrations: Collabora, OnlyOffice, SSO and cloud storage. |
| Best for | companies that want to host their own file sharing | self-hosted document sharing with single sign-on |
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 Pydio Cells. How we grade
Where they differ
- Pydio Cells is open source, according to its own site.
- Pydio Cells also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| FileCloud | Pydio Cells | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $7 per user / month, billed annually (Server Essentials) | Not published |
| Free plan | None | Pydio Cells Home is free, for home use and evaluation. |
| Free trial | Free trial, no payment details required | Trial key available for a limited period on request |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | FileCloud | Wire France SAS |
| Price read from | filecloud.com | pydio.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
Pydio Cells
- Prices for Connect and Enterprise are not published; they are quoted by number of users.
- You host and maintain the software yourself, or buy a subscription for support.
- Which features sit in Home versus Enterprise is shown in a separate comparison table.
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.
Pydio Cells
- Real-time document editing
- Co-author standard document formats in the browser, powered by Collabora Online or OnlyOffice.
- Workspaces and Cells
- Files are grouped in workspaces and shared collaboration spaces, with access extended to external collaborators.
- Single sign-on and policies
- OpenID Connect, SAML and LDAP/Active Directory sign-in, with access rules by user, group, IP address, location or time.
- Multi-tenancy
- Separate configuration, data and identity per tenant on a single deployment.
- Cells Flows
- A workflow engine for automating tasks around files.
- Storage options
- The pricing page lists file system, S3, Google Cloud Storage and Azure Blob support.
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.
Pydio Cells
Pydio Cells HomeFree
For home use and evaluation, with web only, next business day support as the entry tier.
Pydio Cells ConnectCustom
Subscription for connecting all collaborators; priced by number of users, free trial and quote on request.
Pydio Cells EnterpriseCustom
Subscription aimed at privacy-conscious industries, priced by number of users; quote on request.
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.
Pydio Cells
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FileCloud or Pydio Cells?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FileCloud starts at $7 per user / month, billed annually (Server Essentials), and Pydio Cells publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, FileCloud or Pydio Cells?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Pydio Cells has a free plan. FileCloud does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do FileCloud and Pydio Cells run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only FileCloud 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.