ownCloud vs Seafile (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ownCloud and Seafile 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 which platforms you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Seafile
Open-source file sync and share, self-hosted or in the cloud
Which one is for you
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
Pick Seafile if
- Fits if you can run a server and want free sync for 3 users
- Works for a small team that wants to start with Community and move up
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to host: both free editions run on your server
- Tight if you need audit logs, LDAP or full-text search, as Community lacks all three
- Watch out: Plus Cloud needs 3 users, and trial accounts are deactivated after 30 days
- Watch out: remote support is a separate plan at $5,000 a year or $120 an hour
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAownCloudFair | 2.4GPASeafileFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CCommunity is free but self-managed, which needs a server and counts as a C. Paid editions are quoted. | CThe free editions need your own server, so it counts as a C. Plus Cloud is $8 a user with a 3-user minimum, so $24 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | BCommunity is free with unlimited users, and there are 30-day and 14-day trials of paid editions. | BCommunity is free and open source, and Professional is free for up to 3 users, though you host it. |
| Features | CFile sync and sharing with apps, but Community lacks the support and features of Enterprise. | CFile sync and sharing, but Community lacks audit logs, LDAP sync and full-text search. |
| Ease of use | DYou install and update the server yourself unless you buy ownCloud Online. No store rating on record. | DThe free editions need self-hosting. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android apps, and 5 integrations listed. No Linux client is listed. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android apps, and 6 integrations. |
| Best for | self-hosted file sync for IT teams | self-hosted file sync with a free edition |
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: ownCloud and Seafile. How we grade
Where they differ
At a glance
| ownCloud | Seafile | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $8 per user / month (Plus Cloud Team plan) |
| Free plan | Community edition: free, open source and self-managed, with unlimited users and community forum support only. | Community edition is free and open source; Professional runs free for up to 3 users; the cloud trial gives 1 GB for up to 3 users. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial of the Enterprise features; 14-day trial of ownCloud Online | Plus Cloud trial plan is free for 30 days; Professional trial licenses are sent on request |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | ownCloud GmbH | Seafile Ltd. |
| Price read from | owncloud.com | seafile.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Seafile
- The Community edition lacks the Professional features such as audit logs, LDAP sync and full-text search.
- Professional pricing is per year; above 1,000 users it is by quote.
- Phone-style remote support sits in a separate paid plan at $5,000 per year, or $120 per hour.
- Plus Cloud needs at least 3 users, and trial accounts are deactivated after 30 days.
Key features
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.
Seafile
- File sync and sharing
- Libraries sync across desktop and mobile clients and can be shared with users and groups, with public links and version history.
- Online editing
- Office documents can be viewed and edited in the browser, with OnlyOffice and Collabora Online integrations in the Professional edition.
- Custom file properties
- Libraries can carry extra properties such as owner and status, shown in table, Kanban, gallery and map views.
- AI chat and search
- Full-text and semantic search, plus an AI chat that answers questions about the files in a library.
- Directory and security controls
- The Professional edition adds LDAP and AD sync, single sign-on, two-factor authentication, audit logs and remote wipe.
Plans
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.
Seafile
Community Edition$0
Free and open source, self-hosted, with file sync, sharing, version control and public links.
Pro, up to 3 users$0
Professional edition self-hosted for 3 users with no license file needed.
Pro, 9 users$100
per year in total for 9 users
Special offer for small businesses on the self-hosted Professional edition. Excludes email support.
Pro, 10 to 249 users$48
per user / year
Self-hosted Professional with email support. Price per user drops to $44 at 250 users and $35 at 750.
Plus Cloud Team$8
per user / month, from 3 users
Hosted by Seafile: 500 GB expandable storage and 3 months of file version retention.
Ways to pay less
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.
Seafile
- Education
Half-price Professional licenses for education
The educational price column lists $24 per user per year at 10 to 249 users, and a 25% discount is given to public institutions.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ownCloud or Seafile?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ownCloud publishes no starting price, and Seafile starts at $8 per user / month (Plus Cloud Team plan).
Which has a free plan, ownCloud or Seafile?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both ownCloud and Seafile have a free plan.
Which platforms do ownCloud and Seafile run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Seafile 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.