# ownCloud Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is ownCloud the right File Sharing solution for you? Explore 60 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/176602/ownCloud/reviews --- ownCloud 4.3 (60) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/176602/ownCloud/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of ownCloud Ease of use 4.4 Customer Service 3.5 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews BT Bodounrin Joël T Graphiste Design, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “It is a good software because it allows me to transfer audio, visual or other file data to my customers, partners and friends.“ September 29, 2023 MN Mihail N Service EngineeringComputer & Network Security, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It is a bit difficult to set up the server part of the program“ January 14, 2025 AS Albert S RAMS Engineer and ValidatorRailroad Manufacture, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Since I am using the OwnCloud software, it is easier for me to share documents and files with external assessors, partners, or clients; this means that the time efficiency now is higher than using document interchange by e-mail or similar.“ November 14, 2022 BT Bodounrin Joël T Graphiste Design, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “The least appreciated aspect of owncloud software is the weakness of the platform when storing a lot of data“ September 29, 2023 Mohammad M Technical Office EngineerCivil Engineering, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “ownCloud is by far the best cloud solution I've tried for managing my data without any hindrances in terms of setup or drive configurations.“ January 19, 2023 Mohammad M Technical Office EngineerCivil Engineering, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “The only gripe I have with ownCloud is the time it takes to create a new user on the web application.“ January 19, 2023 AS Albert S RAMS Engineer and ValidatorRailroad Manufacture, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The software is very user-friendly, it allows you to work with third-party people outside your company while you keep the control over your documentation.“ November 14, 2022 SB Sérgio B Técnico de informaticaInformation Technology and Services, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Sometimes some files don't sync in real time.“ January 14, 2023 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 60 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Mohammad M. Technical Office Engineer Civil Engineering Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "ownCloud is a robust utility for anyone looking to access & manage their own cloud storage" January 19, 2023 5.0 ownCloud is by far the best cloud solution I've tried for managing my data without any hindrances in terms of setup or drive configurations. The utility is silky-smooth across the entire interface & sharing data conveniently via link (with custom accessibility permissions) makes it the most versatile cloud software for fulfilling my productivity purposes. Pros ownCloud offers a state-of-the-art GUI to navigate, share & manage my data with ease on mobile & desktop. Setting up my 2TB NAS drive into ownCloud & configuring my partitions exclusively for work & personal use proved to be an unchallenging task. Ever since I've lost all my data due to internal SSD failure, it was second nature of me to perform daily backups of my computer to avoid such catastrophe. This utility suits my backup (& sharing) demands as it doesn't have to cost me a small fortune for annual or monthly subscription. Moreover, I'm really amazed by the upload speeds ownCloud can reach on my home 2.5 gigabit ethernet as it takes me mere seconds to upload some of my favourite movies or series for sharing & streaming. Cons The only gripe I have with ownCloud is the time it takes to create a new user on the web application. I doubt it's a network-related issue from my end as it's noticeable on both my office & home networks. Perhaps a future update will resolve the matter. Reason for choosing ownCloud ownCloud seemed to be the most reputable software recommended online when compared to other alternatives, & so I went with it. Switched from [Nextcloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/161572/NextCloud/)[Seafile](https://www.capterra.com/p/161574/Seafile/) I found ownCloud to be easier to setup & navigate through compared to the previous self-hosting solutions I've tried before. Another major reason for making the switch is the tremendous transfer rate improvement noticed when using ownCloud on my phone (Galaxy Note 20 Ultra). Review Source Response from ownCloud January 23, 2023 Hello Mohammad, Thank you so much for your detailed and kind review. We are absolutely delighted to hear that you find ownCloud useful and it fits your needs. Best regards, Team ownCloud EM Eric M. CEO Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "OwnCloud instead of DropBox" December 18, 2020 5.0 Besides being a "better DropBox", OwnCloud has the ability to use plugins. It has a MarketPlace where you can search for various types of plugins. Most of the plugins are free too. Pros OwnCloud is wonderful. It runs on your own server so the only limitations to the amount of storage space you have is the amount of disk space on your server. You can create public links with or without password protection, and you can schedule the link to automatically deactivate. You can have as many synchronized folders as you want (not just one like DropBox). You can share each of these folders with different people or groups, and you have full control over the type of access: read only, write only (drop box), or read/write. Best of all, OwnCloud is an open-source product and it's all absolutely free. Cons OwnCloud has an automatic update feature but I've had it fail more times than I've had it succeed. It's not all that hard to upgrade manually, but an automatic update would be much much nicer. Alternatives considered [Nextcloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/161572/NextCloud/) Reason for choosing ownCloud Nextcloud is a spin-off from OwnCloud. While I like the fact that Nextcloud is less commercialized than OwnCloud, it wasn't as stable as OwnCloud, at least a few years back when we were making our decision. Switched from [Dropbox Business](https://www.capterra.com/p/143068/Dropbox-Business/) We have a LOT of disk space on our server. And hard drives, even multi-terabyte drives, are relatively cheap... much cheaper than paying for DropBox space. We also wanted to have the file-sharing site branded with our own domain name, emsquared-inc.com. Some of the files we share are sensitive in nature and we didn't want to give custody to any intermediary services. Review Source GS Giovanni S. Managing consultant Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Good file share and collaboration platform" November 13, 2021 3.0 installation instruction are quite good. But you need some expertise to setup several configuration like secure access. Great point. it is completely free and work really well Pros The main pro is that this platform is open, the cons is that you need to have good skill to deploy it and configure. Globally most of the feature work really well like the cloud storage, that has a really good access through web, client and mobile app. Nice also the feature to integrate your mail, calendar, food task manager. Integrated editor for document is quite difficult to install. Beware cause you need to have a good machine where to install, with enough resource to make the service reliable Cons Owncloud has become a minor stream of this project. Mostly Nextcloud is the new evolution with more update and feature. Alternatives considered [Nextcloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/161572/NextCloud/) Reason for choosing ownCloud Owncloud has been my first choice untill I have discovered that Nextcloud has a new branch of featured and update development Review Source Response from ownCloud April 4, 2022 Dear Giovanni, Thank you so much for your review! It's great to hear that you found many features of ownCloud to be useful. If you ever face any issues while using ownCloud or need assistance, you are welcome to discuss it in our forum (https://central.owncloud.org/) and submit notifications regarding bugs in GitHub. If you have any questions or further feedback, feel free to contact us at: community@owncloud.com Alson K. Creative Director Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Cheap and Good Alternative to Dropbox" April 13, 2022 4.0 We have been using ownCloud as a Dropbox alternative for my company for years now. We find that owning our own data is better than leaving it on the cloud. Our installation is not accessible without VPN. Pros Open-source means lots of plugins and support for the software. Cons Not as well contributed lately as compared to NextCloud Alternatives considered [Nextcloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/161572/NextCloud/) Reason for choosing ownCloud Nextcloud was a fork of ownCloud, so we decided to use the original software instead of the fork. Switched from [Dropbox Business](https://www.capterra.com/p/143068/Dropbox-Business/) Open-source (free) and does the same things as we need from Dropbox. Review Source Response from ownCloud April 25, 2022 Dear Alson, Thanks a lot for your review. We are so happy to know that you find ownCloud convenient and affordable. The Enterprise version of ownCloud offers a host of extra features and support. Perhaps you would like a free trial? https://owncloud.com/get-started/ If you have any further feedback or questions, please feel free to get in touch with us at community@owncloud.com. We also welcome you to join our community. RR Roberto R. Senior Software Developer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Great platform with a divided community" October 15, 2019 5.0 The software is great. It does its job and it does it perfect. Pros It's great to have autonomy on your cloud. You can get file storage that adapts to your very own infrastructure, plus it has a lot of plugins to interact with your data. Cons At some point the community divided and the product was forked, which left the people that uses it with two choices. Alternatives considered [OneDrive](https://www.capterra.com/p/161304/OneDrive/)[Google Drive](https://www.capterra.com/p/161425/Drive/) Reason for choosing ownCloud It runs on my own infrastructure. Switched from [Nextcloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/161572/NextCloud/) I switched to another product. (Nextcloud). I didn't know which version of the software would get more track from the community and I had to bet on the other. My preference was due my perception of where the community would go, which is important in a community driven software. Review Source JP Jennifer P. Customer Service Manager Internet Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great option for collaboration " November 4, 2021 3.0 My experience was good. It is easy to organize files, share certain files with certain people and keep confidential files confidential. The easy drag and drop features allows for document migration to happen quite quickly. I also love that I can access files anywhere. Pros This software is great for office sharing and collaboration. Considering we have remote employees, I can upload a document and they instantly have access to it. It also does not take up a ton of bandwidth space like Dropbox is known for. Cons There were some features that it did not have that we wanted. Reason for choosing ownCloud We liked most of the features that it offered. Switched from [Dropbox Business](https://www.capterra.com/p/143068/Dropbox-Business/) Dropbox is a bandwidth hog when it comes to back ups. OwnCloud does not. Review Source Response from ownCloud April 4, 2022 Dear Jennifer, Thank you so much for your review! It's great to hear that you found many features of ownCloud to be useful. The satisfaction of our users is our biggest achievement. If you have any questions or further feedback, feel free to contact us at: community@owncloud.com Abdelkadir B. EFL teacher Education Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "OwnCloud honest review" February 26, 2022 4.0 We often have to send large files to our students This process has always been difficult, and we've tried a variety of approaches throughout the years. None has proven as user-friendly and dependable as ownCloud. It has made my life much easier. Pros I believe that ownCloud is one of the greatest products for securely sharing files,  the software is accessible from all major platforms. It's simple to set up and easy to access and find my stored materials. Cons \- Time-consuming to set up - Low storage capacity - Performance issues and bugs Review Source Response from ownCloud March 14, 2022 Dear Abdelkadir B., Thank you very much for your review! With regards to the setting up of ownCloud and your experience of it being time-consuming, this is something we are continuously improving. You mention some bugs and issues: our product is open source and we therefore rely on getting feedback from the community: we highly appreciate it when users report any bugs to us via GitHub! Feel free to visit our community section on our website for information on how you can contribute feedback or reach out to us directly. Best Regards, Katrin Giza Community Manager, E-Mail: community@ownCloud.com Artemio E. Owner Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Document administration" November 23, 2021 5.0 Pros OwnCloud has a good community support, is easy to implement and deploy. Cons Performance issues with many small files. Review Source Response from ownCloud March 29, 2022 Dear Artemio, thank you for your review! We are glad to read that the community support is good. When it comes to the issues you mention about the performance with many small files, you are welcome to let us know more about this. We have a forum for issues https://central.owncloud.org/ and you can submit bugs in GitHub. We always appreciate receiving feedback if you have any questions, please contact us at: community@owncloud.com. Octavi P. System and Network Administrator and HPC Engineering Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Free cloud DIY" August 21, 2018 5.0 Having the capacity to get to every one of my documents from anyplace is incredible. I have a few terabytes of documents on my server, more than I would ever store with any of the cloud suppliers out there, in any event not at a sensible cost. When it is set up and designed it is entirely strong and does the activity I require it to do. Pros It has phenomenal capacities which encourages me keep my work all together, with my associates, I can synchronize every one of the records on various PCs, it's super sheltered since I can encode the documents, has online music peruser, online content tool, watcher of online archives (PDF, OpenDocument), among numerous different capacities. Cons The confounded method to coordinate different advances like FTP. The documentation for the execution of different techniques like FTP is somewhat confounded in comparisson with different instructional exercises. Review Source Javier Victor Marian B. Network Security Auditor Government Administration Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Pioneer on open source cloud storage." November 21, 2018 5.0 I love owncloud, i been there almost since it born, and I'm using it now, actively participating in the community. Pros I been using owncloud for at least 10 years. I'm part of the translation to spanish too. I got mad at bugs, problems, etc, but this growed quick and bugs were repaired. Now, is the solution that I use internal in the institution (government) and for my personal customers, for backup. The big pro is that the space its what you can afford in hard drives. Easy to maintain. Secure. With a lot of addons for productivity and integration. Clients for every single OS that exist. Cons As same as dropbox and other products, the big con that I found is that every time that the client starts needs to scan all folders. In big folders with a lot of files, this take a while and it use a lot of hard drive. So when your OS starts client will kill the HD until finishing the indexing of files. Review Source JAG Jose Alfredo G. Ingeniero de Proyectos Telecommunications Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Sincronización de archivos efectiva y almacenamiento seguro de nuestra documentación en nube." May 25, 2023 5.0 Pros La sincronización real online que realiza, el cifrado seguro que ofrece punto a punto entre usuarios que comparten información sea por intranet o la red de internet. Cons La instalación muy delicada y morosa para https. Alternatives considered [OneDrive](https://www.capterra.com/p/161304/OneDrive/)[Google Drive](https://www.capterra.com/p/161425/Drive/)[MEGA](https://www.capterra.com/p/232384/MEGA/) Review Source Response from ownCloud October 4, 2023 Hello! Thank you for your review. We really appreciate that you are using ownCloud. May I add, if you haven't done so already, do check out Infinite Scale (https://owncloud.com/infinite-scale-4-0), the latest and most advanced version of our real-time collaboration platform yet. It is packed with new features and enhancements. Best regards, Team ownCloud DG Deolinda G. Funcionaria Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excelente Software para se configurar como Cloud" January 9, 2023 5.0 Pros Software de facil configuração e implementação, facil de instalar, leve, versatil e fluido, permite a criação de várias contas para vários clientes de forma aos clientes partilharem facilmente os seus documentos com a empresa por exemplo. Excelente Cons Não há nada que não se possa gostar do software, talvez pudessem melhorar a app para mobile. Review Source Response from ownCloud January 12, 2023 Hello Deolinda, Thank you so much for your kind review. We are delighted to hear that you are finding ownCloud useful and suited to your needs. Best regards, Team ownCloud AG Arnaud G. IT CTO Oil & Energy Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Secured sharing platform" December 2, 2020 4.0 Multi-language is supported on the web interface but is not available on the desktop client as far as I know. Pros Synchronization of local documents with the online web platform is automatic, very efficient and fast. You can manage rights on your shared folders. You can be notified by mail when someone change a file on a shared folder. You can send a download link to an external user with a validity limit. OwnCloud is a WebDAV server, so files can be opened thru a web url in Microsoft products and other tools. You can have your own OwnCloud server on-premises. SSO authentication and Custom branding make a great integration with internal tools. Cons The solution is not optimized for very big files. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Open source custom storage solution." March 20, 2018 4.0 Pros Owncloud is absolutely wonderful. With pricing of storage going up everywhere else, OwnCloud's system is the one to beat. Open source, it works just like Dropbox/Onedrive and other systems we've already used. It's quick to set up, most web hosts can handle it with no issues. You can customize your login page, your admins, and using it is pretty intuitive. If you're looking for customized storage that you control, OwnCloud will do the job well. Cons When first added, there were a few errors that I had to have my host sort, because I couldn't find any documentation on them for the OwnCloud. Since it's open source, it doesn't have a very robust support system. Review Source BB Binod B. Education and Outreach Officer Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A perfect Cloud Storage for an organization" November 24, 2019 5.0 Overall Owncloud is a perfect place to organize and backup your files and documents. Pros We used Owncloud as our backup storage of our organization documents. I liked the ease of upload, share and version control. Cons Sometimes uploading a folder and subfolders wasn't easy. One had to zip it before uploading which was a little time consuming. But for single files there was no such problem. Review Source AB Andreas B. Geschaeftsfuehrer Medical Devices Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "ownCloud" November 21, 2023 4.0 Eigentlich OK, aber leider zu wenig bekannt bzw. verbreitet. Pros Einfache Bedienung, wenn Installation mal geklappt hat. Cons Leider ist ownCloud nicht so verbreitet wie z. B. OneDrive oder Dropbox. Da wir eine Vollintegration mit MS Office 365 benötigen, haben wir mit OneDrive mehr Vorteile, auch ist das Filesharing, das für uns wichtig ist, mit ownCloud nicht so gut gelöst wie bei OneDrive. Review Source Response from ownCloud November 22, 2023 Hello! Thank you for your review. We really appreciate it. You can integrate ownCloud with Microsoft 365: https://owncloud.com/features/microsoft-365-integration Please get in touch with our support team if you have any questions. Best regards, Team ownCloud AP Andreas P. Manager Technical Design Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "In the past this was areally good software, now there is air upward" October 24, 2019 4.0 Pros The fact, that you are able to install the Host on nearly every source you like (NAS, computer, raspberry,...). So you can scale the cloud as you like! Cons The con is about the android application. It it very buggy so that the auto backup doesn't work. Review Source FT Francesco T. ICT Manager Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The pioneer of workgroup and sharing" May 17, 2021 4.0 Pros very innovative and give us the opportunity to develop new kind of business Cons difficult maintenance and implementation Review Source Response from ownCloud April 4, 2022 Dear Francesco, Thank you so much for your review. We always value feedback from our users as it helps us to innovate and improve. If you ever face any issues with using ownCloud, you are welcome to discuss it in our forum (central.owncloud.org) and submit notifications regarding bugs in GitHub. If you have any questions or further feedback, feel free to contact us at: community@owncloud.com BB Brian B. Personal Internet Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Former User" January 31, 2020 4.0 My overall experience was good, but I chose to migrate to Nextcloud due to features available at the time. Pros At the time I used this software, this was the only option. I have since moved to Nextcloud due to perception of ownCloud losing ground to Nextcloud. Cons The upgrade process was less automated vs Nextcloud. Review Source MP Marcel P. Cloud Services Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Same as nextcloud?" January 7, 2020 3.0 Pros \- Easy UI - structurized Admin Panel - Perfect for private users and companies with enough money Cons Pricing (compared with NextCloud Not same features like in nextcloud App sometimes crashes (nextcloud app too :/ ) Alternatives considered [Nextcloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/161572/NextCloud/) Review Source CL Cyril L. Responsable Sytème d'Informations Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Un service professionnel à moindre coût." June 25, 2025 5.0 Nous sommes globalement content du service rendu par OwnCloud, qui ne nous coûte rien, sur la version que nous exploitons. Tous les inconvénients cités seraient identiques sur d'autres solutions, puisque ce sont en fait les pré-requis d'un cloud privé. Pros J'apprécie beaucoup le fait de garder la main sur les données, hébergés chez nous, mais fonctionnant pourtant comme un cloud classique, avec synchronisation par agent, accès web. Cons Owncloud nécessite évidemment du stockage sur vos serveurs, puisque vous hebergez, une adresse publique et un certificat pour https et nom DNS. Cela demande une certaine technicité si vous souhaitez avoir quelque chose de professionnel. Quelques mises à jour déconnectent les postes clients, ce qui pertubent un peu les utilisateurs, le temps qu'ils s'en rendent compte. Review Source MN Mihail N. Service Engineering Computer & Network Security Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The best home cloud" January 14, 2025 5.0 I always feel secure knowing that my files are stored at home, in addition to the devices I bring with me. Pros Easy to use home cloud. It has many features and is easy to operate. Cons It is a bit difficult to set up the server part of the program Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Art Director Telecommunications Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Owncloud: ogni tuo desiderio è un link " December 9, 2022 4.0 Per la totalità delle funzioni comunque mi sento di consigliarlo, è un ottimo prodotto sopratutto per un utilizzo professionale fra professionista e clienti, in cui la condivisione del materiale spesso e volentieri dev'essere immediata e giornaliera. Pros Il suo punto forte sono assolutamente i link personalizzabili da poter inoltrare esternamente: posso creare una cartella e passare un link ad un soggetto esterno per far sì che lui possa vedere o scaricare o modificare tali file - a differenza dell'autorizzazione che gli stiamo dando - senza far sì che 1. lui abbia scaricato il programma 2. che lui abbia l'accesso a tutto il percorso per arrivare a quella singola cartella, bensì gli posso rendere disponibile solamente una parte isolata, e questa è una funzione davvero ben progettata! Cons Alle volte ci sono dei problemi si sincronizzazione fra l'Owncloud online e sul server del proprio pc. Quasi sempre no, ma basta che capiti una volta per non capirci più niente.Infine, l'interfaccia dell'Owncloud online è totalmente da rivedere, molto lenta e ormai vecchia. Review Source Response from ownCloud January 12, 2023 Hi there! Thank you for your kind review. We are delighted to hear that you are finding ownCloud useful. We will be sure to pass on your concern regarding the online interface to the relevant team. Regards, Team ownCloud TK Tim K. PM Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "As inexpensive as Cloud sync can get" July 29, 2022 4.0 Pros Ceding control of your files to cloud service providers does not fit every situation and own cloud solves this. Especially when you then have to share the items, the custom link based of our domain was a nice feature. Cons Technical ability is mostly required to setup and your system and to update. Auto update is a pain and mostly pushes one to manual process. Alternatives considered [Nextcloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/161572/NextCloud/)[Dropbox Business](https://www.capterra.com/p/143068/Dropbox-Business/)[OneDrive](https://www.capterra.com/p/161304/OneDrive/) Reason for choosing ownCloud Inexpensive and stable existence. Review Source Response from ownCloud August 17, 2022 Hi Tim, Thank you so much for your response. We are glad that you found ownCloud features useful. As for the technical aspect of ownCloud, it is going to get much better and easier with the launch of Infinite Scale - so stay tuned! In the meantime, you are also welcome to sign up for a free trial instance of Infinite Scale beta. Best regards, Team ownCloud AS Albert S. RAMS Engineer and Validator Railroad Manufacture Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Review by Albert\_OwnCloud" November 14, 2022 4.0 Since I am using the OwnCloud software, it is easier for me to share documents and files with external assessors, partners, or clients; this means that the time efficiency now is higher than using document interchange by e-mail or similar. Pros The software is very user-friendly, it allows you to work with third-party people outside your company while you keep the control over your documentation. Cons It is needed a network connection to operate with all the OwnCloud features. Reason for choosing ownCloud It is more user-friendly and easy to implement. Review Source Response from ownCloud January 12, 2023 Hi Albert, Thank you for your kind review. We are delighted to hear that you are finding ownCloud useful. Best regards, Team ownCloud Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.