Cloud storage is practical, but has several significant disadvantages: On the one hand, the data is transmitted to providers who have to be given a certain level of trust. This is no longer so easy with US providers after the NSA scandal and its surveillance backdoors. On the other hand, larger cloud providers are not exactly cheap either. So it makes sense to host your own cloud, ideally on the web space or the NAS at home. There are two software packages for this: Owncloud and Nextcloud. Both allow you to set up your own cloud, which is functionally equivalent to Dropbox and Co.
Nextcloud vs. Owncloud: The Story
Originally there was only Owncloud, an open source project, the aim of which was to enable users to set up their own cloud storage in the style of the major providers. The personal cloud works wherever a so-called LAMP server (Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP) is in operation. So on almost every web space, on appropriately prepared NAS devices.
Nextcloud ... Nextcloud works in the same way, which is no wonder: The software is a fork, i.e. an offshoot of the Owncloud project. Owncloud founder Frank Karlitschek launched Nextcloud in 2016 after disputes about the course of the project. Owncloud offers a paid enterprise version, Nextcloud, on the other hand, is completely free..
... or Owncloud? Both programs are very similar. Nextcloud vs. Owncloud: Installation is simple
The installation of Owncloud is just as easy as that of other web systems such as Wordpress or Joomla: Owncloud and Nextcloud are downloaded, unpacked and transferred to a LAMP server via FTP. Thanks to tools such as XAMPP, WAMP for Windows or MAMP for macOS, an own or next cloud can be set up on almost any computer platform, including single-board computers such as the Raspberry Pi.
Thanks to the installation aid integrated in both tools, the cloud system can be set up quickly. After creating a user, both cloud systems are immediately ready for use. In addition to the server application, both applications also have clients for the most important operating systems Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. Similar to Dropbox, these are switched to the Nextcloud or Owncloud system and allow data access and sharing on the go..
Both cloud suites have clients for the most important operating systems. Functionally very similar
Since the fork has not been separated from the main project for too long, Owncloud and Nextcloud are very similar in many ways, the basic functions are largely identical and correspond to the basic functions of typical cloud service providers. In other words: Both Owncloud and Nextcloud are initially responsible for storing and sharing files, which can be uploaded either via the web interface or via one of the apps. Since Nextcloud is still relatively young, the support from third-party tools may be better, but both Owncloud and Nextcloud are able to address the storage via WebDAV. In this way, files can easily be exchanged with systems without client software. Both solutions have a file viewer for audio, video and image files as well as PDFs in the web interface.Both tools have solutions for limiting storage space for users, support for calendars, contacts and notes, as well as numerous security functions such as end-to-end encryption that ensure secure file exchange. Seen in this way, Owncloud and Nextcloud are initially largely identical.
Pay for special features?
However, on closer inspection there is a big difference: Owncloud is free in the basic version just like Nextcloud and licensed under AGPLv3, but has a payment model for business use, which on the one hand includes support and on the other hand activates additional functions . Owncloud Business supports the most important Microsoft applications, such as Outlook or Office. In addition, companies can order customized Owncloud features from the provider. This should make it clear that Owncloud is now mainly aimed at professional customers. This is also the reason for the split, because the idea behind Nextcloud is complete freedom. This means that every user can use all features of the system free of charge.At the same time, however, the interfaces with Microsoft services that are so important in business use are missing. Nextcloud also offers a business variant: However, this only includes extended support options such as e-mail and telephone support or installation help.
Incidentally, both systems have an integrated extension manager: With Owncloud this is called the "Marketplace", with Nextcloud the apps can be loaded just like a package manager. The main difference: In Nextcloud there are significantly more of these extensions, but there are also many "untested" extensions that may cause security or stability problems.
Use Owncloud or Nextcloud?
Since Nextcloud and Owncloud are very similar, it does not initially matter which of the two applications is used for basic use as personal cloud storage. Owncloud has significantly greater support from developers and third-party providers, but at the same time the completely free approach of Nextcloud is extremely attractive - especially when it comes to setting up a cloud application in the private sector. In addition, the surface of Nextcloud looks more modern and tidier, some settings can be set more finely than with Owncloud. Basically, users should think carefully about what they need the personal cloud for before using it: If you just want to set up a cloud on a home computer or web space, Nextcloud should be well advised,just as small and medium-sized companies that take the administration into their own hands. Users who want or need to scale are likely to be better advised with Owncloud, as tailor-made solutions and extensive business models are available here.
By the way: In addition to the ones mentioned, there are many other providers. An overview of the best cloud storage can be found here.
