Dropbox vs. Nextcloud
Side by side, with sources. Checked Oct 3, 2026.
Price
Basic is free with 2 GB and up to 3 devices. Plus (2 TB) and team plans are paid; prices depend on your country. From Japan the plans page shows Plus at ¥1,200 a month billed yearly.from ¥1,200/monthSource: dropbox.com
The software is free and open source. Free 2–5 GB accounts come from partner providers; the paid Enterprise subscription starts at 100 users.Source: nextcloud.com
Pricing model
Paid plans · Free plan available
Open source · Free plan available
License
ProprietaryA proprietary cloud service and apps under Dropbox’s terms of service.
Open source · AGPL-3.0The server is AGPL-3.0 and the desktop client GPL-2.0.
Works on
- ✓ Windows
- ✓ Mac
- ✓ Linux
- ✓ iPhone & iPad
- ✓ Android
- ✓ Web browser
- – Your own server
- ✓ Windows
- ✓ Mac
- ✓ Linux
- ✓ iPhone & iPad
- ✓ Android
- ✓ Web browser
- ✓ Your own server
Where your data lives
On Dropbox’s servers, protected in transit and at rest.
On whichever Nextcloud server you use: the provider you signed up with, or your own.
Getting started
—
Difficulty: Medium No server is needed if you sign up with a provider, but you pick one and connect the apps to its address. Running your own server means Docker.
Hosted version
—
Nextcloud Simple Signup (partner providers)Partner providers run free single-user accounts of 2–5 GB; bigger plans cost extra and are run by the provider, not Nextcloud GmbH.
Our take
Choose a provider for an easy start, or run it yourself for full control. Either way, you decide where the files live.
Best for
Control over where files live
Families, teams and organisations that want calendars, contacts and files in one place they choose.
Check first
Who runs the server
Free accounts come from partner providers; self-hosting means updates and backups are your job.