Open-source alternatives to Dropbox
10 self-hostable open-source projects that replace Dropbox, ranked by computed health score with real self-hosting cost. Save up to $94/yr per seat by self-hosting on a $4.13/mo VPS.
Why people leave Dropbox
- Per-user pricing stacks for teams
- Storage tiers force upgrades before compression/dedupe options
- Closed-source sync engine, you cannot audit it
- Smart Sync requires Pro+
Nextcloud and Seafile give Dropbox-equivalent sync + sharing + apps on a Hetzner storage box ($4/TB/mo).
The 10 alternatives, ranked by health
Health score is a 6-dimension composite. See methodology for formula and weights.
Nextcloud server, a safe home for all your data
Joplin - the privacy-focused note taking app with sync capabilities for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
Open Source Continuous File Synchronization
The Internet Computer! Free, Open-Source, and Self-Hostable.
Beyond file syncing and sharing, a new way to organize your files with extensible file properties and flexible views
Sync-in Server · Secure, open-source platform for file storage, sharing, collaboration, and syncing.
Lightweight GPS Logging Application For Android.
File Management Platform / Universal Data Access Layer (without FUSE)
FileManager replacement for Local, iCloud and Remote (WebDAV/FTP/Dropbox/OneDrive) files -- Swift
SkyFolder shares your folders on the network!
Cost comparison vs Dropbox
Self-hosting cost on cheapest plan meeting requirements vs Dropbox entry tier ($12/mo).
| Project | Self-host /mo | Dropbox /mo | Save /yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| server | $4.13 | $12+ | $94 | Deploy → |
| joplin | $4.13 | $12+ | $94 | Deploy → |
| syncthing | $4.13 | $12+ | $94 | Deploy → |
| puter | $4.13 | $12+ | $94 | Deploy → |
| seafile | $4.13 | $12+ | $94 | Deploy → |
| server | $4.13 | $12+ | $94 | Deploy → |
| gpslogger | $4.13 | $12+ | $94 | Deploy → |
| filestash | $4.13 | $12+ | $94 | Deploy → |
Pick your alternative
Most operators land on server (top health score in this category; cheapest VPS path is server on hetzner for $4.13/mo).
Data refreshed daily. Pricing for Dropbox sourced from official site.