DDitchly

Last checked October 15, 2026

Best Free Alternatives to Dropbox (2026)

Dropbox syncs a folder across devices and shares links. Plus is the usual individual plan. Teams pay per user on Standard and Advanced.

IndividualsSmall teamsStartupsPrice checked

What Dropbox costs

Plus is $9.99/month for one person and 2,000 GB. Standard is $15 per user/month. Advanced is $24 per user/month.

Figures are from Dropbox's plan comparison. A small free tier still exists; its gigabyte cap was not re-quoted from the plans table in this check.

Dropbox website·Pricing source

Ranked by Drop-in score

How we rank

#1 is the highest-scoring alternative that is not sponsored. A featured listing, when one is sold, is labeled and sits after #1.

  1. 100
    #1Open source

    Nextcloud

    The self-hosted Dropbox, plus the apps you turn on.

    Last checked October 15, 2026 · AGPL-3.0

    MacWindowsLinuxiOSAndroidWebSelf-host
    Cost and detailsMigration guideWebsite
  2. 97
    #2Open source

    ownCloud

    The file-sync project Nextcloud forked from.

    Last checked October 15, 2026 · AGPL-3.0 (ownCloud server 10)

    MacWindowsLinuxiOSAndroidWebSelf-host
    Cost and detailsWebsite
  3. 97
    #3Open source

    Seafile

    File sync with a GPL community edition.

    Last checked October 15, 2026 · GPL (community edition)

    MacWindowsLinuxiOSAndroidWebSelf-host
    Cost and detailsWebsite
  4. 58
    #4Open source

    Syncthing

    Continuous file sync between your devices, with no central server.

    Last checked October 15, 2026 · MPL-2.0

    MacWindowsLinuxAndroid
    Cost and detailsWebsite

Feature by feature

Full is the whole job. Partial is a real version with a gap. Missing means it does not do this. Not checked counts as zero in the score.

FeatureNextcloud#1 · 100ownCloud#2 · 97Seafile#3 · 97Syncthing#4 · 58
Desktop syncWeight 10FullFullFullFull
Web accessWeight 7FullFullFullMissing
Share linksWeight 8FullFullFullMissing
Version historyWeight 6FullFullFullPartialFile versioning exists locally. It is not a web history browser.
Selective syncWeight 6FullFullFullFull
Collaborative editingWeight 4FullNeeds Collabora or ONLYOFFICE in addition to the files app.PartialPartialOffice integration is possible and less central than in Nextcloud.Missing
Mobile appsWeight 5FullFullFullPartialOfficial Android app. iOS is not an official client.
Self-hosted storageWeight 8FullFullFullFull
Large filesWeight 5FullFullFullFull

Real cost

Nextcloud

Free tier
The server is free to host. Nextcloud GmbH sells enterprise support. Many hosting companies sell managed Nextcloud.
Hosted plan
No hosted price recorded.
Self-hosting
Moderate. A small team fits in Docker or a snap. Backups, upgrades, and the office suite are the ongoing work. Approximate server cost: $8–20/mo for a small team. Unverified estimate.

ownCloud

Free tier
The community server is free to host. Enterprise features are commercial.
Hosted plan
No hosted price recorded.
Self-hosting
Moderate. Similar operational weight to Nextcloud. Know which edition you are installing before you start. Approximate server cost: $8–20/mo. Unverified estimate.

Seafile

Free tier
Community edition is free to self-host.
Hosted plan
No hosted price recorded.
Self-hosting
Moderate. Docker is documented. You still plan disks and backups yourself. Approximate server cost: $8–20/mo. Unverified estimate.

Syncthing

Free tier
The software is free. You do not pay a vendor.
Hosted plan
No hosted price recorded.
Self-hosting
Easy. No central server is required. An always-on device at home can act as the copy that stays online. Approximate server cost: $0 if an existing device stays on. Unverified estimate.

Top pair

Migrate from Dropbox to Nextcloud

Copy the files onto a Nextcloud server, install the desktop client, and accept that every old share link dies.

Read the migration guide

Questions