Migrate from Dropbox to Nextcloud

Export

1. 1

   Step 1

   Sync Dropbox locally first

   Let the desktop client finish so you are copying real files, not placeholders from online-only sync.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Copy with a tool that can resume

   For a big folder, rclone or rsync onto the server is safer than dragging into the web UI. Keep Dropbox installed until the copy has been checked.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Export shared-link list

   Write down the links other people still use. You will send replacements. Dropbox will not redirect them.

Import

1. 1

   Step 1

   Install Nextcloud

   Use a current Docker or snap image, put data on a disk you can back up, and create users before the copy.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Place files in each user's folder

   Copy into the right user or group folder. Turn on versioning before people start editing, not after.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Install the desktop client

   Point it at the new server. Let it do a first sync on one machine and compare file counts before you roll it out.

What breaks

• Share links

  Every Dropbox URL stops working when you cancel. Send new links. There is no redirect.

• Dropbox Paper and Replay

  Paper docs are not files in the folder unless you exported them. Export Paper to Markdown or PDF before the account closes.

• Version history

  You get the current file, not Dropbox's old versions, unless you downloaded those versions yourself. Nextcloud versions start from the day you turn them on.