ownCloud

ownCloud is the original open source self-hosted file sync and sharing platform, and the project that Nextcloud was forked from in 2016. For homelab and home server users, it provides a private, self-hosted Dropbox alternative where your files, calendars, and contacts live entirely on your own hardware with no third-party access, no storage limits beyond your own drives, and no monthly fees. You deploy it on your home server via Docker Compose, and the desktop sync clients for Windows, macOS, and Linux alongside the iOS and Android mobile apps keep your files in sync across every device automatically.

What makes ownCloud a strong choice in the storage category is its breadth of integrations. It supports WebDAV for mounting your storage as a network drive on any operating system, CalDAV for syncing calendars with any standards-compliant client, and CardDAV for contacts sync across all your devices. For homelabbers running a directory service, LDAP and Active Directory integration allows automatic user provisioning, and OpenID Connect support covers SSO for more advanced setups. Online document editing is available via Collabora Online and OnlyOffice integration, and ownCloud supports external storage backends including S3-compatible object storage, FTP servers, and additional WebDAV shares, making it easy to aggregate multiple storage sources into a single interface.

Because ownCloud has been in active development since 2010, it has an exceptionally mature codebase and a well-documented Docker deployment path. It includes server-side encryption, two-factor authentication, file locking to prevent conflicting edits, granular sharing permissions with public link support, and a versioned file history for recovering overwritten or deleted files. For homelab users who want a stable, proven self-hosted Nextcloud alternative with strong WebDAV and LDAP support and a leaner footprint, ownCloud remains a well-maintained and production-ready option.

Key Features

• File sync across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android
• WebDAV network drive mounting on all major operating systems
• CalDAV calendar and CardDAV contacts sync
• Collabora Online and OnlyOffice document editing integration
• LDAP, Active Directory, and OpenID Connect (OIDC) SSO
• Server-side encryption, two-factor authentication, and file locking
• External storage support (S3, FTP, WebDAV, local mounts)
• Docker Compose deployment with file versioning and audit logging

Use Cases

ownCloud is a solid self-hosted Dropbox alternative for homelabbers who want a mature, stable file sync platform on a Synology NAS or Proxmox VM with strong WebDAV support for mounting storage as a network drive across Windows, macOS, and Linux machines. It works especially well for users who are already running Collabora Online or OnlyOffice in their homelab stack and want a self-hosted file manager that integrates with both without additional configuration. For anyone comparing ownCloud vs Nextcloud for a new homelab setup, ownCloud is the better fit when stability, LDAP integration, and a smaller app surface are priorities over Nextcloud's broader ecosystem of third-party apps.