The best self-hosted cloud storage in 2026
«Dropbox, but mine» is the founding use case of self-hosting. In 2026 the answer space has specialized: one big suite, one focused sync engine, and several sharp single-purpose tools. Pick by how much platform you actually want.
Nextcloud
The full platform: files with sync clients on every OS, sharing links, calendars, contacts, office editing and an app ecosystem. The honest trade-off: it is a big PHP application — on small servers it feels heavier than a pure sync tool, and fewer installed apps means a faster Nextcloud.
ownCloud Infinite Scale
Nextcloud's lineage rewritten in Go (ownCloud Infinite Scale): dramatically faster and lighter for files — but files-focused, without the groupware ecosystem.
Managed ownCloud Infinite Scale hosting →
Syncthing
Not a cloud — continuous peer-to-peer folder sync between your devices with no server in the middle. Unbeatable for keeping machines in sync; no web UI for browsing or sharing files publicly.
File Browser
A minimal web file manager over a directory: upload, download, share links. When you need «a web UI on my files» and nothing else.
Managed File Browser hosting →
Pingvin Share
Focused file-sending: upload, get a link with expiry — a self-hosted WeTransfer.
Managed Pingvin Share hosting →
Paperless-ngx
For the document subset: scans and PDFs become a searchable, tagged archive with OCR. The best «never lose an invoice again» tool in open source.
Managed Paperless-ngx hosting →
Nextcloud. Nextcloud if you want the platform (files + calendar + sharing for a family or team). ocis or Syncthing if you only want files, faster.
Every app above is open-source — you can run it yourself on a VPS, or let us run it for you: one click, your own subdomain, TLS, daily encrypted backups, EU data centers, operated from Switzerland. Free trial, no credit card.
Launch it in one click →