Software / Cloud Storage / ownCloud

ownCloud

ownCloud is open-source software for secure file storage, synchronization, sharing and content collaboration across self-hosted and hosted deployments.

8.3/10 TechZella Score
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Decision guide

ownCloud Decision Snapshot

A quick way to understand who this product may suit, where its limits matter, and which facts are most relevant before you compare alternatives.

Platforms

Android, API, iOS, Linux, macOS, Web

TechZella assessment

8.3/10

Overview

ownCloud is an open-source file server for storing, synchronizing, sharing and collaborating on files. Organizations can deploy it on their own infrastructure, use a hosted service, or select a hybrid model.

The platform includes ownCloud Classic and ownCloud Infinite Scale. Infinite Scale uses a cloud-native architecture, while the Classic server provides a mature application and extension ecosystem.

ownCloud is designed for organizations that need greater control over data location, access policies and integrations. Common deployments support internal collaboration, external sharing and regulated information workflows.

Editorial assessment

ownCloud Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Community edition supports self-managed file synchronization and sharing.
  • Organizations can control infrastructure, storage location and access policies.
  • Supports desktop, mobile and browser-based access.
  • Provides standards-based APIs including WebDAV and OCS.
  • Integrates with LDAP, Active Directory, office editors and external storage.
  • Offers both self-hosted and hosted deployment models.

Cons

  • Commercial pricing is not publicly itemized for most plans.
  • Self-hosted deployments require infrastructure and administrative expertise.
  • Feature availability varies between Community, Standard, Enterprise and hosted editions.
  • Some independent reviewers report a steeper setup process than mainstream hosted storage services.
  • The product has multiple server generations, which can complicate edition and architecture selection.
Plans & pricing

ownCloud Pricing & Plans

Community

Free
No subscription

Self-managed community edition with unlimited users, file sync and share, community apps, desktop and mobile apps, and community support.

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Standard

Contact sales
Annual

Self-managed deployment from 25 users with enterprise features, commercial licensing and 9u00d75 email support.

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Enterprise

Contact sales
Annual

On-premises or custom subscription from 25 users with enterprise features, customer portal access and 12u00d75 global email and phone support.

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ownCloud.online for single users

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Subscription

Hosted service for one to four users with 500 GB of storage, desktop and mobile apps, encryption and a 14-day trial.

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ownCloud.online for teams

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Subscription

Hosted service from five users with 1,000 GB of storage, additional storage per user, encryption, recovery and a 14-day trial.

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Large deployments and education

From €1.85/user/year
Annual

Special pricing advertised for large deployments and educational institutions. Final pricing depends on the organization and deployment.

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Pricing may change. Verify current plans on the vendor's website.

Compare options

ownCloud Competitors & Alternatives

Compare similar products directly, then see which alternatives may make more sense when your requirements differ.

Direct competitors

These products address broadly similar requirements. The descriptions focus on documented reasons a buyer might compare them with ownCloud.

Capabilities

ownCloud Features

File Management

  • File upload and download
  • Browser-based file management
  • File versioning
  • Deleted-file recovery
  • File locking
  • Full-text search
  • Unlimited file size support

Synchronization and Access

  • Windows desktop client
  • macOS desktop client
  • Linux desktop client
  • Android application
  • iOS application
  • Virtual file system
  • WebDAV access

Sharing and Collaboration

  • Public link sharing
  • Password-protected links
  • Link expiry dates
  • Guest users
  • Federated cloud sharing
  • Comments
  • Activity stream
  • File drop folders

Security and Administration

  • Encryption features
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • OpenID Connect
  • OAuth2
  • Auditing
  • File firewall
  • Ransomware protection
  • LDAP and Active Directory integration

Office and Business Integrations

  • Collabora Online
  • OnlyOffice
  • Microsoft 365
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Outlook plugin
  • eM Client plugin
  • Splunk integration
  • External storage connectors

Developer and Integration Tools

  • WebDAV API
  • OCS API
  • Sharing API
  • Capability API
  • Provisioning APIs
  • Storage API
  • Public server core API
  • Marketplace applications
Product details

ownCloud Specifications

Deployment modelsOn-premises, hybrid, hosted
License optionsAGPLv3 Community edition and commercial enterprise licenses
Hosted regionownCloud.online is hosted in Germany according to the official pricing page
Desktop supportWindows, macOS and Linux
Mobile supportAndroid and iOS
Identity integrationsLDAP, Active Directory, OAuth2 and OpenID Connect
Office integrationsCollabora Online, OnlyOffice and Microsoft 365
Storage integrationsS3, Dropbox, SharePoint, Windows network drives and custom backends
API supportWebDAV, OCS, sharing, capability, provisioning and storage APIs
Free trial30 days for Enterprise; 14 days for ownCloud.online
Company statusOwnCloud GmbH is a Kiteworks company
Our evidence-based assessment

TechZella Score

A proprietary editorial score based on product capabilities, usability, value, performance, support and user sentiment evidence.

8.3/10Moderate confidence
Features8.8
Ease of Use7.8
Value for Money8.2
Performance8.4
Support8.1
User Sentiment8.4

ownCloud provides extensive file sharing, synchronization, security, storage, collaboration and integration capabilities. Its free community edition improves value, while enterprise pricing and deployment complexity can require technical planning. Independent review averages are positive, but reviewers commonly identify setup and interface limitations.

Methodology v1.0. The assessment weighs feature coverage (25%), ease of use (15%), value for money (20%), performance (15%), support (10%) and user sentiment (15%), using researched product evidence and verified review evidence where available. It is a TechZella editorial assessment, not a direct user-review average.

Independent review sources

ownCloud Ratings & Reviews

Ratings are published by the respective review platforms and may change over time.

Community feedback

Reviews

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FAQ

Is ownCloud free? Yes. The Community edition is available without a software subscription for self-managed deployments. Commercial editions and hosted services require paid plans or sales quotations.

Can ownCloud run on private infrastructure? Yes. ownCloud supports on-premises, hybrid and hosted deployment models, depending on the edition and service.

Does ownCloud provide an API? Yes. Supported interfaces include WebDAV, OCS, sharing, capability, provisioning, storage and application APIs.

Does ownCloud offer a free trial? Enterprise subscriptions include a 30-day trial, while ownCloud.online offers a 14-day trial according to the official pricing page.

Which office integrations are available? ownCloud documents integrations with Collabora Online, OnlyOffice and Microsoft 365. Availability can vary by product edition and deployment.