Self-Hosted Alternatives to Google Drive

Why Replace Google Drive?

Cost. Google Drive gives you 15 GB free, then charges $2-10/month for 100 GB-2 TB. A 4 TB drive costs $80 one-time. Over three years, 2 TB on Google Drive costs $360 — or you buy a 4 TB NAS drive for $80 and own it forever.

Privacy. Google scans your files for its AI training, ad targeting, and content policies. Google has terminated accounts for content it deemed violations — including family photos. With self-hosted storage, your files are your files. No scanning, no AI training, no account terminations.

Storage limits. Google Drive caps at 2 TB on consumer plans ($10/month). Self-hosted storage is limited only by your hardware. A 16 TB NAS build costs less than two years of Google’s 2 TB plan.

Control. Google can change pricing, reduce storage, or shut down services. They’ve done all three. With self-hosted storage, you own the hardware and the data. Nobody can change your terms of service.

Data sovereignty. Your files live on Google’s servers in locations you don’t control. Depending on your jurisdiction, this may violate data protection requirements. Self-hosted storage keeps data in your physical possession.

Best Alternatives

Nextcloud — Best Overall Replacement

Nextcloud is the closest self-hosted equivalent to Google Drive — and then some. File sync, web file manager, sharing links, collaborative editing, calendar, contacts, and 400+ apps. It replaces not just Google Drive but most of Google Workspace.

What you get: Desktop and mobile sync clients, web-based file browser, password-protected sharing links, real-time collaborative editing (via Nextcloud Office or OnlyOffice), file versioning, and 15 GB storage included on their hosted plans. Self-hosted: unlimited storage.

Best for: Anyone who wants a complete Google Drive replacement with all the collaboration features.

Trade-offs: Heavier resource usage than dedicated file sync tools. PHP-based, so sync speed is moderate. Requires a database and multiple services.

[Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Nextcloud]

Seafile — Best Performance

Seafile is a file sync and share server built for speed. It uses block-level deduplication and delta sync, making it 2-3x faster than Nextcloud for file operations. The web UI is clean and responsive. Sharing, versioning, and client-side encryption work well.

What you get: Fast desktop sync clients, web file manager, sharing links, file versioning, client-side encryption per library. SeaDoc for document editing. Does not include calendar, contacts, or the broad app ecosystem of Nextcloud.

Best for: Users whose primary need is fast, reliable file sync and sharing. If you don’t need the Google Workspace extras, Seafile gives you better performance.

Trade-offs: Smaller ecosystem than Nextcloud. No built-in calendar/contacts. The community around it is smaller.

[Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Seafile]

Syncthing — Best for Device-to-Device Sync

Syncthing is a decentralized, peer-to-peer file sync tool. No central server needed — devices sync directly with each other. It replaces Google Drive’s sync engine while being faster, more private, and completely free.

What you get: Automatic, encrypted sync between all your devices. Block-level delta sync. File versioning. Cross-platform support. Zero server maintenance.

Best for: Users who just want files synced across their devices without a web interface, sharing links, or collaboration features.

Trade-offs: No web file browser. No sharing links. No mobile app on iOS (Android only officially). Can’t access files from a random browser — only from devices with Syncthing installed.

[Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Syncthing]

Filebrowser — Best Lightweight File Access

Filebrowser is a web-based file manager. Point it at a directory and get instant browser-based access to browse, upload, download, and share files. No sync engine — just a web UI for your filesystem.

What you get: Clean web file manager, multi-user support, file sharing via links, built-in text editor. Uses ~15 MB of RAM.

Best for: Users who need web-based access to server files without the overhead of a full file sync platform.

Trade-offs: No desktop sync client. No mobile app. No collaboration features. It’s a file manager, not a sync engine.

[Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Filebrowser]

Migration Guide

Step 1: Export Your Google Drive Data

1. Go to Google Takeout
2. Select “Drive” and deselect everything else
3. Choose export format: .zip, one-time export
4. Download the archive (this can take hours for large libraries)
5. Extract the archive to a local folder

Google Docs/Sheets/Slides will be exported as Microsoft Office formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx) by default. These work fine in Nextcloud’s office integrations.

Step 2: Set Up Your Self-Hosted Solution

For most users replacing Google Drive, we recommend Nextcloud:

1. Follow our Nextcloud Docker guide
2. Configure SSL via reverse proxy
3. Create user accounts
4. Install the desktop sync client

Step 3: Upload Your Files

• Nextcloud: Upload via the web UI (drag and drop) or install the desktop client and copy files to the sync folder
• Seafile: Upload via web UI or desktop client’s sync folder
• Syncthing: Copy files to the Syncthing folder on any device

Step 4: Set Up Sync on All Devices

1. Install the desktop sync client (Nextcloud/Seafile) or Syncthing on each device
2. Configure which folders to sync
3. Verify files are syncing correctly
4. Set up mobile apps if needed

Step 5: Migrate Shared Files

1. Recreate shared folders and permissions in your new system
2. Send new sharing links to collaborators
3. Update any bookmarks or shortcuts

Step 6: Phase Out Google Drive

1. Verify all files are accessible on your self-hosted system
2. Keep Google Drive active for 30 days as a backup
3. After confirming everything works, delete files from Google Drive
4. Downgrade to the free tier or close the account

Cost Comparison

What You Give Up

• Google Docs/Sheets/Slides native experience. Nextcloud Office and OnlyOffice are good but not as polished as Google’s apps, especially for real-time collaboration with many users.
• Google’s search. Google Drive’s search is excellent — it OCRs documents and searches inside images. Self-hosted search (Nextcloud’s built-in or Seafile’s full-text search) is decent but not Google-quality.
• Seamless integration with Google services. If you use Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Meet, Drive integrates tightly with all of them. Self-hosted solutions require separate integrations.
• Reliability without effort. Google Drive has world-class uptime. Your self-hosted solution needs backups, monitoring, and maintenance.
• Effortless sharing with non-users. Sharing a Google Drive link works for anyone with a browser. Nextcloud sharing links also work for anyone, but your server needs to be publicly accessible and performant.

FAQ

Can Nextcloud fully replace Google Drive?

For file sync, sharing, and basic office features — yes. For heavy collaborative editing with many simultaneous users, Google Docs is still smoother. Nextcloud Office handles small-team collaboration well.

How much storage do I need?

Check your Google Drive usage at drive.google.com/settings. Most personal users have 50-200 GB. Buy a drive at least 2x your current usage to allow for growth.

What about Google Drive’s mobile app?

Nextcloud and Seafile both have iOS and Android apps with auto-upload for photos, file browsing, and offline access. They’re not as polished as Google Drive’s app but cover the core use cases well.

Do I need to keep my server running 24/7?

For Nextcloud/Seafile with sharing links, yes — the server needs to be accessible for links to work. For Syncthing, no — it syncs whenever both devices are online.

Can I use Google Drive as a backup for my self-hosted storage?

Yes. Tools like Rclone can sync your self-hosted storage to Google Drive (encrypted) as a backup destination. This gives you self-hosted as primary with cloud backup for disaster recovery.

Related

• How to Self-Host Nextcloud
• How to Self-Host Seafile
• How to Self-Host Syncthing
• How to Self-Host Filebrowser
• Nextcloud vs Seafile
• Nextcloud vs Syncthing
• Self-Hosted Alternatives to Dropbox
• Self-Hosted Alternatives to OneDrive
• Best Self-Hosted File Sync Solutions
• Docker Compose Basics