Self-hosted alternatives to Box

Enterprise file sharing, self-hosted. Below are 12 open source options you host on your own server — with no monthly per-user fee and full control of your data.

Syncthing

★ 85,702

Syncthing continuously syncs files between your devices, encrypted and peer-to-peer, with no central server. It's the alternative to Dropbox for people who don't want a third-party cloud: files go straight from one machine to another.

File Transfer & Synchronization MPL-2.0

Puter

★ 42,384

Web-based operating system designed to be feature-rich, exceptionally fast, and highly extensible.

File Transfer & SynchronizationRemote Access AGPL-3.0

Nextcloud

★ 35,889

Nextcloud is a complete private-cloud suite: files, calendar, contacts, email, calls and document editing. It's the most robust self-hosted alternative to Google Drive and Microsoft 365, with a huge ecosystem of apps.

File Transfer & SynchronizationGroupware AGPL-3.0

Cloudreve

★ 28,157

File management and sharing system, supports multiple storage providers.

File Transfer & Synchronization GPL-3.0

Seafile

★ 14,882

File hosting and sharing solution primary for teams and organizations.

File Transfer & SynchronizationGroupware GPL-2.0

ownCloud

★ 8,794

All-in-one solution for saving, synchronizing, viewing, editing and sharing files, calendars, address books and more.

File Transfer & Synchronization AGPL-3.0

OpenCloud

★ 5,616

File Sharing and Collaboration Platform.

File Transfer & Synchronization Apache-2.0

Unison

★ 5,375

Unison is a file-synchronization tool for OSX, Unix, and Windows.

File Transfer & Synchronization GPL-3.0

Kinto

★ 4,416

Minimalist JSON storage service with synchronisation and sharing abilities.

File Transfer & Synchronization Apache-2.0

Peergos

★ 2,424

Secure and private space online where you can store, share and view your photos, videos, music and documents. Also includes a calendar, news feed, task lists, chat and email client.

File Transfer & Synchronization AGPL-3.0

Pydio

★ 2,222

Turn any web server into a powerful file management system and an alternative to mainstream cloud storage providers.

File Transfer & Synchronization AGPL-3.0

Sync-in

★ 1,458

File storage, syncing, sharing, and collaboration with real-time editing, permission management, and desktop/CLI clients.

File Transfer & SynchronizationFile Transfer - Web-based File Managers AGPL-3.0

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free self-hosted alternative to Box?

Yes. We've gathered 12 self-hosted, open source alternatives to Box — including Syncthing, Puter, Nextcloud. You run all of them on your own server.

What is the best open source alternative to Box?

Syncthing is one of the most popular (85,702 GitHub stars). The "best" depends on your case — compare the options below.

Do I need a server to replace Box?

Yes. You can use a home server (homelab) or a cheap VPS (from ~€4/mo). See the hosting suggestions on this page.