Best self-hosted Groupware apps
Collaborative software or groupware is designed to help people working on a common task to attain their goals. Groupware often regroups multiple services such as file sharing, calendar/events management, appointment scheduling, address books... in a single, integrated application.
20 open source Groupware tools you host on your own server — with full control of your data and no per-user cost.
Nextcloud
★ 35,889Nextcloud 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.
Seafile
★ 14,882File hosting and sharing solution primary for teams and organizations.
Colanode
★ 4,922Collaboration suite with real-time messaging, rich text pages, file management, and dynamic databases - built for offline work (alternative to Slack, Notion).
SOGo
★ 2,127SOGo offers multiple ways to access the calendaring and messaging data. CalDAV, CardDAV, GroupDAV, as well as ActiveSync, including native Outlook compatibility and Web interface.
Sync-in
★ 1,458File storage, syncing, sharing, and collaboration with real-time editing, permission management, and desktop/CLI clients.
bewCloud
★ 1,198File sharing + sync, notes, and photos (alternative to Nextcloud and ownCloud's RSS reader).
Openmeetings
★ 679Video conferencing, instant messaging, whiteboard, collaborative document editing and other groupware tools using API functions of the Red5 Streaming Server for Remoting and Streaming.
egroupware
★ 293Software suite including calendars, address books, notepad, project management tools, client relationship management tools (CRM), knowledge management tools, a wiki and a CMS.
Tracim
★ 272Collaborative Platform for team collaboration: file,threads,notes,agenda,etc.
Group Office
★ 270Enterprise CRM and groupware tool. Share projects, calendars, files and e-mail online with co-workers and clients.
Tine
★ 19Software for digital collaboration in companies and organizations. From powerful groupware functionalities to clever add-ons, tine combines everything to make daily team collaboration easier.
Citadel
Groupware including email, calendar/scheduling, address books, forums, mailing lists, IM, wiki and blog engines, RSS aggregation and more.
Cozy Cloud
Personal cloud where you can manage and sync your files, notes, contacts, passwords, and documents.
Digibuzzer
Create a virtual game room around a connected buzzer (documentation in French).
Digipad
An online self-hosted application for creating collaborative digital notepads (Documentation in french).
Digiscreen
Interactive whiteboard/wallpaper for the classroom, in person or remotely (documentation in French).
Digistorm
Create collaborative surveys, quizzes, brainstorms, and word clouds (documentation in French).
Digitools
A set of simple tools to accompany the animation of courses in person or remotely. (documentation in French).
Digiwall
Create multimedia collaborative walls for in-person or remote work (documentation in French).
Zimbra Collaboration
Email, calendar, collaboration server with Web interface and lots of integrations.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best self-hosted Groupware tools?
Among the 20 options, the most popular include Nextcloud, Seafile, Colanode. Compare license, platform and popularity in the list below.
Is there a free open source alternative for Groupware?
Yes — all 20 tools on this page are open source and you run them on your own server, with no monthly fee.
Where can I host a Groupware app?
On a home server (homelab) or a cheap VPS from ~€4/mo. See the suggestions on this page.