7 self-hosted options
Open-source alternatives to Google Drive
The best open-source alternative to Google Drive is Syncthing (MPL-2.0, 89,757 GitHub stars, Docker image). Nextcloud stands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (8,041), and Cloudreve stands out for the newest codebase (created February 2018).
About Google Drive: Google's cloud file storage and sync service with built-in document editing.
Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed daily
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Syncthing
syncthing/syncthing
Syncthing is an open source peer-to-peer file synchronisation tool.
Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026
File Sync & StorageGoDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars.
- Rank 2:
Nextcloud
nextcloud/server
Access and share your files, calendars, contacts, mail and more from any device, on your terms.
Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026
FeaturedFile Sync & StoragePHPStands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (8,041).
- Rank 3:
Cloudreve
cloudreve/cloudreve
File management and sharing system, supports multiple storage providers.
Active · last commit Oct 20, 2026
File Sync & StorageGoDockerStands out for the newest codebase (created February 2018).
At a glance
Google Drive alternatives compared
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.
| App | Stands out for | License | GitHub stars | Commits (12 mo) | Last commit | Docker image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syncthing | the most GitHub stars | MPL-2.0 | 89,757 | 244 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
| Nextcloud | the most commits in the last 12 months (8,041) | AGPL-3.0 | 37,298 | 8,041 | Oct 26, 2026 | No |
| Cloudreve | the newest codebase (created February 2018) | GPL-3.0 | 28,879 | 111 | Oct 20, 2026 | Yes |
| Seafile | its C codebase | GPL-2.0 | 15,385 | 45 | Oct 16, 2026 | No |
| ownCloud | a published Docker image | AGPL-3.0 | 8,839 | 353 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
| OpenCloud | – | Apache-2.0 | 6,229 | 2,000 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
| Pydio | – | AGPL-3.0 | 2,255 | 340 | Oct 24, 2026 | No |
Full list
All 7 Google Drive alternatives
Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
Syncthing
Syncthing is an open source peer-to-peer file synchronisation tool.
File Sync & StorageDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars. Syncthing has 89,757 GitHub stars, uses the MPL-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 244 commits in the last year.
- 2
NextcloudFeatured
Access and share your files, calendars, contacts, mail and more from any device, on your terms.
File Sync & StorageStands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (8,041). Nextcloud has 37,298 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license and had 8,041 commits in the last year.
- 3
Cloudreve
File management and sharing system, supports multiple storage providers.
File Sync & StorageDockerStands out for the newest codebase (created February 2018). Cloudreve has 28,879 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 111 commits in the last year.
- 4
Seafile
File hosting and sharing solution primary for teams and organizations.
File Sync & StorageStands out for its C codebase. Seafile has 15,385 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-2.0 license and had 45 commits in the last year.
- 5
ownCloud
All-in-one solution for saving, synchronizing, viewing, editing and sharing files, calendars, address books and more.
File Sync & StorageDockerStands out for a published Docker image. ownCloud has 8,839 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 353 commits in the last year.
- 6
OpenCloud
File Sharing and Collaboration Platform.
File Sync & StorageDockerOpenCloud has 6,229 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 2,000 commits in the last year.
- 7
Pydio
Turn any web server into a powerful file management system and an alternative to mainstream cloud storage providers.
File Sync & StoragePydio has 2,255 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license and had 340 commits in the last year.
Is there a free alternative to Google Drive?
Yes. All 7 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can replace Google Drive without per-user fees. You pay only for the server.
Can I self-host an alternative to Google Drive with Docker?
Yes. 4 of the 7 apps here publish a Docker image, including Syncthing, Cloudreve and ownCloud, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose.
Which Google Drive alternative is the most actively developed?
Nextcloud (AGPL-3.0), with 8,041 commits in the last 12 months. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.
How is this list ranked?
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.