Nine home clouds compared

Cloud It Yourself

Flexible and Comprehensive

OwnCloud installs on the major Linux distributions and Windows as well as on NAS devices, Raspberry Pis, or OpenWrt routers. Additionally, the architecture supports operation on most web servers and hosting packages. If you are worried about the installation and maintenance overhead, you can look at a list on ownCloud.org to find a trusted provider.

Server-Side Encryption

OwnCloud offers server-side encryption of data – which should be enabled – if you integrate external storage that is not under your own control. The documentation lists data that remains unencrypted in the ownCloud instance (e.g., thumbnails or even information in the search index).

In addition to the web interface, you can access ownCloud via native desktop clients for Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows, as well as apps for Android and iOS-based devices. Users of other mobile platforms must rely on existing WebDAV clients or revert to web access for mobile browsers, which was optimized in version 7.

Community and Enterprise Versions

The Community version of ownCloud can be generally installed and used free of charge. OwnCloud Inc. additionally offers an Enterprise version for companies. This differs from the Community version in terms of additional applications, which are not available under the AGPL, unlike all the other components, but rather under a commercial license. The Enterprise plan includes support services. An overview can be found on the ownCloud website.

For small-to-medium-sized companies with up to 500 ownCloud users, there is also a special offer of the Univention Corporate Server (UCS), which is installable via the App Center and can be purchased via Univention partners.

Conclusions: OwnCloud is characterized by its comprehensive approach and impresses by offering more than just a simple Dropbox replacement, both in home and enterprise use.

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