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Nextcloud

Nextcloud is the most deployed self-hosted content collaboration platform.

Description

It provides a safe home for all your data - files, contacts, calendars, and more.

When to use it

  • When you need a comprehensive, self-hosted suite for file storage, collaboration, and productivity.
  • For users who want to maintain full control over their data while having access to features similar to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
  • When you want a extensible platform with a wide range of apps (Talk, Calendar, Contacts, Office).

When not to use it

  • If you only need simple file synchronization without the extra features (consider Syncthing).
  • If you have very limited server resources, as Nextcloud can be resource-intensive.

Getting started

Docker

The fastest way to get Nextcloud running is using the official Docker image:

docker run -d \
  --name nextcloud \
  -p 8080:80 \
  -v nextcloud:/var/www/html \
  nextcloud

Access Nextcloud at http://localhost:8080.

CLI examples

Nextcloud includes the occ (Nextcloud Command-line Control) tool for server management.

# List all available occ commands
docker exec --user www-data nextcloud php occ list

# Reset the admin password
docker exec --user www-data nextcloud php occ user:resetpassword admin

# Put the server into maintenance mode
docker exec --user www-data nextcloud php occ maintenance:mode --on

API examples

Nextcloud supports the OCS (Open Collaboration Services) API for remote management.

Get user information

curl -u admin:password \
     -H "OCS-APIRequest: true" \
     -X GET "http://localhost:8080/ocs/v1.php/cloud/users/admin"

List files via WebDAV

curl -u admin:password \
     -X PROPFIND "http://localhost:8080/remote.php/dav/files/admin/"

Alternatives

Backlog

  • Setup Nextcloud Office with Collabora Online.
  • Enable end-to-end encryption for sensitive folders.

Sources / References

Contribution Metadata

  • Last reviewed: 2026-02-26
  • Confidence: medium