Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Seafile Cloud

Puter is an open-source “internet operating system” that runs in your browser, combining a web desktop with personal cloud storage and an extensible app platform. It can be used as an alternative to services like Dropbox/Google Drive and as a remote desktop-style environment for servers and workstations.

Key Features

• Web-based desktop environment with file manager and app-style UX
• Personal cloud storage for organizing and accessing files from anywhere
• Extensible platform for building and publishing web apps, websites, and games
• App distribution model via an integrated app store concept
• Designed to be self-hosted for privacy-first deployments

Use Cases

• Replace proprietary cloud drives with a self-managed personal cloud
• Provide a browser-accessible workspace for a home server or NAS
• Host internal web apps and tools behind a unified web desktop interface

Limitations and Considerations

• Requires a modern Node.js runtime (the project targets recent Node.js versions)
• Resource usage and responsiveness depend on server hardware and the number of active users/apps

Puter fits teams and individuals who want a web-native desktop experience paired with file storage and a flexible app platform. It is especially useful for homelabs and private cloud setups where you want a single, browser-accessible workspace.

Seafile is an open source file sync and sharing platform designed for private cloud storage and team collaboration. It organizes content into libraries that can be synced independently, with an emphasis on performance, reliability, and privacy.

Key Features

• Library-based storage with per-library syncing and selective sync
• File history and versioning, including conflict handling based on history
• Efficient syncing with content-delta transfer and resumable uploads/downloads
• Sharing and collaboration via shared folders, groups, and upload/download links (including password protection)
• Optional client-side encrypted libraries protected by a user-chosen password
• Drive-style desktop access (virtual drive) with on-demand syncing
• Built-in knowledge management features such as wiki mode, file labels, related documents, and Markdown editing

Use Cases

• Private cloud file sync and sharing for teams with granular library organization
• Secure collaboration on sensitive documents using encrypted libraries
• Internal documentation and lightweight knowledge base using wiki mode and Markdown

Limitations and Considerations

• The full platform is composed of multiple components (server core, web UI, sync clients), which may increase deployment and upgrade complexity compared to single-binary solutions

Seafile is a strong fit for organizations and individuals who want a performant, self-managed alternative to commercial cloud drives, with flexible sharing and optional client-side encryption. Its library model and built-in collaboration features make it well-suited for both personal and team file workflows.

Filestash is a self-hosted, web-based file manager and file sharing portal that provides a unified interface over many storage systems and protocols. It aims to deliver a modern “cloud drive” experience while keeping data in your existing infrastructure through backend connectors.

Key Features

• Unified web UI for multiple backends (including SFTP, S3-compatible storage, FTP/FTPS, WebDAV, SMB, NFS, and Git)
• Share links for files and folders, designed for convenient external access
• Plugin-based architecture for extending storage backends, authentication, UI, and capabilities
• SSO integration options via enterprise identity systems (LDAP, SAML, and OIDC)
• Built-in viewers for common media types (images, audio, video), with optional transcoding support
• Built-in API and gateway-style options to expose underlying storage via protocols such as SFTP and S3

Use Cases

• Provide a web portal for SFTP/S3/WebDAV/SMB/NFS storage without migrating data
• Enable secure file sharing and collaboration over existing network or object storage
• Offer a branded, single entry point to multiple storage systems for teams or customers

Limitations and Considerations

• Some advanced capabilities (connectors, viewers, automation, and integrations) depend on the available plugin set and configuration

Filestash is a good fit when you want a polished, extensible file browser and sharing layer on top of heterogeneous storage. Its plugin system and broad protocol support make it adaptable to both homelab and enterprise environments.

ownCloud is an open-source platform that provides secure file synchronization, sharing and team collaboration with integrations for calendars, contacts and external storage backends. It supports both classic ownCloud Server and the newer Infinite Scale architecture for larger deployments and modern APIs. (owncloud.com)

Key Features

• File sync and share with fine-grained permissions, public links, password and expiry controls. (owncloud.com)
• Virtual File System (VFS) / selective download for low local storage usage in desktop clients. (owncloud.com)
• External storage mounts: Amazon S3 (and S3-compatible), SMB/CIFS, FTP/SFTP, Google Drive, Dropbox and WebDAV backends. (doc.owncloud.com)
• Calendar and Contacts support via CalDAV and CardDAV, plus apps for mail, news and integrations. (doc.owncloud.com)
• Web-based office integrations (OnlyOffice, Collabora, Microsoft integrations) for real-time document collaboration. (owncloud.com)
• Admin tooling: occ CLI, app marketplace, audit/logging, LDAP/AD and OAuth2 authentication options. (doc.owncloud.com)

Use Cases

• Centralized, auditable enterprise file sharing and secure external collaboration with compliance controls. (owncloud.com)
• Teams collaborating on documents in-browser using integrated web-office connectors while retaining data control. (owncloud.com)
• Aggregating multiple storage silos (S3, SMB, cloud drives) into a single point of access for search and sharing. (doc.owncloud.com)

Limitations and Considerations

• SQLite is provided for testing or very small installs but is not recommended for production; MariaDB/MySQL or PostgreSQL are the recommended engines. (doc.owncloud.com)
• Some external-backend behaviors are limited by backend semantics (for example, S3-compatible mounts cannot be rescanned for manually added files in the same way as POSIX mounts). (doc.owncloud.com)
• Feature availability and commercial integrations (Oracle support, certain enterprise modules, certified deployments and support SLAs) differ between Community and Enterprise editions; assess edition-specific modules before deploying. (github.com)

ownCloud combines a mature open-source core with a broad ecosystem of apps and connectors for storage, calendars and collaboration. It is suitable for organizations needing data sovereignty, multiple storage backends and standards-based protocols for syncing and calendaring. (owncloud.com)

OpenCloud is an open source platform for file management, sharing, and collaboration designed for organizations that need control over their data. It focuses on simple operation, strong security, and integration into existing IT environments.

Key Features

• File management with sharing links and permission controls
• Real-time collaboration features and integration with an office suite
• OpenID Connect authentication with support for external identity providers and an embedded identity provider
• Security features such as encryption, two-factor authentication, and versioning to help recover from unwanted changes
• Designed for on-premises operation and environments with strict compliance requirements

Use Cases

• Internal file sharing and collaboration for teams in companies and public institutions
• Secure data rooms for projects, research groups, or cross-department collaboration
• Replacement for proprietary EFSS solutions in sovereignty-focused IT stacks

Limitations and Considerations

• The backend stores data on the filesystem and does not rely on a traditional database, which may influence scaling and backup approaches depending on your deployment model

OpenCloud is a strong fit for organizations seeking a modern, open source EFSS and collaboration solution with OIDC-based authentication and enterprise-oriented security controls. It is particularly suited to deployments that prioritize data sovereignty and straightforward integration.

ownCloud Infinite Scale (oCIS) is a cloud-native file sync and share platform designed as the foundation for an enterprise data management layer. It provides unified access to files and “spaces” across deployments while focusing on performance, scalability, and modern authentication.

Key Features

• File sync and sharing with a scalable, microservices-based backend
• Open, well-defined APIs including WebDAV and CS3 for interoperability
• Authentication via OpenID Connect with support for external identity providers and an embedded IdP option
• Integrations for web office suites (for example via WOPI gateways) to enable collaborative editing scenarios
• Flexible deployment as containers or a single binary, suitable from small servers to Kubernetes
• Configuration via environment variables and optional configuration files

Use Cases

• Replace or modernize an on-prem file sharing system with a cloud-native architecture
• Provide unified file access for teams across mixed on-prem and cloud storage environments
• Integrate file access into existing identity and collaboration ecosystems using standard APIs

Limitations and Considerations

• Some office integrations and collaborative editing depend on external components (for example WOPI gateway and office suite)
• Advanced identity and enterprise setups typically rely on an external IdP for full-featured deployments

Overall, oCIS targets organizations that need a modern, scalable alternative to traditional PHP-based sync-and-share stacks. It is best suited when standards-based APIs, OIDC authentication, and flexible deployment topologies are key requirements.

Sync-in is an open-source platform for storing, sharing, synchronizing, and collaboratively editing files on infrastructure you control. It provides a web interface, desktop/CLI clients, and native WebDAV access for seamless integration with user workflows.

(sync-in.com)

Key Features

• Full web interface with advanced file manager, collaborative spaces, and granular role-based permissions.
• Native WebDAV implementation (written in TypeScript) for mounting spaces as remote drives and direct file access across platforms.
• Desktop clients and CLI for Windows, macOS, and Linux with one-way and two-way sync modes, scheduling, and transfer logs.
• Server-side full-text indexing and incremental indexing to search document content (PDF, Office, HTML, plain text, etc.).
• Configurable persistence and runtime options (MySQL-compatible database and optional Redis-based caching/websocket adapter).

(sync-in.com)

Use Cases

• Enterprise or institutional file hosting where data sovereignty and compliance require self-hosting.
• Teams needing shared collaborative spaces with fine-grained access, activity tracking, and real-time editing integrations.
• Personal or automated sync workflows using desktop clients, CLI, or WebDAV for backups, remote editing, or integration with local tools.

(github.com)

Limitations and Considerations

• Full-text indexing is incremental (not strictly real-time); indexing cadence and resource use should be planned for large archives.
• Default production deployments expect a MySQL-compatible database; administrators should review configuration for scale and high-availability.

(sync-in.com)

Sync-in is focused on data ownership, secure collaboration, and interoperability with existing tools. The project provides Docker and NPM deployment paths, desktop clients, and an online demo for evaluation.

(github.com)

EGroupware is a browser-based, open-source groupware suite for teams and organisations, providing calendars, contacts, email, file management, tasks and project tools accessible from desktop and mobile browsers. It is developed and maintained by the EGroupware project and available as cloud packages or on-premises installations. (egroupware.org)

Key Features

• Unified online office: calendar, address book, tasks, projects, ticketing and integrated email client. (egroupware.org)
• Integrated online document editing via Collabora Online for collaborative editing of text, spreadsheet and presentation files. (egroupware.org)
• Modern frontend based on Web Components / Lit (notable tech change in recent releases). (egroupware.org)
• Flexible authentication and SSO options (OpenID Connect, OAuth, SAML) and LDAP/AD synchronization for user management. (github.com)
• Multiple deployment options: Linux packages, Docker containers and cloud-hosted trial packages; push/notification server and integrations for chat/video/remote-desktop. (github.com)

Use Cases

• Company intranet and team collaboration with shared calendars, tasks and project tracking. (egroupware.org)
• Secure document collaboration and editing with Collabora Online for teams avoiding desktop office installs. (egroupware.org)
• Centralised user/auth management for organisations using LDAP/AD and federated login (OpenID/OAuth/SAML). (github.com)

Limitations and Considerations

• Full feature set and recommended installation path rely on distribution packages or Docker; a manual developer clone/install can be more complicated and may miss components (push-server, integrations). (github.com)

EGroupware is a mature, extensible groupware platform aimed at organisations that require full data control and multiple integration points. It is actively developed with regular releases and public demos/trials available from the project. (egroupware.org)

FileRun is a self-hosted private cloud storage and file management platform that lets you access, sync, and share files from your own server. It is designed to work directly with your existing filesystem (no special storage layer), focusing on performance, simplicity, and control.

Key Features

• Web-based file manager for browsing and managing files stored on the server filesystem
• Secure file sharing and collaboration features for teams and external users
• WebDAV support for syncing and integrating with desktop/mobile clients and third-party tools
• Large upload support with resume for interrupted transfers and efficient folder uploads
• Works on a wide range of environments (Linux/Windows servers, NAS, VM, Docker, bare metal)
• Pluggable authentication options including LDAP/Active Directory and OAuth2 (via plugins)
• Branding and UI customization (themes, logos, login page text, policy links)
• Online office integration options (for document viewing/editing using compatible services)

Use Cases

• Replace or complement consumer cloud drives with a privately controlled file portal
• Provide a central shared drive for small teams with web access and share links
• Publish a file-access layer over existing server directories without migrating data

FileRun is a good fit for users who want a fast, traditional “files-first” private cloud that keeps data in standard formats and works with common protocols and existing workflows.