Collaboration and files
Nextcloud vs OneDrive: what is the difference?
Short answer
At heart Nextcloud and OneDrive do the same: store files, sync them between devices and share them with others. OneDrive belongs to Microsoft, runs in their data centres and is closely tied to Word, Excel and Teams. Nextcloud is open source and runs on a server of your choice, for example at a Dutch host. Pick OneDrive if you work entirely in Microsoft 365, and Nextcloud if control over your data weighs more.
What do they both do?
At first glance there is little difference. Both give you a folder on your computer that stays identical to a copy on a server and to your other devices. Both keep older versions of a file, have a recycle bin and let you share a file or folder through a link.
The difference sits underneath.
Where do they differ?
| Subject | OneDrive | Nextcloud |
|---|---|---|
| Who makes it | Microsoft | A German company and an open community |
| Where it runs | In Microsoft data centres | On a server you choose |
| Source code | Closed | Open source |
| Working with Office on your computer | Fully built in | Through the browser, with its own office suite |
| Part of | Microsoft 365 | Stands alone, or in a package such as JevanaHub |
| Taking it to another supplier | Export and set up again | The whole environment moves with you |
When is OneDrive the better choice?
When your organisation lives in Microsoft 365. Outlook, Teams, Word and Excel assume your files are in OneDrive and SharePoint. An attachment becomes a link by itself, and a document in a meeting opens in the conversation. You get that convenience nowhere else.
OneDrive is also already in your licence. If you have Microsoft 365, you do not pay for it separately.
When is Nextcloud the better choice?
When you want to know where your files are and whose server it is. That matters for organisations with sensitive files, for those whose clients or regulators ask questions, and for those that do not want to depend on the terms of one supplier.
It can help in practical ways too. Nextcloud does not charge per feature: sharing with outsiders, version history and shared folders are simply there. And you can use it without taking the rest of an office suite.
What about personal and work?
OneDrive comes in a personal and a business version, with the same name and almost the same look. Work files that end up in the personal version fall outside the organisation’s management and backup. That happens more often than you would think.
Nextcloud has no such confusion. There is one environment, the organisation’s.
What does this mean for the move?
Moving files from OneDrive to Nextcloud is straightforward: folders, dates and structure come along. Shared links have to be made again, because they point to the old address.
The biggest change is for people used to opening a Word file on their computer and editing it together. In Nextcloud that goes through the browser. Try it with a few colleagues and real files before you decide for everyone.