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Nextcloud vs Box

Nextcloud logo

Nextcloud

Software

Self-hosted file sync, sharing and collaboration platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Box logo

Box

Software

Cloud content management for the enterprise

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Nextcloud has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Nextcloud requires self-hosted deployment on organisation-controlled infrastructure; no managed cloud option provided by Nextcloud; Box all Business and Enterprise plans require a minimum of 3 users

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Nextcloud and Box actually diverge.

Attributes where Nextcloud and Box differ
AttributeNextcloudBox
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsSelf-hosted, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, APIWeb

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Nextcloud

  • Government and public sector organisations with data sovereignty requirementsnot Box
  • Enterprises replacing Dropbox or Box for cost reduction and data controlnot Box
  • Education institutions providing secure file collaborationnot Box
  • Healthcare and finance sectors requiring on-premises deployment for compliancenot Box
  • Hybrid work environments where teams synchronise documents and communicatenot Box
  • Digital asset management and media collaboration workflowsnot Box

Box

No use cases recorded yet. See the Box review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Nextcloud

  • Requires self-hosted deployment on organisation-controlled infrastructure; no managed cloud option provided by Nextcloud
  • Operational overhead: organisations must apply security patches, manage backups, configure SSL certificates, and handle system administration
  • Scalability challenges at very large user counts (10,000+); requires careful database and storage tuning
  • Mobile clients lack some features of web interface (scripting, advanced admin functions); feature parity varies across platforms
  • Integration with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace is limited; Nextcloud does not replace Exchange or Gmail directly

Box

  • All Business and Enterprise plans require a minimum of 3 users
  • Business Starter ($5/user/month) caps at 100 GB of shared storage across the whole account and a 2 GB per file upload limit
  • Enterprise Plus requires annual billing, and Enterprise Advanced's exact price is not published on the pricing page

Pricing, plan by plan

Nextcloud

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • All core features: Files, Talk, Groupware, Office
    • Unlimited users and storage
    • Community forum support
  • Standard Enterprise$71.29/year
    • 2 business day response time
    • 1-year maintenance included
    • Email support during business hours
  • Premium Enterprise$104.99/year
    • 1 business day response time
    • 5+ year maintenance
    • Extended business hours support
  • Ultimate Enterprise$204.75/year
    • 1-24 hour response time options
    • 5+ year maintenance
    • 24/7 phone support with SLA guarantees

Box

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Box review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Nextcloud if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Self-hosted, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, API.
Nextcloud review

Choose Box if

Nothing in the data separates Box from Nextcloud on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Box review

Questions people ask

Is Nextcloud or Box better?
Neither clearly leads. Nextcloud starts at Free and Box at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Nextcloud or Box?
Nextcloud has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Nextcloud and On request for Box.
Does Nextcloud or Box run on more platforms?
Nextcloud runs on Self-hosted, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, API. Box runs on Web.
Can I use Nextcloud for free?
Yes. Nextcloud has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Box starts at On request.
What is Nextcloud best used for?
Nextcloud is most often used for government and public sector organisations with data sovereignty requirements, enterprises replacing dropbox or box for cost reduction and data control, education institutions providing secure file collaboration, healthcare and finance sectors requiring on-premises deployment for compliance. Of those, government and public sector organisations with data sovereignty requirements and enterprises replacing dropbox or box for cost reduction and data control are not what Box is typically brought in for.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Nextcloud: Is Nextcloud Community Edition free to use?

Yes. Nextcloud Community Edition is completely free and open-source under the AGPL-3.0 licence. There are no licensing fees, but organisations must host and maintain their own servers.

Source
Nextcloud: Can I migrate from Dropbox or Google Drive to Nextcloud?

Yes. Nextcloud provides migration tools and documentation for importing files from competing platforms. Professional services are available through Nextcloud Enterprise for large-scale migrations.

Source
Nextcloud: What video conferencing capabilities does Nextcloud Talk provide?

Nextcloud Talk provides end-to-end encrypted audio and video calls, group conferencing, screen sharing, call recording with transcription, live translation, and integration with external services (Slack, Teams, Matrix). Recordings are stored locally on the Nextcloud server.

Source
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Related pages

More on Nextcloud

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