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File Storage · head to head

Nextcloud vs Scality RING

Nextcloud logo

Nextcloud

File Storage

Self-hosted file sync, sharing and collaboration platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Scality RING logo

Scality RING

File Storage

Petabyte-scale object storage software on your own hardware

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; Scality RING hardware is bought separately, so the software quote understates total cost and the buyer carries the sizing risk if the drive and server specification is wrong.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Nextcloud and Scality RING actually diverge.

Attributes where Nextcloud and Scality RING differ
AttributeNextcloudScality RING
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsSelf-hosted, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, APILinux

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

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Nextcloud

Nothing recorded that Scality RING does not also cover.

Only in Scality RING

  • S3-compatible object storage
  • File and object access
  • Erasure coding
  • Object lock
  • Multi-site geodistribution
  • Hardware independence
  • ARTESCA

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

Scality RING

  • A broadcaster archiving decades of video where hyperscaler storage and egress costs would be prohibitivenot Nextcloud
  • A hospital group holding medical imaging on premises for data residency and retention reasonsnot Nextcloud
  • An enterprise building an immutable on premises backup target for Veeam or Commvault with object locknot Nextcloud
  • A service provider offering S3-compatible storage to its own customers on hardware it controlsnot Nextcloud

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

Scality RING

  • Hardware is bought separately, so the software quote understates total cost and the buyer carries the sizing risk if the drive and server specification is wrong.
  • Running distributed erasure coded storage requires operations skills, and organisations that expected appliance simplicity end up staffing a storage team they had not budgeted.
  • Rebuild times after a drive failure on large capacity disks are measured in hours or days, and capacity planning has to leave headroom for that degraded window.
  • Pricing is per usable terabyte and quoted, so cost comparisons against cloud object storage require modelling your own retrieval patterns rather than reading a rate card.
  • Small deployments carry a minimum viable node count for erasure coding to work sensibly, which makes the entry footprint larger and less economic than the per-terabyte price implies.

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

Scality RING

On request
  • Scality RING$undefined/year
    • Priced per usable terabyte, subscription or perpetual
    • Server hardware purchased separately by the customer
    • Support tiers quoted separately
  • Scality ARTESCA$undefined/year
    • Lighter object store for smaller footprints
    • Priced per usable terabyte
    • Commonly deployed as an immutable backup target

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 Scality RING if

  • You need s3-compatible object storage.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want file and object access.
Scality RING review

Questions people ask

Is Nextcloud or Scality RING better?
Neither clearly leads. Nextcloud starts at Free and Scality RING at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Nextcloud or Scality RING?
Nextcloud has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Nextcloud and On request for Scality RING.
Does Nextcloud or Scality RING run on more platforms?
Nextcloud runs on Self-hosted, Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, API. Scality RING runs on Linux.
Can I use Nextcloud for free?
Yes. Nextcloud has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Scality RING 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 Scality RING is typically brought in for.
What can Nextcloud do that Scality RING cannot?
Scality RING covers S3-compatible object storage, File and object access, Erasure coding, Object lock.

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
Scality RING: Do we buy hardware from Scality?

No. RING is software; you buy commodity servers and drives yourself, which is the point for buyers who want to rebid hardware at each refresh.

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
Scality RING: Is it S3-compatible enough for backup software?

Yes, it is a common object lock target for Veeam, Commvault and Rubrik. Verify the specific S3 features your backup product needs during a proof of concept.

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
Scality RING: What is ARTESCA?

A lighter object store from the same company, aimed at smaller footprints and backup targets rather than multi-petabyte archives.

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