Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Google Drive is the go-to for file storage, but there are alternatives.
- I use Nextcloud, an open-source, free program.
- It functions like Drive but has several advantages.
I’ve been a dedicated Google Drive user for years. It was always the easiest option to back up my important documents; it made sharing files easy, and I never had trouble with anything disappearing. Even though I blew past the free storage limit long ago, I was perfectly fine paying the monthly fee for the convenience of using the file storage system I was used to.
Over time, though, little things began to give me pause about trusting years of critical files to one service. I started seeing horror stories about users being locked out of their accounts seemingly for no reason, Google kept pushing more and more toward AI scanning, and I finally started noticing just how much I was paying for storage.
Also: How I saved myself $1200 a year in cloud storage – in 5 sobering steps
When I started seeking out alternatives, I wondered why I hadn’t looked elsewhere before.
After some research, I settled on Nextcloud. It’s free, open-source software that’s available on almost any platform, including iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux. You host your files on your own, private server, so you will need an old laptop or an external hard drive, but that’s all.
The notion of self-hosting might seem intimidating at first — it did for me, and I’m fairly tech-savvy — and the support instructions might appear daunting. However, as long as you can follow these step-by-step instructions, it’s not hard to set up your own Nextcloud server.
What makes Nextcloud better than Google Drive?
Nextcloud is easy to use. If you’re familiar with Google Drive or OneDrive, it’s going to look and work exactly like the storage you’re used to. Here’s everything you can do with Nextcloud:
- Create folders and subfolders to organize your files (I have folders for vet records, car maintenance, my kids’ important documents, etc.).
- Download your stored files to another device.
- Set up profiles for different users.
- Easily share files with both users and non-users.
- Set passwords for shared files and give them expiration dates.
- Place download restrictions and set other custom permissions.
Also: Which cloud storage service should you buy? I compared the best options
I use the mobile app most often to access my files, but the web browser works just as well.
Storage is limited to what’s on your computer or attached external hard drive, but you can get a 2TB drive for under $150, so it’s not a huge investment for a lot of space (that’s the route I went). And the good thing is, once you buy that, you’re buying it for good rather than paying Google a monthly rental. You can pay a company for a virtual server and storage space, but then you’re getting back to one of the biggest reasons to leave big tech.
So why should you leave the comfort zone of Google for hosting your own server?
The biggest advantage of Nextcloud is that I’m entirely in control of my own data and files. I don’t have to worry about a tech company tracking my data or scanning my personal files; there’s no worrying about price increases for storage, I can access my files from any device, I know I won’t be arbitrarily locked out of my files, andI have a stronger level of security that my files are going to be there.
You shouldn’t make Nextcloud your only backup. Physical storage can fail, especially over time, and you don’t want to end up losing important files. This is a scenario where the standard 3-2-1 storage rules apply — three storage locations (two additional backups), two different types (a local drive and cloud), and one off-site storage. I still use big tech cloud for backup of critical things, but I’m trusting my server for day-to-day use.
Also: Why I switched to a NAS storage drive to backup files – and ditched iCloud and Dropbox for good
If you’re the type of person who likes having your own ecosystem for tech, Nextcloud even has its own task manager, password keeper, calendar, and office suite, so it can replace a large portion of Google Workspace if you want. I haven’t used those services much yet, but if they perform as well as the file storage service does, I’m sure they’ll be worth a look.
