Nextcloud : the anti-GAFAM Cloud solution, easy to use and to host !!

· Updated · 3 min read · by Adrien Lopez

Data is the gold of the 21st century, so better keep it in a safe, at home if possible. Nextcloud is a free and open source, European cloud platform for files, calendars, contacts, video calls and office documents that you can host yourself or with a sovereign provider, out of reach of the US CLOUD Act.

Nextcloud login page

Have you heard about the CLOUD Act? Do you care about your personal data? Your business data, maybe? Individuals, companies and governments should all consider that keeping their data secure is both a right and a duty. Nextcloud makes that duty much easier.

What is Nextcloud?

Nextcloud is a free and open source collaboration platform, developed by Nextcloud GmbH in Stuttgart, Germany. It was created in 2016 by Frank Karlitschek as a fork of ownCloud, the project he had founded in 2010. The code is licensed under the AGPL and developed in the open with a large community.

Nextcloud Hub brings together, on a server you control:

  • Files: sync and share, like Dropbox or Google Drive, with desktop and mobile apps;
  • Office: collaborative editing of documents, spreadsheets and presentations (Nextcloud Office, based on Collabora Online, or ONLYOFFICE);
  • Talk: chat, audio and video calls, webinars;
  • Groupware: mail, calendar and contacts (CalDAV/CardDAV, compatible with every phone);
  • Nextcloud Assistant: AI features (summaries, translation, text generation, image generation) that can run locally with open source models, so your data never leaves your server;
  • hundreds of apps: forms, notes, kanban boards, password manager, photos...

It is used by individuals on a Raspberry Pi, by small businesses, and by large organisations, including several European governments and ministries.

Why the CLOUD Act matters

The US CLOUD Act (Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act), adopted in 2018, allows US authorities to require American cloud providers to hand over data they control, even when that data is stored in Europe. This creates a direct conflict with the European GDPR.

In practice, if your files are hosted by Microsoft, Google or Amazon, choosing a "Europe" region is not enough to guarantee that your data is protected from foreign access. For a lawyer, a doctor, an engineering company or a public administration, that is a real risk.

The answer is sovereign cloud: infrastructure operated by European companies, under European law, ideally with open source software that you can audit and move elsewhere. Nextcloud is one of the cornerstones of this approach.

Three ways to use Nextcloud

  1. Self-hosting at home. Install it on a Raspberry Pi or a small server with Nextcloud All-in-One, a Docker-based installer that sets up everything (database, HTTPS, backups, Office, Talk) in a few clicks. Perfect for a family.
  2. Your own server in a datacenter. Rent a VPS or dedicated server from a European host (OVHcloud, Scaleway, Hetzner, Infomaniak, Ionos...) and install Nextcloud. You control the software; the host only provides the machine.
  3. Managed hosting. Many providers offer ready-to-use Nextcloud accounts, often hosted in Europe, if you don't want to administer a server.

Installing Nextcloud quickly with Docker

On a Linux server with Docker installed, the recommended way is Nextcloud All-in-One:

sudo docker run --init --sig-proxy=false --name nextcloud-aio-mastercontainer \
  --restart always --publish 8080:8080 \
  --volume nextcloud_aio_mastercontainer:/mnt/docker-aio-config \
  --volume /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro \
  nextcloud/all-in-one:latest

Then open https://<your-server-ip>:8080, follow the wizard, point your domain name to the server, and choose the optional components you want. Always check the official documentation for the latest command.

Good practices

  • Backups: enable the built-in BorgBackup in All-in-One and keep a copy off-site.
  • Updates: Nextcloud releases a major version roughly every few months; keep it up to date.
  • Security: use HTTPS, two-factor authentication and the Nextcloud security scan.
  • Encryption: server-side encryption is available, and end-to-end encryption for sensitive folders.

Why it matters

Using Nextcloud is not just about saving money on cloud subscriptions. It is about digital sovereignty: knowing where your data is, who can access it, and being free to leave. Combined with free software and European hosting, it gives individuals, companies and public bodies a credible alternative to the GAFAM.

Resources

Go further with our guide on sovereign cloud and the CLOUD Act, and read about decentralised social networks.

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