Looking for tips, advise, best practice on NextCloud: New user

🏷️ General
,
1

I have no support/technical question and have seen the support category. (Be aware that direct support questions will be deleted.)

on

Which general topic do you have

Backstory:

Before I ask my questions, let me just describe how I came across Nextcloud. Losing data over the years has become quite troublesome, changing laptops and redownloading everything can be tiresome. I recently realized I needed some kind of architecture to sync my data and prevent the hassle of recovery when I needed to reformat or get a new laptop.

My files include my music, composition files, word documents, portfolio, drafts, images, downloads, pdfs, etc. Doing research I came across one time cost of investing in a cloud storage plan but I also came across NextCloud. I recently just discovered Onlyoffice which I think is available on NextCloud

Also being a small business owner, I found out that there was a VOIP option, maybe it is Asterix, I am not sure

Questions

When considering a VPS plan, do you have tips on suggestions for the best companies to explore VPS plans, I am actually a hostinger user, quite satisfied with my plans and considering a VPS plan but just thought to ask for suggestions.

Also when using a VPS plan, is the storage space for NextCloud dependent on the VPS plan or on NextCloud, how much space does NextCloud have for storage?

What are some ways you have used NextCloud for work and personal, any tips or advice on how you have utilized NextCloud as a business owner or for home use? What are some things I should check for NextCloud, recommended apps?

2

:brain: Nextcloud – Plan Smart Before Deployment

Nextcloud is a powerful tool for managing files, documents, calendars, notes, passwords, and more. It can serve personal needs as well as demanding business scenarios.
Before deploying it, it’s essential to carefully consider your needs and calculate long-term costs – especially in terms of storage, number of users, and overall system demands.

:technologist: How You Can Use Nextcloud

Personal Use

  • Sync files and photos between devices
  • Backup documents, notes, contacts, and calendars
  • Music playback (Music app), Notes, Tasks
  • Password management (Passwords), web access from anywhere

Business Use

  • Shared team folders (Group folders)
  • Real-time document editing (OnlyOffice, Collabora)
  • Video calls and chat (Talk)
  • Task boards (Deck), planning tools, CRM integrations
  • Automated workflows, secure file sharing

:gear: Technical and Economic Considerations

Before deciding between VPS and your own server, consider these key factors:

1. Number of Users

  • 1–3 users: low CPU/RAM requirements
  • 5–10 users: at least 4 CPU cores and 8 GB RAM recommended
  • Larger teams or usage of Talk + Office: 6–8 cores, 12–16 GB RAM or more

2. Storage – a Critical Factor

  • Nextcloud itself does not limit storage, the only limit is the disk space on your server.
  • VPS plans usually come with limited storage (20–80 GB SSD), and larger plans with 200 GB or more can become very expensive.
  • Storage requirements can grow fast – especially with multimedia files, team use, document backups…
  • You can technically extend storage with S3, NFS, or external mounts, but those may come with extra costs and technical complexity.

:arrow_right: If you plan to store large amounts of data long-term, storage can easily become the bottleneck and make VPS solutions economically unviable.

3. Internet Speed

  • VPS providers typically offer fast and stable connections.
  • For self-hosting, a stable and fast home internet connection is crucial, ideally symmetric (e.g., 100/100 Mbps or better).

:bulb: VPS vs. Self-Hosting – What Makes More Sense?

Criteria VPS Hosting Self-Hosting (Own Server)
:moneybag: Monthly Cost From €6–10 (small plans), €20–40+ for larger One-time hardware investment, low ongoing costs
:package: Storage Limited and expensive at scale Full control, expandable with own drives
:hammer_and_wrench: Maintenance Lower – provider manages hardware Higher – requires self-management
:globe_with_meridians: Internet Connection Fast data center links Depends on home connection
:lock: Control Partial (shared environment) Full control over data and infrastructure
:repeat: Expandability Limited by hosting plan Can add multiple services (Jellyfin, Paperless, Vaultwarden…)

:pushpin: Final Thoughts

Choosing between VPS and self-hosting isn’t just a technical choice – it’s a strategic one.
Ask yourself:

  • How much data do I plan to store?
  • How many users will access the system?
  • Will I need additional services alongside Nextcloud?
  • Is full control over my setup important to me?
  • What are my long-term cost expectations?

:arrow_right: A smart decision comes only after evaluating all these aspects and doing the math.
For some, a VPS may be ideal. For others, owning a small home server may become the better choice in just a few months.
Especially when multimedia or team collaboration is involved, self-hosting often turns out to be more cost-effective and flexible – assuming you have basic technical skills and a reliable internet connection.

2 Likes
3

Thanks for response. Self-hosting, doesn’t that involve setting up a hardware in proximity? That physicality can be risky compared to having it on somewhere in a cloud, but I can understand companies doing this. If I spent on a cloud storage plan that was a one time cost, would that be a good choice if compared to what NextCloud is? One of the main reason that lead me to NextCloud was that I was looking for a way to back up my data and NextCloud as it turns out was like a full suite of software, so would you say investing in a VPS plan is still better than a one time cost of a cloud storage?

4

You’re thinking about it the right way — it’s good to consider the trade-offs before committing to anything. Here’s a breakdown to help put things into perspective:

:house: Self-hosting

Yes, self-hosting means setting up your own physical device — whether it’s a small server, a NAS box, a Raspberry Pi, or a spare PC — and running it at your location.

You’re right that there are certain risks and responsibilities:

  • You manage the hardware yourself.
  • You’re responsible for uptime, backups, and physical safety (e.g. power, overheating, etc.).
  • It requires a stable internet connection and some basic technical skills.

In return, you gain:

  • Full control over your data.
  • No recurring storage fees.
  • The freedom to run more than just file storage — including calendars, document editing, password managers, and more.

This approach is common for companies and individuals who want digital independence and long-term cost efficiency.

:cloud: One-time cloud storage plans

On the surface, a one-time fee for cloud storage sounds convenient — pay once and forget about it. But there are several caveats:

  • The “lifetime” often refers to the lifetime of the company, not your access to the data.
  • These plans are usually limited in functionality — often just file upload/download and sharing.
  • There’s no real ownership or flexibility: you’re locked into their infrastructure.

:arrows_counterclockwise: VPS as a middle ground

A VPS (Virtual Private Server) sits between self-hosting and commercial cloud storage:

  • You don’t have to deal with hardware, as it runs in a data center.
  • You get full control over the software (e.g., you can run Nextcloud with your own settings and apps).
  • It’s still private — your data is not mixed with other people’s accounts.
  • And you can scale the resources based on your needs (CPU, RAM, storage).

Monthly or yearly VPS fees do add up over time, but they often remain more cost-effective than commercial storage for larger capacities or extended use.

:brain: Final thought

If the goal is simply to back up files and nothing more, a cheap one-time cloud plan might be enough for now.

But if you’re thinking ahead and want a feature-rich solution that includes:

  • file sync,
  • calendar and contacts,
  • document collaboration,
  • notes, tasks, and more,

then Nextcloud — whether self-hosted or on a VPS — provides significantly more value and flexibility over time.

What makes the most sense depends on your priorities:
how much storage you need, which features you want, how much control you’re looking for, and what cost model you’re comfortable with.

5

Hello,

Few personal opinions of mine,

If your requirements of storage is large, VPS may end up costing a lot in long run. If you really need to outsource your hosting, be tactical with your VPS purchase.

Nextcloud doesn’t need faster storage for a smaller number of users in a personal or small office use case. So VPS with SSD or NVMe storage is kind of over kill. You need to find hosting offering SSD boot drive along with HDD (RAID) mass storage. That would be cost effective.

Secondly, if your home internet connection is fast enough, why not considering self hosting it? An older desktop business PC can be a very good Home or small business server. Software (OS) platforms like TrueNAS Scale make it very easy with their GUI to deploy RAID, then nextcloud with simple few clicks. Apart from that, if you have some basic knowledge in linux, Ubuntu + Snap or Docker nextcloud deployments are simple few commands.

Basic safe practice is to ensure that your user data is placed in a redundant storage. Apart from that nextcloud is like setup once and forget about it… Just keep using it…

Thanks.

6

hey @mouse77 there are so many options, that’s what makes Nextcloud and Open Source so great and you don’t have any vendor lock in hassles :sunglasses:

consider low maintenance self hosting options

have a look at https://scubamuc.github.io/ you’ll find some system specs and scalability options.

2 Likes
7

If I do use a VPS plan to host NextCloud, do I get to use the full suite? Is this correct? This means the storage and all the apps? Does NextCloud have a VOIP solution, like virtual numbers for phones? It was mentioned that there is Automated workflows? What is it ?

Also I cant believe NextCloud has a CRM, how is it? I purchased a CRM two months ago, if only I knew

What’s a good VPS bandwidth to get great storage for files on NextCloud?

Also while I don’t use google cloud that much recently, does hosting NextCloud make a lot of difference? I was kind of attracted to this concept that I could sync all my data in one place and have office software all in one place along with a business number? Uber cool.

What is the difference between VPS hosting and cloud hosting? I’ve heard of Docker, what is it?

I don’t have a spare computer at home, also I think self hosting is risky, but nice to learn about other options

8

Hey @mouse77,
you’re asking great questions – it’s clear you’re genuinely interested in how everything fits together, and that’s the best mindset to have :raised_hands:

:white_check_mark: Yes – Full Nextcloud suite on a VPS

If you install Nextcloud (either with Nextcloud AIO or a manual Docker setup), you’ll get access to the full suite:

  • File syncing and sharing
  • Calendar, Notes, Tasks, Mail
  • Nextcloud Office (Collabora or OnlyOffice integration)
  • Audio/video chat via Talk
  • Automation workflows, team collaboration tools, mobile apps – everything you’d expect from a modern cloud solution, but open-source and under your control.

:telephone_receiver: VOIP / phone numbers?

Nextcloud doesn’t offer virtual phone numbers or traditional VoIP services like Twilio or Google Voice.
However, it does include Talk, which supports team chat, audio/video calls, and screen sharing – great for internal communication or small team meetings.

:gear: Automated workflows (Nextcloud Flow)

This is like an “if-this-then-that” system:

  • For example: “If someone uploads a file into folder X, tag it and move it to folder Y.”
  • Or: “If a file is older than 7 days, notify someone.”

It’s a super handy feature when combined with other apps like Tags, Group folders, or PDF converters.

:card_index: CRM?

Nextcloud offers some basic CRM-like tools such as Contacts, Notes, Deck (kanban board), Forms, and Collectives (wiki-style docs).
It’s not a full-fledged CRM, but it can work for smaller workflows or minimal setups. Since you’ve already purchased a dedicated CRM, you’re covered – but it’s still interesting what’s possible with open source.

:whale: What about Docker?

Docker is a way to run applications in isolated containers that include all their dependencies.
Nextcloud AIO uses Docker and is currently one of the most convenient ways to get a full-featured Nextcloud up and running.

But it’s not as plug-and-play as some claim – it still requires learning:

  • How containers work
  • How networking and volumes are managed
  • How to handle updates and backups

It’s not overly complex, but it does require some technical curiosity and time investment. Definitely worth it if you enjoy learning new things.

:desktop_computer: My own setup – self-hosted at home

Personally, I went with a self-hosted setup at home.
Yes, the initial hardware cost was higher (for a mini server and storage),
but now my monthly cost is basically just electricity.
I don’t count my internet connection, since I’d be paying for that anyway.

What I gained: complete control over everything. And I use the same machine to run several other open-source services, like Paperless-ngx (document management), Rocket.Chat, and MeshCentral (remote access).
It’s a great way to build your own private cloud ecosystem.

:cloud: VPS vs Cloud hosting?

  • VPS gives you dedicated CPU, RAM, and storage – you manage the system yourself. Perfect for Nextcloud.
  • Cloud hosting (like AWS or Google Cloud) is more abstracted, scalable, and powerful – but also more expensive and complex. Often used in corporate or high-availability environments.

Nextcloud is a brilliant solution if you like the idea of having everything in one place – files, office tools, collaboration – without depending on the big tech giants.

1 Like
9

I’m curious, if I had known of NextCloud sooner I would have probably skipped Google but since both NextCloud and Google are similar and NextCloud is open source and owning your data is the unique point. Would it make sense to still get a VPS plan for NextCloud, since my main point to back up all my data into system, do you think going for NextCloud on VPS would be great? I’m considering a VPS plan cause I was thinking of getting a business number through a VOIP system (Asterix or 3CX). I found this for Asterix SIP Trip Phone - Apps - App Store - Nextcloud. If I just purchase a cloud lifetime plan, I get exactly what I was looking which was to backup my data.

10

Great that you found a VOIP solution – Asterisk is a solid choice, especially if you’re interested in having your own number and full control over calls.

As for running Nextcloud on a VPS – that’s definitely not a bad idea.
I’d say go ahead and try it out. Explore its functionality and the different modules it offers. It will give you a better perspective on what Nextcloud can actually do and how it might fit your needs.

Later on, if you ever hit the limits of a VPS (performance, cost, or need for more flexibility), you’ll already have some hands-on experience. That’s the perfect time to consider self-hosting, where you get even more freedom and control.

What matters most is that you’re moving in the right direction – your data, your system, and a clear vision of what you want.

11

While doing research on VPS I came across an article on budget VPS providers Top 5 Cheap VPS Providers - DEV Community
Other names I came across that were mentioned to be great is

linode.com (good customer support)
wasabi.com (great price)

Do share anything if you think is great and worth checking out

12

You can also use Managed Nextcloud from Nextcloud hoster in the internet. You can test them additional. You can get single Nextcloud user for free. Only s few GB but nice for testing.

1 Like
13

We’ve been talking about hosting NextCloud with VPS, is there any difference in using Cloud hosting? What’s the difference?

14

I think e.g. Nextcloud Hosting is optimized for Nextcloud. Also you can use e.g. Nextcloud LAMP vs. Nextcloud AIO / Docker.

15

You mention Mail, is that a NextCloud email client? Like gmail?

What is Nextcloud AIO?

The Video calls and chat (Talk) is that sent by a link? so if someone who is not using NextCloud will be able to talk to me?

16

:compass: Overview of Nextcloud Installation Methods

Nextcloud can be installed in several different ways — from traditional manual server setups to containerized deployments. Each method has its own advantages and drawbacks, and the most important difference becomes clear when it comes to updates or major version upgrades.

Below is a breakdown of the most common installation methods:

:penguin: 1. Manual Installation on a Linux Server

Description:
Manually install and configure all components: web server, database, PHP, and Nextcloud.

Pros:

  • Full control over every component.
  • Ideal for advanced users.

Cons:

  • Time-consuming and requires Linux admin skills.
  • Major upgrades can break due to dependency issues.

:jigsaw: 2. Nextcloud Snap

Description:
A self-contained Snap package with everything bundled in.

Pros:

  • One-command install.
  • Automatic background updates.

Cons:

  • Limited flexibility.
  • Some features or apps may not work correctly.

:brick: 3. Nextcloud VM (Virtual Machine)

Description:
A pre-configured virtual machine image for platforms like VirtualBox, VMware, or Proxmox.

Pros:

  • Quick to start.
  • Good for testing or small setups.

Cons:

  • Less control over updates.
  • May be less efficient for production.

:whale: 4. Docker – Custom Container Setup

Description:
Define your own stack with docker-compose — separate containers for Nextcloud, database, web proxy, etc.

Pros:

  • Highly modular and customizable.
  • Easy to move and back up.

Cons:

  • Requires Docker knowledge.
  • Major upgrades require manual care and version checks.

:mechanic: 5. Managed Hosting

Description:
A provider runs and maintains Nextcloud for you.

Pros:

  • Zero maintenance for the user.
  • Great for non-technical users or businesses.

Cons:

  • Limited control.
  • Monthly fees.
  • Data hosted by third party.

:wrench: 6. Nextcloud All-in-One (AIO) – Official Docker-Based Solution

Description:
An official Docker setup with all services (Nextcloud, database, Office, antivirus, full-text search, backup, etc.) managed through a web interface.

Pros:

  • Super easy installation and updates — including major version upgrades.
  • Optional services like Talk, Office, ClamAV, Fulltext Search.
  • Backup and restore included.
  • Can be extended through Docker and reverse proxy setups.

Cons:

  • Higher system requirements (RAM/CPU).
  • Advanced customizations benefit from Docker knowledge.

:writing_hand: Personal Note

I’ve tested all of these methods except the VM image.
Nextcloud All-in-One (AIO) has proven to be the most reliable and efficient option for me — I’ve been using it for almost 3 years.
Its smooth update process, especially for major version upgrades, makes it stand out from the rest.

I’ve outlined these methods based on installation in Linux environments, which I prefer and recommend.
However, it’s absolutely possible to install Nextcloud on Windows as well — particularly when using Docker or virtual machines.

:speech_balloon: Frequently Asked Questions

1. You mention Mail — is that a Nextcloud email client? Like Gmail?

Yes — Nextcloud Mail is a built-in email client that lets you connect to your existing email accounts (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) via IMAP.
It does not give you a new email address — it simply lets you manage your emails within the Nextcloud interface.

2. The video calls and chat (Talk) — is that sent by a link? Can non-Nextcloud users join?

Yes — with Nextcloud Talk, you can create public links to invite people to a video call or chat.
No account or installation is required — external users can join directly from their browser.

1 Like
17

Speaking about email, what email client have you used or you think is worth checking out? I currently have one plan with google suite, but I have wondered if I can get the google experience with something else, maybe I’m just trying to see what’s out there. I’m also using Titan email, it doesn’t have video calls, and sometimes I have experienced some of my emails sent out going to spam of the receiver. It is free for me since it comes with my web hosting.

18

Answering this question is a bit more complex for me, because my approach to email has significantly evolved over the years.

  1. I run my own mail server where I host multiple email domains, so I have full control over my mail infrastructure.
  2. I stopped using desktop email clients quite a while ago. It gradually stopped making sense for me to duplicate something I already have solved efficiently in another way.
    I use Nextcloud Mail, connected via IMAP to all my email accounts, which lets me keep everything unified and accessible in one place – along with my contacts, calendar, notes, tasks, and other tools.
    Since I work on multiple desktop devices, I really appreciate that I don’t need to install an extra app on each one – I simply log into Nextcloud on whichever device I’m using, and I immediately have access to my email, files, notes, tasks, and everything else. :computer::mailbox_with_mail:
    Naturally, I also access my emails on mobile, so I’m covered wherever I am. :iphone:
  3. I think it’s worth asking yourself:
    Why do I want to use a desktop email client? What does it truly give me that I don’t already have via a browser-based interface?

This setup works great for me in terms of efficiency, flexibility, and centralization.
But it’s a solution that suits my workflow — it may not be the right fit for everyone. Some people may have different needs or preferences, or simply feel more comfortable using a dedicated email client.
As for me, I’ve found a solid balance by managing everything through Nextcloud — no need for extra apps. :white_check_mark:

19

Is it possible to use Nextcloud as a agency platform. Using it a way to manage client work?

Assign tasks to team members and clients for a streamlined workflow
Share and organize documents, ensuring everyone’s on the same page
Use threaded comments, documents, and tasks to control visibility
Accept payments with or without Stripe
Get real-time analytics and alerts
Automatically onboard clients to portal as soon as they make a payment
Centralize communication for easy access and organization
Ensure privacy by default so internal discussions stay confidential

20

Hi,

Your questions are heading toward a very specific use case of Nextcloud. At this point, it’s essential to take the following steps:

  1. Read the official Nextcloud documentation – all features, apps, and customization options are clearly explained there:
    → https://docs.nextcloud.com/

  2. Watch YouTube tutorials – there are plenty of high-quality guides and real-world examples showing how to use Nextcloud for task management, client collaboration, document sharing, and more.

  3. Install Nextcloud and try it out yourself – only by using it hands-on will you understand its capabilities and limitations. You can easily spin it up using Docker or on a VPS.

Without going through these steps, it’s not possible to get meaningful answers.
The community can assist, but that help needs to be based on your own experience with the tool.