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