The free-to-use cloud storage solution Nextcloud is growing increasingly more popular with businesses of all sizes due to its flexibility and convenience. This open-source platform allows all users to sync, edit, and share various files and documents between multiple devices. Nextcloud is a relatively new solution that was founded in 2016 by Frank Karlitschek, an open-source software developer from Germany.
Nextcloud’s unique self-hosted option makes it stand out from other cloud solutions as businesses are interested in the additional security and privacy that self-hosting brings. This platform can help enhance the workflow capabilities of users and can be easily used by anyone, regardless of their technical knowledge and experience. If you’re interested in using Nextcloud as your cloud storage solution and want to opt for the self-hosted approach, then you’ll need to purchase a plan from a web hosting provider.
There are almost endless options when it comes to web hosts and it can be difficult to narrow down all your choices to just one. To help you out, we’ve selected the top three best hosting providers for Nextcloud in 2023 based on price, performance, security, and user experience. Keep reading to find out which Nextcloud hosting provider is right for you.
What is Nextcloud?
Nextcloud is an open-source file hosting platform that lets you store files, documents, calendars, contacts, and photos either on a private server or a provider’s server. This versatile cloud-storage solution is compatible with Windows, macOS, and various Linux distros. Nextcloud is an ideal cloud provider for businesses that want to sync and edit files in real-time across multiple devices.
The Nextcloud interface is intuitive and user-friendly, which makes it a great choice for novice users. Users are easily able to collaborate on files, sync data, and track any changes in real-time. This platform also provides various additional features including a virtual data room, large file support, auto-upload, user-managed groups, video verification, and workspaces.
As the Nextcloud software is modular, plugins can also be installed for additional customization and functionality. Popular plugins include Cospend, a shared budget manager, Metadata, for displaying file metadata, Passman, a full-featured password manager, Phone Sync, for syncing SMS with your cloud, and Two-Factor U2F, for additional security.
The open-source nature of Nextcloud is what distinguishes it most from the competition. With open-source software, anyone can access, inspect, and modify the source code for additional security, privacy, and stability. It also means that the software can constantly be worked on and improved so users will always have an optimal bug-free experience.
Similar platforms such as Google Drive and Dropbox are proprietary, meaning that their source code cannot be viewed or modified, and user data can also be stored on their systems. These other cloud services also can’t be self-hosted, unlike with Nextcloud. With self-hosting, you host and control the server you use rather than remotely accessing the in-house servers from your cloud provider.
It is predicted that by 2025, the total amount of data stored in the cloud will exceed 100 zettabytes (a billion terabytes) and account for over 50% of the world’s total data storage!
Our top recommended best hosting providers for Nextcloud
We’ve researched the best hosting providers for Nextcloud so you can choose the one that’s right for you. For Nextcloud hosting, we highly suggest VPS (virtual private server) hosting plans due to their added flexibility and scalability compared to other popular hosting solutions. We’ve handpicked these VPS web hosts based on their pricing, user experience, security, and performance.
Bluehost
Bluehost is a user-friendly, reliable, and reputable web host that is suitable for both novice and expert users. This web host is also great value for money and has a highly stable uptime, making it a great choice for those who are on a tight budget but still want to benefit from the advantages of self-hosting Nextcloud.
Bluehost’s recommended Enhanced VPS plan gives you 4 GB RAM, 2 CPU cores, 60 GB SSD storage, 2 TB bandwidth, and 2 IP addresses. The available storage included in this plan should be plenty for your Nextcloud needs, but you can also upgrade your plan at any time if you require additional resources. All available VPS plans provide you with unlimited bandwidth and enhanced cPanel access. Bluehost also provides various security tools such as CPHulk, a software that protects your server from brute force attacks, and SiteLock, a tool that detects and removes malware.
Bluehost also has a fantastic support team available 24/7 through phone and live chat who can assist with the set-up and management of your server. Alternatively, you can check out Bluehost’s informative knowledge base which is packed with in-depth articles, tutorials, and common FAQS. Additionally, if you’re unsure whether Bluehost is the best web host for your Nextcloud needs, then you make use of their 30-day money-back guarantee which allows you to try out any plan for a period of time before committing to an annual subscription.
Hostgator
Founded in 2002, Hostgator is a highly flexible, easy-to-use, and reasonably priced web host that can provide you with all the features and resources you need for Nextcloud hosting. This web host has a state-of-the-art data center that ensures a noteworthy uptime guarantee of 99.9%, meaning that your server will experience little to no uptime throughout the length of your hosting plan. Hostgator also delivers fantastic security protocols including centralized DDoS protection, custom firewalls, and scheduled weekly off-site backups.
Hostgator’s recommended Snappy 4000 VPS plan provides you with 4 GB RAM, 2 CPU cores, 125 GB SSD storage, and unmetered bandwidth. This web host also makes it easy to scale on the go, so you can quickly add any additional resources at any time. Additionally, if you already have a shared or dedicated Hostgator plan, then you can swiftly transfer all files and change your plan to a VPS one. All VPS plans have full root access and cPanel/WHM control.
If you run into any issues then you can contact Hostgator’s 24/7 customer support team. This team is highly experienced and will be able to promptly resolve any problems or offer additional guidance during the setup and maintenance of your server. You can also head to HostGator’s impressive knowledge base to watch step-by-step video tutorials or read common web hosting questions.
A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting is an affordable and beginner-friendly web host that is a great option for those looking to self-host through NextCloud. This web host has excellent speeds, a reliable uptime, and has additional user-friendly options available such as 1-click setup. A2 Hosting makes it easy to scale your plan up or down and its 99.9% uptime ensures that your server will experience minimal downtime.
A2 Hosting’s cheapest managed VPS hosting plan provides you with 4 GB RAM, 2 CPU cores, 150 GB SSD storage, and one free cPanel account. With all VPS hosting plans, users have root access control. With the managed VPS plans you can have a worry-free hosting experience using Hostguard Management. With Hostguard, A2 Hosting’s ‘Guru Crew’ will manage and take care of the technical aspects of your account, including anything related to your server’s network, software, and security. A2 Hosting also has extra security tools included in select plans including HackScan which is a 24/7 server monitoring service that regularly scans for malware and other malicious software.
A2 Hosting’s knowledgeable customer support team is here to help 24/7 through either email, phone, or live chat. You can also follow along with detailed tutorials and step-by-step guides to help resolve any problems yourself by using A2 Hosting’s comprehensive knowledge base. Additionally, you can try out any of A2 Hosting plans for free using their hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
A final note
Now that you know the best hosting providers for Nextcloud, if you’re not sure whether VPS hosting is the best choice for you, then take a look at our different types of web hosting solutions article!