Recommended Open Source Storage Software for Your Server
File storage and sharing service is essential in today’s business world, in which working from home, conducting video conferences and working as a team miles apart from each other become more and more common. We expect our files to be available on all our devices, with the latest version synced automatically. We also expect to be able to share files with a couple of clicks and have multiple people work together on a single file.
There are lots of free file storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive. They offer a certain amount of free storage. You only need to pay if you need more storage space. However, you’re putting the privacy of your company data at risk if you rely on them. Google Drive scans and analyzes all the documents you upload. All the information it collected will be used to create your ‘user profile’ and show you personalized Google search results or Google ads. Google reserves the right to do whatever it wants with the data. It can even delete your data without your consensus if it finds the content ‘objectionable’. Moreover, you have little control over files you share with others. You won’t be notified if someone has shared your document to a third party.
If you truly concern the security and privacy of your data, open source storage software that is installed and maintained on your server will be an ideal file sharing solution to you. The main benefit of open source software is privacy. Since all the code is out in the open, anyone with programming knowledge can go through it and see exactly what the app is doing. You can also modify them to cater to your own needs. Here we have 3 popular open source storage software that we recommend to our dedicated server customers.
- ProjectSend
ProjectSend is a free self-hosted application that you can install easily on your dedicated server or shared web hosting account. All files you upload will be kept in your own space. You can assign them to specific clients or client groups that you create. Not only can you easily send documents and files to clients, your clients can also upload files to you if you enable the option. There are also detailed activity logs about the file usage. You can get everything in control and secure your private files with ease.
- OwnCloud
OwnCloud is another popular open source storage software that can be installed on your server, giving you complete control over your data. The software allows synchronizing and sharing files easily. The shared file is accessible from your server, pc, mobile or any device at any time. You can also provide password-protected links to others for collaboration or file upload/download. All data shared are secured by end-to-end encryption (E2EE) and SSL encryption. ownCloud offers a Community edition and an Enterprise edition. More advanced features such as document classification, secure view and life cycle management are available in Enterprise edition to prevent your sensitive data from being leaked and ensure data protection compliance. Real-time collaboration is made possible through browser-based office suites like Collabora, ONLYOFFICE and Microsoft Office Online Server. In its marketplace, a wide variety of third-party apps are available to expand its functionality to suit your needs.
- NextCloud
NextCloud was originally based on OwnCloud. They share much of the same functionality but Nextcloud is designed with high security and regulatory compliance in mind. It is HIPAA (healthcare) and GDPR compatible. It provides extensive data policy enforcement, encryption, user management and auditing capabilities. It also encrypts data during transfer and at rest and integrates with mobile device management and authentication mechanisms (including LDAP/AD, single-sign-on, two-factor authentication, etc.). Like OwnCloud, NextCloud has a marketplace that offers a wide range of Apps such as task manager, calendar, collaborative document editing, video conferencing tools, notes and much more. You can customize it or even develop your own Apps.
A proper file sharing software allows your team to gain access to files, objects and resources instantly, and help you to achieve effective collaboration and teamwork. All of the above open source storage software can be installed to our storage dedicated server. Feel free to contact us by email at sales@dataplugs.com to learn more about our dedicated server plans.