Nextcloud hosting
Nextcloud hosting: your own Dropbox, on a server you control.
Nextcloud itself is free. What you pay for is the server, and for a file cloud the number that matters is storage. A Vault 2 holds 700 GB NVMe for $10 a month, shared by everyone you invite: no per-user fees, ever. One click installs Nextcloud, you pay by the hour, and you pay in crypto with no card and no ID.
Welcome bonus: we double your first deposit. Deposit $100, spend $200. Your server is set up once we have reviewed and approved your order; delete it any time.
Plans and prices
Nextcloud VPS plans: storage first, memory to match.
All prices in USD, without VAT. Customers in the EU pay their country’s VAT on top. No setup fees, no contracts.
Nextcloud recommends 512 MB of memory per PHP process, roughly one per person working at the same moment. A Vault 2 with 2 GB suits a family or a small office; a Vault 6 with 6 GB runs Nextcloud Office and the All-in-One installer. Billed per started hour, capped monthly.
| Plan | vCPU | RAM | Storage | Traffic (bandwidth) | Hourly | Monthly | Keep a year | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vault 2 | 1 | 2 GB | 700 GB NVMe | 10 TB | $0.015 | $10 | $110save $10 | Get it Vault 2 |
| Vault 4 | 1 | 4 GB | 1 TB NVMe | 15 TB | $0.024 | $16 | $176save $16 | Get it Vault 4 |
| Vault 6 | 2 | 6 GB | 2 TB NVMe | 25 TB | $0.036 | $24 | $264save $24 | Get it Vault 6 |
| Vault 8 | 3 | 8 GB | 3 TB NVMe | 35 TB | $0.045 | $30 | $330save $30 | Get it Vault 8 |
Bandwidth: every server has a 10 Gbps port. Traffic is the monthly outbound allowance, pooled across all your servers. Incoming traffic is free, and past your pool it is $2 per TB.
What you get
Files, photos, calendars and documents, in one place you own.
Nextcloud is a private Dropbox and Google Drive in one, and it’s free and open source. Your files sync to every laptop and phone, photos upload from your phone by themselves, and calendars and contacts sync to the apps you already use. Add Nextcloud Office to edit documents together in the browser, and Talk for chat and video calls.
Here’s the thing about cloud drives: you rent space per person, and someone else holds the keys. On your own server, space is limited only by the disk you pick, everyone you invite shares it, and your files stay in the country you choose. Need more room later? Move to a bigger Vault, or attach an NVMe volume of up to 10 TB.
Your own cloud for everyone you invite, from $10 a month.
Requirements
Nextcloud server requirements, and what a Vault gives you.
Plenty of Nextcloud guides still install PHP 8.0, which current Nextcloud (version 35) no longer supports. Here’s what Nextcloud asks for today, next to our two most popular Nextcloud servers.
| Nextcloud asks for | Vault 2 | Vault 6 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memory | 512 MB per PHP process recommended, 128 MB minimum | 2 GB | 6 GB |
| Storage | Your files, plus room for previews | 700 GB NVMe NVMe | 2 TB NVMe NVMe |
| PHP | 8.3, 8.4 or 8.5 | Any supported version, with root | The same |
| Database | MariaDB or PostgreSQL; SQLite only for testing | Yours to choose, with root | Yours to choose, with root |
| Operating system | 64-bit Linux; Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is supported | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS available | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS available |
| All-in-One installer | A KVM server, SSD storage, Docker, 4 GB and 2 cores | KVM on NVMe; 2 GB is below its 4 GB | KVM on NVMe, 2 vCPU, 6 GB |
| Price | $10 a month, $0.015 an hour | $24 a month, $0.036 an hour |
Nextcloud’s own All-in-One installer asks for a KVM server and SSD storage, and some budget hosts don’t qualify. Every LiteKeep server is KVM on NVMe, in every country.
Meets Nextcloud’s requirements on every size. Upgrade any hour.
Free Nextcloud sizer
How much server does your Nextcloud need?
Nextcloud publishes one sizing figure, 512 MB per PHP process, and nothing per user. So we built the sizer around it and show every other number we add, line by line. Tell it who uses Nextcloud and what they store, and it prices the cheapest server that fits.
Your Nextcloud server
$18.90 a month
$3.78 per person, for 5 people and 630 GB of space. No per-user fees.
- Lite 6 + 530 GB volume6 vCPU, 6 GB RAM, 100 GB NVMe, plus a 530 GB storage volume for the rest, daily backups $4.54.$18.90/month
- Vault 4Everything on the server’s own 1 TB disk, with room to grow, daily backups included.$23.20/month
How we sized it
- Ubuntu Server: 1 GB RAM (Ubuntu)
Ubuntu Server needs 1 GB of memory before your own software. - Database and memory cache: 0.5 GB RAM (Rule of thumb)
MariaDB or PostgreSQL plus Redis for a small team: half a gigabyte is a working start. - Nextcloud (2 PHP processes): 1 GB RAM (Nextcloud)
Nextcloud recommends 512 MB per PHP process: one for each person syncing or browsing at the same moment. - Your files, with 20% room to grow: 630 GB (Rule of thumb)
5 people x 100 GB, plus a fifth to grow into, plus 30 GB for the system, Nextcloud and previews. - Total: 2.5 GB RAM, 630 GB of space
Start on Lite 6. Billed by the hour, never more than the monthly price. Outgrow it and you move to the next size or add a volume; nothing to migrate by hand.
Deploy Nextcloud on Lite 6Nextcloud recommends 512 MB of memory per PHP process and publishes no per-user figures; the other lines are our rules of thumb, shown so you can check them. All plans and prices.
Installing
Three ways to install Nextcloud. Pick by how much you want to manage.
- One-click NextcloudPick Nextcloud from the one-click apps when you deploy, and your server arrives with it installed. The easiest start, and it runs on 2 GB.
- Nextcloud All-in-OneNextcloud’s own Docker setup. One web page runs updates and daily backups, with Office and Talk ready to switch on. It asks for 4 GB and 2 cores, so plan on a Vault 6 or a Lite 6 ($8 a month).
- By handFull root on every server: install the web server, PHP, database and Nextcloud the way you like. Connect with SSH and go.
Our pick: one-click Nextcloud on a Vault 2 for a family or a small office. A team that wants Office and built-in backups: All-in-One on a Vault 6.
One click, then your own cloud in the browser.
The first hour
Set Nextcloud up properly in the first hour.
- HTTPS on your domainPoint a domain at your server and add a free certificate before you sync anything. Every Nextcloud app connects over HTTPS.
- Two-factor sign-inTurn on Nextcloud’s built-in two-factor app for every account, admin first.
- Background jobs on cronSwitch background jobs to cron so previews, clean-ups and notifications run on time.
- Memory cachingTurn on APCu, and Redis for file locking. Nextcloud doesn’t enable them by default, and pages feel much faster with them.
- Keep it updatedNextcloud ships regular maintenance releases. Install them as they come; the All-in-One installer does it from one page.
- A copy somewhere elseA sync client isn’t a backup. Add our daily backups, priced per GB, or use the backups built into All-in-One.
Lock the server down too: our SSH hardening tutorial and VPS security guide cover keys, the firewall and updates.
Private from the first hour.
Moving in
Moving from Google Drive or Dropbox in an afternoon.
- 1. Download your dataGoogle Takeout exports Drive, Calendar and Contacts in one go. From Dropbox, your desktop folder already holds everything.
- 2. Install the Nextcloud desktop appSign in to your server, then move your files into the Nextcloud folder. The app uploads them while you work.
- 3. Bring calendars and contactsImport the calendar files (.ics) in Nextcloud Calendar and the contact files (.vcf) in Contacts. Your phone syncs both from there.
- 4. Turn on photo uploadThe Nextcloud phone app uploads new photos by itself, so your camera roll keeps landing on your server.
Moving a lot of files? Pick a server in a country near you; every server has a 10 Gbps port, so the upload runs as fast as your own connection allows.
Leave the cloud drive. Keep everything.
How we compare
Nextcloud VPS deals: what the intro prices leave out.
| Typical Nextcloud VPS deal | LiteKeep | |
|---|---|---|
| Commitment | Intro price on a 24-month term | By the hour, capped monthly |
| Renewal | Often close to double the intro price | The same price every month |
| Storage on the entry plan | 50 to 100 GB | 700 GB NVMe on a Vault 2 |
| Sizing advice | User tiers with no source | Nextcloud’s own figure, in the sizer above |
| Per-user fees | None on a VPS; cloud drives charge per person | None: invite as many as the server holds |
| Payment | Card or PayPal | BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, SOL, BNB, XRP or XMR |
A two-year term at an intro price looks cheap until the renewal. Hourly billing turns the risk into an hour: run Nextcloud for an afternoon, move a folder in, keep it if you like it. See every size on the storage VPS page.
No term, no renewal jump. Try it for an hour.
What people run
What people run on a Nextcloud server.
The family cloud
Everyone’s photos and documents, one bill, no per-person fees.
A small office
Shared folders, calendars and documents edited together.
Client file portal
Share links with passwords and expiry dates, on your own domain.
Photo archive
Your camera roll uploads itself, up to 3 TB NVMe on one Vault.
Calendars and contacts
CalDAV and CardDAV that sync to your phone’s own apps.
A test drive
Spin it up for an afternoon, pay for the afternoon.
Your use case is on the list? Vault 2 is $10 a month, or $0.015 an hour.
The rules
What you pay for, and what you don’t.
Every rule is on this page before you pay.
The server: billed per started hour at 0.15% of the monthly price, never more than the monthly price. How hourly billing works.
Nextcloud itself: free and open source, with no per-user licence.
Extras only if you want them: NVMe volumes at $0.012 per GB a month, daily backups at $0.0072 per GB a month.
Just need a small one for yourself? A Lite 2 runs Nextcloud with 40 GB NVMe for $4 a month.
Try it without the risk
The worst case is an hour and a few cents.
You shouldn’t have to take any host’s word for it. Here is what protects your money. Refund policy
- Delete any timeBilling stops at the hour you delete the server. No notice period, no cancellation form.
- A monthly capHourly charges stop at the plan’s monthly price. The rest of that month is free.
- The calculator is a promiseIf your bill is ever higher than our calculator for the same plan and hours, we credit the difference to your balance.
- Your balance waits for youCredit you don’t spend stays on your account for the next server, in any of our countries.
- Paused, not deletedRun out of credit and hourly servers pause, kept for 7 days. Top up and they come back.
- People who answerOur target is a first support reply within 20 minutes, 24/7, and 99.99% uptime with credit back if we miss. SLA
Deposit $100 and you have $200 to spend.
1. Create an account with an email address, a password and your country (for VAT). No name, no passport, no phone number.
2. Add funds from $20 in BNB, BTC, ETH, SOL, TRX, USDC, USDT, XRP or Monero. Each invoice shows one exact amount on one network, and the price holds for 30 minutes. A first deposit of $100 or more is matched 100% in bonus credit, up to $250; a smaller one gets +25%.
3. Your balance updates once the network confirms. You can close the page; we watch the chain for you. Coins, networks and confirmation times.
4. Deploy. Pick a country and an operating system. Your server is set up once we have reviewed and approved your order, and billing starts only when it is ready.
Locations
Available in 15 countries.
Bulgaria VPSSofia
Germany VPSFrankfurt
Iceland VPSReykjavik
Japan VPSTokyo
Lithuania VPSŠiauliai
Luxembourg VPSLuxembourg
Moldova VPSChișinău
Netherlands VPSAmsterdam
Pakistan VPSIslamabad
Romania VPSBucharest
Singapore VPSSingapore
Sweden VPSStockholm
Turkey VPSIstanbul
Ukraine VPS*Kyiv
USA VPSSan Francisco
* Ukraine: Service may be disrupted by the war. Keep backups in another country.
Nextcloud hosting FAQ
Nextcloud hosting questions, answered straight.
How much RAM does Nextcloud need?
Nextcloud recommends 512 MB per PHP process, about one per person working at the same moment, plus memory for the system and database. A Vault 2 with 2 GB suits a family or a small office; the sizer works out yours.
How much storage do I need per user?
Nextcloud sets no limit; your disk does. Documents fit in 10 GB a person, photos often need 100 GB or more. A Vault 2 holds 700 GB NVMe for everyone together.
Is there a limit on users?
No. There are no per-user fees, so invite as many people as your server’s memory and disk carry.
Can I run Nextcloud Office and Talk?
Yes. Office runs as its own service next to Nextcloud and Talk adds load with every call, so plan on a Vault 6 or a Lite 6 for a team using both.
Does Nextcloud All-in-One run on LiteKeep?
It asks for a KVM server, SSD storage, Docker, 4 GB of memory and 2 cores. Every LiteKeep server is KVM on NVMe; pick a Vault 6 or a Lite 6 for the memory.
What if I run out of space?
Move to a bigger Vault, up to 3 TB NVMe, or attach an NVMe volume of up to 10 TB at $0.012 per GB a month. Nothing to migrate by hand.
How do I back up Nextcloud?
Add our daily backups at $0.0072 per GB a month, or use the backups built into Nextcloud All-in-One. A sync client alone isn’t a backup.
Is my data private?
Your files live on your server in the country you choose, and we don’t look at what you store. You hold the admin account; turn on two-factor sign-in for everyone.
Can I move from Google Drive or Dropbox?
Yes, in an afternoon: export your data, sync it into the Nextcloud desktop app, and import calendars and contacts. The four steps.
How do I pay?
In crypto: BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, SOL, BNB, XRP or XMR. An email address and a password open the account; no card, no ID. How crypto payments work.
The rest of the keep
Same account, same balance, six more ways to build.
Your files, on your server.
700 GB NVMe for everyone, $10 a month.
Top up in crypto (deposit $100, spend $200 on your first one), pick a country. Your server is set up once we have reviewed and approved your order. No card, no ID, no contract.
