Dew and Nextcloud compared
Nextcloud is a full collaboration suite: files, calendar, office, and chat. Dew does one job: sending files to, and receiving files from, people outside your team.
What you get with Dew
Large uploads, ready out of the box
Uploads go up to 200 GB by default and pick up again after a dropped connection.
Know who sent what
Each person on a file request gets their own link, so every upload arrives under their name.
Protection on every link
Password, email or SMS code, IP allow list, or a single download, all on Free.
Built for people outside your team
Clients open links and send files from any browser, with no account and nothing to install.
Email support from Trinode
Pro includes email support and SAML single sign-on, €4 per user per month.
Share from the menu bar
Drop a file on the Dew icon, and the link is copied when the upload finishes.
Side by side
| Dew | Nextcloud | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A server for sending and receiving files | A suite: files, calendar, office, and chat |
| Large uploads | 200 GB by default, resumable | Depend on PHP, web server, and proxy settings you tune |
| Receiving files | File requests to up to 50 people, each with their own link; no account | File drop links; no account |
| Link protection | Password, email or SMS code, IP allow list, one-time links | Password and expiry date |
| Cloud storage | Server disk; S3-compatible on Pro | Server disk or S3 |
| Single sign-on | SAML on Pro, €4 per user per month | SAML and OIDC as free apps |
| Support for 5 people | Email support on Pro: €17 per month, billed yearly | Self-hosted support from 100 users, €7,129 per year; smaller teams are offered hosted Nextcloud One |
| Apps | Desktop for macOS and Windows, Linux in preview; no mobile apps | Desktop and mobile apps on every platform |
Prices exclude VAT and other taxes. Email codes use your email service, SMS codes your own SMS provider. Checked on 24 October 2026; see Sources.
When Nextcloud is the better fit
- Your team wants sync, calendars, office editing, and chat in one place.
- You want single sign-on at no cost: SAML and OIDC are free apps.
- You need more than 5 users and want to stay free.
Common questions
- Is there a simpler alternative to Nextcloud for sharing files?
- Yes. Dew is a self-hosted server built only for sending and receiving files, with uploads up to 200 GB by default and file requests to up to 50 people at once.
- Is there a Nextcloud alternative for sending large files?
- Yes. With Dew, uploads go up to 200 GB by default and pick up again after a dropped connection, and recipients need no account.
- Do clients need an account to send files to Dew?
- No. Each person on a file request gets their own link and uploads from any browser.
File sharing without a suite to run
Install Dew with one command. Free covers 5 users, with no time limit.
Sources
- Nextcloud Enterprise pricing
- Nextcloud admin manual: file sharing
- Nextcloud admin manual: big file uploads
- Nextcloud All-in-One
- Nextcloud SSO and SAML app
- Nextcloud OpenID Connect app
- Nextcloud admin manual: logging
- Nextcloud antivirus app
- Nextcloud admin manual: object storage as primary storage
- Nextcloud SCIM service provider app
- Nextcloud install and apps
- Nextcloud One pricing
- Dew plans
This comparison is published by Trinode, the company that makes Dew. Product names are trademarks of their owners, and Trinode is not affiliated with these companies.
Details were checked against the linked pages on 24 October 2026. Plans and prices change. Where a provider's own pages disagree, the more cautious reading is used. To report an error, email support@getdew.io.