From a big-company cloud
iCloud · Google Drive · Dropbox
Files, photos and documents move to your server. The most sensitive ones can go in an encrypted vault. The server needs looking after: do it yourself, or hand it to us.
DiscoDrive and other clouds
You probably use something already. Here is what changes when you move, what stays the same and what DiscoDrive does not have.
Where people move from
From another self-hosted system
Nextcloud · ownCloud · Seafile
Files, calendars, contacts, music and books work in DiscoDrive out of the box, with nothing extra to install. If you rely on add-on apps in Nextcloud or ownCloud, check the table before moving.
From a set of separate services
Radicale · Calibre-Web · Subsonic-like servers
One service instead of Radicale, Calibre-Web and a Subsonic server. DAVx⁵, KOReader, PocketBook, Amperfy and Feishin connect to it just as before.
Comparison table
| Trait | DiscoDrive | iCloud | Google Drive | Dropbox | Nextcloud | ownCloud | Seafile | Radicale | Calibre-Web | Subsonic-like |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where the data lives | Your own server | Apple’s servers | Google’s servers | Dropbox’s servers | Your own server | Your own server | Your own server | Your own server | Your own server | Your own server |
| What lies on the disk | Ordinary files and folders, readable with the service stopped | The vendor’s storage | The vendor’s storage | The vendor’s storage | Ordinary files in the data directory | Depends on the edition | Its own block format, not plain files | Calendar and contact files | A Calibre library folder with the books | Your own music folders |
| Deployment | On your server, with Docker or a manual installation | An account with the provider | An account with the provider | An account with the provider | Self-hosted deployment | Self-hosted deployment | Self-hosted deployment | Self-hosted deployment | Self-hosted deployment | Self-hosted deployment |
| WebDAV: storage mounted as a disk | Yes | — | — | — | Yes | Yes | Yes, as an extension | — | — | — |
| CalDAV and CardDAV | Yes | Yes | In Google Calendar and Contacts | — | Yes, in the calendar and contacts apps | Yes, in the calendar and contacts apps | — | Yes | — | — |
| OpenSubsonic | Yes | — | — | — | Subsonic API in the music app | — | — | — | Yes — it is their protocol | |
| OPDS | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | Yes | — | ||
| kosync: reading progress | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Encryption on your device | Yes, contents and file names in the vault | Yes, with Advanced Data Protection turned on | Client-side encryption in supported Google Workspace editions | End-to-end encrypted folders on supported team plans | Yes, in the end-to-end encryption app | Yes, in encrypted libraries | — | — | — | |
| Format of the encrypted vault | Cryptomator; compatible apps and a 44-word recovery key | The vendor’s own | Google Workspace CSE format | Proprietary format | Its own format | Its own format | — | — | — | |
| Folder sync | Yes, two-way; the scope is set on the server | Yes, iCloud Drive | Yes, Drive for desktop | Yes, the sync folder | Yes, the desktop client | Yes, the desktop client | Yes, the desktop client | — | — | — |
| Photo auto-upload from the phone | Yes, on iOS and Android, into a folder of yours | Yes, iCloud Photos | In Google Photos | Yes, camera uploads | Yes, in the mobile apps | Yes, in the mobile apps | Yes, in the mobile apps | — | — | — |
| Music | Yes: any Subsonic-compatible player, plus a player in the browser | — | — | — | Yes, in the music app | — | — | — | Yes | |
| Books | EPUB, FB2, PDF, MOBI, CBZ and CBR over OPDS; browse by author, series and genre | — | — | — | — | — | Yes | — | ||
| Bookmarks and read-later | Yes, both, through the browser extension for Firefox and Chromium | Safari bookmarks and Reading List | Chrome bookmarks | — | Bookmarks in the bookmarks app | — | — | — | — | |
| Licence | PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0, source-available | Proprietary service | Proprietary service | Proprietary service | AGPLv3 | AGPLv3, server edition | AGPLv3, community edition | GPLv3 | GPLv3 | Depends on the project |
A dash means a feature is unavailable. A blank cell means we have no confirmed information. A separate product from the same vendor is named where needed.
Availability depends on the edition, plan and installed apps. “Subsonic-like” means servers supporting the Subsonic API, such as Navidrome and Airsonic.
Encryption options:Google Drive· Dropbox.
Test it on your own data
A table is no substitute for trying it. Move one folder, one calendar or your music, and you will know whether DiscoDrive suits you.