Box vs ownCloud

The most important differences between Box and ownCloud

Compare Box and ownCloud

Find a full comparison and learn how ownCloud enables you to securely share files and folders within your organization. Box is a well established public file-sharing solution from the US. Box is proprietary software only available as a service in the Cloud, and offers no on-premises option as an alternative. Learn how Box holds up when compared to ownCloud.

ownCloud secure cloud solution for enterprise file sharing

Box

License

AGPLv3, commercial license

proprietary license

Deployment 

On-premises, Hybrid, Cloud

Cloud only 

Support reaction time 

2h

Depending on the plan 

Deployment packages

Q

Custom theming

R

Desktop App 

Windows, Mac OS, Linux

Windows, Mac OS, Linux

Web App

R

Mobile Apps

iOS, Android 

iOS, Android 

Virtual File System 

Q

Document editing 

Collabora online, ONLYOFFICE, Microsoft Office Online Server

ONLYOFFICE 

Email integration 

Outlook-, Thunderbird-, Mailbox.org-plugin

Q

Guest accounts

Q

Sharing policies for groups

R

Activities & comments

R

2-factor authentication

R

Multi-factor authentication 

R

Storage encryption

R

External storage integration

R

LDAP integration

R

Command-line interface

Q

We compiled this comparison list to the best of our knowledge in September 2020. Should we have overlooked or forgotten anything, do not hesitate to contact us.

The best choice for enterprise file sync and share: ownCloud

Backed by a global community and a large ecosystem

More than 200 million users all over the world use ownCloud. The ownCloud file platform has been installed over 200,000 times already. ownCloud is a sizeable open-source project with a globally active network of users and a transparent ecosystem. On GitHub, over 7,200 people have starred the project and the ownCloud core alone has nearly 500 active contributors. Unlike Box, ownCloud is also available for deployment under your control, on-premises or in a cloud. And unlike Box, ownCloud offers integrations with e.g. LDAP to reuse existing authentication and permission data.

 

File sharing that integrates into the tools you already use

ownCloud takes a best-of-breed approach to improving team productivity and collaboration. ownCloud is integrated with many other open-source solutions, allowing enterprises to seamlessly embed file sharing into their existing cloud stack. From document editing with ONLYOFFICE, Collabora Online or Microsoft Office Online Server, to various groupware options, to Moodle as a learning management system – ownCloud is seamlessly connected where files are edited and shared. ownCloud also features advanced logging and auditing capabilities, Box does not.

+10 years experience in enterprise file sync & share

The open-source project ownCloud was launched in 2010 and the company ownCloud was founded in 2011. Since that day, it has grown into a 75-member team that is committed to providing support, customer-centric feature development, deployment and a great file sharing experience for our customers and the community. With ownCloud you get continuity, reliability and +10 years experience in enterprise file sync and share. In comparison, with Box, you get a closed ecosystem without the scope for custom, individual solutions.

Content collaboration that scales

ownCloud is made for teams of any size: From a home installation on the Raspberry Pi to the largest ownCloud Enterprise instance with 200,000 users. ownCloud is rooted in the open source community and is designed for business-use. The file sharing software scales according to any requirements, is reliable, convenient and secure. Box does not support unlimited file size – but ownCloud does.

Users love ownCloud

ownCloud has an average rating of 4.2 on Capterra

4.2

ownCloud has an average rating of 4.1 on G2

4.1

ownCloud has an average rating of 4.5 on Gartner Peer Insights

4.7

Trusted by 200 million users worldwide

ownCloud customer CERN
ownCloud customer ETH Zürich
ownCloud customer Daimler
ownCloud customer European Commission
ownCloud customer DB Mobility Networks Logistics
ownCloud customer Fujitsu

Want to learn more?

Experience ownCloud in action and ask our knowledgable presales team any question for your proof of concept.

ownCloud is very easy to use, very simple file system with simple interface and its design of file manager is also very good. It has good filtering options and comes with good admin controls. It follows strict security mechanisms/practices, as the web attacks are increasing gradually.

 

Software Developer, Manufacturing Industry

Gartner Peer Insights, February 2020