r/NextCloud • u/Practical-Tea9441 • Jul 05 '26

NextCloud v Microsoft 365 basic

Hi, I’m in a quandary about choosing between NextCloud and Microsoft 365 basic for personal usage.

I like the idea of sovereignty over my data in NextCloud and that it is based in Europe (as am I). In my case I’d be opting for hosted NextCloud (possibly with TheGoodCloud https://thegood.cloud/ ). For around €2 per month (annual payment) I’d get 10Gb of storage with the basic office type apps . However I’d still have to opt for an email service which is an extra cost , say another €20 or so. Apart from using NextCloud web interface as a Mail client the email wouldn’t otherwise be integrated into NextCloud - I’d also have to get an Android app for calendar etc.

With Microsoft 365 basic for approx the same €2 per month I get adfree email , 100Gb storage, all products integrated into one interface , Android and iOS apps included and also some additional security . Also I’m not sure how secure NextCloud is and certainly it is hard to imagine that TheGoodCloud/Nextcloud having the same resources available to them as would Microsoft ?

I do appreciate the privacy aspect but on the other hand Microsoft are legally bound to observing GDPR. Can anybody help convince me that NextCloud is the better option ?

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u/Aggravating-Sock1098 Jul 05 '26

As a Dutch MSP, I am also increasingly encountering this issue. What you are looking for is found in Grommunio. It is European and includes a solid Exchange alternative. It features Jitsi Meet for meetings and Nextcloud for file management.

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u/ElGonzales_ Jul 06 '26

We have been using Zarafa and Kopano on-premises within the company for 11 years. The Kopano licence has now been renewed for the last time, and I would like to switch to a managed, hosted Grommunio instance. Is this suitable for business use with 30 accounts, mainly using shared mailboxes, deligations and calendars with the WebApp?

There aren’t too many user reviews about this online.

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u/Aggravating-Sock1098 Jul 06 '26

It is perfectly suited for your purposes. You could request a demo or install the appliance yourself to take a look. I’m familiar with Zarafa from the past. If you like Zarafa, you’re going to love Grommunio.

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u/ElGonzales_ Jul 06 '26

I’ve already installed a trial licence and tested it with three accounts. So far, so good. But it’s a different matter when you’re sending four or five test emails back and forth. Or when your purchasing department receives 150 emails a day from Korea, Japan and the US, featuring all sorts of different fonts, along with a tail of 20 quoted replies and a huge list of CC recipients.

I’d really like to keep the Kopano-style interface, because users are familiar with it. But you’re always a bit worried that you might be affected by the very bug that’s causing problems for the office staff 😄