Self-Hosted Cloud Storage in 2026: Why I Stopped Paying for Dropbox

Description and use

The author replaced paid Dropbox with a self‑hosted Nextcloud server, gaining 16 TB of free storage, no monthly fees, and full data control.

Problem

High cost and lock‑in of commercial cloud storage plans.

Outcome

After ~$200 upfront and $10/year domain renewal, the author achieved 16 TB of usable storage with no monthly fees, saving $120/year compared to Dropbox Plus and eliminating lock‑in.

Workflow

• Acquire used Dell OptiPlex 7060 (~$90) and two 8 TB Seagate Ironwolf drives (~$45 each).
• Install Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS headless.
• Deploy Nextcloud Hub 9 in Docker.
• Register a .com domain (~$10/year) via Cloudflare Registrar.
• Set up Cloudflare Tunnel for remote access (free).
• Mount Nextcloud WebDAV on Windows using ScsDriver (~$5.5 lifetime).

Evidence

In 2023, I paid $120/year for Dropbox Plus (2 TB). In 2024, I paid the same. In 2025, I finally got fed up and switched to self-hosted Nextcloud on a used Dell OptiPlex + two 8 TB HDDs.

Source

Setup cost: $180 for the OptiPlex + 2x 8 TB HDD. Break-even vs Dropbox Plus: 1.5 years.

Source

The one that stuck: 1. Hardware: Dell OptiPlex 7060 (used, $90 on eBay) + 2x 8 TB Seagate Ironwolf ($45 each)

Source

Total: ~$200 upfront, $10/year.

Source