Which SharePoint Server alternative keeps documents on your own servers
If you run SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019 on premises and must keep content inside your own data center or network, a self-hosted open-source platform such as Nextcloud with Collabora Online can meet that constraint. The choice still depends on lifecycle dates you must confirm for your exact SharePoint build, because the answer changes if you can move to SharePoint Server Subscription Edition on the Modern Lifecycle Policy and your organization accepts that path. Start by pulling the build number and support end dates for each farm from Microsoft's lifecycle pages, then record which content, retention rules and integrations depend on the current platform.
This section covers documents, version history and co-authoring in the browser. It does not cover every SharePoint capability. Lists, site pages, workflows, search scopes, custom solutions and some compliance features need separate decisions, and the sibling pages on lists and intranet sites handle them. Treat Nextcloud as a different platform to plan and migrate to, not as a patch or in-place upgrade of your SharePoint farm. Nextcloud Server is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and is free to self-host, while Collabora Online adds the office editing layer. Confirm which Nextcloud major version you will deploy and its support window in the Nextcloud maintenance and release schedule before you commit.
Your cost picture changes with the choice. Subscription Edition is a licensed product with its own server, client access and infrastructure costs, while Nextcloud has no license fee for the community edition but carries your staff time, servers, storage, backup and any enterprise support subscription. Ask each vendor or partner to quote the components you will run, including who patches the operating system, database and office server, and whether support is included. Document those answers in a short decision memo so the on-premises constraint, the lifecycle dates and the migration effort are reviewed together.
What staying on premises requires from a SharePoint replacement
Staying on premises moves responsibility for identity, storage, co-authoring, patching and recovery into your own infrastructure. The cards below name the requirements that follow from that choice, and each one points to the later section that tests it.
Content and metadata stay in your infrastructure
Files, version history, share records and metadata must sit in storage you control, on servers in your data center or your own cloud account. Confirm where the Nextcloud data directory and database will run, and whether preview generation or full-text search sends content to any external service. Check that the chosen object or file storage meets your residency rules. The migration section tests whether version history and permissions survive the move.
Directory sign-in through LDAP or Active Directory
Most SharePoint Server estates authenticate users against Active Directory, so the replacement must recognize those accounts without a second password store. Nextcloud's LDAP app lets directory users appear in the platform and log in with their directory credentials. Confirm how group membership maps to Nextcloud groups, and how disabled accounts stop access. The permissions section tests group mapping against your current site groups.
OpenID Connect or SAML where identity requires it
If your identity provider issues federated sign-in through OpenID Connect or SAML, the file platform has to accept those tokens or assertions. Nextcloud documents both as user authentication backends, but the exact configuration depends on your identity stack and on multi-factor policy. Ask your identity team which protocol is authoritative and whether conditional access applies to file sessions. The identity section tests sign-in, logout and session timeouts end to end.
Co-authoring Office formats through Collabora Online
Users expect to open, edit and co-author .docx, .xlsx and .pptx files in the browser without a desktop round trip. Collabora Online edits these Microsoft formats and connects to Nextcloud through the WOPI protocol. Editing of one document must reach the same server instance, so load balancing and replica settings need deliberate design. The co-authoring section tests formatting fidelity and concurrent edits on your real templates.
A patching and upgrade path your team can follow
Staying on premises means your team applies every update, which makes the upgrade path a standing operational duty. Nextcloud releases a new major version every four months, supports each for one year, and does not allow skipping major releases during upgrades. Write down who schedules each step and how long a rollback window stays open. The operations section tests a staged upgrade against a copy of production.
Backups that restore content and permissions
A backup only counts once a restore has been proven. Test restores must return files, version history, shares, group memberships and the database together, because a file restored without its permission state can expose data. Nextcloud All-in-One bundles BorgBackup-based backups, but you must still confirm retention, off-site copies and restore time against your recovery targets. Your backup section tests a full restore on a clean host.
How each replacement option meets the on-premises requirements
This table compares SharePoint Server Subscription Edition, Nextcloud Hub with Collabora Online, and openDesk or OX App Suite against the on-premises constraint. Read each row as a question to answer in your own environment, since the lifecycle of SharePoint Server is a point you must confirm directly with Microsoft before deciding. The main takeaway is that only the open-source options give you source-level control, while every option needs a plan for SharePoint lists, pages and workflows.
| Option | How it meets the on-premises constraint | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| SharePoint Server Subscription Edition | Runs in your own data center on Microsoft's on-premises product, so content stays under your control. Confirm the current support lifecycle and Subscription Edition terms directly with Microsoft before you commit. | Licensing and patch cadence are set by Microsoft. Lists, pages and workflows keep their SharePoint model, so the migration effort stays lower but the vendor dependency remains. |
| Nextcloud Hub with Collabora Online | Nextcloud is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and is free to self-host, and it supports LDAP and Active Directory login plus OpenID Connect and SAML. Collabora Online is licensed under MPL-2.0 and integrates through WOPI to edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint formats. | Lists, pages and workflows have no direct file equivalent. Nextcloud major releases cannot be skipped, so upgrades must run one major version at a time with backups before each step. |
| openDesk | Designed for public administration and deployed on your infrastructure, with a Community and an Enterprise Edition and an Apache 2.0 licensed deployment repository. Confirm which components your environment needs and how identity integration is configured. | openDesk is deployed to Kubernetes with Helmfile and Helm charts, so you need a container platform and staff who can operate it. Its scope is a wider office suite, not a direct SharePoint replacement. |
| OX App Suite | Can be deployed on premises, in a public cloud or as the managed OX Cloud service, so you can keep it on your own servers. Dovecot is part of the Open-Xchange product line. Confirm the document and drive features against your SharePoint use cases. | Strongest for mail, calendar and drive rather than intranet pages. Team sites, lists and workflow automation will need a separate plan and possibly a second platform. |
How to deploy the stack inside your own network
This sequence takes a SharePoint Server estate from lifecycle review to a Nextcloud and Collabora Online service that runs in your own data center or cloud account, with tested co-authoring, sign-in through your directory and a backup and upgrade routine in place before users move over.
Confirm lifecycle and inventory content
Start by recording which SharePoint Server version each farm runs and what Microsoft support status applies to it, so the decision between staying on premises with SharePoint Server Subscription Edition and moving to an open-source platform is made on dates confirmed from Microsoft's lifecycle pages. Then have the platform owner and site owners inventory document libraries, sites, large folders, long file paths, permission groups and any lists, pages or workflows that depend on the farm. Done means you hold a written inventory with sizes, file counts, owners and a list of features that have no file equivalent, which becomes the scope for the migration plan.
Choose the Nextcloud installation method
Decide between Nextcloud All-in-One, which Nextcloud describes as its official installation method and which bundles Redis and APCu caching, PostgreSQL, optional Nextcloud Office, Talk, BorgBackup-based backups, ClamAV antivirus and full-text search, and a Kubernetes deployment through the Helm chart. Your platform team usually makes this call based on existing container skills and how the cluster is run. Done means a named installation method, a target host or cluster, and an agreed owner for the Nextcloud instance and its updates.
Check system requirements and database choice
Compare the target hosts against the Nextcloud 35 system requirements, which recommend MariaDB 11.8 or PostgreSQL 18 and PHP 8.5, and which list Apache 2.4 or nginx with php-fpm as web server options. Confirm that the database and PHP versions you plan to run are on the supported list, and note that Oracle Database is only available with an enterprise subscription. Done means a signed-off build sheet that lists operating system, database, PHP, web server, storage and backup target, checked against the current requirements page on the day of installation.
Connect directory sign-in
Connect Nextcloud to your identity source so staff sign in with existing credentials. The LDAP app lets LDAP and Active Directory users appear in Nextcloud and log in with directory passwords, and Nextcloud also documents OpenID Connect and SAML backends if your identity provider is federated. Test with a non-administrator group first, confirm that disabled accounts lose access, and confirm that group membership drives the sharing and team folder rules you mapped in step one. Done means a test user from each target group signs in and sees only the folders their groups allow.
Deploy Collabora Online and set replicas
Deploy Collabora Online from Docker images, system packages or Kubernetes, using the Collabora Online Controller if you expect a large deployment. Set the replica count manually, because the official Helm chart disables horizontal pod autoscaling: scaling breaks collaborative editing and copy and paste. The free CODE image, collabora/code, suits testing, home use or small teams, and Collabora does not recommend it for production, so production installs should use the commercial edition or a supported build plan. Done means the Collabora service answers health checks and the replica count is recorded in your configuration.
Configure WOPI and ingress routing
Point Nextcloud at the Collabora Online endpoint using the WOPI connection settings in the Nextcloud Office configuration, then set the ingress layer. The Helm chart supports Nginx, HAProxy and the OpenShift Router, and the load balancer must route by the WOPISrc parameter so every user editing one document reaches the same pod. Set pod resources to the chart's production guidance of 4 cores and 6000 MiB as requests and 8 cores and 8000 MiB as limits, adjusted to your document load. Done means a document opens in the browser from Nextcloud, and two users editing one file land on the same pod.
Test co-authoring and version history with a pilot
Run a pilot with a small group drawn from the libraries you inventoried. Ask pilot users to co-edit a .docx, .xlsx and .pptx file, check that edits from each user appear without conflicts, confirm that version history restores an earlier revision, and check that sharing permissions match the SharePoint model you documented. Record failures, especially for long paths and large libraries, and fix them before wider migration. Done means a signed pilot log with each test, its result and the owner who accepted it.
Schedule backups and upgrade windows
Set up backups before production cutover and test a restore, since Nextcloud requires a backup before every upgrade. Nextcloud does not allow skipping major releases, so plan upgrades one major version at a time, disable third-party apps until they are confirmed compatible, and track the release schedule for each version. Agree a recurring window for monthly maintenance releases and a process for Collabora updates. Done means a restore test is documented, the upgrade calendar is published, and each platform owner knows who approves changes.
Choosing a Collabora Online edition by user count
Organizations with fewer than 100 users fall under the Business plan on Collabora's pricing page, which lists a price of 3 euros per user per month for up to 99 users. That plan includes long-term support, a service level agreement, signed security updates and access to the customer portal. For a team replacing SharePoint document libraries, those items matter because they set a known support path and give you signed patches to apply rather than relying on community builds.
- Price basis: The Business plan is a per-user subscription, so the recurring cost grows with the named user count you contract for.
- Support expectations: The SLA and customer portal define who answers when editing breaks, so confirm response times in the written terms.
- Patch assurance: Signed security updates give your security team a verifiable update source for the Collabora Online server.
- Integration work: Connecting Collabora to Nextcloud is a configuration task that your platform team or implementation partner still performs, and the plan does not cover that work by itself.
- Concurrent editors: Count peak simultaneous editors, not total staff, because load sizing depends on that number.
Before you commit, confirm the current plan terms, the user count definition and whether the SLA meets your internal support hours.
Organizations with 100 or more users fall under the Enterprise plan, which Collabora's pricing page describes as quoted with volume discounts rather than a fixed public rate. The Enterprise plan adds integration support, customization services and roadmap input on top of the Business plan features. For a large deployment, these additions shift the decision from licensing to how much vendor help you need to run the service at scale.
- Quoted pricing: Volume discounts mean the figure depends on your count and terms, so request a written quote instead of estimating from the Business rate.
- Integration support: Vendor engineers can help with WOPI configuration and ingress setup, which reduces the internal skill gap.
- Customization services: Changes to the editor for specific workflows are priced as services, so define the scope before you ask.
- Roadmap input: Enterprise customers can feed requirements into product direction, which matters if your AI or compliance needs are specific.
- Scale planning: Large deployments on Kubernetes need manually set replicas and routing by WOPISrc, so budget internal platform time for operating the cluster.
Ask the vendor to itemize support hours, customization and integration work separately so you can compare the quote with a self-run model.
CODE, the Collabora Online Development Edition, is the free edition that Collabora offers for testing, home use or small teams. Collabora states that CODE is not recommended for production, and it is released as a rolling build roughly once a month rather than as a supported long-term branch. It is useful for proofs of concept, integration testing against your Nextcloud staging instance and developer workstations.
- Not for production: CODE lacks the support, SLA and signed update path that come with the paid plans.
- Rolling releases: Monthly builds change often, so each update needs regression testing against your document workflows.
- Pilot value: Use CODE to validate file formats, such as .docx, .xlsx and .pptx, and co-authoring behavior before any purchase decision.
- Migration to paid: Moving a pilot to a supported plan requires a planned change window, not a container swap during business hours.
- Image source: The free Docker image is collabora/code, so pin a tag and record it in your change log.
Confirm with Collabora which edition your intended production use requires before you put any user data through a CODE instance.
Keeping patches current without skipping major releases
Treat the Nextcloud release cadence as a standing operating task with a named owner who checks it every month. Nextcloud publishes a new major version every four months and supports each one for a year through monthly maintenance releases that address known critical bugs and security problems. Nextcloud 35 was released on 16 September 2026 and reaches end of life in September 2027, Nextcloud 34 is supported until June 2027, Nextcloud 33 until February 2027, and Nextcloud 36 is scheduled for 17 February 2027. Before you plan any upgrade window, confirm these dates on the Nextcloud maintenance and release schedule, because the schedule is the authority and this page can fall behind.
Nextcloud does not allow skipping major releases, so a server running an older version must move through each intermediate major version in order. For every step, the owner should take a full backup of the database, the data directory and the configuration, confirm the target version's system requirements, and disable third-party apps until each one is confirmed compatible with the new release. Map the full upgrade path from your current version to the target before the first step, and record the outcome of each step. If a step fails, restore from the backup taken for that step and resume from there, so the server never sits in a half-upgraded state. The Nextcloud upgrade manual sets out the procedure that the runbook should follow.
Keep the document editing layer on the same cadence. Collabora Online 25.04 was first released on June 19, 2025, and its point releases continued into 2026, with 25.04.13 released on September 21, 2026. Confirm which branch your Collabora nodes run and whether it still receives the fixes you need before each Nextcloud upgrade. The Business plan includes signed security updates and a service level agreement, while CODE is not recommended for production use. Ask the vendor to state in writing how security fixes reach your nodes, so that a patch on the editing service does not wait for the next Nextcloud upgrade. Compare the options on the Collabora Online pricing page.
Evidence auditors and regulators ask for under an on-premises constraint
An on-premises platform is only as defensible as the records behind it. Auditors and regulators will ask where content lives, how it was configured, how changes were made and whether backups actually restore. The cards below list the evidence to build from day one, so the record is complete when the assessment starts.
Data location and backup register
Keep a current register that names every server, database, object store and backup target that holds documents or copies of them, including the jurisdiction and cloud account or data center for each. Include the Nextcloud data directory, the database, the Collabora hosts and any replica or archive. Review it on every change, because a backup job added during an incident is often the missing entry. Confirm with your own infrastructure team that the register matches what is actually running.
Configuration exports for sign-in and sharing
Export and version the settings that decide who can sign in, who can share, and how long data is kept. For Nextcloud, this means the directory integration (LDAP or Active Directory, OpenID Connect or SAML), default share permissions, link expiry rules and retention settings. Store each export with a date and an owner so an assessor can compare the setting at one point in time with its value later. Confirm the exact settings with your Nextcloud version's admin manual before you write the procedure.
Upgrade log with one-major-version steps
Record every upgrade as a dated change ticket that shows the starting version, the target version and the path between them. Nextcloud does not allow skipping major releases, so the log should show each intermediate major step, the pre-upgrade backup taken before it, and the list of third-party apps disabled and later re-enabled after confirmation of compatibility. An assessor will look for gaps in this sequence first. Check the upgrade manual for the steps that apply to your version.
Restore test results
A backup is evidence only after a restore has been tested. Keep dated records of restore exercises that rebuild the Nextcloud data directory and database into a separate environment, then check file counts, a sample of document versions and a sample of share links. Record how long the restore took, who ran it and what failed. Record the same exercise for the Collabora deployment, because the editing service does not hold documents but depends on the same platform. Set the test frequency in your own continuity policy.
Directory and access logs
Retain authentication and administrative activity logs from the directory integration and the Nextcloud server, and keep them outside the systems they describe. Confirm that logs record sign-ins, failed attempts, group changes, share creation and admin actions with timestamps and user identifiers. Agree the retention period with your compliance lead and the auditor before go-live, because it sets how far back an investigation can look. Confirm which fields your logging configuration captures in your own environment.
Collabora deployment and ingress rules
Document the Collabora Online deployment as configuration, not as a diagram alone. Record the image or package version, replica count, resource requests and limits, ingress type and the rule that routes requests by the WOPISrc parameter so all users editing one document reach the same pod. The official Helm chart notes that autoscaling is disabled for this reason, so an assessor will ask why replica counts are fixed. Keep these files in version control with change history.
What buyers ask before moving off SharePoint Server on premises
What drives the cost of a self-hosted SharePoint replacement?
The cost depends on who you pay for each component, and most of it is recurring after the first build. The main items are servers or virtual machines, object or block storage sized for your document volume, a database (PostgreSQL or MariaDB), the Collabora Online servers for co-authoring, backups, and staff time to run upgrades. Software is the smallest line for the core stack, since Nextcloud Hub and Collabora Online's free CODE edition are open source. Nextcloud Enterprise is optional. Its list prices are 71.29 euros per user per year for the Standard tier, 104.99 euros for Premium and 204.75 euros for Ultimate, for 100 or more users, according to the Nextcloud pricing page. Collabora's Business plan costs 3 euros per user per month for up to 99 users, according to the Collabora Online pricing page. Ask any quote to split one-time migration work from recurring hosting, support and subscriptions.
Can our own team migrate from SharePoint Server without a partner?
A team with Linux, database and identity administration skills can do it, but the work is more than copying files. You need to run a Nextcloud install that can be upgraded one major version at a time, configure Collabora Online behind your reverse proxy with the right WOPI routing, connect directory accounts, and build a repeatable export and import process with checks. Nextcloud documents that major releases cannot be skipped and that backups must be taken before each upgrade, which means your staff must be ready for a recurring operational routine. Many organizations split the work: internal staff own operations and content decisions, and an implementation partner plans, builds and hardens the platform under a written scope.
How long does a SharePoint to Nextcloud migration take?
Duration depends on the factors in your environment, not on a standard figure. The main drivers are the number of sites and libraries, total data volume, how many files have version history you need to keep, how many long file paths exceed platform limits, how many custom integrations and workflows need redesign, and how many approvals the business needs before cutover. Directory integration and a pilot group add time at the start but reduce risk later. Ask any proposal to state the phases, the decisions it depends on, and the acceptance tests for each phase, because those show what drives the timeline.
What do we need to provide before the migration starts?
Start with four inputs. First, directory access, so Nextcloud can use LDAP or Active Directory accounts through the LDAP app, or OpenID Connect or SAML if your identity provider supports them, as described in the Nextcloud LDAP documentation. Second, a content inventory that lists sites, libraries, owners, sizes, file counts and permission groups. Third, a pilot group of users who can test real workflows before the rest move. Fourth, an agreed maintenance window for the final synchronization and cutover, plus a rollback plan. Confirm with your security team which data classification rules apply before any content leaves the SharePoint farm.
Can SharePoint lists, pages and workflows move to Nextcloud?
Document libraries and their files move well, but lists, site pages and workflows usually do not move as-is because Nextcloud is a file platform. Lists used as trackers or small databases are better rebuilt in a dedicated tool, and intranet pages are better handled by a wiki. Workflows need to be redesigned as Nextcloud features or as automation running in your own infrastructure. Inventory every list, page and workflow early, classify each as move, rebuild or retire, and assign an owner. The sibling guides on SharePoint lists and on intranet and team sites cover these paths in detail.
Should we confirm our SharePoint Server lifecycle dates before deciding?
Yes. Confirm the exact support status for your SharePoint Server version directly with Microsoft's lifecycle pages and your Microsoft account team before you set a deadline. Microsoft's lifecycle policies distinguish between fixed and modern lifecycle models, and the policy that applies to your version determines whether the product still receives security updates. Ask Microsoft for the current end-of-support date in writing, check whether any subscription edition or support agreement you hold changes that date, and document the answer for your risk register. Your deadline should follow the confirmed date, not a date from a blog post, including this one.
What happens to file version history and permissions during the move?
Version history and permissions are two of the most important things to verify. Export tools typically carry over the current file and sometimes prior versions, so test a sample of files with several versions before you commit to a method. Permissions usually need to be mapped from SharePoint groups to directory groups in Nextcloud, and inherited or broken permissions need a review because they rarely map one-to-one. Ask for a reconciliation report that compares file counts, sizes, version counts and permission assignments between source and target for each library, and for named sign-off by the business owner.
How DeployOpen deploys SharePoint replacements under an on-premises constraint
DeployOpen plans, implements, hardens and supports self-hosted open-source platforms inside your own infrastructure, including data centers and air-gapped networks. For organizations that must keep SharePoint content on premises, we start from the document estate and its permissions, then build the replacement in your environment.
How we scope
- Inventory the SharePoint Server farms, document libraries, site permissions and version history that must move.
- Identify lists, pages and workflows that have no file equivalent and agree how each will be handled.
- Agree in writing the scope, deliverables, timeline and which Nextcloud and Collabora tiers the scope assumes.
How we build
- Deploy Nextcloud and Collabora Online in your data center or private cloud, with database, storage and ingress sized to your user count.
- Connect directory accounts and groups through LDAP or your chosen single sign-on method, then map site permissions to shares.
- Test large libraries, long file paths and co-authoring against a staging copy before any production migration starts.
How we hand over
- Document the architecture, configuration, backup and restore steps, and the Collabora load balancer routing rules.
- Run a migration reconciliation report that compares file counts, versions and permissions between source and target.
- Train administrators on upgrade sequencing, since Nextcloud requires one major version at a time with a backup before each step.
How we support
- Offer ongoing support, upgrades and continuous testing as a retainer after handover, scoped in writing.
- Plan upgrade windows around Nextcloud's published release and end-of-life schedule so the platform stays supported.
- Confirm with your compliance team which evidence your assessors need, and prepare the controls and records for their review.
