What server software to mimic OneDrive but be hosted on my own server?

[AlphaObeisance]

I am going to give seafile a go once I get my system working again.

It's a pretty cool system. Holler if you have questions. I'm brining my stack down this week as I fill the node with drives; but when I get back online I'll gladly assist if needed. I've deployed it both manually and using docker-compose so I'm a bit familiar. I just need to have access to my instance to refresh my memory. Kind of set it and forgot it sort of thing.

 

[tinfoil-hat]

I installed mine without docker, using this manual:

Installation - Seafile Admin Manual

Official documentation for Seafile administration, deployment, and upgrades.

manual.seafile.com

 

[kibasnowpaw]

Yeah, that makes it clearer.

If your main goal is “I want my data off OneDrive, but I still want something that works like OneDrive,” then I would not start with Plex, Docker, cameras, or a full homelab stack.

Your real first job is file sync and remote file access.

For that, I would look at:

• Nextcloud — closest to a self-hosted OneDrive-style setup.
• Seafile — more focused on fast file sync and file sharing.
• Syncthing — good for syncing folders between devices, but not really a full OneDrive replacement.
• OpenMediaVault or TrueNAS — more NAS/storage focused.

For what you describe, I would mainly research Nextcloud and Seafile.

Nextcloud is probably the most OneDrive-like option. It has desktop clients, mobile apps, file sync, web access, sharing, and phone photo/video upload. That sounds closest to what you want: photos from your phone, files from your laptop, and access from different devices.

Seafile is also worth testing if your main focus is simple, fast file syncing and file sharing, without as many extra “cloud platform” features.

For the hardware side, your plan makes sense:

• Small SSD for the operating system.
• Three large HDDs for the data.
• Server running 24/7.
• Client apps on PCs, phones, and laptops.

But because this machine will run 24/7, I would think about security from the start.

Noob version:

• Do not open ports unless you know exactly why.
• Do not expose admin panels directly to the internet.
• Do not expose Samba/Windows shares directly to the internet.
• Do not expose SSH directly to the internet unless you understand the risk.
• Keep the OS and server apps updated.
• Use strong passwords and 2FA where available.
• Have backups, because RAID is not a backup.

For remote access, I would strongly look at VPN-style access first, like WireGuard or Tailscale. That way your server services can stay private, and only your own approved devices can connect back home.

About Pi-hole: yes, Pi-hole can run on the server. It does not have to run on a Raspberry Pi. People often use a Raspberry Pi because it is cheap and low power, but if your server is already running 24/7, Pi-hole can run there too.

There are two different ways to use Pi-hole.

Simple setup:

• Your normal router stays as the router/firewall.
• Pi-hole runs on the server.
• Your router tells devices to use Pi-hole as DNS.

This is the beginner-friendly way.

The downside is that some devices can still bypass Pi-hole if they use their own DNS, like hardcoded DNS or encrypted DNS. For many home users, the simple setup is still fine, but it is not perfect enforcement.

Stricter setup:

• The server becomes the router/firewall.
• The server needs two network interfaces.
• One port is WAN/internet side.
• One port is LAN/home network side.
• All home network traffic passes through the server.
• Firewall rules can force normal DNS traffic through Pi-hole.

That second setup gives much more control, but it is also much more responsibility. If the server goes down, your whole home network can go down. If the firewall/NAT/DHCP/DNS setup is wrong, you can break internet access for every device.

So I would not start with the two-interface router/firewall setup unless you actually want to learn networking properly.

For a beginner, I would probably do this order:

1. Install the server OS or NAS OS.
2. Get the three HDDs mounted and shared safely.
3. Set up users and permissions.
4. Test Nextcloud or Seafile locally first.
5. Set up phone photo/video upload.
6. Set up desktop/laptop sync.
7. Add Pi-hole if you want DNS filtering.
8. Only after that, think about remote access.
9. Use VPN-style remote access before opening public ports.

So my short answer would be:

If you want easy NAS management, look at OpenMediaVault.

If you want a more appliance-like NAS/storage system, look at TrueNAS.

If you want a OneDrive replacement, look at Nextcloud.

If you want fast file sync and sharing, look at Seafile.

If you want maximum control and learning, use Debian or Ubuntu Server and install the parts yourself.

For your exact use case, I would start by testing one of these:

OpenMediaVault + Nextcloud

or

Debian/Ubuntu Server + Nextcloud or Seafile

Just remember: storage is only half the job. The other half is access control, firewall rules, updates, and backups.

Linux gives you the freedom to build exactly what you want, but that also means you become the person responsible for securing it.

 

[kibasnowpaw]

P.S.

Just to add one simple way I do photo backup myself:

On my phone I use an app called PhotoSync. I use it to upload my photos from the phone to my Linux server over SFTP, but only on my local network.

So my phone connects to the server at home, transfers the photos, and then PhotoSync can delete the transferred photos from the phone afterward. In my case, I use that because I want the phone cleaned up after upload, and I do not want to upload the same photos again and again.

Important detail: deleting after transfer is optional. It only happens if you enable it. I use it on my own phone because that is what I want.

I do not really trust exposing this kind of access remotely, so my setup is local-only. I do the transfer when I am at home on my own network. That means I still get a simple phone-to-server backup workflow without needing OneDrive or cloud storage.

So there are easier ways to do this too. It does not always have to start with a full Nextcloud setup. If the main goal is just “get my phone photos onto my own server,” then something like PhotoSync over SFTP on the local LAN can do that pretty cleanly.

For someone who wants a full OneDrive-style system with web access, file sharing, mobile apps, and remote access, Nextcloud or Seafile still makes more sense. But for local photo backup from a phone to a home server, SFTP + PhotoSync is a simple option that works well for me.