Nextcloud System Requirements 2026
The official Nextcloud documentation specifies only per-process values: 128 MB RAM minimum, 512 MB RAM recommended per PHP process, plus 256 MB for the built-in updater and a 64-bit OS. It does not publish a user-count matrix.
The table below extrapolates from those official per-process numbers plus real-world sizing: each concurrent user needs roughly 1-2 PHP-FPM workers, plus overhead for the database (MariaDB/PostgreSQL), Redis cache, and OS. Storage figures cover the Nextcloud installation and typical user data; heavy photo/video libraries need more — see the Immich use-case for a photo-focused alternative.
| Users | Minimum RAM | Recommended RAM | vCPU Cores | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | 1 GB | 2 GB | 1 | 20 GB NVMe |
| 5-20 | 2 GB | 4 GB | 2 | 50 GB NVMe |
| 20-50 | 4 GB | 8 GB | 4 | 100 GB NVMe |
| 50-100 | 8 GB | 16 GB | 4-8 | 200 GB NVMe |
Why Self-Host Nextcloud?
Nextcloud is the leading open-source alternative to Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive. The crucial difference: Your files stay on your own server, not with an American cloud provider.
For businesses and freelancers, this is GDPR-relevant – storing personal data in a US cloud is legally problematic. With Nextcloud on a German VPS, you're on the safe side.
The feature set goes far beyond file storage: Calendar, contacts, notes, office documents, and even video conferencing can be integrated. A true Google Workspace alternative. If you mainly want to replace Google Photos, have a look at Immich as a photo-focused alternative.
Hardware Requirements
Nextcloud is moderately resource-hungry. The main load is on RAM for PHP processes and database cache. Storage depends on your data volume – an SSD/NVMe is essential for the database itself, while actual files can reside on slower HDDs.
With many concurrent accesses or if you enable thumbnail generation, CPU is also challenged. Redis caching significantly speeds up sync times and reduces database load.
| Usage | Users | RAM | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private | 1-5 | 2-4 GB | 20 GB NVMe + HDD |
| Family/Small Team | 5-15 | 4-8 GB | 40 GB NVMe + HDD |
| Business | 15-50 | 8-16 GB | 80 GB NVMe + HDD |
Our Recommendation
For private use with 1-5 users, a Hetzner CX22 with 2 vCPU and 4 GB RAM for about €4/month is sufficient — the built-in NVMe storage is fast enough for database and files (offer on hetzner.com).
Families and small teams should go for the Hetzner CX32 with 4 vCPU and 8 GB RAM for about €8/month. This also runs Collabora Office integration smoothly.
For large data volumes, combining an affordable VPS with Hetzner Storage Box is worthwhile – 1 TB for about €3/month as separate data storage, while the database sits on fast VPS NVMe.
