Comparison

Pydio vs ownCloud

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Pydio

Access your files from a Pydio or Pydio Cells server on your mobile device. This open-source platform offers secure file sharing and synchronization for enterprises, with a focus on data control and security.

Highlights
  • Connect to Pydio/Pydio Cells servers
  • Access files on the go
  • Secure file sharing
  • Mobile and desktop sync apps
  • Enterprise-grade security and control
Features
Read full description

Pydio Application allows you to connect to a Pydio or Pydio Cells server (enterprise editions included) to access your files on the go on your mobile or tablet. Pydio - Put Your Data In Orbit - is the mature open source alternative to SaaS-based documents sharing solutions, for the Enterprise. Pydio is an open source file sharing platform for the enterprise, with simple and sleek webn mobile and desktop sync apps, hosted securely on your servers and clouds. As easy to use as great consumer software, it is designed to provide enterprise grade security and control. Forever free for the community, a commercial offering is available for the enterprise with professional support, branding and white-labelling, and simple BYOD deployment on mobile devices. PLEASE NOTE: - this application is useless if you don't actually want to connect to a Pydio server.

About

ownCloud

Access, sync, and share your private cloud files securely across all your devices. Create, edit, and collaborate on documents with colleagues, ensuring your data is always up-to-date and accessible.

Highlights
  • Private file sync and share
  • Cross-device synchronization
  • Secure file sharing
  • Create and edit files
  • iOS Files integration
  • Multi-select and drag-and-drop
Features
Read full description

Your files. Your server. Your ownCloud. Connect to your ownCloud Infinite Scale (oCIS) or ownCloud Classic server and access your private cloud from anywhere. Open source, self-hosted, no third-party cloud required. ownCloud gives you full control over your data. Whether you're a teacher accessing the school cloud, a sysadmin managing a federated deployment, or someone who simply refuses to hand their files to a big-tech provider — this app is built for you. FEATURES - Browse, Edit and Create files Work with your files directly on your device with Files integration, built-in markup tools*, and the document scanner*. Switch between list view and three grid views — all updating live as changes happen locally or remotely. - Built-in viewers View common file types right in the app. Swipe through images in carousel view. Navigate PDFs using their table of contents or full-text search. - Spaces (oCIS) On ownCloud Infinite Scale servers, organise work into Spaces with dedicated permissions, members, and quotas. Full Spaces support is built in. - Sharing and Collaboration Share files and folders with other users on the same server or externally via public links. Fine-grained permissions, password protection, and expiry dates give you control over every share. - Search (Local and Remote) Filter by date, size, type, or location. Save searches and create reusable templates. Local search works fully offline. On oCIS servers, server-side search can also find content inside files (depending on server configuration). - Offline Support Mark files and folders for offline availability. Work without a connection. Changes sync automatically when you're back online. Built from the ground up with offline-first in mind. - Multiple Accounts Connect to several ownCloud servers and accounts simultaneously. Switch between them seamlessly. - Deep OS Integration Native iPadOS multitasking, drag and drop, File Provider, and Shortcuts support. Built by developers who care about how apps should feel on Apple platforms. - Security The app tracks your server's TLS certificates and warns you about unexpected changes. Review certificate details (including a diff of what changed) and accept or reject — right from the app. * Some features may require an In-App Purchase or Subscription. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS iOS 15.4 or later, iPadOS 15.4 or later ABOUT OWNCLOUD ownCloud is the original open source platform for self-hosted file sync, share, and collaboration. Founded in 2010 in Germany, ownCloud is trusted by millions of users in education, government, research, and enterprise worldwide. ownCloud is maintained by Kiteworks through its Open Source Program Office. Learn more: https://owncloud.com/ Open source: https://github.com/owncloud/ios-app/ Terms of Use: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/owncloud/ios-app/master/LICENSE Privacy Policy: https://owncloud.com/privacy-statement/

Screenshots

Pydio3 screens
ownCloud4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ownCloud at 4.5 against Pydio's 2.0. ownCloud also leads on ratings volume (354 vs 10) and review sentiment (33% vs 23%). Pydio's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. ownCloud sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year. Pydio asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ownCloud holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ownCloud has 354 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of Pydio's written reviews are positive against 33% of ownCloud's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pydio ships an update monthly, ownCloud every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Pydio versus ownCloud: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPydioownCloud
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.0 (10 ratings)4.5 (354 ratings) — better
Positive reviews22.5% of reviews32.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10354 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.615.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB72 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAbstrium SASownCloud GmbH

Customer experience

Pydio

All ratings10 ratings
Positive30.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative70.0%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive22.5%
Neutral7.5%
Negative70.0%

ownCloud

All ratings352 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral3.4%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews198 reviews
Positive32.8%
Neutral16.7%
Negative50.5%

Bugs and requests

Pydio

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

ownCloud

Reported bugs

33 issues
  • App crashes on startup
  • Login screen freezes
  • Files app integration returns unknown errors
  • Blank screen on certain iPhone models
  • Screen rotation breaks file list display
Show 28 more
  • Photo upload limited to 3 at a time
  • Videos lose metadata during upload
  • App closes unexpectedly
  • Preview crashes when viewing images
  • Media access permission issues
  • Infinite loading without results
  • Files disappear from folders
  • Duplicate file downloads
  • Upload stuck in pending state indefinitely
  • Annotation changes not saved
  • Hand/palm movements close documents during annotation
  • iOS 18 compatibility issues
  • iOS 16 compatibility issues
  • Offline files not cached without internet
  • Shortcuts fail silently without in-app purchase
  • Make available offline hangs after first file
  • OAuth grant expires after device restart
  • Invalid grant errors on photo sync
  • App hangs waiting for server response
  • Scanning documents causes crashes
  • Folders become inaccessible after failed uploads
  • App requests password every 2 minutes
  • Dark mode text visibility issues
  • HEIC format instead of JPEG on upload
  • CSRF check failed on share link creation
  • Slow download speeds compared to web version
  • Battery drain in background
  • Synced files in hidden/unusable directories

Requested features

20 requests
  • Ability to unload/delete offline files
  • Cancel/stop upload functionality
  • Upload only on WiFi option
  • Show upload progress percentage
  • Show file sizes in status
Show 15 more
  • Priority queue for uploads
  • Folder upload capability
  • Text file editing support
  • Activity/modification tracking
  • Turkish language support
  • Automatic backup for all phone data
  • Photo gallery-style grid view with adjustable tiles
  • Swipe-down gesture to exit image view
  • Separate Photos/Videos menu tab
  • Improved web media access for faster photo viewing
  • Video controls for offline playback
  • External storage support visibility
  • Disable global search option for large folders
  • Notification badge removal option
  • Share links creation without CSRF errors

In-app purchases

None

Pydio

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

ownCloud

Subscriptions1
  • Pro Features$1.991 Year
One-time5
  • 30 Day Pro TrialFree
  • Document Scanner$2.99
  • Shortcuts Actions$2.99
Show 2 more
  • Markup Documents$2.99
  • Photo Pro Features$2.99

Questions

Is Pydio free?
Pydio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ownCloud free?
ownCloud is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pydio or ownCloud?
ownCloud is rated higher. Pydio averages 2.0 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while ownCloud averages 4.5 from 354 ratings.
Do Pydio or ownCloud have ads?
Neither Pydio nor ownCloud shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pydio or ownCloud?
Pydio ships an update monthly, and ownCloud every 3 months. Most recently, Pydio was updated on October 19, 2026 and ownCloud on October 29, 2026.

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