What is the main difference between Nextcloud and Rocket.Chat?

Nextcloud and Rocket.Chat are both collaborative workspaces but differ in their approach, features, and target audience. Compare their GitHub stats, technology stack, and community adoption to make the best choice.

Which is better: Nextcloud or Rocket.Chat?

The choice between Nextcloud and Rocket.Chat depends on your specific needs, technical requirements, and team preferences. Both are quality open source solutions with active communities.

Can I migrate from Nextcloud to Rocket.Chat?

Migration between Nextcloud and Rocket.Chat is possible but requires careful planning. Consider data export/import capabilities, feature parity, and potential workflow changes.

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Nextcloud vs Rocket.Chat

Learn how Nextcloud and Rocket.Chat differ in their key features, development activity, technology stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these collaborative workspaces is best for you.

Nextcloud

Nextcloud offers on-premises file sync, sharing and collaboration platform with advanced security and privacy features.

Visit Nextcloud Read more

36,558stars+305(+0.8%)

Last 30 days

Last commit
7 hours ago
Repository age
10 years
Version
v32.0.14
License
AGPL-3.0
Self-hosted
Yes
Repository
nextcloud/server

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Rocket.Chat

Open source communication platform combining messaging, voice, video, and AI for organizations that need full data control, air-gapped deployments, and zero-trust security.

Visit Rocket.Chat Read more

46,022stars+150(+0.3%)

Last 30 days

Last commit
2 days ago
Repository age
11 years
Version
8.7.1
License
MIT
Self-hosted
Yes
Repository
rocketchat/rocket.chat

Detailed Comparison

Both Nextcloud and Rocket.Chat have their unique strengths and serve similar purposes effectively. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, growth, activity, technology, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.

Comparable

Community & Popularity

Both tools have similar popularity levels, with Nextcloud having 36,558 stars and Rocket.Chat having 46,022 stars on GitHub. In terms of developer contributions, Rocket.Chat has 13,818 forks, indicating strong developer engagement.

Nextcloud wins

Growth Momentum

Nextcloud is growing faster, adding 305 stars in the last 30 days (+0.8%) against adding 150 stars for Rocket.Chat (+0.3%). Nextcloud is the smaller project of the two, so it is closing the gap rather than extending a lead.

Comparable

Development Activity

Both projects show recent activity, with Nextcloud last updated 7 hours ago and Rocket.Chat 2 days ago.

Comparable

Technology Stack

Both tools share common technology foundations, being built with JavaScript, CSS, Bash, Typescript, SCSS. However, they differ in their additional technology choices: Nextcloud uses Vue, PHP while Rocket.Chat leverages JSX, Meteor.

Rocket.Chat wins

Project Maturity

Rocket.Chat has been in development longer, starting 11 years ago, compared to Nextcloud which began 10 years ago. This 1.1-year head start suggests Rocket.Chat may have more mature features and established processes.

Rocket.Chat wins

Licensing

Rocket.Chat uses the MIT license, which is more permissive than Nextcloud's AGPL-3.0 license, potentially offering greater flexibility for commercial use and integration.

Comparable

Use Cases & Features

Both tools serve similar use cases in Collaborative Workspaces. However, they also have distinct specializations: Nextcloud also focuses on Cloud File Sync & Share, Storage while Rocket.Chat extends into Team Chat & Messaging, Video Conferencing & Virtual Office.

Comparable