Email Migration & Fastmail
Pair file storage you own with privacy-first business email, preserving Microsoft Outlook sync.
Explore Email Migration →
Storage Architecture
File Sync & Real-Time Collaboration
Powered by Nextcloud & OnlyOffice.
Open Stack Forge deploys and manages private Nextcloud Hub and OnlyOffice document clusters for Canadian businesses. Replace escalating per-user fees from Google Drive, Dropbox Business, and Box with single-tenant cloud storage where you own the accounts, the data and the keys.
The Cost of Proprietary SaaS
Why Cloud Storage Subscriptions Punish Business Growth
Cloud storage vendors began as inexpensive file lockers, but quickly instituted predatory tiered pricing models that penalize growing organizations.
Between Dropbox Advanced ($24 to $32 per user/month) and Google Workspace Business Plus ($28.70 per user/month, CAD list price, annual commitment, checked September 2026), a 35-person firm often expends $10,000 to $13,500 every single year simply to store spreadsheets, CAD drawings, PDFs, and client archives. Whenever your team adds contractors, part-time staff, or new hires, your software invoice increases regardless of whether those users actively consume storage.
Even worse, proprietary providers impose arbitrary pooled storage caps, sudden API rate limits, and intrusive privacy policies that index confidential corporate documents. Nextcloud Hub breaks this dependency: storage is decoupled from user headcount and tied directly to commodity Canadian object storage (S3) costs.
SaaS Storage Comparison
Canadian-Hosted
Nextcloud Hub + OnlyOffice Architecture
Platforms Replaced
Google Drive · Dropbox · Box · OneDrive
Core Open Stack
Nextcloud · OnlyOffice · MinIO/S3
Desktop Integration
Native macOS Finder & Windows Explorer Sync
Seat Economics
Unlimited Team Seats on Managed Node
Detailed comparison:
Nextcloud vs Google Drive: Honest Cost Analysis →
Seamless User Experience
Compatibility-First Design: Familiar Desktop Workflows
Your employees will not need to abandon the file-handling habits they rely on every day. Nextcloud feels and operates just like Dropbox or OneDrive.
Native Desktop Sync Clients
Windows Explorer and macOS Finder display files with real-time green sync checkmarks. Support for virtual files allows browsing terabytes of project files without filling local hard drives.
Microsoft Office Document Editing
Through embedded OnlyOffice, team members collaboratively draft and revise Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files directly in their browser with flawless layout fidelity and revision tracking.
Client File Drop Portals
Create branded upload links for outside clients, accountants, and legal partners. External parties can securely drop confidential files without creating an account or paying license fees.
Mobile Access & Auto-Upload
Dedicated iOS and Android apps allow staff in the field to access job site photos, schematics, and invoices with automatic offline caching and biometric login.
File Migration Process
How We Move Your Files to Nextcloud
Nobody loses a folder or a share link without warning. Nextcloud runs alongside Google Drive or Dropbox until every file and permission has been checked.
1
Map Folders, Shares & Storage
We map every Google Drive or Dropbox folder, shared drive, external share link and permission, and measure total storage so the new server is sized for growth.
2
Build Your Private Nextcloud Server
We set up a dedicated Nextcloud server with Redis caching, a PostgreSQL database and expandable storage, then create groups and folders that mirror how your team already works.
3
Sync Files & Verify Every Checksum
Files copy in the background with rclone and repeated delta syncs. We compare checksums and sharing permissions, then move desktop sync clients over one team at a time.
4
Backups, Restore Tests & Updates
Your Nextcloud gets daily encrypted backups, scheduled restore tests, and monthly tested updates for Nextcloud and its apps, so file sync stays fast and safe.
Data Residency & Legal Obligations
Keep Your Corporate Intelligence in Canada
Under Canadian privacy law (PIPEDA) and provincial standards, Canadian businesses must safeguard sensitive client records and intellectual property against unwarranted foreign surveillance.
- ✓Canadian Data Residency: Storage nodes and database backends are hosted in Canada, on Canadian-owned infrastructure when data control matters.
- ✓Client-Held Encryption Keys: You hold the admin credentials and encryption keys; we use delegated access only.
- ✓Zero AI Scraping: Your confidential contracts, financial models, and research documents are never fed into commercial large language models or ad targeting engines.
- ✓Immutable Snapshot Backups: Automated offsite daily snapshots protect your company against ransomware and accidental deletion.
Clear Fixed Pricing
Nextcloud Deployment & Migration Scope
$1,500 CAD Starter package
Nextcloud file sharing, Fastmail email and Vaultwarden are included in every Big Tech Escape package: Starter $1,500 (1-5 users), Core $2,500 (6-10), Growth $4,500 (11-25). Mattermost, Jitsi, BookStack and n8n are add-on tools at $750 each (one is included in Growth). 26-50 users: custom quote. Hosting billed at cost to your own account.
- Turnkey deployment on hardened Linux nodes (CIS benchmarked)
- Complete data migration from Dropbox, Box, or Google Drive
- OnlyOffice real-time document collaboration suite setup
- Granular group folder permissions and client upload portals
- 30-day fix-it period included and staff onboarding cheatsheets
Recommended ongoing support: Pair with Escape Care Basic ($299/mo) or Standard ($549/mo) for automated daily snapshots and patching.
Scope Honesty & Transparency
What Is Included & What Is Explicitly Excluded
We believe in transparent architectural boundaries. Here is exactly what we deliver in our fixed-scope engagements, and what lies outside our scope.
Full Delivery Scope
What Is Included
- Installation and performance tuning of single-tenant Nextcloud Hub cluster
- Integration of OnlyOffice Document Server for live browser co-editing
- Automated data migration and checksum validation (data limits depend on your package)
- Configuration of desktop sync clients and mobile connection profiles
- Automated daily encrypted snapshot backups to secondary isolated storage
- Administrator handover session and staff quick-reference PDF guides
- 30-day warranty covering configuration fixes and performance tuning
Clear Boundaries
What Is NOT Included
- Raw physical hard drive disaster recovery for failed local office NAS drives
- Purchasing commercial proprietary font licenses for OnlyOffice
- Custom C++ desktop client kernel driver modifications
- Structured cabling (coordinated with licensed installers and quoted separately)
Connected Open-Source Stack
Expand the Systems You Own
Combine Nextcloud file storage with communication and identity systems you own.
Business Password Manager
Secure credentials and share sensitive access across your team using Vaultwarden.
Explore Password Management →Managed Maintenance Plans
Ensure uptime monitoring with alerts to a real person, regular CVE patching, and monthly disaster recovery drills.
Explore Managed Care →Expert Technical Guidance
Frequently Asked Questions
Clear, direct answers about compatibility, migration timelines and ongoing operations.
Does Nextcloud sync files directly into Windows File Explorer and macOS Finder?
Yes. The Nextcloud desktop synchronization client integrates natively into Windows File Explorer and macOS Finder. Files appear directly in your local directory tree, complete with on-demand virtual file hydration (files download only when opened to conserve local SSD space), lock status badges, and right-click share link generation.
Can multiple team members edit documents simultaneously like Google Docs?
Yes. We integrate the OnlyOffice document suite with your Nextcloud instance. Your team gets real-time collaborative editing for DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX files with 100% Microsoft Office format compatibility, tracked revisions, live chat, and inline commenting directly inside the web browser.
Where is our data physically stored, and can we store it in Canada?
We deploy on Canadian-owned hosting when data control matters. A Canadian data centre run by a US company is still subject to US law. All data is hosted on your dedicated single-tenant infrastructure where you retain exclusive access to the underlying storage buckets and encryption keys. Open Stack Forge never aggregates or co-mingles your data with other clients.
How does Nextcloud handle external sharing with clients and contractors?
Nextcloud provides secure external sharing capabilities superior to Dropbox. You can generate password-protected public share links, enforce expiration dates, set read-only or upload-only permissions (ideal for client file drops), and prevent file downloads with watermarking.