The Promise Apollo Cloud 2 Duo is a simple, good-looking NAS device that offers copious easy-to-use personal cloud storage, although it's a bit slower than the competition. PROS Easy to install. WD's personal cloud storage devices are best sellers on Amazon, with thousands of customer reviews to attest to their capability. Like Seagate's entry above, My Cloud doesn't let you swap out the.
| Service | Nextcloud |
| Based in | N/A |
| Free Version | Yes |
| Price | N/A |
| Website | Nextcloud.com/ |
Nextcloud is an incredibly flexible cloud storage system. You can configure it in many different ways, and integrate it with over one hundred third-party apps. This is all incredible, but our focus in this series of cloud storage reviews is secure cloud storage. While I will touch on other aspects of the product, my goal here is to talk about whether Nextcloud has the potential to be your next secure cloud storage product.
+ Pros
- FOSS (Free Open Source Software)
- Self-hosted and third-party hosted data options
- HIPAA and GDPR compliant
- Supports 2FA
- Integrated personal information management
- Optional integration with third-party apps
- Optional version tracking
- Nextcloud Hub for in-house collaboration
- Regular and Enterprise version
– Cons
- End-to-end encryption not fully implemented yet
- Company-authorized, third-party scanning of your system
Nextcloud feature summary
Here is a quick summary of the core features of Nextcloud.
- FOSS that runs on Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android, iOS, and major browsers
- Multiple data hosting options
- Data in transit protected with TLS
- Optional at rest encryption using AES-256
- Optional end-to-end encryption with AES-128-GCM (not yet fully implemented)
- Optional file versioning
- 2FA support
- File sharing with numerous control options
- Integrated Personal Information Management (calendar, contacts, notes, tasks)
- Media streaming
- Synchronizes across all your devices and browsers
Company information
Nextcloud GmbH is the German publisher of the Nextcloud software. Founded in 2016 by developers from ownCloud, Nextcloud is an Open Source fork of that project. Normally, at this point in a cloud storage review, we would be talking about how Germany is a 14 eyes country, and how that affects the privacy and security of your Nextcloud data. But Nextcloud doesn't actually host any of your data or even sell you the software. This makes our usual concerns about German laws moot.
Note: Things are different if you are interested in Nextcloud Enterprise. I don't plan on dealing with this version in any detail in this review. If you want to learn more about it, a good starting point would be in the Nextcloud prices section that appears later in this article.
Where does Nextcloud stores user data?
Obviously, your data is stored somewhere when you use Nextcloud. But I can't tell you where it will be stored. That's because Nextcloud works through partner hosting companies around the world. They are the ones who store your data, be they located in Germany, Switzerland, Kuala Lumpur, wherever. You can also self-host your data on any server you have access to anywhere in the world.
The Nextcloud approach to data storage is incredibly flexible. But it also puts the burden of deciding where your data should be stored on your shoulders. You'll want to choose a country for your data based on your threat model, your country of citizenship, and where you are going to be located when you access that data.
Nextcloud Privacy and Legal Policy
Nextcloud publishes a combined Privacy and Legal Policy document. I reviewed this to see what impact it might have on how you use the product. But before I go into the details of that, we need to talk again about Nextcloud partners. Because the partners who do the hosting are independent companies, they have their own Terms of Service and Privacy Policies that you will want to consider.
The short summary of the Nextcloud privacy and legal policies are that they take the minimum amount of data possible, and delete it as fast as they can. For example, if you give them an email address to download a white paper, they delete that email address as soon as they send you the white paper. They do some tracking and marketing of visitors to their website, but promise to delete and anonymize it regularly, without sharing any of it with third parties.
The Nextcloud server and mobile apps are designed not to send any data to the company, although Google and Apple will get some data if you download your mobile client from their app stores. Specifically:
The Play Store version equal to or newer than 1.5.0 for Nextcloud supports push notifications which use the Google servers. However Google does not have access to the actual notification data. Facebook desktop notifications download. Only a header with a subject is sent via Google, but in encrypted form, and the rest of the content is retrieved directly from your Nextcloud server and not sent through Google. The iOS client works in a similar way.
For the utmost in protection against this, you can download an Android Nextcloud client from F-Droid, an app store that only allows Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).
Third-party software you might use with Nextcloud is not under their control, and you'll want to investigate the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy of any such software you are considering.
If you would like to verify all this for yourself, you can find the Nextcloud Privacy and Legal Policy here.
Nexcloud security audits & other third-party tests
I wasn't able to find any third-party security audits or penetration testing being done by Nextcloud. That said, I did find two types of auditing/testing you should be aware of.
Nextcloud Security Scan
The company does offer their own security scanning tool. The Nextcloud Security Scan is a system that, '…analyzes the security of your server and gives you an overview of what to improve.'
While this tool can't replace an audit by an experienced third party, using it certainly can't hurt!
Third-party scans of your installation
I did come across one type of third-party Nextcloud testing, and I'm not real happy about it. Nextcloud uses third-party services that scan the Internet looking for Nextcloud installations that they claim have security vulnerabilities. These services then report the 'problem' to the German government's Federal Cyber Security Authority (BSI). The BSI then sends a letter to whoever is hosting your servers, telling them to tell you to update your software. While this all appears to be a legitimate function of the BSI, I am not thrilled with the idea of the German government getting involved in monitoring the configuration of my Nextcloud server.
To dig into this particular issue further, you could check this discussion thread in the Nextcloud help section.
Nextcloud user interfaces
While there are over 100 apps in the Nextcloud app store, we're just going to concentrate on the core user interfaces here: the desktop app, the web interface and the mobile apps.
Nextcloud desktop app
The desktop app is accessible through the system tray or equivalent area of your operating system.
It creates a Nextcloud folder in your system's file structure. Anything you place in this folder gets synced to your cloud storage and from there to any other instance of Nextcloud you have installed. The desktop app also gives you direct access to the Nextcloud folder, controls synchronization, and can launch the web interface.
Using the Settings… option, this is also where you can control which folders get synchronized to the local device.
Nextcloud web interface
The fullest range of Nextcloud capabilities appear in the web interface. What those capabilities are (and how secure and private your Nextcloud installation is) will depend on the installed apps.
Even if you are self-hosting your data, a key determinant of the security of your Nextcloud installation is the security of the apps you are using.
Nextcloud mobile apps
The iOS and Android apps give you access to whatever is stored in the cloud. But they do not automatically download everything. This makes sense since you don't want to burn all your mobile data and the storage space on your device syncing files you are never going to look at.
Here's the Nextcloud Android client:
Nextcloud hands-on testing
For this review, I installed Nextcloud on a desktop running Ubuntu and also an Android phone. I used one of the Nextcloud partners for free hosting.
I'm not going to talk about self-hosting your data since that is beyond the scope of this Nextcloud review.
Installing Nextcloud
Installing Nextcloud when using one of the partner hosting services is pretty easy. Log into the Nextcloud website. Set up your account (username and password required). Choose one of the hosting partners that the site recommends and create an account there. Download and install the desktop apps and mobile apps for each device you want to sync with Nextcloud.
Once the software is installed, launch the desktop app. Open the Nextcloud folder and add files and folders you want synchronized to it. Repeat on each device.
Configuring Nextcloud
Like installing Nextcloud, configuring it is easy if you are using one of the hosting partners. Once you've added the files and folders you want synced into the Nextcloud folder, you should be up and running.
Depending on your circumstances, you do have the option to configure a proxy, and limit the upload and download bandwidth, but in most cases you should be good to go with the defaults.
Using Nextcloud
Basic use of Nextcloud is about what you would expect. Drop files or folders into the Nextcloud folder and after a short wait they will appear on all your devices running the service. A copy will physically appear in the Nextcloud folder of every desktop app, while a download link to the file will appear in each mobile app and the web interface.
Beyond that, everything depends on the additional apps that you have access to. For example, the web interface for the partner hosted installation I used for this article includes the following capabilities:
- Files (the basic sync feature)
- Activity
- Gallery
- Contacts
- Calendar
- Passwords
- Notes
- Deck
- Announcements
- Tasks
Additional Nextcloud features
Nextcloud offers a huge variety of apps that give the product a wide range of features. We'll take a quick look at the Nextcloud app store, then look at some of the non-app additional features you may have access to.
1. The Nextcloud app store
The huge collection of apps here is a great resource for anyone setting up a Nextcloud environment. However, it is also a (potential) security nightmare. You'll want to evaluate any apps you are considering using against your threat model. To check out the app store, click here.
Below are some of the useful additional features of Nextcloud. Whether or not they are available to your particular installation will often depend on how you are configured, who is hosting your data, and whether you have a free or paid plan.
2. Nextcloud Hub
The Nextcloud Hub is a recent addition to the enterprise product line. It is designed to give your organization the benefits of online collaboration, without the compliance and security risks of third-party services. Comprised of Nextcloud Files, Nextcloud Talk, and Nextcloud Groupware, it lets you keep everything safe and secure by hosting Nextcloud on your own secure hardware.
3. GDPR Compliance Kit
Achieving GDPR compliance is a project under any circumstances. Doing so with a highly customizable product like Nextcloud has to be an even bigger job. To help with this, the company has created their GDPR Compliance Kit. If GDPR compliance is a concern for your application, you can learn more about the kit here.
4. HIPPA / HITECH support
The enterprise version of Nextcloud is designed to fit into a HIPPA / HITECH environment. The company provides white papers and other support for organizations that need it. You can learn more here.
5. File Versioning
Nextcloud has basic version control built in. The details of how many and how long versions are kept are under control of the Administrator. Some free third-party hosting plans do not include version control at all.
Nextcloud Support
The support Nextcloud provides depends on which version of the product you are using. Nextcloud Enterprise gets the full range of support.
Users of the free version of Nextcloud get access to a complete set of documentation:
- User manual
- Admin manual
- Developer manual
They also get access to:
- Nextcloud forums
- Nextcloud IRC chat channel
- Nextcloud Facebook page
- Nextcloud Twitter feed
These are all users helping users channels of communication.
How secure and private is Nextcloud?
This is a tough question to answer. That's not because Nextcloud is a bad product, with poor security or crummy privacy policies. It is because this is such a flexible product, with so many different options, that it is hard to give blanket answers. Let's see what I can tell you about this…
Nextcloud security
To discuss Nexcloud security, we need to talk about a few different configurations: self-hosted configurations, and configurations where some other organization controls the data. Self-hosted configurations, whether on your own server or on someone else's server but completely under your control, can be secure. That's because you can apply strong encryption to the folders or disks where your data is stored. Assuming you hold the encryption keys, your data should be secure.
In cases where some other organization controls the data (Nextcloud hosting partners, for example) your data is not going to be very secure. Even if that other organization applies strong encryption, they will be the ones controlling the keys. That leaves the security of your data up to them.
What about Nextcloud's end-to-end encryption?
This looks promising, but it isn't fully implemented yet. Until such time as Nextcloud announces that end-to-end encryption is fully functional and ready for use, we won't know for sure what to think of it.
Nextcloud privacy
As we saw earlier, Nextcloud's privacy policies are pretty friendly. Where potential problems arise is with the third-party apps you can use with Nextcloud, and with the hosting services that you might use to store your data. Each of these will have their own privacy policies. You'll have to evaluate each one to understand how private your own Nextcloud configuration actually is.
Nextcloud prices
Nextcloud comes in two forms: FOSS and Enterprise. While I'm interested in the FOSS version, it is useful to know a bit about what Nextcloud Enterprise offers and what it might cost you. As the Nextcloud website says,
Nextcloud Enterprise is pre-configured, optimized and hardened for the special needs of large scale, production-critical enterprise deployments. It is backed by a Nextcloud Subscription which gives you access to our expertise, partner services and more.
The company offers three plans: Basic, Standard, and Premium:
To find out more about what you get with the various Nextcloud Enterprise plans, check out this FAQ.
Nextcloud Review Conclusion
Nextcloud is a powerful, flexible, and free cloud storage solution. Between the core product and the 100+ apps you can add to it, you can create anything from basic cloud storage to a complete environment for home or business use.
It remains an ideal solution for those looking to self-host while also offering lots of flexibility. Once end-to-end encryption is fully deployed, you can build a free (or low cost) cloud storage system with encryption that rivals any other provider. Nonetheless, it remains an excellent solution if you are self-hosting on secure servers.
Other cloud storage reviews from Restore Privacy:
Last updated on April 11, 2020.
- Rating(3.2)
If you're like most technology-savvy individuals, you have thousands of files, pictures, videos, and music files. Where are they? Most likely, they're spread across your phone, tablets, laptop, and desktop computers. Finding the one you're looking for can be time-consuming and often frustrating.
Even more important – what happens if your laptop or mobile device bites the dust, and the stored images and documents are not recoverable? Maybe you don't want to think about that scenario – maybe you should.
Aside from protecting your precious files and memories from disaster, your devices have a limited capacity, and sooner or later your phone or tablet will reach its limit, forcing you to either delete or move data to another storage device.
Western Digital My Cloud is a cost-effective, reliable solution to your backup and storage dilemma.
What Is Western Digital My Cloud?
Image from Unsplash
Western Digital My Cloud is a software-powered, web-enabled, high-capacity storage unit. My Cloud enables you to backup, store, and share your files across every computer or mobile device enabled on your home network. You can even access My Cloud remotely via the web.
My Cloud is a network-attached storage (NAS) unit that connects directly to your home Wi-Fi router, making it accessible to all your wireless or network-connected computers, tablets, and smartphones.
Many small businesses and global enterprises have been using NAS systems for years to make data available to networked computers and mobile workforces. NAS gives businesses a technical edge in several ways:
- Quick access to data and files needed
- Online availability for both local and mobile employees
- Backup storage for critical databases and documents
- Flexibility in adding capacity as needed
Enhanced technology and the reduced cost of storage capacity have now made these systems available at very affordable prices for home and small business use.
NAS brings high-speed, high-capacity storage to home networks, providing many advantages:
- Storing your photos and other data files for backup
- Freeing storage space on your computers, phones, and tablets
- Sharing files among family members and friends
- Access your pictures and documents anytime, anywhere, with web accessibility
- Automated backup of your files to secure storage
- One central storage location for your entire family's photos, videos, and important files
Ease of installing and setting up My Cloud makes this a perfect storage solution for your home or business.
Putting My Cloud To Work For You
Image by Bethany Drouin from Pixabay
Storing your important files is only one way Western Digital My Cloud helps you manage your data:
My Cloud is compatible with both Mac and PC computers
Backup and share photos and other information with family members and friends, enabled by internet access
Keep your whole home up-to-date and synchronized with updates as files get changed or added. Leave the storing and backup of your files to My Cloud. Set it up and forget it.
Western Digital My Cloud Features
My Cloud is loaded with features that make it easy for you to get started with sharing and protecting your precious photos and videos.
Western Digital (WD) SmartWare Pro software provides flexibility and reliability in backing up your PC files. Have Mac devices in your home? My Cloud is fully compatible with Apple Time Machine, as well.
Free up space on your smartphones or tablets by letting the mobile app backup your photos to your own personal cloud. Why pay for online services for backup and sharing, when you can install your own cloud that gives you the benefits without the expense.
Technical Features
My Cloud is compatible with nearly any OS you use:
- Windows 7, 8, 10
- Mac OS X El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks, or Mountain Lion
- My Cloud simply requires a router with internet connection and DLNA/UPnP devices for streaming
- Gigabit Ethernet
- Multiple storage capacity models available – 3, 4, 6, and 8TB units, to accommodate any data storage needs
Need even more security for your data? Choose the My Cloud Mirror model. Mirror utilizes RAID 1 technology to save your data twice on dual drives, just as costly enterprise systems mirror data for enhanced security.
My Cloud Mirror models are available in capacities of 4, 6, 8, 12, and 16TB units.
My Cloud Home, My Cloud, and My Cloud Mirror units come with a 2-year manufacturer's warranty.
Physical Features
My Cloud models are compact, easy-to-install devices
My Cloud models are a mere 6.7'H x 5.5'D x 4.72'W – small footprint, easy to place near your WiFi router
Mirror models are only slightly larger, at 6.75'H x 6.1'D x 3.9'W
My Cloud Home models offer you the benefit of easy file storing and sharing, beginning at only $$. These units also are available in a mirrored model – My Cloud Home Duo, providing you with a second drive that automatically saves your files to a second drive for redundant backup.
My Cloud Home is available in capacities of 2-20TB, allowing you to select the storage that meets your needs. Home models set up quickly and easily, and offer several useful features:
- Quick USB transfer of files and photos
- No monthly fees – this is your personal cloud storage
- Sets up with your phone – no computer is needed
- Synch files from your mobile devices and computers to a central location
Western Digital also has the My Cloud models you need to support businesses data requirements, with the My Cloud Pro and My Cloud Expert models, equipped with high-speed processors and storage capacities up to an amazing 40TB.
Pro models allow creative teams to collaborate and share files quickly and efficiently, with raid-protected storage, and blazing speed provided by the latest technology in processors and drives.
What Do Consumers Say About My Cloud?
Western Digital My Cloud Reviews are offered both by technical professionals, and customers.
Best Home Cloud Storage Devices
Consumer Reviews
Those who have purchased My Cloud systems provide plenty of feedback on their experience and satisfaction with the units:
- 'Overall I really like the NAS which is why I gave it 4 stars, it would have been 5 but for some poor choices on the manufactures end with default settings, IMO. It has performed without issue so far and I will update this thread if there are any changes.'
- 'After years of having multiple 'Back-Up' external drives, I finally bit the bullet and bought the WD 4TB My Cloud. I couldn't be happier. I have been able to consolidate all my files into one place. I love that they are accessible to any one of my computers. That I can get to my files as I travel is a major plus, yes this drive has remote capabilities. This drive is simple to install for those who are computer savvy, but I can see it being a bit more difficult for those who struggle with computers.'
- 'When you access My Cloud Drive Properties, you can change the needed settings. Key to this is utilizing the dashboard, then going through each setting. I have mine set to a static IP, power saving off, Auto Updating and so on.
- 'One of the bonuses to this drive is you can add an additional USB drive to the back of the unit, in order to create a safe point. This will help you recover data should your drive fail. It takes an image of the drive that can be used to restore your information to your drive. Remember however that recovery is only as good as the last safe point you have created.'
- 'If you are worried about what people will see if you give them access to your Cloud, then you have no worries. You can set each folders access list. Like any large network out there you are in control of who can view which files you wish. This is especially nice when your collaborating with someone on a project. So if your looking for a reliable personal cloud, and you are able to read instructions, you should be able to set this up with little to no effort.'
- 'After years of having multiple 'Back-Up' external drives, I finally bit the bullet and bought the WD 4TB My Cloud. I couldn't be happier. I have been able to consolidate all my files into one place. I love that they are accessible to any one of my computers. That I can get to my files as I travel is a major plus, yes this drive has remote capabilities. This drive is simple to install for those who are computer savvy, but I can see it being a bit more difficult for those who struggle with computers.'
Not everyone is as enamored with their My Cloud experience, as evidenced by some owners.
- 'I bought one of these about 2 years ago and it worked ok until it failed after about one year. I then bought a 4th one it it too have now got a failed disk after about 14 months.
- 'Hard drive failed after 1 week. Absolute garbage. DO NOT BUY THIS'
What The Pros Say
Image from Unsplash
You can typically rely more on the evaluations offered by technical professionals when considering what type of NAS/cloud storage to invest in.
Technical experts Cnet make the positive statement that My Cloud is the 'best budget home NAS server to date.' Cnet rates My Cloud at 8.3 on a scale to 10. Their findings:
- The Good – The WD My Cloud is fast, affordable, and easy to use, and has a well-implemented, powerful personal cloud feature.
- The Bad – The My Cloud mobile app's streaming function is very limited and can only display content by folders.
- The Bottom Line – For a low-cost entry-level network storage device, the WD My Cloud is very impressive both in performance and features, making it one of the best deals for home users.
Another technical review by an experienced technician with First Post technology news offers his results, granted after a fair amount of 'tinkering' and adjusting settings:
Top Personal Cloud Storage
'After setup, my home storage environment looked something like this:
- All devices that need access to the data on the MyCloud drive can now access it over the home network.
- All MacBooks will now automatically backup their data to the MyCloud drive.
- Movies and music stored on iTunes are now accessible to everyone.
- All iPhones now backup to the MyCloud drive.
- All photos are accessible from anywhere to all members of my family.
- Guests can access a limited collection of photos, music and movies.
- Downloads automatically go to the MyCloud drive.
- The Xbox One S can access the media library and can now stream movies to the TV at any time.
- I would get email alerts when anything happened to the MyCloud drive, even a power outage.
With this one device and a few days of tinkering, I've vastly streamlined data use in my house and made it convenient for anyone to use and access data storage with minimal fuss. As a bonus, the MyCloud consumes a fraction of the power that my PC consumes, so my electricity bill isn't going to shoot through the roof.
It still took me a few days to sort out all the kinks in the system, but once sorted, it was easy to forget that the device even existed.'
What You Should Consider When Purchasing The Western Digital My Cloud
Western Digital My Cloud reviews are only one part of your decision-making process. As often is the case with even moderately technical equipment, you will find those who have a difficult time setting up and using new devices, while others feel it's a snap.
My Cloud lies somewhere in between, based on the feedback from both consumers and professionals. There are a few common issues to think about before you make your purchase:
- Capacity – purchase a unit large enough to accommodate your future needs. When you combine the photos, videos, office documents, and other data on your many devices, storage requirements add up very quickly.
- Ease of Use –review the setup requirements of different models, to ensure your technical skills are adequate to make your installation successful with minimal difficulty or frustration.
- Support –Western Digital offers a multitude of support capabilities including online FAQs, setup videos, portals that include question/answer capabilities, and even an online WD community to share experiences and ask questions to fellow consumers.
- Security –before you open up your My Cloud to friends or others outside your WiFi router, make sure you understand the security functionality and have all access to your data secured.
Bonus! Purchasing some models of My Cloud through Amazon can sweeten the deal with discounts and interest-free financing for up to six months. Check Amazon's web site for current offers and promotions.
My Cloud models offer home networks and families great functionality for data backup, file synchronization, freeing up space on mobile devices and computers, and sharing data over WiFi and internet connections. All this at a very cost-effective purchase price and no recurring cost to the consumer.
