HARDWARE PLANNING

What hardware does Nextcloud need?

There is no honest single answer. Nextcloud's own documentation says memory requirements vary greatly with the number of users, apps, files and the amount of activity on the server.

Memory is workload-dependent

Current Nextcloud documentation states a minimum of 128 MB RAM per process and recommends at least 512 MB per process. That is not the same as saying “a Nextcloud server needs 512 MB RAM”. Multiple PHP processes, the database, caching and other services share the machine.

For a small household, start modestly

A modern low-power mini PC or small server with several gigabytes of RAM can be a sensible starting point for a few users, provided storage and backups are planned properly. Apps such as full-text search, office integration or heavy preview generation can increase requirements.

Use fast storage for the application and database

Keeping the operating system, database and application on SSD storage generally gives a better experience. Bulk user files can sit on larger storage, including appropriately configured external storage, but the design should match how many files and users you expect.

64-bit is the sensible baseline

Nextcloud's current server documentation recommends 64-bit operating systems, CPUs and PHP. Supported Linux distributions and database versions change over time, so check the current requirements before a fresh installation or major upgrade.

Do you need a GPU?

Not for normal file syncing and sharing. A GPU is not a basic Nextcloud requirement. Optional workloads added around the platform may have their own needs.

Use the personal cloud storage calculator for capacity planning, and compare mini PC vs NAS if you are choosing hardware.

Source: Nextcloud system requirements.