Nextcloud is the most frequently cited European alternative to Microsoft 365 for file storage and collaboration. It is open source, German-founded, self-hostable, and available through dozens of EU hosting providers. For organisations evaluating a move away from Microsoft, it is usually the first name on the list.
But “migrate to Nextcloud” is not a plan. It is a destination. The plan requires understanding what the migration actually involves, what it costs, what it does not replace, and where the surprises are. This post breaks down the true cost for a specific scenario: a 25-person European professional services firm migrating from Microsoft 365 Business Premium to a Nextcloud-centred stack.