Why Replace Dropbox?
Dropbox is well-designed, reliable, and widely used. None of that is in dispute. But its pricing has climbed steadily — the Plus plan runs around $144/year, and the free tier was cut to 2 GB years ago. For people paying that every year, the maths becomes uncomfortable when you realise the files are sitting on Dropbox's servers, not yours.
A self-hosted Dropbox alternative gives you the same core outcomes — files accessible from any browser, secure sharing links, multi-user access — running on hardware you control. Your files never leave your home. No per-GB charges, no subscription creep, no corporation with access to your data.
This walkthrough uses Gavety as the self-hosted Dropbox alternative — it's the fastest path from zero to remote file access on your own hardware. For a broader comparison of all self-hosting options, see our beginner's guide to self-hosted cloud storage. Pricing details are on the Gavety pricing page.
What You'll Need
Hardware
Any of these will work — use what you already own:
- Raspberry Pi 4 (2GB or 4GB) — recommended for always-on use. Ultra-low power (5–7W), runs silently.
- Raspberry Pi 5 — faster, better for multiple simultaneous users or video streaming.
- Any old laptop or desktop running Ubuntu / Debian — if you have spare hardware, use it. No new purchase needed.
- Any ARM64 device — Orange Pi, Odroid, or similar boards all work.
Plus a storage drive — any USB hard drive, SSD, or the device's internal storage. See how Gavety handles storage for what's supported.
Skip straight to Step 2 below. No new purchase required — just connect a drive and run the installer. The whole process takes under 10 minutes.
Software requirements
- Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit), Ubuntu, or Debian Linux
- Internet connection on the device (wired or WiFi)
- Terminal / SSH access
- A Gavety account (free to create)
The Setup: Step by Step
On a Raspberry Pi: Flash Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit) to your SD card using the Raspberry Pi Imager. Enable SSH and set a username/password in the advanced options. Power on, find your Pi's IP in your router's device list, then SSH in:
# Connect to your Pi $ ssh pi@192.168.1.xterminal
On an existing Linux machine: Open a terminal. You're already there — skip to Step 2.
Update your system first:
$ sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -ybash
uname -m — should return aarch64 (Pi/ARM) or x86_64 (laptop/desktop). Both are fully supported.Plug in your USB hard drive or SSD. On Raspberry Pi OS, USB drives auto-mount. Verify the drive is visible:
$ lsblkbash
If it's not mounted automatically, mount it manually:
$ sudo mkdir -p /mnt/storage $ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/storage $ df -h /mnt/storagebash
To persist the mount across reboots, add to /etc/fstab:
# Get your drive UUID $ sudo blkid /dev/sda1 # Add this line to /etc/fstab: UUID=your-uuid-here /mnt/storage ext4 defaults,nofail 0 2bash
ext4 is recommended for Linux. NTFS (Windows) and exFAT (Mac) drives will also mount — install ntfs-3g for NTFS: sudo apt install ntfs-3g. You can reformat to ext4 with sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda1 (this erases the drive).
df -h should show your drive mounted with its full capacity. 0% used means it's ready.Run the one-line installer:
$ curl -fsSL install.gavety.com | bashbash
The installer will:
- Detect your architecture (ARM64 or x86_64) and download the correct binary
- Install a systemd service so Gavety starts automatically on boot
- Scan for mounted storage and present it during sign-in
- Create an outbound encrypted tunnel to
app.gavety.com
You'll see output like:
→ Detected: arm64 (Raspberry Pi 4) → Downloading gavety-agent v2.4.1... ✓ → Installing systemd service... ✓ → Found: /mnt/storage (932 GB) → Connecting to app.gavety.com... ✓ ✓ Ready. Sign in at app.gavety.comoutput
systemctl status gavety should show Active: active (running). If it shows failed, check logs: journalctl -u gavety -n 50On any browser — your phone, a work laptop, a café — open:
https://app.gavety.combrowser
Sign in with your Gavety account. Your storage is now a full file manager in the browser. What works immediately: upload via drag & drop, download, folder management, video playback (MP4/MKV via HTTP Range — no transcoding), and PDF/image preview.
Unlike Nextcloud or OpenMediaVault, Gavety uses an outbound tunnel — your device connects outward to app.gavety.com, not the other way. This works regardless of whether your ISP uses CGNAT (common on Jio Fiber, BSNL, and most residential broadband). No port forwarding, no router config, no static IP. See our full explainer: self hosting without port forwarding. Architecture details on the global access page.
Sharing a file or folder:
- Right-click (or long-press on mobile) any file or folder
- Select Share
- Set an optional expiry date and click Generate link
- Copy the
gavety.com/s/xxxxxxxxlink and send it to anyone
Recipients don't need a Gavety account. The link is token-secured — revocable at any time from your share history.
Inviting a user to your storage: Go to Settings → Users, click Invite user, set permissions (Read-only, Read/Write, or Admin), and optionally restrict to specific folders.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Agent installs but shows “disconnected” in the dashboard
Usually means authentication didn't complete. Sign in at app.gavety.com after installing — the agent needs your account to link the device. If already signed in and still disconnected:
sudo systemctl restart gavety journalctl -u gavety -n 30 --no-pager
Look for “auth” or “token expired” lines. Re-running the installer re-authenticates without losing data.
Drive isn't showing in the file manager
The agent scans for mounted drives at startup. If you attached a drive after the agent was running, restart it:
sudo systemctl restart gavety
Verify the drive is actually mounted: df -h should list it. If not mounted, follow Step 2 above. NTFS drives need ntfs-3g: sudo apt install ntfs-3g
Uploads are slow or stalling
Upload speed is limited by your home internet connection's upload bandwidth. For large files (>1GB), use wired Ethernet to your Pi rather than WiFi. Uploads within your home network use the direct LAN path (much faster than through the tunnel).
Videos won't play in the browser
MP4 with H.264/AAC plays in all modern browsers. MKV and AVI may not play natively in Safari. Try Chrome or Firefox instead, or re-encode: ffmpeg -i input.mkv -c:v libx264 -c:a aac output.mp4
Gavety uses HTTP Range Requests for streaming — you can seek to any point without downloading the full file.
Gavety service stops after power cut
The systemd service is configured to start on boot automatically. After a power cut and reboot, check: systemctl status gavety. For frequent power cuts, a small UPS keeps the Pi running during brief outages and allows a clean shutdown.
Raspberry Pi is getting too hot
A Pi 4 under normal file server load stays under 60°C with passive cooling. Check temperature: vcgencmd measure_temp. If above 70°C, add a heatsink. The Pi 5 has a built-in fan that handles this automatically.
Dropbox vs Self-Hosted Gavety: Feature Comparison
| Feature | Dropbox Plus | Gavety (self-hosted) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | ~$144/year | $100 licence (yr 1 free) then $30/yr |
| Storage limit | 2 TB (plan limit) | ✓ Unlimited (your drive) |
| Where files are stored | Dropbox servers | ✓ Your hardware only |
| Browser file access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shareable links (expiring) | ✓ | ✓ Token-secured |
| Multi-user access control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Works behind CGNAT | ✓ (cloud-hosted) | ✓ (outbound tunnel) |
| Desktop sync client | ✓ Windows / Mac / Linux | ✗ On roadmap |
| Mobile app | ✓ iOS + Android | ~ Mobile browser (PWA) |
| Media streaming in browser | ~ Limited file types | ✓ Full HTTP Range support |
| Version history | ✓ 180-day (Plus) | ✗ On roadmap |
| No data scanned / analysed | ✗ Per Dropbox ToS | ✓ Files never leave your hardware |
| Setup time | 0 min | ~10 min (one-time) |
✓ supported · ~ partial · ✗ not yet available · as of April 2026
Is This Self-Hosted Dropbox Alternative Right for You?
Keep Dropbox if…
- You rely on the desktop sync folder (auto-syncing files)
- You need Dropbox's integrations with Slack, Office, or Workspace
- You want a native iOS/Android app for camera backup
- Zero setup is a hard requirement
- You need 180-day version history
Switch to Gavety if…
- You already own a Raspberry Pi, laptop, or spare PC
- Browser-based access from any device is sufficient
- You're behind CGNAT (Jio, BSNL, most home broadband)
- You want files off corporate servers entirely
- $30/year beats $144/year in your budget
- You want unlimited storage beyond Dropbox's 2 TB cap
For a broader view of your self-hosting options — including Nextcloud, OpenMediaVault, and Synology — see our complete beginner's guide to self-hosted cloud storage. For the Nextcloud-specific comparison, see Nextcloud alternatives in 2026. For hardware-specific questions, see OpenMediaVault vs Gavety and Synology alternative for home.
Your Dropbox replacement is 10 minutes away
Install on a Raspberry Pi or any Linux machine. Remote access included — no port forwarding, no CGNAT issues, no router config. $100 one-time licence, first year of service free.
Get started — $100 →This is Post 7 in Gavety's Self-hosting made simple series. Questions? Contact us.
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