Opportunities › Open-source alternative to managed cloud storage › Proposed app
Ownshelf
Sync and share files from your own S3, R2 or local storage bucket
- Score
- 48
- confidence 61
- Evidence
- 6
- items on the page
- Rivals
- 3
- named in sources
- First version
- 45 d
- estimate
- Type
- Desktop and mobile
- PWA: on computers and phones alike
- Market since
- 2007
- Mature market · AI estimate
ScreensConcept
Desktop and mobile: Users manage file organization and sharing from a desk, but access and retrieve files on mobile while working in the field or on the go. Sample screens on a computer and a phone, in the proposed brand. Their numbers are sample data.
Add a bucket
Files stay in your bucket- Provider
About this appAI proposal
Ownshelf is a file sync and sharing app that sits on top of storage you already own. Connect an S3-compatible bucket, Cloudflare R2, Vercel Blob or a local disk. Your files stay in your bucket under their real names, and Ownshelf adds folders, search, versions and sharing links on top.
It is for individuals and small teams who want to stop paying a monthly fee for a managed drive, or who don't want to be locked into one provider. Disconnect Ownshelf and your files are still there, readable by any other tool.
The core is open source and can be self-hosted. A paid hosted version is for people who want the app without running a server. Hosted plans charge for the app, not for storage, since the storage is yours.
- Tagline
- Your files. Your bucket. No monthly rent on your own storage.
- Voice
- PlainCalmDirect
- Why this name
- A shelf is a simple place that is yours; 'own' says who holds the files. Two plain words joined, easy to say and spell.
In the first version
Members say which features they would use. It tells PWAS what people want; it changes no score.
Bring your own bucket
Connect S3-compatible storage, R2, Vercel Blob or a local folder. Mix several in one workspace and move files between them.
No member yet
Files stay in plain form
Objects are stored with their real names and folder paths, not in a private format. Leave any time with nothing to export.
No member yet
Virtual folders and search
Browse one tidy tree across all your buckets. Search by file name, and on paid plans by text inside documents.
No member yet
Version history
Restore earlier versions or deleted files within a retention window you choose, using bucket versioning where available.
No member yet
Brand identityAI proposal
Check the name against trademark registers before using it.
Palette
#1E5B53Shelf Teal · primary#F7F3EAPaper · surface#1F2A2EInk · text#E07A3FCopper · accent#3B6EA5Slate Blue · data#D9D2C3Sand · borders and dividers
Typography
Aa
Ownshelf
PricingAI proposal
Dropbox's pricing page lists one paid plan at €12 a month plus a free plan. The material gives no other prices. These tiers sit below that and are a starting point to test; storage is paid to your own provider.
Self-hosted
Free
- Open-source core
- Your own server and buckets
- Sync, versions, share links
- Community support
Hosted Personal
$4 a month
- We run the app, you bring the bucket
- Up to 3 buckets
- Full-text search
- Share links with expiry
Hosted Team
$8 a month
- Per user, up to 10 users
- Folder-level permissions
- Audit log
What it could be worthEstimate
What a software business making this much sells for today, from real deals. Pick a monthly revenue.
If it makes
Worth about
$190,000
Sale range $132,000 to $263,000
$120,000 a year in revenue
From 87 software businesses listed and sold on Empire Flippers in the last year, revenue vetted by the broker: they sell for about 19× their monthly revenue, most between 13× and 26×.
Measured on profit, the middle deal is 32× monthly net profit: about 2.7 years of profit.
An estimate, not an offer or financial advice. A real price depends on profit, growth, churn, how much of the work is the owner's, and the buyer.
How it would growAI proposal
How the product would reach new customers through its own use, and how the first ones would be found. A plan to test, not a result.
- Built-in loop
- Shared outputs. Users send share links and shared-folder pages to people outside the app. The link page shows a small 'Hosted with Ownshelf' line, and a recipient can connect their own bucket in a few steps.
- Do they become customers?
- Recipients see the product but may never need it. To test: how many link openers click through and start a free self-hosted or hosted trial, compared with organic signups.
- First customers
- Developers and technical freelancers, solo or in teams of up to five, who already have an S3 or R2 bucket and pay for Dropbox or Google Drive.
- Where to reach them
- Hacker News and Show HN: Launch the open-source repo where the original thread drew 252 points, and answer the BYOB questions directly.
- Self-hosting communities: Post setup guides and a one-container recipe in self-hosting forums and subreddits.
- GitHub: Publish the open-source core with a clear README and a hosted-version link for those who don't want to run it.
- First milestone
- Five paying hosted users from the developer group within 60 days of launch, plus 200 self-hosted installs.
Why people already pay for this
- VerifiedHacker News post received 252 points and 208 comments
- Public claimUsers pay recurring subscription fees for cloud storage services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box.
- Public claimThere is demand for an open-source alternative to major cloud storage providers.
- Public claimUsers want to avoid vendor lock-in and use provider-agnostic solutions with their own storage buckets.
- Public claim
Tech stack
Every proposal builds on the same PWA base, installable from the browser on any phone or computer. Dashed boxes are what this app adds.
- AppNext.js and TypeScript
- PWAManifest and service worker
- UITailwind CSS
- Data and authSupabase Postgres
- PaymentsStripe
- EmailResend
- HostingVercel
- This app · Object storage accessS3-compatible client libraryOne API covers S3, R2 and similar buckets; Vercel Blob and local disk get small adapters.
- This app · Search indexPostgres full-text searchKeeps search inside Supabase for the first version; a separate engine can come later.
RisksAI inference
- TechnicalReliable two-way sync across buckets that other tools also write to is hard: conflicts, renames and large files can lose trust fast.
- CommercialMany people in the discussion want open source for free. Paying hosted users may be few if self-hosting is easy enough.
- PlatformProviders can change bucket APIs, egress fees or terms, which affects the cost to users of bringing their own bucket.
- DataUsers hold the keys to their buckets. A bug or leaked credential in the hosted version could expose private files, so key handling must be strict.
- CommercialEvidence is public claims from one forum thread; demand beyond that audience is not shown.
Everything marked AI proposal or AI inference was written by a model from the evidence on the opportunity page. The proposed name must be checked against trademark registers before it is used.