Nextcloud, CalDAV, Thunderbird.
this post was submitted on 10 Apr 2026
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This, but with DAVx⁵ as a CardDAV client app on Android.
I use the same, I just forget about it because I hate and so rarely use my phone, haha.
Using this as well, but potentially shifting to Radicale. Nextcloud has pissed me off one too many times.
But how?
I run nextcloud and have had maybe 2 update fails in the "mumbles" years I have run it, yes it is a monster with resource. So the bigger the box it's on the better it runs
I have had zero issues for two years now using Nextcloud AIO. Use is heavy with multiple users. Planning to set up a personal one next.
Interested in hearing about the problems you're having
Do it.
I found no-one used the NC interface for anything, so it was a lot of maintenance for no reason.
I replaced NC with Radicale and syncthing
What maintenance is there, really? Nextcloud AIO is great
True, but, I don't need docker or a VMM to run it in, or as many resources. Backups are easier, updates are predictable... and are adverts now a thing with the AIO?
I come from the early days when every NC point release needed a lot of tweaks to even make it work... hence the AIO was born from that mess.
I just found a simpler solution...
I don't see how backups are easier - Nextcloud AIO has borg backup built in as well.
Haven't had to think about updates, they just happen.
And I haven't seen a single advert, not sure what that's about either.
But I had some problems with the windows client updates. That was a couple years back. Crashed explorer on update. Back then a restart was necessary to update anyway.
Same, thunderbird on pc, davx5 + fossify calendar on android/grapheneos
Nextcloud is overkill just for calendar, right?
Radicale + client (Thunderbird on desktop, fossify calendar on phone)
This is the way. Radicale was super easy to set up via docker.
Radicale is also really easy to setup as a "normal" package... I have it running on a Pi.
Such a small, simple system, it's great.
I use Nextcloud. Of course that only makes sense when you use the other Nextcloud stuff as well.
Radicale on my server and davx5 on my android to sync contacts and calendar.
I host a CalDAV server (specifically Nextcloud's Calendar app, though plenty of others exist, like Radicale) and all my devices sync with it.
nano todo
Private I use Nextcloud + Betterbird (Thunderbird Softfork (stays compatible with the matching esr version)) + DAVx5 for Android.
At work we use an old web calendar in php5, as this is the only calendar we found that has a side by side view. Each coworker has his own calendar and in the 4 week view, each is displayed side by side. We didn't found any replacement with that kind of view. Also we use the categories very strict. Each entry need a category, the admin defines the categories and it shows icons for it. Nextcloud even introduced categories a few years ago and still doesn't have the option to define ones and delete default ones. You can add own categories on the fly, but this is so bad in design, as everyone needs discipline, which doesn't happen.
We use Nextcloud. (It's honestly about the only thing we use Nextcloud for.) For adding events and checking stuff we just use the web UI; it's also synced to Kalendar/Merkuro Calendar on our desktop and we get calendar notifications that way.
-- Frost
I have a paper calendar on my wall. It's really nice because I find writing things down helps me remember, and also because you can get ones with different pictures or jokes or facts or recipes on the other side, so you get a new set each month.
Also if you follow two calendar systems it's particularly nice because they can both be on the same calendar. (For example mine is a combined hebrew gregorian calendar, which is much nicer than just having the computer tell me when holidays are)
I have a paper 4 year calendar hanging on the wall. Takes a while to write in all the dates and holidays. With liquid paper/white out I have been using the same calendar for well over 10 years.
On my phone - Fossify Calendar.
That paper calendar must be rigid now with all that white paint 🤭
no notifications
too much scrolling
I have a small cron job that cuts the line for the day before into yesterday.txt, so today is always at the top of the file. I don’t need notifications.
Is CalDAV a cloud service? Usable with some email-providers Mike mailbox.org and posteo.de
Baikal or micro notes.md
a yearly paper calendar tacked to my wall
SoGo server, comes with webmail, web calendar, tasks and contacts all sync able via DAVx5. I actually sell these to customers as I get these kinds of requests more and more often.
tempting but my understanding is hosting your own email means nobody will accept what you send and its constantly going to be attacked. I dont really have the chops to beat back that kind of thing.
You are talking about reputation management which is not as big a deal as you might think.
Email is a simple system but there are a lot of things at work to prevent (more like reduce) spam.
Some DNS knowledge and some friendly emails to a few abuse @ addresses and a few months of quiet reputation building and you are set.
Add a few weeks of rspamd training and you won't see much spam either.
fossify for "phone"
tutaCalendar to synchronise events with partner
https://f-droid.org/packages/org.fossify.calendar + https://f-droid.org/packages/de.tutao.calendar
Opencloud for me
Have they cleaned up their docker compose setup somewhat? Last time I checked it was a hot mess
Etar with davx5 and self-hosted Baikal
Mainly my normal phone app. But for a long time it's not sync'd to some google cloud (which would be the default) but a Radicale instance.
I used Nextcloud before but honestly it's a mess to maintain. So much that I would not suggest it without planning to extensively use a lot of the different available addon functions.
Just for file sharing and caldav/carddav I will pick some simple solutions (like Radicale and Syncthing) over Nextcloud any day.
interesting, I can tell my existing apple stuff to point to my own instance run on radicale instead of icloud.....I dont know why I didnt consider that. its all caldav under the hood
Plain ol' spreadsheet.
@muusemuuse Nextcloud, Baikal, Radicale, ...
nextcloud, owncloud, someother-cloud.....I remember there being a lot of drama with these last time I looked at them. what's the current state of the union on these?
@muusemuuse IMHO Nextcloud is still the best package.
However, if your just looking for a selfhosted calendar, NC might be overkill.
I've been playing with calcurse and calcure, both TUI calendars because I can't keep something like Thunderbird open on my cruddy low RAM laptop. There are some sync methods but they're pretty janky. I'm tempted to just set up a plaintext file with appointments and have a script scan for the upcoming 24 hours for notifications or something
The self hosted calendar solutions have rubbish web apps, unfortunately. I'm pretty sure Radicale still doesn't let you search your entire calendar for entries.
Obviously most calendar apps on desktop and your phone will have that feature, but that's not exactly useful when you're on a device you don't manage and just wanna check your calendar real quick.