Self-Hosting nextExplorer: A Browser-Based File Manager for Your VPS

nextExplorer is a self-hosted, browser-based file manager: it turns any set of folders on a server into a full file-management interface — browsing, previews, built-in editors, uploads, and sharing links — accessible from a normal web browser instead of an FTP or SSH client. It ships as a single Docker image with support for multi-user accounts and single sign-on, so a small team can share one file interface without everyone needing shell access to the server.

What nextExplorer Does

Under the hood it’s a Vue 3 frontend talking to an Express backend, with a SQLite database handling users, permissions, and settings — no separate database container to run. Core features include multi-user accounts with per-user access control, quick file previews and a media gallery view, built-in file editors, link-based sharing, smart search, and a terminal bridge that opens a shell in the current folder. Optional integrations include OIDC single sign-on (it documents a working setup with Authelia) and ONLYOFFICE for in-browser document editing.

Deploying nextExplorer on a VPS with Docker

It’s Docker-native and ships as one image — no companion containers required beyond whatever reverse proxy you already run. A minimal deployment looks like this:

services:
  nextexplorer:
    image: nxzai/explorer:latest
    container_name: nextexplorer
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    volumes:
      - ./config:/config
      - ./cache:/cache
      - /path/to/your/files:/mnt/Files
    environment:
      - NODE_ENV=production
      - PUBLIC_URL=https://files.yourdomain.com

Each directory you mount under /mnt becomes a top-level volume in the interface, so you can expose several separate folders — a media library and a projects folder, for instance — as distinct sections rather than one flat tree. The /config volume holds the SQLite database and app settings, so back it up the same way you would any other stateful container. Set PUBLIC_URL to the address you’ll actually reach it at once it’s behind a reverse proxy with TLS — don’t expose port 3000 directly to the internet.

How nextExplorer Compares to Other Self-Hosted File Managers

nextExplorer isn’t the only browser-based file manager worth self-hosting, and it’s worth knowing where it sits relative to the two most established alternatives before committing to it:

If all you need is local files on one server with the absolute minimum moving parts, File Browser is hard to beat for simplicity. If you’re bridging several storage backends — an S3 bucket, an SFTP share, a Git repo — Filestash’s protocol support goes further. nextExplorer’s edge is built-in SSO: if you already run an identity provider like Authelia, you can wire it in directly rather than bolting authentication on with a reverse proxy.

Why Self-Host nextExplorer on an Unmanaged Contabo VPS

nextExplorer doesn’t manage itself — updates, backups of the config volume, and the reverse proxy in front of it are on you, same as any other self-hosted service. A Contabo VPS provides the compute and full root access to run it, not the operation of the container itself. Because the stack is lightweight (a Node.js backend and a SQLite database, no heavier dependencies), a Cloud VPS 4 handles it comfortably for personal or small-team use. If you’re pointing it at a large media library or multiple project directories with heavy thumbnail generation, a Storage VPS tier pairs the extra disk with still-modest CPU/RAM needs.

Disclaimer: Product specifications, features, and prices mentioned in this article are subject to change and may vary by region, billing term, and active promotions. Please check each provider’s or brand’s official website for current figures, pricing, and local currency rates.