Focused product surface
Cotton is the better fit when a team wants a private file cloud rather than calendar, mail, office editing, chat, and many unrelated apps in one deployment.
Teams and studios
A focused team file cloud without the groupware sprawl.
A small studio keeps its footage, mockups, and source files in one place, hands a few of them to a client every week, and would rather not run a whole groupware platform to do it. Teams, studios, and private workgroups usually need files, sharing, previews, recovery, and account security more than a giant collaboration ecosystem. Cotton is shaped around that narrower problem.
Account security
Passkeys, TOTP, session inspection, and per-session revoke let users handle practical account security without waiting for an administrator to reset everything.
Share without onboarding everyone
External recipients can use share pages and expiring links. Not every file transfer needs a new user account.
Quota and storage control
User quotas, storage pressure checks, and admin notifications help operators keep a team instance healthy as usage grows.
WebDAV compatibility
Teams with existing sync or automation tools can use WebDAV while the web UI handles richer product flows.
Team operations proof
The team story is backed by passkeys, TOTP, session revoke, expiring shares, WebDAV, quotas, storage pressure checks, admin diagnostics, and database integrity signatures.
Focused storage beats sprawl
Cotton is the cleaner answer when a team or studio wants private file storage without buying into a sprawling collaboration platform.
When a suite still wins
If a team needs broad app integrations, an established ecosystem may be a better fit. If the priority is focused private file storage, Cotton is designed for that lane.
Team proof
Teams and studios need reliable files, not excuses.
The sharp use case is not replacing an entire office suite. It is giving a workgroup a focused private file cloud with accounts, shares, recovery, compatibility, and admin signals that are easy to reason about.
Real account security
Passkeys, TOTP, sessions, and revoke flows keep account safety visible instead of burying it in operator notes.
External sharing
A recipient can get a preview-rich link without becoming a permanent user in the team instance.
Quota and pressure controls
User quotas, storage pressure checks, and admin notifications make team deployments less fragile as usage grows.
Admin checkup
Security diagnostics surface concrete risks such as public registration, admin 2FA coverage, and container hardening signals.
Team workflow
Keep the file cloud narrow enough to operate.
Cotton works best when a workgroup wants a reliable file surface and already has other tools for chat, calendar, office editing, and project management.
- Create users and require stronger auth
- Use shares for external handoff
- Keep WebDAV for standard clients
- Watch quotas, storage pressure, and security diagnostics
When chat, calendar, and docs already live in other tools, the file cloud just has to be dependable and easy to operate. That is the lane Cotton stays in.
Teams that need a broad plugin ecosystem, built-in office editing, calendars, mail, or deep enterprise integrations should choose a broader suite.
FAQ
Direct answers
Is Cotton trying to replace every collaboration tool?
No. Cotton is a focused file cloud. It can sit beside chat, office, project management, and identity tools rather than become a catch-all suite.
Can a team use standard clients?
Yes. WebDAV v1 is available for standard client and automation workflows.
Can external recipients use Cotton without accounts?
Yes. Share pages can expose files or folders through expiring links, so a recipient can preview or download without becoming a permanent team user.