What is the difference between NAS and NextCloud?

Question

NAS

Hey!

I'm trying to understand the difference between local file storage solutions.

On the one hand, there is NAS (network-attached storage), on the other, the NextCloud cloud server.
Often in response to comparison questions, they point out differences in application, and say that these systems have different tasks.

What is the fundamental difference between these two solutions, in terms of goals and objectives?

What are the most common answers I have personally seen:
1) Price: if I build them myself, then both are free of charge. NextCloud and, for example, OpenMediaVault are both free software (free as in freedom =) )
2) Storage locality: again, in the case of NextCloud, it also lies on my server, which I can safely store at home.

Answer 1

The question doesn't make sense.

What is the difference between a passenger car and a Toyota Prius?

NextCloud is specific software.
NAS is not even just a class of software, but a class of software and hardware solutions.

if I construct them myself, both are free of charge. NextCloud and e.g. OpenMediaVault

then the question should be: "What is the difference between OpenMediaVault and NextCloud?"
NAS - most often this is the name of a finished piece of hardware along with software (not free) nailed to this piece of iron, and the cost of such a ready-made solution is many times more than you can assemble on your own.