I don't think there is a one-fits-all solution. It depends what you are trying to do. For me it goes something like this:

• transfer multiple files from 2 computers under my control: rsync
• transfer few files between computers in my local network: NFS or SMB
• tranfer 1 file from 2 computers in my control: scp
• synchronize files between computers/phones: syncthing
• synchronize files with cloud hosting: rclone
• distribute files with relatives: cloud hosting, share link (I use pCloud, not FOSS)

I'm lazy and really don't need anything more than direct web hosting, no encryption (beyond https), no auth, not even a web app.

An nginx instance uses try_files on a folder either returning the file you asked for or a 404 page.

Drop file in folder, Domain.tld/folder/file.ext returns file. Adding '/download/' to the start of the path adds the Content-Disposition 'attachment' header so it downloads instead of displaying (images/video/html/etc)

Not used for anything sensitive ofc, but handy for simple file sharing to friends/family. (or just stupid backgrounds for the warehouse computer 🤷)

It really depends on your use case. For example, I use Nextcloud, running on my own server, as a replacement for all things "cloud". In my use case, I wanted to have a system where pictures/videos/files which I took on my phone were auto-magically synced to a server. My main requirements were:

1. Server is under my control.
2. Android client compatibility.
3. Automatic syncing of files in folders I select when an internet connection exists.
4. Two factor authentication via YubiKey.
5. Encryption "in flight".
6. Open Source.

I now have NextCloud running in a container on my home server, with a public IP and domain. This gives me all the advantages of having my pictures, videos and important files, from my phone and computer, backed up to "the cloud" without having them on someone else's computer. The down side is that I have to sort out security, updates and backups on my own. I'm fine with that trade-off, though not everyone would be.

As a bonus, I can provide "cloud" functions to my family as well. And sharing files out to extended family is as easy as setting a file to "shared" and sending a link. Technically, that exposes the file to the public internet, but I only do this for files which I don't consider "sensitive" and the link contains a long, random string to obfuscate it. So long as I take it down before search engines have a chance to pick up on it, the risk is minimal.