I've written a similar guide that goes into a bit more detail, such as setting up S3-compatible object storage as the primary storage, using a custom domain name, etc.:

https://joshuaoreilly.com/Blog/nextcloud_linode.html

I've enjoyed using Nextcloud so far. Download and upload speeds seem better than my previous cloud provider, despite using the cheapest node available. Having my Notes, Calendar, and Deck all available on the same platform is nice too. It's great having a cloud that isn't chock full of dark patterns; the only thing I've found similar so far with Nextcloud is the server branding at the bottom, which, as you detailed, can be removed.