LocalSend
File Sync & StorageShare files to nearby devices without the internet
Replaces AirDrop
Best Encrypted File Sync & Storage for self-hosting
The 29 best Encrypted file sync & storage you can self-host, ranked by community traction.
Syncthing
File Sync & StorageContinuous peer-to-peer file synchronization
Replaces Dropbox, Resilio Sync
croc
File Sync & StorageSecurely send files between any two computers
Replaces WeTransfer, AirDrop
Spacedrive
File Sync & StorageCross-platform file explorer powered by a virtual distributed filesystem
Replaces Google Drive, Dropbox
Nextcloud
File Sync & StorageSelf-hosted content collaboration and file sync platform
Replaces Dropbox, Google Drive
Magic Wormhole
File Sync & StorageGet things from one computer to another, safely
Replaces WeTransfer, AirDrop
transfer.sh
File Sync & StorageEasy file sharing from the command line
Replaces WeTransfer
Seafile
File Sync & StorageHigh-performance file sync and share with block storage
Replaces Dropbox, Google Drive
PairDrop
File Sync & StorageLocal and internet file sharing inspired by Snapdrop
Replaces AirDrop, WeTransfer
Nextcloud All-in-One
File Sync & StorageContainerized turnkey Nextcloud deployment
Replaces Dropbox, Google Drive
ownCloud
File Sync & StorageOpen-source file sync, share and content collaboration
Replaces Dropbox, Google Drive
CryptPad
File Sync & StorageEnd-to-end encrypted collaboration suite
Replaces Google Drive, Microsoft 365
Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare
File Sync & StorageAnonymous file sharing over the Tor network
Replaces WeTransfer, Dropbox
Upspin
File Sync & StorageGlobal name system for secure file sharing
Replaces Dropbox
Send
File Sync & StorageEncrypted file sharing fork of Firefox Send
Replaces WeTransfer, Firefox Send
Flying Carpet
File Sync & StorageWireless file transfer between devices with no shared network
Replaces AirDrop, Snapdrop
SparkleShare
File Sync & StorageGit-backed file synchronization with version history
Replaces Dropbox
gocryptfs
File Sync & StorageFast encrypted overlay filesystem for cloud-synced folders
Replaces Boxcryptor
Nextcloud Desktop Sync
File Sync & StorageOfficial desktop sync client for Nextcloud
Replaces Dropbox, OneDrive
Syncthing-Fork
File Sync & StorageAndroid client wrapper for continuous Syncthing file synchronization
Replaces Dropbox, Google Drive
Rclone Browser
File Sync & StorageCross-platform Qt GUI for managing rclone remotes
Replaces Mountain Duck, Cyberduck
Gokapi
File Sync & StorageLightweight self-hosted file sharing with expiring links
Replaces WeTransfer, Firefox Send
CryFS
File Sync & StorageEncrypted filesystem for safely storing files in the cloud
Replaces Boxcryptor
git-annex
File Sync & StorageManage and sync large files with Git without storing contents
Replaces Dropbox
rmfakecloud
File Sync & StorageSelf-hosted cloud sync for reMarkable tablets
Replaces reMarkable Cloud
Cryptomator CLI
File Sync & StorageCommand-line client-side encryption for cloud files
Replaces Boxcryptor
Lufi
File Sync & StorageLet users fight uploads with client-side encryption
Replaces WeTransfer, Firefox Send
Cryptomator Hub
File Sync & StorageEncryption layer and key management for cloud storage
Replaces Boxcryptor
Pydio Cells Client
File Sync & StorageCommand-line sync client for Pydio Cells
Replaces Dropbox, Box
No apps match these filters.
At a glance
| App | Deploy effort | Difficulty | Min. RAM | License | ★ Stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LocalSend | Read-the-docs project | Easy | 128 MB | MIT | 94,309 |
| Syncthing | ≈5-minute setup | Easy | 128 MB | MPL-2.0 | 89,373 |
| croc | Read-the-docs project | Easy | 32 MB | MIT | 40,570 |
| Spacedrive | Read-the-docs project | Medium | 512 MB | AGPL-3.0 | 39,161 |
| Nextcloud | ≈5-minute setup | Medium | 512 MB | AGPL-3.0 | 37,089 |
| Magic Wormhole | Read-the-docs project | Easy | 32 MB | MIT | 22,986 |
| transfer.sh | Under-an-hour setup | Easy | 64 MB | MIT | 15,901 |
| Seafile | Under-an-hour setup | Medium | 512 MB | AGPL-3.0 | 15,329 |
| PairDrop | ≈5-minute setup | Easy | 64 MB | GPL-3.0 | 11,582 |
| Nextcloud All-in-One | ≈5-minute setup | Easy | 1,024 MB | AGPL-3.0 | 10,583 |
Quick picks
- Most adopted: LocalSend (94,309 GitHub stars).
- Lightest footprint: croc (from 32 MB RAM, against 1,024 MB for the heaviest here).
- Fastest to deploy: Syncthing (verified single-container compose).
- Licensing: 12 of 29 use AGPL-3.0; check the rest individually if you plan to modify and redistribute.
Every option here is open-source and self-hostable, tagged Encrypted within the file sync & storage category. Deploy effort is graded from published container recipes, not vendor claims — see the methodology.