Ceph vs FileGator
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Ceph
Distributed object, block, and file storage platform
VS
FileGator
Multi-user file manager with role-based access
| Feature | Ceph | FileGator |
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | MIT |
| Language | C++ | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 16,905 | ★ 3,048 |
| First released | 2006 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Amazon S3, Google Drive | Google Drive, Dropbox |
Why pick each one
Choose Ceph if…
- Released under the LGPL-2.1 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 16.9k GitHub stars
Choose FileGator if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Ceph or FileGator better?
Neither is universally better. Ceph has the larger community, while FileGator is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Ceph and FileGator free and open-source?
Yes. Ceph is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and FileGator under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ceph and FileGator with Docker?
Ceph: yes. FileGator: yes.