Ceph vs Magic Wormhole
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
Magic Wormhole
Get things from one computer to another, safely
| Feature | Ceph | Magic Wormhole |
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | MIT |
| Language | C++ | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 16,905 | ★ 22,792 |
| First released | 2006 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Amazon S3, Google Drive | WeTransfer, AirDrop |
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 Magic Wormhole if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 22.8k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Ceph or Magic Wormhole better?
Magic Wormhole is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Ceph if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Ceph and Magic Wormhole free and open-source?
Yes. Ceph is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and Magic Wormhole under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ceph and Magic Wormhole with Docker?
Ceph: yes. Magic Wormhole: check the project docs for container support.