Chibisafe vs Linx
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Chibisafe | Linx |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 68 · Good | 18 · At risk |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,772 | ★ 1,582 |
| First released | 2019 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Imgur, Dropbox | WeTransfer, Imgur |
What are Chibisafe and Linx?
Chibisafe
Chibisafe is a beautiful self-hosted file and image uploader with a sleek interface. It offers album organization, a browser extension, and a ShareX-compatible API.
- ShareX-compatible uploads
- Album organization
- Browser extension
Linx
Linx is a self-hosted file and code-paste sharing server with a clean interface. It supports expiring uploads, file deletion keys, an API, and torrent download generation.
- Expiring uploads
- Code syntax highlighting
- Torrent download support
Chibisafe vs Linx: key differences
Chibisafe is written in TypeScript, while Linx is built with Go. Licensing differs — MIT for Chibisafe versus GPL-3.0 for Linx. Linx is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Chibisafe. Linx is the more established project (first released 2015), while Chibisafe arrived in 2019.
Why pick each one
Choose Chibisafe if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Choose Linx if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.6k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Chibisafe or Linx better?
Neither is universally better. Chibisafe has the larger community, while Linx is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Chibisafe and Linx free and open-source?
Yes. Chibisafe is licensed under MIT and Linx under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Chibisafe and Linx with Docker?
Chibisafe: yes. Linx: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Chibisafe or Linx?
Linx has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Chibisafe. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.