Upspin vs copyparty
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
copyparty
Portable file server with accelerated resumable uploads
| Feature | Upspin | copyparty |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 37 · At risk | 100 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | MIT |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,404 | ★ 47,011 |
| First released | 2016 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Dropbox | Dropbox, Google Drive |
What are Upspin and copyparty?
Upspin
Upspin is an experimental framework from Google for naming and sharing files securely across the internet. It gives every file a globally unique name and end-to-end encrypted access control.
- Global file naming system
- End-to-end encrypted sharing
- Fine-grained access groups
copyparty
copyparty is a portable file server with features including resumable uploads, deduplication, WebDAV, FTP, and media indexing. It runs from a single Python file with no dependencies.
- Accelerated resumable uploads
- WebDAV, FTP, and TFTP support
- Single-file Python deployment
Upspin vs copyparty: key differences
Upspin is written in Go, while copyparty is built with Python. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for Upspin versus MIT for copyparty. Copyparty is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Upspin. Upspin is the more established project (first released 2016), while copyparty arrived in 2019. Copyparty has the considerably larger community, at 47,011 GitHub stars versus 6,404. Copyparty lists first-class Docker deployment; Upspin does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Upspin if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Mature project with 6.4k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose copyparty if…
- Single-file deployment
- Fast resumable uploads
- WebDAV and FTP built in
Watch out for
- Unconventional interface
- Many flags to learn
Frequently asked questions
Is Upspin or copyparty better?
copyparty is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Upspin if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Upspin and copyparty free and open-source?
Yes. Upspin is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and copyparty under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Upspin and copyparty with Docker?
Upspin: check the project docs for container support. copyparty: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Upspin or copyparty?
copyparty has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Upspin. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.