Upspin vs SFTPGo
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
SFTPGo
Full-featured SFTP, FTP and WebDAV server
| Feature | Upspin | SFTPGo |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 37 · At risk | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,404 | ★ 12,660 |
| First released | 2016 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Dropbox | Dropbox |
What are Upspin and SFTPGo?
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
SFTPGo
SFTPGo is a configurable file transfer server supporting SFTP, FTP/S, WebDAV, and HTTP access with cloud storage backends. It suits administrators who need secure, multi-protocol file access. It is deployed via Docker or a single binary.
- SFTP, FTP, WebDAV and HTTP support
- Cloud storage backends
- Per-user quotas and rules
- Web admin and REST API
Upspin vs SFTPGo: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for Upspin versus AGPL-3.0 for SFTPGo. Upspin is the more established project (first released 2016), while SFTPGo arrived in 2019. SFTPGo 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 SFTPGo if…
- Multi-protocol in one binary
- Flexible storage backends
- Strong access controls
Watch out for
- No sync client
- Configuration can be complex
Frequently asked questions
Is Upspin or SFTPGo better?
SFTPGo is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Upspin if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Upspin and SFTPGo free and open-source?
Yes. Upspin is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and SFTPGo under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Upspin and SFTPGo with Docker?
Upspin: check the project docs for container support. SFTPGo: yes.