Upspin vs Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare

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?
FeatureUpspinResilio Sync alternative Onionshare
Deploy effortRead-the-docs projectRead-the-docs project
Health score37 · At risk93 · Excellent
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseBSD-3-ClauseGPL-3.0
LanguageGoPython
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM128 MB256 MB
Deploymentbinary, sourcebinary, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 6,404★ 7,150
First released20162014
ReplacesDropboxWeTransfer, Dropbox

What are Upspin and Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare?

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

Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare

OnionShare is an open-source tool that lets you securely and anonymously share files using the Tor network. It can also host websites and run a chat server accessible only as a Tor onion service.

  • Anonymous sharing over Tor
  • No central server needed
  • Host sites and chat anonymously

Upspin vs Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare: key differences

Upspin is written in Go, while Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare is built with Python. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for Upspin versus GPL-3.0 for Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare. Upspin is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare. Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare is the more established project (first released 2014), while Upspin arrived in 2016.

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
Upspin details

Choose Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare if…

  • Released under the GPL-3.0 license
  • Mature project with 7.2k GitHub stars
  • Written in Python
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare details

Frequently asked questions

Is Upspin or Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare better?

Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare 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 Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare free and open-source?

Yes. Upspin is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Upspin and Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare with Docker?

Upspin: check the project docs for container support. Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare: check the project docs for container support.

Which is lighter on resources, Upspin or Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare?

Upspin has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Resilio Sync alternative Onionshare. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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