Upspin vs elFinder
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Upspin | elFinder |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 37 · At risk | 88 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,404 | ★ 4,809 |
| First released | 2016 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Dropbox | Google Drive, Dropbox |
What are Upspin and elFinder?
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
elFinder
elFinder is an open-source web file manager with a user interface inspired by the macOS Finder. It supports multiple storage backends, drag and drop, and image editing.
- macOS Finder-style UI
- Multiple storage backends
- Built-in image editor
Upspin vs elFinder: key differences
Upspin is written in Go, while elFinder is built with JavaScript. ElFinder is the more established project (first released 2010), 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
Choose elFinder if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Active community (4.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Upspin or elFinder better?
Neither is universally better. Upspin has the larger community, while elFinder is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Upspin and elFinder free and open-source?
Yes. Upspin is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and elFinder under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Upspin and elFinder with Docker?
Upspin: check the project docs for container support. elFinder: check the project docs for container support.