Cloudreve vs FileBrowser Quantum
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Cloudreve
File management and sharing system, supports multiple storage
VS
FileBrowser Quantum
Enhanced web file manager fork with extra features
| Feature | Cloudreve | FileBrowser Quantum |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 97 · Excellent | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 28,741 | ★ 8,397 |
| First released | None | 2024 |
| Replaces | Google Drive | Google Drive, Dropbox |
What are Cloudreve and FileBrowser Quantum?
Cloudreve
Cloudreve is a file management and sharing system with a polished web UI that supports local, S3, OneDrive and other storage backends. It targets users who want a personal cloud drive with sharing links. It is deployed via a single Go binary or Docker.
- Multiple storage backends
- Shareable links with passwords
- WebDAV access
- Multi-user with quotas
FileBrowser Quantum
FileBrowser Quantum is a community fork of File Browser that adds advanced search, multiple sources, and improved performance. It provides a web interface for managing files on a server.
- Advanced indexed search
- Multiple file sources
- Improved performance over original
Cloudreve vs FileBrowser Quantum: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Cloudreve versus Apache-2.0 for FileBrowser Quantum. FileBrowser Quantum is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Cloudreve. Cloudreve has the considerably larger community, at 28,741 GitHub stars versus 8,397.
Why pick each one
Choose Cloudreve if…
- Multiple storage backends
- Single Go binary
- Polished web interface
Watch out for
- Docs partly in Chinese
- Some features Pro-only
Choose FileBrowser Quantum if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 8.4k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Cloudreve or FileBrowser Quantum better?
Neither is universally better. Cloudreve has the larger community, while FileBrowser Quantum is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Cloudreve and FileBrowser Quantum free and open-source?
Yes. Cloudreve is licensed under GPL-3.0 and FileBrowser Quantum under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cloudreve and FileBrowser Quantum with Docker?
Cloudreve: yes. FileBrowser Quantum: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Cloudreve or FileBrowser Quantum?
FileBrowser Quantum has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Cloudreve. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.