Cloudreve vs h5ai
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
h5ai
Modern HTTP web server index for browsing files
| Feature | Cloudreve | h5ai |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 97 · Excellent | 23 · At risk |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 28,751 | ★ 6,055 |
| First released | None | 2012 |
| Replaces | Google Drive | Google Drive |
What are Cloudreve and h5ai?
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
h5ai
h5ai is a modern file indexer for HTTP web servers that provides a polished directory listing with previews, search, and multiple view modes. It enhances browsing of shared file directories.
- Polished directory listings
- File previews and search
- Multiple view modes
Cloudreve vs h5ai: key differences
Cloudreve is written in Go, while h5ai is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Cloudreve versus MIT for h5ai. H5ai is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Cloudreve. Cloudreve has the considerably larger community, at 28,751 GitHub stars versus 6,055. Cloudreve lists first-class Docker deployment; h5ai does not.
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 h5ai if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 6.1k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Cloudreve or h5ai better?
Neither is universally better. Cloudreve has the larger community, while h5ai is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Cloudreve and h5ai free and open-source?
Yes. Cloudreve is licensed under GPL-3.0 and h5ai under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cloudreve and h5ai with Docker?
Cloudreve: yes. h5ai: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Cloudreve or h5ai?
h5ai has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Cloudreve. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.