Cloudreve vs Seafile
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
Seafile
High-performance file sync and share with block storage
| Feature | Cloudreve | Seafile |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 97 · Excellent | 76 · Good |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 28,741 | ★ 15,268 |
| First released | None | 2012 |
| Replaces | Google Drive | Dropbox, Google Drive |
What are Cloudreve and Seafile?
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
Seafile
Seafile is a file sync and share platform built around a reliable, high-performance file storage engine. It is well suited for users and organizations that prioritize fast, reliable sync of large libraries. It is typically deployed via Docker Compose or on bare metal.
- Fast block-level sync engine
- Client-side encrypted libraries
- Reliable handling of large file sets
- Desktop, mobile and web clients
Cloudreve vs Seafile: key differences
Cloudreve is written in Go, while Seafile is built with C. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Cloudreve versus AGPL-3.0 for Seafile.
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 Seafile if…
- Excellent sync performance
- Stable and battle-tested
- Good for large libraries
Watch out for
- Fewer collaboration features than Nextcloud
- Setup more involved than simple tools
Frequently asked questions
Is Cloudreve or Seafile better?
Neither is universally better. Cloudreve has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Cloudreve and Seafile free and open-source?
Yes. Cloudreve is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Seafile under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cloudreve and Seafile with Docker?
Cloudreve: yes. Seafile: yes.