Cloudreve 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.
Cloudreve
File management and sharing system, supports multiple storage
VS
elFinder
Web file manager with a desktop-style interface
| Feature | Cloudreve | elFinder |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 97 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | GPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 28,751 | ★ 4,804 |
| First released | None | 2010 |
| Replaces | Google Drive | Google Drive, Dropbox |
What are Cloudreve and elFinder?
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
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
Cloudreve vs elFinder: key differences
Cloudreve is written in Go, while elFinder is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Cloudreve versus BSD-3-Clause for elFinder. ElFinder is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Cloudreve. Cloudreve has the considerably larger community, at 28,751 GitHub stars versus 4,804. Cloudreve lists first-class Docker deployment; elFinder 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 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 Cloudreve or elFinder 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 elFinder free and open-source?
Yes. Cloudreve is licensed under GPL-3.0 and elFinder under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cloudreve and elFinder with Docker?
Cloudreve: yes. elFinder: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Cloudreve or elFinder?
elFinder 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.