copyparty vs Dufs
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
copyparty
Portable file server with accelerated resumable uploads
VS
Dufs
Distinctive utility file server with WebDAV support
| Feature | copyparty | Dufs |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 46,774 | ★ 10,778 |
| First released | 2019 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Dropbox, Google Drive | Dropbox, Google Drive |
What are copyparty and Dufs?
copyparty
copyparty is a portable file server with features including resumable uploads, deduplication, WebDAV, FTP, and media indexing. It runs from a single Python file with no dependencies.
- Accelerated resumable uploads
- WebDAV, FTP, and TFTP support
- Single-file Python deployment
Dufs
Dufs is a lightweight single-binary file server that supports static serving, uploading, searching, and WebDAV. It offers access control, resumable uploads, and a clean web UI.
- Single-binary file server
- WebDAV support
- Access control and resumable uploads
copyparty vs Dufs: key differences
Copyparty is written in Python, while Dufs is built with Rust. Licensing differs — MIT for copyparty versus Apache-2.0 for Dufs. Dufs is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 64 MB for copyparty. Copyparty is the more established project (first released 2019), while Dufs arrived in 2022. Copyparty has the considerably larger community, at 46,774 GitHub stars versus 10,778.
Why pick each one
Choose copyparty if…
- Single-file deployment
- Fast resumable uploads
- WebDAV and FTP built in
Watch out for
- Unconventional interface
- Many flags to learn
Choose Dufs if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 10.8k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is copyparty or Dufs better?
Neither is universally better. copyparty has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are copyparty and Dufs free and open-source?
Yes. copyparty is licensed under MIT and Dufs under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run copyparty and Dufs with Docker?
copyparty: yes. Dufs: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, copyparty or Dufs?
Dufs has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 64 MB for copyparty. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.