copyparty vs ownCloud
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
ownCloud
Open-source file sync, share and content collaboration
| Feature | copyparty | ownCloud |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 46,774 | ★ 8,830 |
| First released | 2019 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Dropbox, Google Drive | Dropbox, Google Drive |
What are copyparty and ownCloud?
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
ownCloud
ownCloud is a file sync and share server that lets organizations host their own cloud storage with sharing and collaboration features. It targets businesses and individuals wanting an established self-hosted alternative to commercial cloud storage. It is deployed via Docker or a traditional PHP stack.
- Established sync and share platform
- LDAP and enterprise integrations
- Newer ownCloud Infinite Scale rewrite
- Desktop and mobile clients
copyparty vs ownCloud: key differences
Copyparty is written in Python, while ownCloud is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for copyparty versus AGPL-3.0 for ownCloud. Copyparty is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for ownCloud. OwnCloud is the more established project (first released 2010), while copyparty arrived in 2019. Copyparty has the considerably larger community, at 46,774 GitHub stars versus 8,830.
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 ownCloud if…
- Mature and stable
- Enterprise features available
- Good admin controls
Watch out for
- Nextcloud forked away most momentum
- Classic core in maintenance mode
Frequently asked questions
Is copyparty or ownCloud better?
copyparty is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider ownCloud if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are copyparty and ownCloud free and open-source?
Yes. copyparty is licensed under MIT and ownCloud under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run copyparty and ownCloud with Docker?
copyparty: yes. ownCloud: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, copyparty or ownCloud?
copyparty has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for ownCloud. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.