copyparty vs Shifter

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
FeaturecopypartyShifter
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseMITMIT
LanguagePythonPython
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM64 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, binarydocker
GitHub stars★ 46,121★ 42
First released20192026
ReplacesDropbox, Google Drive

Why pick each one

Choose copyparty if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Mature project with 46.1k GitHub stars
copyparty details

Choose Shifter if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in Python
  • Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Shifter details

Frequently asked questions

Is copyparty or Shifter better?

copyparty is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Shifter if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are copyparty and Shifter free and open-source?

Yes. copyparty is licensed under MIT and Shifter under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run copyparty and Shifter with Docker?

copyparty: yes. Shifter: yes.

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