copyparty vs Zipline
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
Zipline
ShareX and file upload server with a clean dashboard
| Feature | copyparty | Zipline |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 88 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 46,765 | ★ 3,425 |
| First released | 2019 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Dropbox, Google Drive | Imgur, Dropbox |
What are copyparty and Zipline?
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
Zipline
Zipline is a fast self-hosted file upload server with a modern dashboard. It supports ShareX, image embeds, URL shortening, and detailed statistics.
- ShareX integration
- URL shortener built in
- Detailed upload statistics
copyparty vs Zipline: key differences
Copyparty is written in Python, while Zipline is built with TypeScript. Copyparty is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Zipline. Copyparty is the more established project (first released 2019), while Zipline arrived in 2021. Copyparty has the considerably larger community, at 46,765 GitHub stars versus 3,425.
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 Zipline if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is copyparty or Zipline better?
copyparty is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Zipline if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are copyparty and Zipline free and open-source?
Yes. copyparty is licensed under MIT and Zipline under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run copyparty and Zipline with Docker?
copyparty: yes. Zipline: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, copyparty or Zipline?
copyparty has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Zipline. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.