croc vs Flying Carpet
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | croc | Flying Carpet |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 99 · Excellent | 90 · Excellent |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary | binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 40,420 | ★ 5,321 |
| First released | 2018 | 2017 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, AirDrop | AirDrop, Snapdrop |
What are croc and Flying Carpet?
croc
croc is a tool that allows two computers to transfer files and folders simply and securely. It uses a relay with end-to-end encryption and a code-phrase system for pairing.
- End-to-end encrypted transfers
- Code-phrase pairing
- Self-hostable relay server
Flying Carpet
Flying Carpet is an open source application that transfers files directly between two computers or phones over an ad hoc wireless connection, without needing a router or internet access. It supports Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.
- Direct device-to-device transfer
- No router or internet needed
- Encrypted file transfer
- Five-platform support
croc vs Flying Carpet: key differences
Croc is written in Go, while Flying Carpet is built with Rust. Licensing differs — MIT for croc versus GPL-3.0 for Flying Carpet. Croc is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Flying Carpet. Croc has the considerably larger community, at 40,420 GitHub stars versus 5,321.
Why pick each one
Choose croc if…
- Simple code-phrase pairing
- End-to-end encrypted
- Resumable transfers
Watch out for
- CLI only
- Public relay by default
Choose Flying Carpet if…
- Works fully offline
- Cross-platform including mobile
Watch out for
- Two-device transfers only
- Setup varies by OS
Frequently asked questions
Is croc or Flying Carpet better?
Neither is universally better. croc has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are croc and Flying Carpet free and open-source?
Yes. croc is licensed under MIT and Flying Carpet under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run croc and Flying Carpet with Docker?
croc: check the project docs for container support. Flying Carpet: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, croc or Flying Carpet?
croc has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Flying Carpet. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.